Tuesday, January 20, 2015

It has been a couple months... UPDATE

Okay, so it has been a couple of months since I have blogged anything.  In mid October of last year I started having sciatica.  It was annoying at first and I was able to get by with Motrin.  By the time I posted my last post I had begged my doctor to do something and she sent me to physical therapy.  A few weeks after I started physical therapy I went to see my doctor and had a major melt down.  By that point I wasn't sleeping (maybe 3 hours a night) and was really hurting 24/7.  The Motrin was barely taking the edge off and I was having a hard time functioning. 


My doctor referred me to a pain management doctor.  By this time it was late December.  I saw the pain management doctor who sent me for a MRI.  The MRI confirmed I have a ruptured disc.  The doctor said he wanted to send me for a epidural injection and hope for the best but he thinks surgery will be needed.  My injection was scheduled for 1/13 but on 1/11 I went into Urgent Care with a bad sore throat.  I had an infection and needed antibiotics.  The injection can't be done while sick or on antibiotics so now it is rescheduled for 1/27.  I am still not sleeping, taking lots of narcotics, anti inflammatory and a nerve pain blocker.  It makes very little difference.  I am miserable! 


Sitting hurts, laying down hurts, standing hurts... I am so tired and miserable.  The strangest thing is, I have no idea how I hurt my back.  For the past few years I have had issues with muscle spasms a couple times a year.  I would take some muscle relaxers for a couple days and be good as new.  This is an entirely different ball game.  I work full-time, and getting myself through the day can be really hard.  The mornings and nights are the worst and if I can get myself moving and stretched out I can tolerate the pain with the meds. 


With all this going on I have totally neglected any exercise or good diet.  Sometimes I eat just because it makes me feel better.  The good news is one of the only things that brings me relief is walking.  So, when I am up in the middle of the night I get on the treadmill and walk.  I walk a couple miles every morning before work.  The bad news is that my diet has not helped me and I have only maintained me weight.  Losing is not at all of a priority though.  Surviving is my only goal right now.


This post sounds really depressing, and though I am hating every second of this... I am making due.  I am just praying I don't have to have another surgery.