Learning to Dance in the Rain!

While I try to fill my life full of sunshine, I must admit that Cipro has added quite a bit of rain! It has now been nine months since I was floxed and I thought that it was high time I updated my symptoms. During the first few days and weeks I was barely able to walk. Sitting was also an issue as my knees and hips did not want to bend. The knees felt as though they would explode if I bent them. The upper back of my thighs, where the muscles connect to your bum, were excruciating. I used to say that my "bender-overer" was broken! The air literally cause pain in the balls of my feet and toes. Absolutely NOTHING could touch them!

My brain, now that was another special feature of being floxed. I often found the milk in the pantry and the mail in the back yard. I would leave the sprinklers running after watering the garden...... all night long. I would walk around the house aimlessly wondering what I was doing or what I was looking for.

I honestly thought that if this was to be my life I should just jump in front of the bus and get it over with. Doctors and pharmacists offerd no help. No treatment, no protocol. The only person to offer any suggestions at all was Dr. Carroll, a chiropractor and my daughters friend, Laura Laffranchini, the owner of Harvest Health Foods. Being that they were the only ones to offer any sort of suggestions, I followed their advice. I began to see improvement in about 3 weeks. I began to slowly dance again. I found that the more stationary I was the more pain I was in.

Today, nine months later, I just competed at the World Championships of Country Dancers. I placed ninth out of 23 dancers in the newcomer division. I was so thrilled to have come so far and to be able to participate in the competition. I dance my personal best of the entire year and was relatively pain free until my last two dances out of 16. Not bad fro a gal that could barely walk nine months ago.

So for my update: My knees, ankles and hips are close to being "normal". I still cannot squat!

My feet, especially the balls of my feet and toes are very much improved. I can now bend my toes and can even push forward with them. They only start to hurt about 2 hours into my dance practice and typically recover by the next day.

The brain fog is clearing, but is still lurking. Of course I am trying to figure out if that is Cipro or old age!

The overall fatigue comes and goes, but I have more good days than bad.

The aversion to bright light, mostly in the morning is getting better

The newest "symptom" that I have noticed is eye pain and headaches. I saw an eye doctor last week. He informed me that I have broken blood vessels inside my eyes, he is referring me to a retina specialist. I shall wait and see what he has to say, but in my heart of heart I feel as though this condition will also be Cipro related. I will keep you posted!

Take care and hope you are all improving daily!

9 Months Floxed

Well, it has been nine months since my Cipro journey began. I think that my greatest amazement is the amount of other victims that I have met. Many of them did not even realize that their pain stemmed from an antibiotic. It was not until after asking that frightening question, "I know that this may seem like an odd question, BUT have you ever taken Cipro, Levaquinn or Avelox"? , that I began to recognize the plethora of victims. The amount of people that I have met that have been effected is astounding. My realization of the under-reported side effects of these drugs is infuriating. I cannot believe that this abuse continues. I tell every doctor, dentist and pharmacist that I run across about the severe, and life altering side effects of these drugs and they all act surprised. Their typical response is that they have never heard of anything like this before. Are they really ignorant to the side effects or are they just turning a blind eye? Somehow, this has got to be stopped!

Any suggestions, please leave a comment.

Puppy Limping from Cipro.

While at our annual Dance Event in Palm Springs, Ca., I was talking to a friend of mine. She said that she had been thinking about me and about my Cirpo story. You see, she has a six month old puppy that needed surgery. She came through the surgery just fine and was given Cipro. When my friend took her puppy home, she was limping. Back to the doctor she went and was told that it was growing pains.

Now, I don't know about you, but puppy sure didn't have "growing pains" BEFORE the Cipro. The limping occurred after she was given Cipro. My guess, and I would bet money on it, she is suffering from the side effects of Cipro! Poor puppy!

The Recurring Cipro Toe

It truly amazes and disgusts me that taking an antibiotic for such a short period of time (3 days) can have such a long term effect on your body. It has now been 7 months since I was floxed by Cipro and I can honestly say that I am doing much better, however the continual up and down of the muscle and tendon inflammation and pain is really depressing.

As a competing dancer the foot issues are the most troublesome. Every time that I feel as though I am able to actually "Dance" I suffer for it for days. The balls of my feet and my toes still haven't recovered from my Trick or Treating escapade and I have another competition in three weeks! The big toe on my right foot just isn't happy. I felt a slight pop underneath it last night while I was dancing. Wonder how long this will last.

Ugh, how do you send your body from foot to foot when it is difficult to just put your foot on the floor and land on it.

My question and concern is: Just how far can I push myself through the pain and am I just how much risk am I taking by doing so. I can dance through the pain, but I am terrified of a tendon rupture. Damn those pharmaceutical companies that ignore all of the people that they have injured and just continue to do so!!

Halloween Cipro Pain: Trick or Treat?

Usually the only pain that I get from the aftermath of Halloween is tummy pain from too much chocolate! This year, while I am eternally grateful to have been able to take my son and grandson Trick or Treating, I am paying for it thanks to Cipro.

Part of the issue I am sure, is my own stupidity and fault. It seems as though every time that I have a relatively pain free day I think that I am cured!! Ha Ha Ha, Joke's on me!

I use Custom Orthotics daily and they have helped my feet tremendously, the issue I have is with my shoes. When I am having a "good" day, I slip my Orthotics into a pair of slip- on shoes because it is "easy". The slip-on shoes have a very thin sole.

My sneakers have a cushioned sole and are MUCH better for my feet. Problem is that they require tying! lol OK, I know that seems ridiculous, but sometimes I am just plain lazy and put on the slip-ons even though I know the other ones are better for my feet. That is precisely how I found myself, visiting my mother, with only my slip-on shoes.

The sun went down and it was time to take the boys Trick or Treating. It wasn't until I was 4 blocks from home that I realized what I had done. I was wearing the wrong shoes for walking on asphalt!! Many blocks later I was hobbling...needless to say, the night was cut short by my own stupidity and Cipro! It is 3 days later and I am still paying for it! I REALLY hate being STUPID!!

Moral of the story: Even when my feet aren't throbbing, put on the "Good Shoes"!