Recovery Day #94!
Last night I went to
bed at 10pm, got up four times during the night, finally waking/getting up at
8am.
We left the apt at
10:45 and arrived at El Tesoro by taxi by 11:15. We went right up to Urogine
where I checked in and paid 89mil for my 11:30 appointment. Maria came out to
get me and asked if I needed to use the restroom. I told her I would rather
change (into their fashionable hospital gown) first. She told me I didn’t need
to today. ??? What surprises does she have in store for me?
After a quick trip to
the restroom, I went in and sat on the examination table and she asked me to
remove one shoe and sock. I did and she put an electrode on the side of my foot
and another about 2” above my inside ankle joint and connected me to a portable
machine called TENS 3000. She pointed out a nerve that travels from my foot up
to my pelvic area. She turned up the electricity until I could feel it and all
I had to do for the next 30 minutes was sit there. She said I should buy one of
these units available at Mayorca, Premium Plaza, or Monterrey mall for about
150-170mil and use it for 30 minutes every day. She also reminded me to limit
my liquids after 6pm to enable me to sleep better.
Teresa checked out Zara
then we had lunch in J&C Delicias. As we left, we ran into Laura
with her 5-month-old baby Juan Miguel (in a large baby stroller). (It was her and
Juan’s wedding I went to several years ago.) They chatted a bit then explored H&M
for a few minutes. Laura got a call and I showed her how to use an elevator to get
to her pickup area outside Torre Medica 1.
Teresa went to her 2:30
doctor’s appointment while I made a trip to the restroom, printed some chess
notes, and bought a 10-pack of ADs.
We were back at the apt
by 4:15.
I googled TENS 3000 and
found “Short
for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, these machines give your
nerves a short little zap of electricity. This is supposed to block your pain
receptors from reporting to the brain, which is why they're frequently used for
chronic joint or muscle pain.”
First, a little
medical background. The lumbar-sacral nerves control the bladder detrusor
muscles and the perineal floor. This group of nerves, sometimes referred to as
the sacral plexus, occupy the spinal cord at levels L4 to S3 which are located
towards the base of your spine, between your lower back and, well, your butt
crack.
[This]
is another option for impacting the lumbar-sacral nerves that control your
bladder and pelvic floor function. The posterior tibial nerve —the nerve that
runs along the inside of your ankle and up your leg— provides access to the
sacral plexus.
How? Although
the posterior tibial nerve is located in [the] leg, near the ankle, it is
derived from the lumbar-sacral nerve group. Stimulating the posterior tibial
nerve will also stimulate those L4-S3 nerves we are most interested in.
This manipulation of the posterior tibial nerve for the
purpose of affecting the bladder and pelvic floor is not a new technique.
[Y]ou can … target the posterior tibial nerve … by using a
simple over-the-counter TENS unit and the electrode pads that come with it.
Early research has found some promising results with this non-invasive approach
to treating urinary urgency, frequency, and incontinence.
By placing the
electrode pads … you can get the same tibial nerve —and thus lumbar-sacral
nerve— stimulation.
The typical
treatment duration used in the studies that have looked at percutaneous TENs
and transcutaneous TENS is 12 weeks of a weekly 30-minute treatment session.
After the initial treatment period of 12 weeks, occasional intermittent
treatments may be needed to sustain control of symptoms. You know you’ve got
the right spot when your big toe fans up and you feel a pins-and-needles
sensation in your foot.
So, if the urgency and frequency of IC are driving you crazy,
maybe you should look into a TENs unit and give it a try.
For supper I had a
little pasta with a small glass of milk.
The
New York Times’ 7-day average of new daily infections and deaths has the US
with 117,966 ð 114,395 ð 112,798 new cases and 2,052 ð 2,025 ð 1,984 new deaths.
Per
Medellin Guru, as of yesterday, Colombia has a total of 1,015 ð 1,686 ð 1,472 new cases with 33 ð 41 ð 42 new deaths. Medellin has 112 ð 269 ð 236 new cases from
September 28th
to 29th. Envigado has 2 ð 11 ð 8 new cases from
September 28th to 29th.
T-shirt
of the day
The future belongs to
us.
Terry, it amazes me what I learn on your blog. Years ago I had a serious case of Singles. A TENS unit was recommended to alleviate the pain, which was worse than when I have had broken bones. It worked wonders. I have used it for muscle pain, back pain, and soreness from overexerting myself. Though my incontinency is being controlled by the three supplements I mentioned in a comment on an earlier blog, I am going to use it as suggested in this blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks,Jack Williams