My pinched bundle of nerves, aka sciatica, is still the defining factor in my life right now. I'm limping and popping vicodin like Dr. House (how does he not just snooze all the time?) and, when I'm not drugged up, I'm gaining a very deep understanding of his irritability and misanthropy. People really seem extraordinarily stupid when you're in unstoppable pain. So here are the various things I've tried in pursuit of a pain-free leg and life:
Toughing it out (that's your basic Protestant response to most things. Not highly effective, but always choice #1 for us).
Soaking in a scalding hot bath. This works well, but is only a solution if you can live in the tub like Marat (French revolutionary who stayed in the tub all day for relief of a skin condition and was, eventually, murdered in his tub -- see cheery painting above).
Opiates, in the form of vicodin. ( A friend predicts that when I go off it I will suffer a lesser form of DTs he calls BTs -- bitchiness tremens).
Handfuls of Motrin (minor impact)
Mysterious steroid-related injections (I'll wait and see what happens. Maybe I'll start hitting home runs....)
So, tomorrow I'm trying accupuncture. After all, the Chinese use it as anaesthetic during brain surgery, so it might work...... Again, ANY advice will (scented candles? rearrange my room for better feng shui? I'll try anything) be seriously considered.
2 comments:
I had a crippling case of that when I was pregant with Emma. Blinding pain down my left leg for about six weeks until she finally shifted. My sympathies. Although Vicodin is truly the drug from hell so I hope that the acupuncture works. Really, it's evil and extremely addictive.
Good luck, Elizabeth; I hope it works for you.
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