So true, Olivia and Denise.

Denise--it is so true, what you say about focusing on our similarities....our human hearts, struggles and joys are things we all have in common. In a way, faith is a very private thing, but I also think it's neat when people of different faiths can share their beliefs, practices,etc.

When I was in high school, I attended, as a representative from my school, a weekend-long inter-faith conference for kids from all over Baltimore--there were Jewish kids, Christian kids (from various denominations), Muslim kids....and various clergy from all of the faiths/denominations. The conference was held up in the Poconos....it was SO amazing!!!!!

LOL, it was made all the more fun by the fact that, on the way home, a terrible blizzard started, and my school's contingency (about 7 kids and a really cool teacher) got stranded in a little motel in Pennsylvania....we all crowded into one room, some sleeping on the floor, and stayed up all night watching Johnny Carson and talking about the conference we'd just left.

The whole weekend is one of my most favorite memories from High School. Liz

That's a wonderful story and memory, Liz.

Now, if the entire world could grab a clue, that would really be something!

Thank you LCT members for making newcomers feel welcomed on this board. This is the first message board I have ever had the nerve to post to; “lurking” being the safer alternative. If I don’t follow correct board etiquette, please feel free to point me in the right direction, as I am still learning.

My husband (Ric) and I are in our mid 40’s and have been married almost 25 years. We live in McKinney, Texas a suburb north of Dallas. We have two sons, the oldest is 22 followed by (too many years) our 13 y/o. We met while we were both active duty Air Force. Ric is still in the reserves.

Ric grew up in the Los Angeles area and is an Electrical Engineer. He works in telecommunications software sales for a large company more widely know for its printers and computers. He travels frequently, often being gone Monday to Friday. Although I don’t enjoy his being gone so often, the upside is a lot of frequent flier miles and hotel points.

As an Air Force brat, I grew up all over the world. The most interesting place was Kabul, Afghanistan where my dad was assigned as the military attaché. I attended high school at the American International School of Kabul (76-78), a wonderful experience and a school that now only exists in the hearts and minds of my fellow alumni. My background is also Electrical Engineering, although I never worked in that field. We made the decision to have one of us stay at home with the kids and I got that very lucky opportunity.

We love to travel for pleasure and I love cashing in all those free flights and hotel stays. If you can tell from my sign in name I love to dive. What may not be so apparent is the meaning of the second part of my moniker, “birdie”. It is what I wish most of my golf scores were. Anytime we get a chance Ric and I will hit the links together.

Looking forward to our very first cruise June 4 on the Paul Gauguin. I didn’t mean to ramble on…hard to believe I was so afraid to do this.

Lisa

Lisa,

Loved hearing all about you and Ric and your family. Very interesting background!! You've done a lot in your "young" life (still young to me now that I'm 52 :) ).

Hopefully you'll get to keep using those free flights and hotel stays on more and more cruises!!! I hate that we'll just miss you when we end our PIP cruise and yours will just be starting. But you can still enjoy the company of Wendy & David and Fred & Pat - our Back-to- backers from PIP!! So it will almost be like cruising with you!!

Many, many thanks to both you and Ric for your service to our country. I admire you both so much. You must have had a lot of emotions flowing during the Afganistan war.

Thanks for taking the time to share with us. We're so glad you are a part of the board!!

Welcome, Lisa.

You will find many very nice people on this board. A growing number of military as well as Texans it seems. So you will fit right in.

You had a very interesting childhood. I look forward to hearing much more from you.

Trish

Lisa,

Welcome to LCT. I enjoyed reading your intro. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

Betty

Hi Lisa,

Welcome to the LCT board! I am not too far from you and Ric, about 45 minutes away. How long have you been in McKinney? We looked at McKinney before we moved to Flower Mound and just fell in love with all the trees, but it was too far from the airport for Jim. He travels a lot, but not nearly as much as Ric. That is one of the reasons we chose F.M. - 20 minutes from DFW and it has lots of oak trees!

Looks like you picked a real winner for your first cruise - a great destination, a great ship and a great cruiseline. Have fun!

Lisa---I'm still a "newbie" here, but WELCOME!!!! I think you'll quickly find that this board is full of wonderful, kind, interesting, welcoming and VERY FUN people!!! Hats off to you and Ric for serving our great country!!!!! I think there were so many Americans didn't really SEE the great service our armed forces provide (i.e. kinda taking it for granted) until after 9/11.....

You'll be in Tahiti before I will, so I expect a report!!! I'm so excited!! I'm glad you came out of the shadows (lurking) and joined us!!! I'll give you fair warning, LOL---THIS BOARD IS ADDICTIVE!!!!!!!! :D

Welcome to the board, Lisa. Thanks for introducting yourself. It's fun to meet new people on this board. I have never been on the Paul Gaugin but hope to one day. You'll have to report back after your cruise. And, Liz is right...this board is ADDICTIVE!!

Lisa, what a fascinating life you have had!
I think you are going to have a chance for some wonderful scuba diving on your PG cruise!

Welcome to the board and you will have fun discussing your cruise here while you wait for June 4th!

Lisa - thanks for posting your intro!! :) And once again, welcome to LCT - glad to have you and Ric onboard!

Masaki

PS: you trained as an EE? Wow ... all that work. Then again, I trained as a Mech E and I'm not using that either. :D

Once again, thank you all for the warm welcome…yes this board is addicting.

Cyndi, It was you who got me motivated enough to write this introduction, when you asked me about this on another post. I really love the “youngster” comment, you made my day.

Ginny, We have lived in Texas since 1987, when the service transferred Ric to what was once Carswell AFB. We moved to Mckinney in 1995, when it was still a small town. I am amazed at the growth we have experienced since then, along with Flower Mound and the Frisco area. I can still remember driving along 121 and being surprised at all the brothels right off the highway. Thank goodness they have long since gone, the boys were getting old enough to start asking too many questions. I do love the trees here, but after having to drive Ric into DFW this morning at 4am, I wish we were a little closer.

Liz and Trish, thank you for the kind words about our military service. Yes, it is very rewarding to hear. I can still remember when my father was in Vietnam as a fighter pilot, our school bus having to be escorted (our school was off base) because of the protesters. The thanks, even now, still mean so much to those who have served.

Masaki, Yes EE was very demanding. Far too many nights w/o sleep, and Ric and I were doing this while working full time and with a child. Its funny how many physicians I know who have there undergrad in engineering. I went the reverse, I was an EMT/medical technician in the AF, and went into engineering. When our youngest came along though, we just decided that our kids had to become the number one priority, and we would get by on one income.

Looking forward to getting to know everyone more as time goes by…….Take care.

A belated but happy Welcome to you Lisa

Anthony

Lisa---those vietnam days were some of the saddest for our military. Whatever one thought about the war, it was terrible the way people held our soldiers and troops responsible, instead of recognizing their bravery and sacrifice. Even after that, I just think people took not only our military, but our firefighters and law enforcement for granted prior to 9/11. Now, all over the U.S., there's a real heightened appreciation for all of those brave services!!

Masaki---how interesting---how did you find your way to medicine from mechanical engineering....

About LCT addiction---I think we need to start a support group for those of us struggling with addiction. It's pitiful when you're on LCT at work and someone approaches your desk with a task for you to do, and you say, "Excuse me??? Can't you see I'm on LCT??????" :hyper:

Masaki, you're a mechanical engineer? So is my daughter. She has a specialty in bio-egineering and also a masters in mechanical engineering/specialty bio-engineering. I always thought that she could have gone on to be a medical doctor and I think she considered it. But, she is in the medical field designing in the spinal divison of Medtronic. Before that, she designed hip replacements for a division of J&J. I think engineering is an excellent entry into the medical field and you are proof!

Hey Liz, about that addiciton. You just minimize the screen when you see a co-worker approach and pretend you were really doing work!

I had a convoluted road to medicine. I've got a B.S. in mechanical engineering (B.S. is exactly right! :D ) and a masters in engineering management (which is sort of a MBA for engineers). But as Lisa has mentioned, it's not at all uncommon for engineers to become doctors. We had 3 in my medical school class. In some ways, they require similar problem solving skills. One field works with machines, the other works with people.

Donna - my dad's an orthopedic surgeon and he's probably used some of your daughter's devices. :) As part of my masters degree, I did some computer work modeling stress forces on an artificial hip so similar to what your daughter does/did probably.

Masaki

Donna----LOL, LOL. My problem is that people can approach from behind, walking up the aisle, and then I wouldn't know they are coming, LOL!!! So, mostly, I have to resist the temptation. I have so much work to do, that I'd get seriously behind, anyway....so I just look forward to the end of the day and my "fix" of LCT.....I love it!!!! :woh:

Masaki--of course, now it makes sense, that mechanical engineering DOES have some similarities to medicine in terms of a structural approach---especially orthopedics. I hadn't thought of it before. I do know a couple of people who went to medical school AFTER obtaining another degree and starting another career---but in both cases, they were in medical fields (nursing and a physician's assistant). I'm sure your patients are REALLY glad you made the switch!!!

Masaki, it's amazing to me how much we all have in common on this board when we start "talking". My daughter is now designing mechanical devices for the spine and is busy working on a "rush" project. Since Alan and I both have "tricky" backs, we are hoping she invents a miracle back cure really soon! And, I agree with Liz, bet your patients are very happy you switched courses and became a doctor!

Liz, I hear what you are saying. I work from home and it is so tempting to check out this board about every 5 minutes. When I do that, I get NO work done so I reward myself in the am/pm with an LCT fix.

Yeah, Donna, I have the same problem, when I telecommute from home a couple of days a week---I have to FORCE myself to stay away from the board during working hours, or I'd get nothing done all day, LOL.

Oh, Donna, I hope your daughter will come up with some miracle cures soon, as well. I had back surgery not quite two years ago and it has totally collapsed. Even bigger for me though is the herniated disc I have in my neck. My orthopedic surgeon has been trying to talk me into surgery since December and I am afraid that after trying PT and epidurals with no luck, I may now have no choice. Can I put in a rush order, as well?

Trish

Trish and Donna, I've struggled with back problems, too. I mostly just live with pain from time to time. What kind of surgery did you have, Trish???? It sounds like what ever got fixed now is giving you trouble again. It's upsetting when surgery's the only viable option....

Liz, I agree with you that surgery is the last thing we want to consider. I'm able to manage my back pretty well but Alan's back is really limiting his activities at this point. He's a handball player and if he plays, can barely walk the next day. Not good. I'm afraid he is very close to having to make a decision about surgery. Trish, do you mind telling us about your situation? My father had back surgery which didn't work for him (but he had many extenuating circumstances that don't apply to a younger person). It always helps to learn from the experience of others!

Hope everyone's back feels better. I agree, surgery really should be a last resort option for backs - outcomes can be very plus/minus.

Masaki

Masaki--I always believe in trying conservative measures first. I know that a lot of my own back problems are the result of posture, tension, improper lifting, etc. I've known people even with clear mechanical/structural problems (disc displacement, etc) who have responded well to P.T., and/or adaptation or modification of exercise (maybe having to give up certain sports, etc.), or hydrotherapy. I like to avoid medication if possible, and certainly surgery. I'm always wary of a physician whose first choice is surgery (outside of a true life-threatening condition, like cancer or cardio-vascular conditions or a serious injury). Fortunately, the physicians I work with (and I say work with, b/c they and I believe that I am a partner in my own health care) are ALL very conservative that way.

Say, BTW, Masaki. Our SPIN cruise is stopping at Hawaii. Margo, Jean and I will all be on the cruise. Any chance you and Mrs. Masaki can meet up with us???

Liz - I'll be insulted if you guys don't contact us when you get in. Definitely keep us posted as to your itinerary. From your cruise itinerary ... looks like you'll be arriving into Honolulu on November 25th if I'm reading the dates correctly - day after Thanksgiving?

Masaki

LOL, well far be it from us to insult you, LOL....I was hoping you'd want us to contact you. I think we do get in to Hololulu the day after Thanksgiving. One of the things I love about that cruise is that it includes Hawaii---a place I'd not get to see b/c of my reluctance to fly, so I'm really excited that I'll get both FP AND Hawaii. We'll keep you posted. Jean will be at the May 1st brunch, I think, so perhaps we'll get to talk about the trip and, hopefully, meeting up with you guys.

Liz/Donna,

Almost three years ago, I had developed electical leg pains that were so severe that I got long attacks with no provocation. They thought it was neurological and tested me for MS and all kinds of things. They put me on Neurontin which did nothing, except put me to sleep every time I sat down. They knew I had a bad back from my early 20's, so did an MRI and found a herniated disc, but didn't think that was it either. I even went to Cleveland Clinic, which helped even less. After about eight months they suggested surgery with no guarantee that it would be my answer. I hurt so bad I would have agreed to a lobotomy if I thought it would help. They did the surgery and removed a very large amount of disc matter. And, it worked fairly well. The problem was they removed too much and didn't replace it with anything. In December 2004 they diagnosed me with Radiculapathy and a herniated disc in my neck. They decided to do an MRI on my back to find out why my legs were still bothering me and that's when I found out the surgical area had collapsed. I gave up waterskking in my 20's, which I adored and I take good care of my body. I just seem to be one of those people. Although, Liz, I have recently read some theories on people bracing and I feel that may be the reason I have herniated this disc in my neck. To add insult to injury, they are also wanting to put in a defibrilator because I had a cardiac event last month. So, I have a lot going on medically right now. I'm actually thinking about looking into acupuncture for my neck. Have you tried it by any chance?

Trish

Trish, what a nightmare!!!!!!!! I also have been Dx'd with radiculopathy and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS). My entire arms and hands go completely numb, but the pain upon cirulation returning is excruciating--and I have a high pain tolerance. TOS is aggravated by positional issues, so tends to get worse (for me) at night, when I am lying down. When I'm having a TOS "episode" I awaken in the middle of the night in absolute pain.

I have not had an MRI. I went through a physical therapy course and the thing that helped the most was VERY gentle massage by a physical therapist. Hydrotherapy also completely takes away the symptoms. I KNOW that a lot of it in my case is related to muscle tension and posture (that's what the P.T. told me).

Lately, I've been having SEVERE muscle pain in my neck, upper back, shoulders, chest and arms. I'm not much of a "meds" person, so only take ibuprophin if it gets really bad. There is a lot of joint pain, too, in the same area, so I think I need to get a Sed rate done and see what might be affecting what (arthritis/bursitis, setting off more generalized muscle inflammation, or the other way around). Maybe I need an MRI.

Trish, I don't know what "people bracing" is--I've never heard of it. What is it? I have not tried acupuncture and am somewhat skeptical of it, but my opinion is---whatever works!!!! For the same reason that you describe, I do NOT want to have surgery if I can avoid it at all. I'd rather live with the pain, I guess....and use conservative measures to control it.

That's scary about your cardiac trouble---did you have an M.I.? Hang in there, Trish, And DO try gentle massage (preferably by a physical therapist) and hydrotherapy (spa/jacuzzi/hot,hot baths). ALSO, there's a state-of-the-art heating pad called Thermophor. It has industrial strength moist heat--is expensive, but works very well for temporary alleviation of pain. Keep me posted.

Donna--How frustrating for Alan, to have something he loves so much impeded by his back problems. I think the decision to have surgery (outside of some immediate necessity like cancer) just has to be a personal one for each person--weighing the benefits/risks and taking into account how much the quality of their life will be improved.

If surgery could allow Alan to play handball again, that might make a huge difference. It's a tough decision, and certainly, Trish's outcome is somewhat discouraging.

I'd tend to avoid ALL surgery that wasn't absolutely necessary to save/prolong my life, and just use more conservative means to manage other things. But that's me. I know people who have had back/hip/knee surgery whose quality of life has improved enormously b/c of the surgery, and that includes freedom from constant pain--NOT a small benefit!!

Liz,

TOS not fun. I know a few people with it, and they say it's very painful. It really is a pain to not have a healthy life, isn't it? I asked my doctor about massage and he told me no. I thought that maybe the pool in Aruba would help, but it didn't. I can't do the jacuzzi's because of my Cardiomyopathy. Like you, I prefer not to do a lot of meds, although I do believe Vicodin has it's place. I'm surprised they didn't do an MRI on you and would ask why. Bracing is like holding a certain position. You know how you're told to think about your body mechanics before you lift? I'm bginning to think maybe tht's not always an ideal answer.

I didn't have an MI, I just became extremely dizzy and went down. My cardiologist said it was a lack of blood in my brain and that because I fall into a sudden cardiac death group, they need to do the defibrillator. I just want to make sure he is correct. I'm going to my family doctor today just because I have felt sick for quite awhile now and maybe it's actually a symptom of something else? Or, then again, maybe it's just denial!

Anyway, thanks for the kind thoughts. And do ask about the MRI.

Trish

Wow, Trish, that's scary (the sudden cardiac death.....). It IS so hard to have to deal with these problems. I haven't had an MRI, yet, but may ask for one if these things get worse. The physical therapist I saw a few years ago told me that I had one of the worst cases of TOS he'd seen, but that his inclination was to believe that it was postural/muscle related rather than something mechanical or structural.

Let us know what the outcome of your visit to the doctor today is......

The biggest reasons why docs don't order MRIs for radiculopathy or TOS is 1) cost ( :D ) and 2) it doesn't really change the treatment plan unless you're looking at surgical intervention.

Liz - however, if it's bad enough and you're considering doing something more for your condition, then getting the MRI would be entirely reasonable.

Masaki

Liz/Trish:
Just some thoughts. I had broken my ankle in 3 places during Airborne training (one of those "career enhancement" potentials for the military), but what I didn't realize (nor did the Drs catch it) was the extensive jarring that impacted on my spine/body - which eventually resulted in 5 herniated discs in my neck (after not being diagnosed for 15 yrs - and yes, I did have CAT scans, MRI's, etc - just never any neurological workups). I barely could turn my neck in any direction (Ortho said it was "consistent with someone my age"), which made driving, in particular, a real problem. Anyway - I had surgery - which relieved some of the problems, but was still having all sorts of numbness (sometimes severe) in my hands/arms & now feet. (Working with Drs on those). But what gave me the greatest relief was seeing an Acupuncturist (of the Chinese methodology) - (I've also been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia). I was able to cut down drastically on my medications, and the stiffness/soreness/mobility/pain was alleviated (granted, for only a period of time, but after several treatments, it would disappear for quite a while). Mine is also the worst in the morning - after an evening positioning dilemna!! I was very skeptical at first - but after hearing from my close friends about this certain Acupuncturist who had done wonders for the most unique of problems, I decided to try it, and am I ever glad I did. He's given me a "quasi-quality" of life I have not had for over 10 years - unfortunately, he's in Wash DC - and I'm in Texas (I travel there quite often now!!) It's worth a shot - and it took a couple of visits - but what a difference!! My biggest regret was that I didn't go sooner, a lot sooner :mecry: (for I was one of those who didn't appreciate alternative methods!!) Good luck - it's a Pain having Pain!!

Maskai---I sort of figured that cost was a factor. Truthfully, I haven't pursued it seriously, though. (Some of that's b/c with mild claustrophobia, I'm reluctant to endure the procedure unless I HAVE to). I do know (from a CT scan I had) that I have some disc degeneration, and also a lot of generalized inflammation in the thoracic area related to bursitis/arthritis.

Throw in postural/tension issues and you have an amalgam of bothersome processes going on, LOL!!! I've mostly chalked it up to aging, and I just try to live with it and to use conservative treatments or pursue adaptive measures (i.e. using a headset or speaker phone, rather than cupping the phone between my shoulder and ear while taking notes...)...it's amazing how making little adjustments like that can help.

Oh, BTW, from lots of reviews of literature I've done, it seems that there are some in the medical community who do not accept that TOS is a truly discrete and diagnosable condition. What's your opinion on that? Both my physician and the physical therapy staff believe that it is a true condition, and I could clearly see that I met all of the criteria they applied (the various positional tests, etc.).

Ms. Marie--your story sounds like many I have heard. I don't know why I'm resistant to trying acupuncture. I've always been so skeptical of and resistant to non-conventional medicine, yet time after time, I hear of so many success stories. I have never, in my life, ever gone to a chiropractor, and probably never will, but I know so many people who swear by it...same with acupuncture.

Like you, I often get (along with everything else going on) such severe pain in the anterior neck/upper back/shoulder area that I can't turn my head--my range of motion gets severely restricted. NOT, NOT, NOT a good thing when driving, LOL, b/c I can't check blind spots. Sometimes, the pain is so bad that I just "hope" nothing's coming, LOL, when I change lanes.

If you were previously resistant to the idea, what finally convinced you to try acupuncture?

Liz - there's a lot of debate about a number of diseases including ADHD, TOS, and fibromyalgia. I try to keep my mind open and watch the latest articles on the matter to see how things are changing.

There are open MRIs available now that don't involve going inside "the tube" - you might want to inquire with your physician about them if you're claustrophobic.

Masaki

Wow, Masaki---I didn't know that about "open" MRIs. That would be MUCH better!!! About the ADHD controversy---I live with it daily, in CPS, because so many (too many, IMO) children are "diagnosed" with it. I also try to follow the articles.

Liz,
I found out at my doctor appointment that my Blood pressure is extremely low and they feel it goes back to my heart again. They pulled blood and I go in for a Cartoid today, so we'll see. In MN, they don't think twice about ordering MRI's and when they do, they always ask if you ned to be in an open tube. I sometimes forget that medical situations vary from state to state.

Marie, thanks for the positive commnts on acupuncture. I'm really thinking it's worth a shot.

Trish