Cervical Spondylosis ruminations

p.s. what I'm really trying to do is get this on to page 4 so I don't have to spend half the day scrolling down!

Hello chaps, :lol:

I'm back in the land of the living ( I think) I keep missing big chunks of my life with this blasted cs, and as a woman, who is naturally inquisitive I fear for my sanity :lol:

Anyway, how are you all ?

Mike you enjoy your camera and get out and about when you can.

Gerry will ya stop blethering sooo much :D me 'eads not up to it :P

Em :lol:

Hi Em,

Glad you're back. Any relief from a rough spell, I know, is always welcome. However, you have set me off again. Today, as I perambulated twixt lounge and morning room, my mind beset with multiple complexities of such intense intoxification......ok! take a break Gerry.

Actually spent the whole day (excluding essential life saving trip to Sainsbury's) uploading guitar lesson videos (my own) to YouTube. I'm proud to say, in all humility (sure!) , that I've had 6000 hits on previous uploads....I'm slowly becoming a legend in my own lounge. You should try it Mike, if your camera does short movies...really easy.

Also watched some YTube vids by \"Jactress\". She's an actress / comedian but she also suffers from MS and she has a unique way of dealing with it. Check it out...I'm assuming you all have access to the internet!! By the way, YouTube is free and you don't have to sign up to browse.

Gerry

Wake up. Write notes. Boot up PC. I'm off again!

Just been ruminating on the penal system. I've always been envious of the 5 Star medical facilities available to Her Majesty's detainees. Only the best! There's a team of specialists, waiting in the wings, to tend to every minor complaint and, if something serious kicks in. then it's helicopters and sirens, almost before it's happened. And all at the State's expense...i.e. our expense.

The thing here is that the State has assumed total responsibility for the health of it's inmates and wants to avoid any litigation for bad practice. Outside the prison walls, this responsibility is toned down to a damage limitation exercise...what you don't assume responsibility for, you can't be sued for. I believe that this is a factor in the mindset of medical practitioners when it comes to dealing with problems they have no real solutions for. It is easier to build a wall of indifference than to go home every evening thinking....\"I have failed\".

Ok, this is part of the process of blanking out helplessness and focussing on the stuff you know you can achieve results with. Accepted. At the same time, this indifference can create a sense of despondancy in the mindset of a patient at the receiving end, for instance, a c/s sufferer. I wouldn't mind at all if my GP said he was as confused as I am in trying to recommend remedial therapy. I'm sure that, at the back of their minds, they know that current therapies are pretty useless, in most cases. At least, I would feel there was a level playing field and that he/she was respecting me and including me in the process.

I have met doctors like this, but not many, and I have come away feeling more positive, if nothing else. Perhaps they think we can't handle the negative prospects associated with c/s and conclude that, the less we know, the better. This is the wrong approach. It's a barrier. I want to know the details and I want a fair shot at dealing with them. Too much wishful thinking or too many blind alleys don't help much in clarifying a responsible approach to therapy. The whole process of doctor to consultant to physio and back again, although useful for many conditions, has taken on the connotation of sophisticated delaying tactics, in my mind. This is my experience.

I think I have been very \"patient\" in keeping an open mind, whilst they close theirs to any new approaches. There's a lot they could learn from us.

By the way, I usually do these ruminations in the early morning (bit of a habit now), over coffee and ciggies, while I'm waiting for aches to calm down...and I know...it shows!

ps...no real news on the pillow experiments, except to say I've gone back to what I used before starting (Home Base non-allergenic), for a little relief. Phew! But the trials continue. Going back to work has been delayed, so thats ok.

Gerry

The epic voyage continues!. Just rounding the Cape of Good Hope. Hope to hit land soon.

\"Thanks to this site, I know I'm not mad\". Someone posted this comment a while back and I think it just sums it all up. It's a recurring theme in a lot of posts, and I'm no exception. We've all had the same experiences of wondering about our own sanity when it comes to dealing with the 'normal' world.

I think that a lot of the uncertainty is reflected back onto us by others who find it difficult to accept our predictament. Even the professionals do this, because it is not in their power of understanding to conceptualise the real problems associated with c/s.

Once I realised it wasn't just me, through reading the postings here, it seemed to unlock, in me, a previously pent up desire to explore all the ifs and buts that had plaqued me for years, but I never had an outlet for. I know, I've gotten a bit intense (understatement?) and a bit adventurous with these ruminations, at times, but my philosophy is that if I don't face the problems, I won't find the answers. My questioning nature doesn't offer much in the way of relief...probably much the opposite at times, and sometimes I feel like apologising all the time for straining the old grey matter (your acceptance here is assumed). It's your job to keep me in check and, so far, you've made a really bad job of it!!! :twisted:

Back to the \"reflected uncertainty\". This issue underlies my frustrations and definitely goads my resentments. It's more a constant bemusement with reactions, leading to irritation and a desire to continually 'Spell It Out'. Then, whenever I have spelt it out, there's that old haunted silence and I think \"I've blown it. I've left them no options\". I suppose it's a bit like whether you wish someone to see you as able-bodied or disabled. It's a difficult choice. I don't consider myself disabled...I haven't lost a limb, I'm not in a wheelchair. I'd like to be seen as able-bodied with occasional bad bouts of semi-disablement. I know there are others who have constant disablement and would want to classify their situation differently ( perhaps they should grade c/s with an ascending scale of difficuties to accomodate the different levels...yet another issue!).

This perception of c/s has never been catagorised by health professionals and therefore, has never been accepted as justifiable semi-disablement in the general public's concept of what disabilities are acceptable. Make sense?Even I need a lie down after that one!

Consequently, this confusion of perceptions blocks the way for c/s sufferers seeking incapacity or semi-disablement benefits. The System doesn't have a dedicated category that we can fall into easily. Also, because of the lack of familiarity with c/s in the general public ( and this again is down to the professionals not informing...just look at the press given to Arthritis or Rheumatism or Hay Fever for that matter) we also encounter problems explaining ourselves on a day-to-day basis.

The Health Services see c/s as a 'get byable' issue and don't want to classify it either way, perhaps because they see it as a label that could be abused for benefits purposes (surely, I'm being too cynical here) and all at the expense of the bona fida c/s sufferer.

As that great Irish American leader O'Bama ( thats right, just google 'obama irish' to check ) proclaimed \" A Change Gonna Come\". I hope I haven't exposed my roots here!

Gerry

Hi y'all,

Another early morning rant?Relax...I'm off air today.

Too many ciggies, coffee and postings...not good for me.

By the way, if you really want to put a stop to me, try encouraging me...that's when I really get suspicious!!!! :goodluck: :guinness:

I only just noticed the 'view more emoticons' link today. What does that say about my cutting edge mental capacities. Duh!

Have a nice day.

Bejasus Gerry :D

It's god to meet another eejit :D 8) I think I suspected all along where those roots were comming from, :wink: I have the same problem meself rambling on and on and on, or so my hubby says, but what does he know, being a tyke :lol: 8)

Anyway, would you not consider getting out more :lol:

Em :lol:

Hi Em,

Nice to see my culture is still respected in the same old time honoured way it was before the introduction of political correctness :wink: .

I live in Tottenham, so I don't have the option of taking the daily guided tour of Sellafield to boost my energy levels :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: . I have to negotiate 20 minutes of soupy smog before I even see a green field. Sad, isn't it. As for a stroll in Tottenham.... the financial implications of hiring a bodyguard, in the current economic recession, are restrictive. I exaggerate. This afternoon, it's just footy on the telly:arrow: :coffee: :football:

C'mon you Villa.

Here's another one. If you browse the internet sites for c/s, you'll find that any NHS or other info is always classified under 'Arthritis', as it is on this site. I have a problem with this. I don't have Arthritis. As far as I'm aware Arthritis is a general body debilitating disease, affecting joints mostly and it can exaggerate itself on particular vulnerable joints. I believe it is unusual for it to affect neck or head. They are still investigating it's causes, but blood abnormalities and the immune system are highly suspected culprits.

This is nothing like C/S and, yet, c/s is classified under arthritis.Why? C/S is degenerative wear and tear (although I see this as a misleading description as well), usually concerning just 2 vertebrae in the cervical spine....nothing to do with the blood or the immune system.

Of course, it's possible for someone with c/s to also have arthritis -something I wouldn't wish on anybody, but it is a mistake to always associate the two. There may be some other reason to do this, but I'm not aware of it.. Perhaps, because of the frequency of, and familiarity with, athritis and it's therapies, the professionals find it useful to lump the two together in the hope that any therapies they have developed for general arthritis might also help with c/s. They know that arthritis will gradually get worse, they don't have the answer for it, their approach is one of partial resignation and all they can do is offer advice on lifestyle, diet etc., and keep doleing out the medication. Understood.

But, maybe, at the same time, they have conveniently labelled c/s in the same category and therefore they apply the same resigned remedies. C/S is a localised problem ( in the neck) and varying symptoms such as pains in arms, chest head etc. are referred symptoms. C/S can be caused by arthritis, but I believe it is mostly caused accidently. I could have arthritis and, as a result, have c/s. However, I do have c/s and yet I have no arthritis whatsoever....unless I use their classification. This logic should really make c/s an unassociated separate issue from arthritis. It's a bit like saying \"All yachts are boats\" when all boats are not yachts.

If everytime we say to a health professional \" I've got c/s\" and they immediately switch to thinking \"arthritis\", then the whole thing is getting off to a bad start. Not their fault, it's how they are trained and probably why they have so much difficulty in thinking the problem back to source to investigate new therapies. A big factor here is, because of the unlikelyhood of a professional ever having c/s themselves, they have never felt compelled to investigate further. That's where we kick in. We have no choice. All that's on offer is a load of dubious treatments and , if we don't try ourselves to break this cycle of semi-indifference, well, we know what the prospects are. It might explain why so little effort has been put into advising lifestyle therapies for c/s sufferers, unlike other debilitating conditions like arthritis, rheumatism, ms etc.

I don't know, or have never heard of, an association for c/s sufferers. Maybe, with the help of this site, it's time for such a group....even if it was just for voiceing our dissent on how we are treated. Any ideas?

Should be easy enough to set up a page here, that we all sign up to, and create a manifesto which in turn might be spotted by someone with a bit more clout.

Might even get a professional to jump on the bandwagon!

Gerry

Arthritis is just a group of symptomatically related medical conditions not a diagnosis, Cervical Spondylosis is just in the Arthritis group

Hi,

Thanks for your response...I live and learn.

Ok. I may have gotten that wrong, I'm not sure and I will try and check it out. But, it still doesn't negate the argument and explain why so many c/s sufferers are disgruntled with their treatments. There are probably many ways to try and disprove my arguments, I'm just an amateur really. But that shouldn't detract from the main issue......Are we getting the best possible advice from the professionals?

Gerry

Gerry :lol:

Look what you gone and did, you got Dr Spock on the job. However every doc I've seen has diagnosed it as osteo-arthritis of the spine (Cervical Spondylosis in an undertone) :lol:

I don't have a problem with that label, as telling others what I have in laymens terms ie OA, rather that CS. stops the glazed and bored and disinterested look that materializes when trying to explain the condition. :lol:

Em :goodluck:

BTW, Hello Dr Spock, nice to meet you

Hi Em,

I know exactly what you mean by trying to describe c/s to others in terms they might understand ....just so as not to encounter the 'glazed' expression. I've still got a problem in that I can't seem to get away from seeing arthritis as a whole body disease, whereas c/s is specific , localised , the initial damage may have been accidendal and the damaged area doesn't necessarily degrade, as one would expect from arthritic conditions. More like whiplash, I suppose, and I'm not sure if whiplash would fall into an arthritic classification. I may be on a loop here, and might need re-educating. Rather that, than none the wiser!

Gerry

ps I was really hoping to get Uhuru interested, But Spock will have to do !! :ufo:

Im not arguing with you nor do I wish to disprove your argument [b:5e0caddcd1]Gerry[/b:5e0caddcd1] :D

'Ello [b:5e0caddcd1]Aunty Em[/b:5e0caddcd1] :magic: :wink:

Hi,

That's fine. I didn't for a moment think that you were. You added your views, and I appreciate that. That's what the site is for and I would hate to think that my views were seen as anything other than just arguing the issue.