For me, one of the great bonuses of having more excellent writers here is that I don't feel obligated to spend so much time in front of the computer each day. With Scott, Ta-Wan, Shawn and the Baroness taking center stage more often, I can move to the back. This is not to say that my passion for writing has abated; it has more to do with the condition of my lumbar spine.
Besides being "blessed" with an extra vertebra, I was diagnosed several years ago with Degenerative Disc Disease. While this condition strikes many as they age, a significant number of people have few symptoms and mild, if any, pain. For reasons not fully understood by the medical community, some people experience debilitating pain and, of course, I happen to be one of those people.
A while back I reported that I was having more problems with my ailing left hip and went to see an orthopedic surgeon. After examining the x-rays, he declared that, while my hip ain't in the best of shape, it didn't look any worse for wear than it had a year or two earlier. He reasoned that I somehow had inflamed it and this is probably what was causing the pain and weakness.
I have tried to doctor it as best I can (ice, heat, pain medication and rest), but it has continued to get worse. Not only have I been having trouble with the left leg, but over the past two months the right leg has been experiencing a great deal of pain and weakness too. It has gotten to the point that I can't stand for more than 5 or 10 minutes and walking more than a few hundred feet is out of the question. Sitting isn't very comfortable and I have had a devil of a time trying to find a comfortable sleeping position.
Last week it dawned on me that, maybe, both me and my docs were barking up the wrong tree! Maybe the root of the problem wasn't my hip at all -- it was my lumbar spine instead. I had my lower back x-rayed last week and...ta da...we have located the problem. The initial diagnosis is a reconfirmation of the disc disease PLUS severe arthritis in the lumbar region. My next step -- hopefully this week -- is an MRI.
I'm not sure what can be done to mitigate the situation. Due both to federal and state budgetary woes, many services have been eliminated from Medicaid. The typical non-surgical strategies -- physical therapy, deep tissue massage, chiropractic manipulation and/or acupuncture -- have been severely reduced or cut altogether.
I AM learning not to put the cart before the horse, so we'll see where this river takes me. For the time being, however, I'm not a very happy camper as I struggle to deal with nonstop pain and very limited mobility.
Besides being "blessed" with an extra vertebra, I was diagnosed several years ago with Degenerative Disc Disease. While this condition strikes many as they age, a significant number of people have few symptoms and mild, if any, pain. For reasons not fully understood by the medical community, some people experience debilitating pain and, of course, I happen to be one of those people.
A while back I reported that I was having more problems with my ailing left hip and went to see an orthopedic surgeon. After examining the x-rays, he declared that, while my hip ain't in the best of shape, it didn't look any worse for wear than it had a year or two earlier. He reasoned that I somehow had inflamed it and this is probably what was causing the pain and weakness.
I have tried to doctor it as best I can (ice, heat, pain medication and rest), but it has continued to get worse. Not only have I been having trouble with the left leg, but over the past two months the right leg has been experiencing a great deal of pain and weakness too. It has gotten to the point that I can't stand for more than 5 or 10 minutes and walking more than a few hundred feet is out of the question. Sitting isn't very comfortable and I have had a devil of a time trying to find a comfortable sleeping position.
Last week it dawned on me that, maybe, both me and my docs were barking up the wrong tree! Maybe the root of the problem wasn't my hip at all -- it was my lumbar spine instead. I had my lower back x-rayed last week and...ta da...we have located the problem. The initial diagnosis is a reconfirmation of the disc disease PLUS severe arthritis in the lumbar region. My next step -- hopefully this week -- is an MRI.
I'm not sure what can be done to mitigate the situation. Due both to federal and state budgetary woes, many services have been eliminated from Medicaid. The typical non-surgical strategies -- physical therapy, deep tissue massage, chiropractic manipulation and/or acupuncture -- have been severely reduced or cut altogether.
I AM learning not to put the cart before the horse, so we'll see where this river takes me. For the time being, however, I'm not a very happy camper as I struggle to deal with nonstop pain and very limited mobility.
Take a load off Annie, and put the load right on me...
ReplyDeleteSeriously, happy to relieve the pressure, so to speak, although now I feel I have some. Or maybe not. Though I find extended sitting at a computer is not good for any of us...we weren't designed for this posture. When I spend too much time at my desk, and not enough walking about, I have a tendency to develop sciatica. I am so grateful for my new job where no matter where I go, it's up and down stairs. As good as temple visiting.
Have you ever tried one of those funny ergonomic chairs where you sort of kneel; it aligns the spine differently and puts the weight in a different place. Once of my colleagues does all of his computer work in a standing position (the computer is raised to the proper height). Varying your position may help. I won't mention the effectiveness of qigong in dealing with arthritis. Oh, wait, I just did.