Neck pain, headaches and mental health

daffy2

Could you use one of those collapsible crates on wheels(much favoured by attendees at Chelsea flower show, craft fairs and dog shows!) or those jolly bags on wheels to wheel the groceries through to the kitchen?
Failing that, prioritise then divide and conquer. Split the shopping into more bags so each is less heavy. Better to make several trips one bag in each hand than taking as many as possible.Frozen and chilled foods need to get through first then fruit and veg, but anything else can wait.
I don't shop online but every 3 weeks or so have to do a 'restocking' shop which means more and heavier things to deal with.The house I've moved to is a long narrow terrace with the kitchen at the back, so things like the tins tend to sit beside the settee while neck and shoulders settle after dealing with the rest. If that doesn't happen the same day then so be it, there's only me to see!

mermaid

I can empathise with the neck and head pain having had 3 c spine fusions. I think its called occipital neuralgia and makes my eyes water! Sometimes flashing lights too. Heat does help, but mostly taking the weight off my neck by lying down is the only way as specified by neurosurgeon.
Have shopped online for more than 10 years and the delivery guys from a certain supermarket beginning with T always bring it through to my kitchen and deposit by the fridge freezer - usually refuse a tip too, say all part of the service!

Any major worries from MRI are followed up sharpish from my experience, but worth a chat as its causing you so much distress.

Good luck and take care x

Slosh

Online shopping is definitely the way to go. I use the one that starts with "O" and they price match with "T" and send you an online voucher if they were more expensive. Their drivers always carry my shopping through to the kitchen for me and then put it on the worktops for me.

I always find that sometimes lying down is the only thing to do but didn't realise it was a reccomended thing to do, I'm under orths for mine. Only one fusion so far, but as another disc is starting to pop out I know I will need another at sometime in the future.

PetiteN

Thankyou people.

The wheeling the shopping through on a wheelie bag or something similar is a good idea.. :-)

I do my big shops online with T...but they always tend to drop the bags right by the front door and rush off, I didn't know they could bring it through. Perhaps I should ask them, I often end up literally dragging the bags along the carpet to the kitchen when I'm hurting.

I will ask about the MRI, there's obviously nothing really dodgy, but then I guess it's possible things may have changed a little, and the fact the pain is off the scale and not managed needs to be talked about at least.

I hope everyone has had a good weekend, nothing too hard to cope with.

I saw my nieces today, great form of pain relief, they crack me up :-)

dreamdaisy

I'm with the orange supermarket and their drivers are fantastic. Just to drive the point home that I have troubles I ensure I open the gate with at least one crutch, they trundle my shopping through right into the kitchen, then help me unload it onto the worktops. Then I can put it all away at my leisure.

My last delivery was bagless which was far more challenging for the driver and me. I don't want to pay for bags because the packing leaves something to be desired: one tube of toothpaste in a bag? Hopefully there will be a limit to the charge and it is only once every three weeks or so. I support the legislation, however, it's about time people became more responsible about re-using bags and the wallet is an effective way to ram a message home. DD

Slosh

The company I shop with charge you for bags but refund you 5p for every bag you return to the driver regardless of what shop they come from. My daughter uses "T" and they are capping the bag charge at 40p per shop.

Like you I agree with the charge, it's about changing habits.

PetiteN

Last night was my first night using the new contoured memory foam pillow.

This morning my neck pain is actually alot worse :-/ This could be a complete coincidence, I just don't know, perhaps it makes it worse before it improves? I'll give it another go tonight, hopefully it will turn out to suit me, as I don't think I can return it.

Yeah I'm a bit concerned about the bagless food deliveries... I agree with the concept too, but its going to be trickier for online deliveries, I wonder if I had my bags for life by the front door they'd transfer shopping into them? It's making extra work for them though and I don't think I'd manage to do that myself!

N x

Slosh

As for deliveries why not try another supermarket? T supply bags with a capped price of 40p per order and O which I use charge 5p but take 5p off your bill for every bag you return no matter what shop they are from. Don't know about the others. You often get good offers on your first order as well so now might be the time to try. I would contact their customer services dept too as if enough people raise the issue they may rethink their policy

PetiteN

Ahh ok, I shop with T, due to have my first online shop tomorrow since the bag changes came in, so hopefully it'll be in bags :-) paying 40p extra is OK with me.

I've tried O before but found them quite pricey, but maybe I'll try them again and compare

x

Slosh

O actually price match with T and give you an online voucher if T would have been cheaper. Mind you in the end it comes down to do they sell what you want.

PetiteN

Thanks Slosh, I'll try them out again

TrishaW

Oh dear...sorry the new pillow made your pain worse.
I don't think it should ever make it worse...it's probably not the right shape for you or too firm?
As you bought it online I suggest you send it back and try another one.
I know when i 'renewed' my own pillow I accidentally ordered one in a denser memory foam and it gave me lots of pain. I couldn't understand why until i checked closely (they looked exactly the same)
I know we're not supposed to advertise actual products on her but mine was from the physio med catelogue and in soft memory foam, ridge along the neck end (ie dip in middle) and cost about £70 for the large size...that should be enough clues!
Good luck!
Trisha
PS email them and say it made your pain worse -they will let you send it back I'm sure

dreamdaisy

Initially memory foam pillows are firm, they can take a little while to soften so give it time. My Tempur took a while but I sleep with a towel over my pillow to ease the sweats thus further distancing my head heat. DD

stickywicket

Oh dear! I'm sorry that didn't work. I don't know what to suggest.

PetiteN

Thankyou for the replies again.

No need to apologise stickywicket :-) These things are trial and error as we're all different.

I have been able to return it, so that's good, I think that it was too big, too firm and felt like the contour was forcing my neck into a position it just doesn't have enough movement to do perhaps... I had severe pain and headache all day and the headache was the same as the one I get if I ever try to look upwards.

I'm going to try a smaller, flat memory foam pillow next, (Im quite small) and if that's no good a buckwheat one that adjusts to the shape of your shoulders/head/neck.

Slosh

Good luck with your pillow hunt, hope it doesn't take you too long to find one that suits you.

Positive

I am new to this forum but might be able to suggest something.

I have had neck problems for many years and memory foam pillows only made it worse.

I bought a travel type pillow with beads in it. Really flexible and I sleep with it under my neck. Solved a lot of problems and never sleep with anything else now.

PetiteN

Thanks Positive.

My gut feeling is that memory foam is not for me... I was quite shocked at how quickly my pain escalated after just trying the contour one.
I'm going to give the normal flat memory foam a try, but have a feeling that might have to be sold on!

The idea of a bead pillow or buckwheat filled one seems like a good idea :-)

Trial and error!

PetiteN

Slosh wrote:

Good luck with your pillow hunt, hope it doesn't take you too long to find one that suits you.

Thankyou Slosh :-)

ttmc

Hi N,

Really feel for you, constant pain can be very wearing and hard to deal with. I don't know about neck pain specifically, but in general long lasting pain absolutely affects your mental health when you have to deal with it day in-day out, and it stops you seeing people and leading a 'normal' life. Even when you do sometimes have people around you, it can feel lonely or frustrating as they might not really understand or just think things can 'get fixed' when sometimes it's not that simple. Fluctuating or unpredictable pain I think is very stressful too, as you just don't know from one day to the next what is going to happen.

Hopefully you get on ok seeing a Chronic Pain team. The team I saw were very knowledgeable about strategies for managing pain and stress that work for some people, and helped understand a lot about pain response. Be interested to know what you make of it.

I was worried too about the bagless food deliveries, and ordered a load of 'bags for life' in a blind panic! Not really, but ordered 5 and the delivery driver will help put shopping in them or in another cart on wheels etc for you to move. Obviously I can't manage this at the moment with my hands and feet, so it's not me dealing with the driver luckily - but I'd hope yours would help too if you ask. They might even carry in heavier items for you. Could they deliver to a back door if it's nearer the fridge etc?

Could you make up meals to freeze? Most milk / bread freezes ok, so maybe there's a way to get around having to deal with weekly deliveries in times you're bad? Or look at getting pre chopped or frozen veg in smaller portions - might be easier than trying to move larger quantities. As a last resort, if the housekeeper plan doesn't work out, get a small team of Alaskan Husky dogs to help move your shopping on a sled.

I know you've probably thought of all of this - really hope you manage to figure something out!

PetiteN

ttmc wrote:

Hi N,

Really feel for you, constant pain can be very wearing and hard to deal with. I don't know about neck pain specifically, but in general long lasting pain absolutely affects your mental health when you have to deal with it day in-day out, and it stops you seeing people and leading a 'normal' life. Even when you do sometimes have people around you, it can feel lonely or frustrating as they might not really understand or just think things can 'get fixed' when sometimes it's not that simple. Fluctuating or unpredictable pain I think is very stressful too, as you just don't know from one day to the next what is going to happen.

Hopefully you get on ok seeing a Chronic Pain team. The team I saw were very knowledgeable about strategies for managing pain and stress that work for some people, and helped understand a lot about pain response. Be interested to know what you make of it.

I was worried too about the bagless food deliveries, and ordered a load of 'bags for life' in a blind panic! Not really, but ordered 5 and the delivery driver will help put shopping in them or in another cart on wheels etc for you to move. Obviously I can't manage this at the moment with my hands and feet, so it's not me dealing with the driver luckily - but I'd hope yours would help too if you ask. They might even carry in heavier items for you. Could they deliver to a back door if it's nearer the fridge etc?

Could you make up meals to freeze? Most milk / bread freezes ok, so maybe there's a way to get around having to deal with weekly deliveries in times you're bad? Or look at getting pre chopped or frozen veg in smaller portions - might be easier than trying to move larger quantities. As a last resort, if the housekeeper plan doesn't work out, get a small team of Alaskan Husky dogs to help move your shopping on a sled.

I know you've probably thought of all of this - really hope you manage to figure something out![/quote\]

Hey,

Thankyou :-) The freezing food is a good idea, I used to do that more often actually but haven't for ages so I think that's a good habit I need to get into again!

Yeah I can definitely relate with your comments about other people not really understanding chronic pain.... An example of that was highlighted the weekend just gone actually.
I'd arranged to meet my best friend for a coffee. Normally I drive myself and meet people, but she was insistent on kindly offering me a lift.
What I didn't realise that was a 'coffee' actually turned into a mammoth shopping trip. After we had the coffee she asked if I minded if she ran a few errands in town. I said that's fine, but explained again that I'm in alot of pain at the moment so might not cope for too long on my feet, and would perhaps have to find somewhere to sit. I ended up being on my feet, and working my arms hard too on the crutches for well over an hour, following her round :-/ As it was a Saturday and so busy I couldn't find any free benches to sit on. Nightmare really. By the time she dropped me back home, I came in and was in so much pain I burst into tears (that rarely happens!) It really ruined the rest of the weekend for me, but I'm kicking myself as I wish I'd just insisted I make my own way.
I think I expect people close to me to understand more than they actually do, or can.

Thankyou, hope I get a pain clinic appointment soon!

Ahhh I would LOVE some huskies!!! Helpful and such gorgeous animals. Sledding around here on tarmac and gravel could be interesting though! ;-)

Slosh

I share an office now with a colleague who to put it bluntly is a whinger! Everyday brings a new complaint and she once told me she was afraid of becoming ill in case she couldn't manage things and needed help!

I usually keep quiet but managed to drop a hint about my pain levels by joking about my "drugs" and then explaining I am on a form of morphine!