Yup. It happened to me.
Last saturday, while walking down the hallway, I bent over to pick up something and had a sharp pain in me lower back and my legs buckled. On the floor I was and I couldn’t get up.
I spent a good 5-10 minutes trying to, but everytime I moved my legs, my lower back hurt like hell and would spasm. I think this had something to do with the night before when I had turned to grab something and felt a small pop and a twinge in my lower back.
But anyways, I luckily had my cell with me and called Meg who rushed home with Tim to help me get up. By then, I had crawled my way to the couch in the living room, but couldn’t even get up on that. A few hours later, I was able to at least crawl on my hands and knee’s, but not stand. So Meg took me to the ER, which really didn’t do much. Just a shot of morphine and that was it. It was hell getting in and out of the car as well.
I was able to get on my feet with the help of my cane a day later and have now been able to walk around at least. Still constant pain in that area of my back though. I can only bend over so far and the left leg seems to be far weaker then my right one. Usually get a shooting pain down it when I walk.
Spine Doc called today and wants to see me Thurs. I’m starting to think he’s going to say surgery. /sigh
We shall see.
In other news, Wedding invites went out. Glad that’s over with.
this is not optional
Yay for OT!
Its been rather busy at work lately due to the digital transistion that happened back a few weeks ago. We were needed to work a few extra days. So I ended up working 6 days, 1 off, then 4 more. That doesn’t include the hours beyond the normal 10 each day. Its been fun.
Updates.
Started aquatic physical therapy after the Doc said I should wait a year, year and half, to see how my back progresses. If we did the surgery, I would lose quite a bit of mobility in my lower back. By then, there should be some new procedures that have been approved for back surgery.
Got the caterer it looks like finally locked in.
Place for the wedding is paid for in full.
And helping someone who then stabs you in the back sucks ass.
That is all for now, other then finding out that I accidently washed my bluetooth in the wash. 
Hope it works after it dries out.
20 out of 10
Had my discography yesterday, and the doctor and nurse prepped me as best as they could. But it still hurt like hell.
For those that don’t know what a discography is, its a procedure where they test the various disc’s in your back to see which one or one’s may be causing the issue’s that are currently plagueing you. In my case, the lower back pain and it causing pain in the knee’s, ankle’s and occasionally, the buckling of my right leg.
They inserted four needles into the disc’s at L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5, L5-S1. The doctor then injects a contrast dye, usually iodine, while watching the live xray on a monitor. It usually goes in stages. 1.5cc total in .5 steps.
L2-L3 – Some discomfort and a feeling that I needed to use the bathroom. 2 out of 10 on pain.
L3-L4 – Some discomfort and the feeling someone had kicked me in the nads. 2 out of 10 on pain.
L4-L5 – PAIN. OMFG… He had just got the .5cc into me and I had about jumped off the table. It even startled him as I saw him jump. And with the way the x-ray machine was rotated and positioned, I hit my head on it as it was right above me. It hurt so bad I actually started crying, it felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to my lower back. 20 out of 10 on pain.
L5-S1 – Pain, but not as bad as the other one. This one was felt down the legs as the other was just across the lower back. 7 out of 10.
So after we were done, he told me on the L4-L5 disc, there was leakage, and this is what is causing my pain. And more then likely I will have to have surgery to repair it. But that’s up to my doctor to decide.
Ended the day with a morphine shot to help with the pain, went home, slept, woke up with a fever, naseau, etc.
Fun day I would say.
things and things
Issue’s continue with my back. The doc said he wanted me to continue light duty and highly recommended I try to find another position that doesn’t require lots of heavy labor.
My main goal since I was originally hired by Cox back in 1999 was to work my way into the engineering dept. Either design or headend. It takes years of experience to do that though. I believe I posted before about applying for the maintence position and was a finalist, but didn’t get it. With Comcast, there’s a dept that would actually put me a step closer to that, the LMC. Its basically a NOC.
After months of watching the internal postings, a position opened up and I applied for it. I had a phone interview this past Tuesday and felt pretty good about it. I then recieved a call Weds night requesting an in person interview this coming Monday. Yay!
Thanksgiving ended up being pretty good this year. I went down to Fry’s and sat there most the night until opening at 5am. Talk about a bunch of asses, people were actually pushing and shoving to get in. The police had a blockade set up and it was kind of funny watching people try to push past them unsuccessfully.
But I got some shopping done, a few things picked up. Went back to pick up Meg so we could hit up a few other stores. After getting back home, fell asleep about noon and woke up at 9pm.
That’s it for now.
shot in the back
Haven’t done much posting lately, obviously.
Haven’t done much of anything actually lately.
Reason being, the back issue’s I posted about. The MRI results were basically what I expected. My back is torn up. Two bulding discs and a tear. So I was sent in for an epidural steroid shot. And boy was that fun.
The doc told me the possible side effects, and I got a few of them. Muscle cramping, water retention headache (for one week straight, not even the vicodin was knocking it out), hot flashes, and sleepless nights. Of course Meg had to throw the ‘You going through menopause?’ joke in. ha… ha…
Just got my 2nd one yesterday in the series of three. So far not doing as bad as the first one though, but its only been 24 hours, and that’s about when all the stuff kicked in.
Back to the couch for me.
