some back story

So, I am having a “flare-up” with the herniated discs in my back. There are two (L4 and L5). But L5 is the one that’s really mean. It’s impinging (commonly referred to as a “pinched nerve”, which is something of a misnomer) the branch of my sciatic nerve that runs down my left leg. If that sounds like it hurts let me assure you…it does.

MEDICAL HISTORY
When I a pre-teen my friends and I took turns checking out Judy Blume books from the Roby Elementary and Shepherdsville Middle school libraries. The Judy Blume book that stuck with me the most was Dennie. The basic premise is that the main character, Dennie, has scoliosis and has to wear a big bulky ugly back brace. When I was in the sixth grade, and after I head read Dennie, a letter was sent home with all the girls saying that on a certain day we were to wear a shirt that buttoned down the back (which I don’t think anyone had) or a button-down-the-front shirt that could be turned around. We were going to be screened for scoliosis. The time came and we filed into the SMS gymnasium and onto the girl’s locker room where we turned our buttoned-down-the-front shirts around and then headed back into the gym. A group of nurses were set up around mid-court. I watched my classmates bend over as a nurse ran her hand of the girls’ spines. My friends stood in line before me and were sent back to the locker room to right their shirts. When it was my turn to bend towards my toes the nurse ran her hand over my spine not once but twice. I was horrified when she asked me to stand to the side to see a different nurse. I was immediately convinced that they were either very wrong or I was going to soon be wearing an ugly bulky brace like Dennie. It was on that day about 20 years ago that I found out that I have scoliosis.

This basically means that my spines curves where it shouldn’t and my where my neck should curve it’s straight. And my jaw likes to get out of whack (TMJ). When I was younger most doctors said it was a mild case and nothing to really worry with. Thankfully, I have a mother who believes in chiropractic. When I was in the 10th grade and began to experience more back pain and my headaches occurred with more
frequency she made an appointment with Dr. John Erskine. Regular adjustments helped to keep my spine in better alignment and offered me some relief from headaches. Sadly, I look back now and remember that my back would always hurt during my piano lessons. Most piano teachers do have that annoying habit of insisting that you sit up straight! But I didn’t know to complain to my mom or my teachers about the back pain that this was causing. Instead I didn’t want to practice and I didn’t look forward to the piano lessons that I had started in the fourth grade. So in the eighth grade I told my mom I was done with piano lessons. Oh, the concert pianist I could have become…

Over the years I’ve moved and I've gone long and short stretches between chiropractors. Unfortunately, with the passing of time my scoliosis had taken its toll on my discs. Especially the discs in my low back where my spine likes to curve towards my right hip. In the summer of 2003 I noticed increasing low back pain. I visited the man I trust with my life, Dr. Ray. He did some new X-Rays and found that I had a “bugling” disc in my low back. I did a round of steroids and loved that pain medication. I was trying to move about the time this happened. My mom helped me with much of my packing and a group of awesome friends took care of everything else. With Dr. Ray's adjustments and sessions on a traction table I started to feel much better.

However, about a year later, and after a weekend of cleaning out my walk in closet, it was more serious. An MRI showed two herniated discs that were impinging my sciatic nerve. I was on medical leave for six weeks. During that time I experienced the most severe pain I hope I ever know. Fast forward another year and I’m having a less severe flare up. This time my left leg and foot tingle and go numb and the muscles spasm and pinch and burn. That summer I stayed home from Loucon and wasn’t able to uphold my annual tradition of serving as a counselor for choir camp. While my friends and family were at Loucon I saw a specialist called a physiatrist who basically said I was much too young for surgery but there were other things we could try. Considering that I am in my early thirties I would really like to avoid surgery for as long as possible. New procedures and medications are always just around the bend. I had nerve root block injections followed by physical therapy. I started to feel much much better. But now it’s a year later and here I am again. I think you're seeing the pattern, right? The doctor's assure me that this is normal and actually better than average for a person with my chronic back issues.

CURRENT EVENTS
Last Saturday I got home from choir camp and noticed more tightness in my low back and tingling in my left leg. That night I had a hard time getting out of bed and standing up straight. I really did try to take it easy at camp. But with the heat, and walking, and stress from Ryan’s death I guess my discs were none too happy with me. I went to work on Monday and shifted uncomfortably in my desk chair all day. That night I lay in bed dealing with increasing pain. Around 2:00 am I had to use the bathroom. But I couldn’t get up. I felt like a turle flipped onto her shell. I could barely roll onto my side to put my feet on the floor. I couldn’t stand. I eventually slide out of bed and onto the floor where I tried to stand with no success. I crawled towards my bedroom door and hollered for my parents. (Yeah, ask me if I’m glad to be living with my parents right now). My mom was able to help me get to the bathroom and then rubbed my back and tried to help me get back to sleep.

The next morning I called Dr. Ray. He told me to stay home from work for the week. I’ve seen him nearly every day this week. I also saw Dr. Frank Mayorquin who gave me a steroid shot in my hip and some prescriptions that relax my muscles, help me sleep, and take care of the pain…and make me kind of loopy. You know…the good stuff. This is what it usually takes…adjustments, steroids, ice packs, bed rest. Then I’ll start to feel better again. It just takes a little time.