Rant #2,480: Pain In My Heart

I have a bad case of sciatica, or the pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which stretches from the loser back to the hip and butt and down each leg. It generally affects either the right or left side of your body, causing constant pain on the afflicted side.

The doctor told me the news yesterday, after I was examined by him and took a couple of x-rays.

The x-rays are terrible, to be honest with you.

All the bones in my back on the left side are stacked one on top of another. There is no room for them to move, and this is causing the impingement.

In fact, the bottom bone in my back basically has crashed, allowing the other bones to basically fall on top of each other.

Think of it as a house of cards. You build the house of cards, and then take one card out, and the entire thing comes crashing down.

That is what happened to my back, and it happened while I was in the bed, fast asleep. I never knew what hit me, but I know it now.

So the doctor gave me a prescription for pills, scheduled another appointment for me in two weeks, and I will be taking physical therapy around the same time.

Actually, I was quite surprised that he did not schedule an MRI immediately, but he did say I might need that if things did not improve by the next time he sees me.

I think an MRI was not scheduled right then and there because sciatica is a funny thing. I talked with my wife, who has had some bouts with this in the past, and she said that based on what she has gone through, sciatica can leave as quickly as it appears. Others on Facebook have told me the same thing, so I think it is one of those things that really has to be monitored as to its severity, and then further action is taken.

Right now, I can't really maneuver around very well. Sitting, standing, bending and just simply moving are challenges. And sleeping ... well, I do sleep, but it is not a very restful sleep, and I toss and turn and moan and groan while I am supposed to be resting.

I have to tell you that the x-rays really scared me. To me, if all the bones are on top of each other, then wouldn't the only course of action be surgery?

I just don't know at this point, and even in this condition, I cannot let my aches and pains and utter disruption to my health stop me.

I have to continue to do the things I do, and not let this get to me, although quite frankly, it pretty much has.

I am not happy at all, I am pretty upset at the whole thing, and it just throws a new monkey wrench into the ball of wax that represents this off-work period for me.

This should be a period of new discoveries, of doing things that I want to do, but since I lost my job two weeks ago, I am in the middle of a nightmare that keeps building and that seems to never end.

I truly don't know what did to deserve all of this, but all that I am asking whatever force has put all of this on my head to give me a break, give me some time to exhale, and give me a chance to live my life like I should be doing right now, not with one major problem after another falling down on me in rapid succession.

I guess I am a bit depressed, but I will tell you this: even though I am in great pain as I type this at a little after 7 a.m. in the morning, I will continue to go about my business, not put anything aside, and I will try to move forward.

Maybe this latest calamity will last a short time, or maybe it is something that literally will change my life, but right now, I am not giving up--

It is not in my DNA.

Have a good weekend, and I will speak to you again on Monday.