This morning Mark and I went to Dr. McDonald, one of the orthopedists at Celebration Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Clinic. I had put this off because the family doctor said I didn't need to see an orthopedist if I didn't want surgery, but everyone else, including Evey, said that was crazy. So I finally did it, and boy, am I glad!
He was great, very friendly and very thorough. He read my CT scans and the report and went over all the meds that I've been on. He said the amount of prednisone that the ER doctor prescribed was just a baby dose and probably didn't help at all. He prescribed a big packet where I take six pills today, five tomorrow, etc. for six total days until the last day it is just one pill. Several people actually thought that was what I had done and were surprised when I said no. It was just one little pill a day for five days. Dr. McDonald also said to cut the Flexeril in half and take it only at bedtime so that I'm not so out of it all day. And he said it was safe to take the Tramadol with it, but only at bedtime. So I will do that.
He also gave me a book of back exercises, which I have just gone over in detail with Evey. I am supposed to do twenty minutes in the morning and twenty minutes in the evening. The doctor said to pick different ones. Evey helped me pick out the appropriate ones to do. She was super helpful about that. YAY for her Athletic Training degree and her years working as a PT Asst. She is very knowledgeable on this subject.
And I am following up with him in two weeks plus three days. I have an appointment on Monday, Nov. 6, so he can re-evaluate how I am. I feel so much happier about my long term prognosis now.
The other good news today is that I was down another pound and met the goal of 265, how much I weighed when I came from South Dakota in 2014.
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