Kindly Póg Mo Thóin

17 Responses to “Because I R SMRT”

1. 1 Linnaeus
   Sep 24th, 2007 at 8:39 am

   Hey, you gotta learn somehow.

2. 2 Zuzu
   Sep 24th, 2007 at 8:41 am

   And you know? The drugs just kicked in. They’re brilliant! This will save me a lot of pain down the line.

3. 3 Linnaeus
   Sep 24th, 2007 at 9:24 am

   One of the more disappointing days of my life was when I ran out of the oxycodone prescribed to me after my surgery. But that’s probably a good thing. Drugs are…well, tricky.

4. 4 Zuzu
   Sep 24th, 2007 at 9:29 am

   Well, when I say “drugs,” I mean naproxen sodium. I don’t mess around with the hard stuff.

   I might like it.

5. 5 Linnaeus
   Sep 24th, 2007 at 9:41 am

   You will. Trust me on this.

6. 6 E_scapism101
   Sep 24th, 2007 at 10:07 am

   Hey, at least you’ve figured it out - some people never do.

7. 7 Jenonymous
   Sep 24th, 2007 at 10:24 am

   Zuzu,

   You may also want to think about one of those neoprene slip-on knee supports.

   Also, DANGER WILL ROBINSON RE taking Naproxen regularly. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflamnatory drugs) are the #1 cause of ulcers after H. Pyloreum bacteria–and my gastro guy thinks that was a major contributor in my case (my biopsy/culture came up pathogen-negative). So, don’t get TOO used to taking the ol’ Naproxen, and ALWAYS take it with food–if you get up, get dressed, pop a Naproxen, and go running, you are burning holes in your tummy. Really. In fact, there has been background noise RE de-listing NSAIDs (Motrin, Naproxen Sodium, etc) from OTC status due to the potentials for stomach and liver damage for years now. So do be careful; ulcers are a bitch.

8. 8 Linnaeus
   Sep 24th, 2007 at 10:58 am

   Aspirin, if I’m not mistaken, has an anti-inflammatory effect. I’m not sure about acetaminophen, though.

9. 9 Zuzu
   Sep 24th, 2007 at 11:07 am

   Yeah, Jen, I’m not really into taking drugs, especially the kind that can punch a hole in your stomach, as a matter of course. My long-term strategy is Vitamin E, leg presses and icepacks until everything stabilizes. It’s just that I had naproxen sodium in my desk drawer, but not so much with the ice packs. I think I’ll head out to the Duane Reade around the corner later on and get some to keep in the office freezer.

10. 10 Beebles
    Sep 24th, 2007 at 12:11 pm

    Start doing squats and lunges several times a week, and I swear your knees will thank you. If you strengthen up the rest of your legs, it takes pressure off your knees. Wear a good knee brace too, not one of those cheap crappy ones. When your knees hurt, wear it at night too. It will help, and over time you won’t need the pills anymore.

11. 11 raging red
    Sep 24th, 2007 at 2:00 pm

    You will. Trust me on this.

    I dislocated my knee a few years back and took Vicodin for a few days and, well, yeah. I can see the appeal. Drugs are indeed tricky.

12. 12 attrice
    Sep 24th, 2007 at 2:59 pm

    You may already know this or have already considered it, but, as a fat woman who finished the couch-to-5k program (I highly recommend the podcast)a few weeks ago, motion control sneakers were an absolute godsend. With regular, though good quality, sneakers, I had foot pain and knee pain and shin splints, but the motion control just made those problems disappear.

    That said, ice and advil are also godsends and still on the menu sometimes when I push too hard or don’t watch where I’m going and land funny or something.

13. 13 Mnemosyne
    Sep 24th, 2007 at 5:55 pm

    Herb-wise, I wonder if Evening Primrose Oil capsules might do some good since they (supposedly) have an anti-inflammatory effect. As far as Aleve or Advil goes, every doctor and dentist reminds me that it’s best to take it before you’re actually in pain.

    I’m a little worried about my Advil use and possible ulcers, but between the carpal tunnel problems and the knee ligament replacement last year, I’ve got a lot of inflammation that needs to stay under control. It turns out to just be something I’m prone to — I also have roseacea — so I probably also have arthritis to look forward to. Yay.

    Also, Vicodin can have the side effect of making you vomit uncontrollably. I got to find this out a couple days after my surgery at 5 am standing over the toilet on crutches. Not fun. Thank god I was able to send G. out to the all-night pharmacy to get me some OTC anti-nausea medicine so I could stop throwing up and get some rest. The doctor changed my meds to something less effective plus I got to have anti-nausea suppositories so I would only feel constantly nauseous but not actually throw up.

    Good times, good time.

14. 14 CStephens
    Sep 24th, 2007 at 10:31 pm

    So, OT, but what did you think of th Boy Dean’s performance re the President of Iran today? By the way, Happy Birthday from a fellow U of M lawyer staring 39 in the face (with an existential wince that has nothing to do with aging and everything to do with “WTF am I doing and how do I get out of this rut”). Class of ‘94.

15. 15 Zuzu
    Sep 25th, 2007 at 8:08 am

    Hey! We overlapped — I was a summer starter in ‘93, graduated December ‘95. Which is always fun to explain to employers.

    Boy Dean? Well, he let the guy speak rather than cancel the appearance.

16. 16 Linnaeus
    Sep 25th, 2007 at 9:24 am

    I’m Class of ‘94 from U-M too, but that was for undergraduate study.

17. 17 tigtog
    Sep 26th, 2007 at 3:40 pm

    *Dusting off old physiotherapist hat*

    Others have already pointed out that longterm drug reliance is not such a great idea, although the ice is great.

    I second the suggestion for squats/lunges and really good shoes, and also recommend learning how to sportstape your knee rather use a generic knee support - you will however have to pay a PT specialising in sports injuries to show you how to do it properly for whatever is going on with your particular knee.

    It will so be worth it though.

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