It's been a full week since I last posted. I'm really disappointed in myself--I meant to do better but you know how life gets in the way. One reason is that I joined Curves two months ago under a program where my health insurance pays half of the fees if I go at least three times a week.
I had hopes that this would build up my muscle strength and relieve my creaky joints in the process. The program was carefully designed to prevent the exercises from making any conditions worse, but the only benefit so far is increased stamina. The joints are still giving me grief.
I've had sciatica for some years and I've been getting periodic spinal epicdurals to relieve the pain. I had planned to get another one last week but after the MRI and visit to the doctor who does the injection, I was told that the spinal changes are worse. I can't have another steroid injection until I go back to the orthopedic surgeon.
Now I must tell you that I have a cousin and a sister-in-law who were really loused up by having spinal surgery. They are both quite disabled and feel that the surgery only made them worse. I'm told the the laminectomy surgery for sciatica is 85% effective. I'm not yet disabled to any great extent and I'm not taking pain medication on a regular basis. So, it appears that I'm faced with risking the surgery or putting up with the pain and inconvenience from now on.
Besides running to the doctor, I went out of town for the weekend, I got my taxes done and had my son over for a few more odd jobs.
Plus, I read all of your blogs. That, my dear friends, keeps my life on track! You are a great bunch to follow!
8 comments:
Well, you do have a problem...whether to seek much wanted relief...possibly with dreaded surgery and taking a chance on not being in the 85% of successes.
That's enough to keep you up at night alone!
I have herniated discs which cause a great deal of horrid pain in my legs. When Spring comes, and my activity level outside increases, it always gets worse. I carried in three heavy bags of groceries the other day and paid horribly during the night. Just living life becomes a problem, reminding us just how precarious our health is!
It's scary and it's frustrating.
I feel your pain Ms Sparrow. I pray all the time, and will throw you into the mix of them.
Love your new blog look! Cute, cute!
"No good deed goes unpunished."
That's the lesson we relearn every time we start to exercise after a layoff, or improve our eating habits after indulging for a while. It's great that you have more stamina, but it's disappointing that just when you could do more, the pain keeps you from doing it.
Good luck with your visit to the surgeon and with your decision-making.
So sorry you're feelin' poorly. I joined Curves once and I really like it. The problem is that we travel so much and you can't just go to any Curves wherever you are. I wish they'd change that.
Now, about your poor aches and pains...I've heard lots of horror stories about surgery and I think I'd try just about anything else, first. Have you seen a naturopathic physician? We have a really good one in my town. The idea would be to see if they could give you something that would lessen the discomfort. Worth a try, maybe?
I use to go to Curves and Loved it!! Keep up the good work!! I would be afraid of surgery but that is just me!!
So sorry to hear about the back issues. I worked for a Chiropractor for 5 years and we helped a lot of people and kept them from having to have surgery.
Back surgery is a tough one. So many people like your relatives end up worse. I think it has one of the worst success rates of major surgeries.
I hope you can figure something out. Back pain is terrible and affects so much of what we do.
I know folks who had bad luck with back surgeries, too...it's hard to know what to do, whether to risk it or not. If the spine is getting worse and now you can't have the needed shots, then you might have to have the surgery...
I'm glad the stamina is increasing, at least that's progress in one area!
Patty did our taxes. We didn't make enough to pay any and we don't get any back. LOL
My daughter had back surgery some years ago. She got to the point where she would fall down in the most unexpected places and ways.
No problems since. So I guess it worked out for her.
I switched to WordPress because I just got totally frustrated with Blogger and still am. I couldn't leave a comment on people's blog this morning without getting a full page error message. I think that may be cleaned up now.
Hello Ms Sparrow,
Nice to catch up with you as always.
I am sorry to hear of your back pains and health issue with it.
I fell of a roof in 1993, when my kids were still small and I was by then a single Mum. I had huge troubles with my back for a long time until someone said swimming was good for me as it wasn't weight baring and to take up Callantics.
Both turned out to be brilliant for me as not only did I badly damage my back, but I had also broken my pelvis and as a result had one led an inch and a quarter shorter than the other. This lead to me walking wonky, causing the back problems to be worse.
Within 6months I was better and fitter than I had ever been. Okay so I was in my 30s and until then had been super fit. One doctor remarked that it was because I was so fit that I had survived the fall.
Thing is when I did Callanetics there was a woman in my class who was 72 and disabled and she was brilliant plus a lady I swim with every day is 67 and she says it is very good for her and she out swims me!!!!
I have put up a link for you to go and have a look a round and see if it might be good for you.
http://www.callanetics.com/
much love
Lia
xx
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