Big Owie

If you have never experienced the pain of sciatica or a ruptured, herniated disc... consider yourself lucky. It is PAINFUL. Worse than the neck pain I had from my whiplash. Worse than childbirth. It is an unrelenting pain that cannot be relieved no matter what position you get in. Its a stabbing, searing, horrible pain that shoots down the nerve over and over and over.

That's what I'm dealing with right now. George and I went on vacation to Vermont last week with high hopes of painting my dad's house, and cleaning the inside. On our third day there, I was picking up huge bags of trash to carry out and my back tweaked and it hurt. I thought "Oh, I just have pulled a muscle". But then I sat down on the floor to clean a bottom shelf and immediately I was seized by horrific pain. It took my breath away. And then... I couldn't get up. I couldn't move. All I could do was scream "OW OW OW!!!"

My sister came over to the house to help that day and she had me lay on the couch and put ice on it. Gave me 800mg Advil. She thought I should go to the hospital and get it looked at and I know she was right but I kept hoping it would "go away" and get better.

I couldn't even drive back to the hotel. George had to. I could not sleep at all the whole night because no matter what position I tried, sitting, standing, laying, propping pillows, every position hurt HORRIBLY. I cried all night. I knew that I must have done something very wrong to my back to hurt that bad.

The next morning I had George take me to the emergency room in Brattleboro. They gave me pain medication and told me I had "sprained" my back and should go see my doctor when I get home.

I came home and it didn't get better. So Monday I went to Dr. Byrd who is my pain doctor for my neck. He cured my neck pain. He sent me for an MRI. The results showed I have a herniated disc and another one that is bulging and ready to rupture.

So... it wasn't all in my head.

And it wasn't a SPRAIN either.

Tomorrow I go in and get an epidural injection of steroids in my L4 L5 area of the spine. I hope it will help. When I got the epidural for my neck it hurt worse than the everyday pain for about two weeks and I was sorry I did it, but then it got better. I hope this one works. I missed half a week of work this week and i don't have anymore sick leave.

So........ anyhow.......... that is that. I want physical therapy once this gets better. I need it. I have to build up the muscles so this doesn't happen again.