[kimmers]

JJames,

I think I know you from somewhere.
Your name rings a bell, anyway.
Just wanted to say, Hang in There. Remember the cat, hanging for dearlife on a screen door?

I can relate to what you said: That back pain completely controls and ruins or diminishes every aspect of my life.
I am having problems after surgery when I should be back to a somewhat normal life. My pain increases and then decreases and I cannot make sense of it. I am pretty sure it stems from the level below my ADR but my MRI has just a bulge at that disc, L5/S1.
Since last night, my sciatica increased mainly in my right leg and I am wondering what is going on.
Like you, I have my surgeon appt coming up in April and I see my pain doc next week.
I am just trying to maintain things as normal as I can but I feel so disassociated from what I consider my normal life.
It is strange and I just want to have the pain decreased. I was speaking to my neighbor, who is a PT, and was stretching out my legs, about what was up with my back. She is not my regular PT and she asked me if I had been cleared to go back to work. Well, it is hard to tell people that there is no way I can work my regular job because I am having too much back and leg pain (plus there is the little thing about being terminated).

I think with back pain, people think you are ok as long as you are not using a cane, a walker or a wheelchair.
The problem is that I am far from ok. Sometimes, I can drive my car and then othertimes, I cannot get off the couch.
I was ok today but because of the sciatica, I was kind of limping. Later, after the PT treatment, I could walk without a limp but still when I was walking from a street to a sidewalk tonight, I tripped.
I go around everyday, saying, "ouch" or I grimmace. The back pain is not quite as bad as before surgery but it is getting there and the sciatica is a lot worse.
It is kind of ridiculous.

I hope you get some answers to your problems and you feel better as soon as you can. Don't be too hard on yourself. I know all this back stuff is a strain for my husband and children, but this is the way it is until I get some definitive answers.

K