Back to Back - Part 1

Join me on an ongoing journey from back and leg pain to recovery and healing.

Over winter break in December 2024, it was my own personal goal to get some cleaning done around the house. You know those deep cleaning jobs that no one notices but you. Yeah, that kind of cleaning. I had 2 weeks to get the cleaning finished before going back to work (school), so I had no time to waste.

Week 1 - Not too bad; however, this was the week of and after Christmas, so my time was spent mainly with handling Christmas stuff. I did not do my traditional all-hands-on-deck Christmas decorating, which turned out for the better, as you will see.

Week 2 - I got 1 room really deep cleaned, and it felt good to see the fruits of my labor, even if no one else would.

And then it happened..................................

January 1st - I woke up to excruciating pain radiating from my lower back down my entire left leg to my feet. There was no position I could keep that would help alleviate the pain. My husband tried to rub my leg and lower back, but the pain was just too intense. As I'm lying there crying with tears just pouring out of my eyes, I said to him that I think I should go to the hospital. So we did. The ER doctor had an X-ray ordered of my back, which showed some degeneration of the L4 and L5; however, I already knew this, but I have never experienced pain so horrible from the degenerative discs. The doctor prescribed an anti-inflammatory steroid and some narcotic pain reliever. FYI - narcotic pain relievers knock me out, so I was looking forward to some sleep. At least I thought I would sleep. Well, from this point on, deep cleaning came to a grinding halt.

For that matter, EVERYTHING came to a grinding halt. In just one day, I was unable to do dishes, cook anything, clean, sleep, do laundry, walk any kind of distance, stand for longer than 3 seconds, or go to the store to get groceries.

I thought that hopefully the narcotic pain med would lend a little hand to at least help me get some rest, but it really did not.

In the couple of days following the ER visit, I called the pain clinic to see if I could get a spinal injection to help alleviate the pain. I've had spinal injections in the past to help with pain; however, the next available appointment was going to be sometime in March.

Nope! Not going to work. I needed something now. Right now.

My pain level was a 9 day and night. No relief whatsoever.

Adapting to Pain - So with my narcotic pain medicine and no hope for this getting better, I adapted to a different kind of daily life.

• I had to make my steps count, meaning that if I needed to use the restroom or go to any other room, I asked myself what I could accomplish very quickly, along the way. Bottom line, I could not accomplish much at all.

• Sleep in spurts. There was no position that I could put my body in that would help alleviate the pain. Sleep was now a foreign concept. Even though I was taking a narcotic pain med, I still could not sleep well.

• I had to order supper out every night on the way home from work. The drive-thru became my salvation and my enemy at the same time. By using the drive-thru, I didn't have to cook; however, with eating fast food every night for over a month, the pounds came with it. You might ask why my husband didn't cook supper for me. Well, he gets home at random hours every night, and I get hungry for supper early.

• My husband had to do all of the laundry. I could fold the laundry, but I could not stand to fold it.

• I had to take my narcotic pain med early in the evening so that I could get up and go to work the next day. My bedtime during this ordeal was 7:30 pm and no later.

• Showering was a really big challenge since my standing threshold was 3 seconds. I had ordered a shower chair from Walmart so that I could take a shower longer than my 3 seconds. It was kinda funny and kinda not funny that the most I could do before getting the shower chair was getting wet in the shower, soaping up, and then getting out. I would make my way to the bed covered in soap so I could sit down to dry off.

• Shopping was definitely a challenge. I could not do it, so Walmart delivery became my friend. I would order lunch items that were easy to grab and go, which did not require cooking.

• At work, I had to modify my movement around the building to avoid going anywhere but our office area. Our school is a very big building, and I used to enjoy walking around the building and seeing the students. During lunch periods, I would walk around the cafeteria handing out candy to the students. That came to an absolute halt, which really made me very sad.

As you can imagine, my life was not a life at all. It was an existence that I wanted to be over.

But then one day, I made a call that changed my life..........................Part 2.

Side Note - don't be surprised if someone you know who is battling constant pain experiences symptoms of depression. Watch this person carefully for those signs. Encourage the person to seek professional counseling to help with depression symptoms. Since mobility might be a challenge, online therapy has become a very convenient and popular option.

Signs of Major Depressive Disorder Include:

• Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day. Feeling sad, empty, or hopeless.

• Diminished interest in activities once enjoyed.

• Weight loss or weight gain.

• Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day.

• Feelings of restlessness or slowed-down body movement.

• Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day

• Feelings of worthlessness.

• Diminished ability to think or concentrate.

• Recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, or a specific suicidal plan.

Information taken from:

American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Arlington, VA, American Psychiatric Association, 2013