What happened to the saying and the promise, ”I’m watching your back?”
When I wasn’t a-lookin and you weren’t a-watchin’ ... my Back took ownership of my life.
One fine day, after months of building my strength and stamina in a three day a week fitness class, I felt a little twinge in my lower back as I completed my routine. Thinking it was another over-extension, a muscle pull, or strain I did what we all do, ice / heat / ice / heat. Actually, it began to feel a little better after a couple of days and I couldn’t wait to get back to my class to really stretch it out and stay loose. I crawled out of that class.
In my defense, ’I didn’t know.’ Never having experienced this type of pain before, I had no idea I was pushing my limits by over-stretching.
Sciatic Nerve? Herniated Disk? Say What? L4, L5, S1? What does this all mean?
The journey began. First, X-ray ... check! Then, MRI … check! Medication and Physical Therapy … Check! Pain remained. I couldn’t sleep, sit, stand, lay, breathe, laugh, cough, walk. I was completely absorbed in an excruciating pain that ran from my hip down the back of my thigh and around my calf down into my ankle, and climaxing in my toes. What toes? The toes I used to be able to feel. Now they were numb in an odd sort of way. Walking was difficult from the standpoint of pain and numbness. What was happening?
I was desperate ... I was unhappy ... I was impatient, intolerant, and insubordinate. Help! I need help. Fix me, please.
A referral to the Pain Management doctor was the next step. He recommended the epidural injections. In my spine! Heck, I was up for anything that would relieve me, but I had no idea how painful the EPI would be. Particularly, when it is being injected into a back that is so inflamed I feel like vomiting most of the time. Whoops, too late, the deed is done. I have little, but some relief. Since the EPIs come in threes, appointments were made for the next two injections. Hope was in the air ... fear was in the house!
It is now four months later; three epidurals under my belt (or should I say spine), cortisone injections, medications, physical therapy, and normal daily routine movement; and I’m still in pain.
Acupuncture is my next reach-out and after that, I’m not sure what I will do. They say (whoever ‘they’ are) that it eventually heals itself and the EPIs don’t work for long anyway. Well, we shall see.
One thing I know for sure—using the toilet, putting on my pants, sitting in a chair, getting in or out of a car, turning over in bed, and many other normal daily routines have become nightmares and dreaded activities.
Oddly, others aren’t really aware of the underlying pain I experience because I AM WOMAN and we just keep smiling!
Riley Ashe
Ponte Vedra Beach Florida
