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Friday, November 17th, 2006

Update on my drug habit…

Thought I’d use that as a title to see how many people would read the whole post. I’m talking about baclofen, what were you thinking?

Anyway, the switch back to baclofen appears to be going well. Aside from being skin and bones, which I’m working on fixing, I’m in better health than I’ve been in several months. I can eat again and I’m probably moving around that best I have since before the the wreck. (3 years ago and some change for those keeping track) So far far so good…

1 Comment » - Posted in Thoughts on Life by Dan

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Tuesday, November 7th, 2006

Back on Baclofen

Well it’s been a while but I’m back on baclofen. My previous experiences of 18 to 24 months ago didn’t go all that well, so I’ve been hesitant to try it again.

I tried dantrolene, but it can cause liver damage and while it didn’t make my sleepy like baclofen might again, it really messed with my GI tract. So I’m back to baclofen. I’m going to be a lot more careful with it this time, slow and careful to try to figure out a good dose. I went a little crazy last time with doses. Baclofen overdose is bad, baclofen withdrawal is worse.

A few months after the wreck, January 2004, the neurosurgeon who fused my neck, suggested a baclofen pump. This puts baclofen directly into the spinal fluid which minimizes side effects. But it’s costly and sometimes dangerous, even life threatening if the pump malfunctions or you accidentally run out. In any case the pump is only a good idea if you don’t respond at all to the pills, so I think the neurosurgeon was jumping the gun just a bit.

Anyway we’ll see how baclofen round two goes.

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Saturday, February 26th, 2005

End of another week

Well, what happened this week? Stephanie and I spent Tuesday working on wedding stuff. We got the tuxes taken care of and figured out the wedding rings. Wednesday was fun. I had to teach in my information society class, that was no problem. Except that my scooter ran out of power on the way to class, hills really drain the battery. Luckily I was able to call a friend and he pushed the scooter to his car and gave me a ride to class. Later that afternoon the scooter ran out of power again but this time I was able to make it to a power outlet for a recharge.

Wednesday I also found out that I made it to the interview process for admission into the SISLT Ph.D. program at the University of Missouri – Columbia. My phone interview is Monday March 7 at 9:00 am central time. Wish me luck.

Thursday I got the chance to talk to Donna Nicely, director of the Nashville Public Library, for almost 2 hours. It was an great experience and that conversation should help with my Ph.D. admissions interview, since I want to study public libraries, information policy and technology.

I haven’t made any progress yet with driving training, the paperwork is either lost or in transit. Walking is getting better, I’ve cut back on the baclofen and that’s making my muscles work more. My legs ache a lot but that’s just because they are working harder and building strength. Plus less baclofen means I can actually stay awake.

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Friday, December 31st, 2004

Wet noodle experiment

Well the wet noodle experiment has succeeded in proving one thing at least. If you don’t tell your doctor and therapist that you stopped taking Baclofen, then you start taking 80 milligrams a day, side effects will happen. Every problem I’ve had since Monday is a Baclofen side effect. The wet noodle feeling isn’t because I’m taking too much, my muscles are still pretty tight. It’s drowsiness and weakness which are side effects.

The side effects will go away. It just takes a little time. And I’ve cut back to 50 to 60 milligrams, so that will help. And I’ve proven to myself the Baclofen works, I was definitely more flexible when doing stretches yesterday.

In other news, I have the brace for my right foot and the crutches and knee brace are on the way.

1 Comment » - Posted in Thoughts on Life by Dan

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Thursday, December 30th, 2004

Noodles and Libraries

Well, I still feel like a sleepy wet noodle, but the noodle experiment should be over today once I go to therapy. I can barely move and I can fall asleep at the drop of a hat, so I’m definitely taking too much Baclofen. But I did it so that my therapist can see what that much Baclofen does and see that it’s detrimental, not helpful.

And in other news I’m trying to get back into the library swing of things. I’ve made sure that my ASIS&T and TLA memberships are up to date and I joined ALA for the first time. One of the reasons I joined ALA was to be a member of the Public Library Association and the Library Research Round Table. Those should help out with the Ph.D stuff. I also joined the Library History Round Table and the New Members Round Table. Hopefully I’ll be able to make some connections that will help me out later.

1 Comment » - Posted in Libraries and Thoughts on Life by Dan

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