So, today I had a corticosteroid injection in my back. I am running out of options for treatments that don't lead to surgery, so I decided to give my doc the go-ahead to do it. It's a simple procedure, only takes a few minutes and there's only a little pain (not from the needle, from the meds going in). I was numb from waist to toes for about 3 hours, so I took it easy until it wore off. I'm in a considerable amount of pain now, but I'm hopeful I'll find some relief in a couple of days.
My history of back issues started when I was a kid. My grandma (yes, THE grandma) had to retire at 53 due to severe back problems, and our family has a history of scoliosis. When I was 8, I fell of the jungle gym on the playground and landed flat on my back - on concrete. That earned me a trip to the ER and my first round of x-rays, but they didn't find anything alarming. I went through two car accidents before I was 11, both times sustaining serious injury to my back. I was hit by a car while riding my bike at 14, earning yet another trip to the ER and discovery of more damage to my back. Most recently, I was in a car accident in 2008, where the damage to my car was fairly minor but the seat broke loose from the floor. I fractured the vertebrae at L4 and L5, and that damage has never really healed. I went through extensive physical therapy, and dealt with the pain on my own until I just couldn't handle it anymore.
I'm only 37, so I'm not ready to give up and just accept the pain. With mild narcotics (Norco), I can function well enough to go about day-to-day life. I don't take muscle relaxers well (except Skelaxin, which is horribly expensive so I can't afford it), and can't take Meloxicam or high doses of Naproxen as it kills my stomach. I have taken Gabapentin in the past, but it has too many side effects. For now, the shots + Norco are what I'm relying on to put off surgery as long as possible.
I greatly wish for a morning where I can wake up and not be in pain. I honestly can't remember the last time that happened. I would love to be able to sit longer than 30 minutes without burning, throbbing nerve pain shooting down the backs of my legs. I want to be able to have fun. I really miss it!
Hey, this is the 1st time I've seen your blog but I follow Grumpy and Nurse k pretty religiously. Your back story makes me want to cry for you- I can't imagine the pain. I'm writing b/c last week I learned that a friend has recently had a nerve stimulator implanted; she broke her back 4 years ago and has had problems with it (and crazy pain) ever since, and finally told her doc last year that she has to come up with something b/c she just can't live like that (pain, pain meds, fatigue fom both). She had a temporary nerve stimulator attached for a few days and said the relief was immediate, and of course opted for the implanted one. She has a remote to increase or decrease the stimulation. I am in awe that it works and she is loving life again. That would be worth an untold amount of money to me. I have also read lots of successful accounts of people getting their spines fused and it helping a lot with the pain. I guess I just wanted to say, you've still got some really good options, so don't give up hope!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your support, and I'll definitely look into the nerve stimulator! I would love to enjoy life again, and not have to plan my day around how long it takes medication and stretching to make me comfortable enough to function. :)
ReplyDelete