Hands or legs? Not sure if I am writing to Betty or Elizabeth?- anyway your are able to walk, not perfectly, but she can get around. Yet she has hand coordination problems that take away from her the things she loved to do. My legs don't work at all so I can't go anywhere with out my wheel chair and then only on smooth concrete or grass. No golf, or the construction work I used to do or even driving a car.But I do have my hands and I have learned to do things with my hands that I might never have attempted to do if I didn't have TM. So after reading Elizabeths story I began thinking about which I would rather have, legs or hands. I think hands wins. So I don't feel so bad.
I hope you can find some drug or assistance that will allow you better use of your hands. The Tommy Copper gloves have proven to work really well with arthritis--check the web sight-Montel Williams who has MS swears by the products. The glove material has copper woven through it. For the hell of it I ordered a body shirt to see if it would help with my banding, something that bothers me all the time. Jim On Wed, May 9, 2012 at 10:41 AM, Elizabeth Clark <xbeecla...@gmail.com>wrote: > ** > > Interesting so many of you have sleep problems… I have had almost no > trouble falling asleep or staying asleep since coming home from the > hospital and one month in a rehab facility six years ago. Two months before > I was stricken with TM, my husband and I purchased a Sleep Number bed and I > found I was able to set it so soft it enveloped and supported my > hyper-sensitive body perfectly. **** > > ** ** > > The only problem I encountered in the beginning was only taking three > doses (at eight-hour intervals) of pain and nerve medication a day. My last > dose for the day was typically after dinner, so by the time I woke up in > the morning (nearly 8-10 hours later), I was so crippled with pain I could > barely get out of bed, walk to the bathroom and get downstairs to eat and > take my first dose for the day. After discussing it with my doctor, she > agreed I could instead take four doses at six-hour intervals, which kept a > steadier amount of medication in my system. Unless I over-exert myself on > any given day, for which I am more than ready for my med dose when the time > comes, I now otherwise function pretty well at the six-hour intervals. *** > * > > ** ** > > It seems many of you try to go as long as possible before taking any kind > of pain medication, whether out of fear of addiction or whatever, but I > feel this is an incurable situation involving chronic, severe pain and I, > for one, cannot see myself going through the rest of my life in severe > pain. **** > > ** ** > > Pain can age a body way beyond its years in no time. TM has already robbed > me of many things – I can no longer run or skip, let alone wear cute fancy > shoes or sandals; my hands have been crippled to the point of making it not > a pretty sight to watch me try to cut my food and feed myself; I now must > “hunt-and peck” two-fingered on the keyboard, when my fingers used to fly > upon the keys; my artistic passion has been taken away as I can’t hold a > decorating bag and squeeze to create the beautiful cakes I used to decorate > for family, friends and co-workers; and because of all this, some degree of > happiness has been stolen by TM. I see no reason to compound this situation > by trying to function through severe pain. There is always now some level > of pain there – I am always conscious of it. But with the help of the > medicines I take, I can sometimes be distracted enough in what I’m doing – > such as answering my emails, playing games on the computer, or researching > my genealogy – that I “forget” about the pain for a bit. **** > > ** ** > > Sleep helps to restore the body – I hope all of you find whatever works > for you that eases your pain and allows you to attain that sleep. **** > > ** ** > > Betty**** > > (in **Northern California**)**** > > ** ** > ------------------------------ > > *From:* Linda Cherpeski [mailto:cherp...@msn.com] > *Sent:* Wednesday, May 09, 2012 6:51 AM > *To:* rn11974; TM List > *Subject:* RE: [TMIC] cancer vs tm**** > > ** ** > > Hi Cheryl ~ I've been thinking about you and so glad you posted. Great > news on the cancer! Speaking for myself here, I have to agree with you. > The cancer is under control and the TM pain just goes on and on. This may > not be true for all, but from the posts it is certainly true for many of > us. My pain is usually 24/7 and sleep is - well I almost don't > remember anymore what it is. And you're so funny, yes I think your cancer > group would think you're crazy! I hope for you and all of us the pain will > let up and we will once again know what Sleep is! > Linda > **** > ------------------------------ > > Date: Sat, 5 May 2012 13:49:21 -0700 > From: rn11...@yahoo.com > To: tmic-list@eskimo.com > Subject: [TMIC] cancer vs tm**** > > Hi,**** > > As many of you know I was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer last > year (spread to bones). No surgery,radiation,or chemo.Just an anti hormonal > pill daily.Just had a PET/cat scan and it is markedly improved. I possibly > can survive for years this way.**** > > ** ** > > So,I was thinking. If I could have a choice,what would I choose?**** > > I would keep the cancer.**** > > ** ** > > I have such terrible burning in my legs,the banding around my trunk is > awful,and I'm just so sick of this crap. I hate having no real life > anymore;wake up with pain,suffer all day,and go to sleep in pain.**** > > Nothing helps. **** > > I know that those of you with tm will understand this; I think if I > posted this at the breast cancer sites I belong to,they would think I'm > crazy.**** > > Thanks for listening. Hope you are all doing well.**** > > Cheryl**** >
