Hope your feeling better soon!!! Pain stinks! Im having an issue with my right shoulder from being on the computer too much! Dont have any advil so I took my daughters Midol!!! (Need that too anyways, haha) Hang in there chickie!! Lani

Thanks... yeah Pete, I'm doing ice off and on, and taking ibuprofen to keep the swelling down. The dr told me at first to alternate heat and ice, but the heat makes it worse so they told me to stop. So far it's not swelling up like it usually does, usually it's visibly swollen over where the disc is messed up. It's a bulging disc causing it, been dealing with it for a year now, have no idea what started it. Most time time I guess I'm so used to the pain that it doesn't bother me too much, but every now and then it gets like this. Probably doesn't help that my bed is too soft (looking into buying a new bed) and having to drive pretty far for meetings or shopping, and driving aggravates it.

Finally reached someone from the meeting, she said she's gonna bring me some dog food, and they have to go into town tomorrow and will get me a bag of it then.

Hi Lisa,
Sorry you are in sooo much pain. Take care of yourself. In an earlier post it was implied
to take things a step at a time. Maybe HP is attempting to tell you the same. Slow down
girl and take time to "just breathe".
Did the dr. in Neb. ever suggest surgery. (I kind of forget.) Maybe it is time. Having it
while you're young might be beneficial in the long run. Not a dr. that's for sure. Just know
it saddens me to know you have to go through this so much.
Thinking of you and will say a little pray for you.

Pete?? Lifting my dog??? lol She's 45 pounds, I don't even try to lift her lol honestly, haven't been doing a whole lot lately, nothing I can think of that would have set it off so bad, except my bed being too soft, and driving so much. well, it got worse 2 months ago actually with the drive back from Nebraska, but hasn't been this bad, eases up sometimes, cramps up most the time but not debilitating, been like that pretty much all year though. Then was sitting here at the computer yesterday and it hit me real bad. The dr I saw didn't suggest shots or anything.... but I will talk to my dr here when I'm able to go in.

Learning... The dr in nebraska told me surgery wasn't necessary, had said to do physical therapy, but I'd had problems with that dr, and had an appt to see another dr that I was told was good. Then that dr didn't even look at my back, just chewed me out for smoking and tried to put me back on bipolar meds that I don't need.... was planning to talk to my new dr down here about physical therapy or a chiropractor.... and really thinking about seeing if medicare will cover any massage therapy.... Actually someone told me they don't like to do back surgery until you are 25, that most will refuse to do it. I have a friend that needs it, but she's only 23, they're making her wait. Because your bones are still growing and developing until you're 25.... and I just turned 24.

Chris, sorry for waking you up! I didn't think about the time difference, but had figured it'd be late enough to call... yes, you were quite chipper lol I'm taking it easy.... not getting up unless I have to... bf said I need to move around some though, and I know he's right.... I did make myself walk down to the mailbox today, and it about killed me. Then I realized tomorrow's trash day, and I forgot last week, so had to take the trash down tonight, and that about killed me too, been on the couch since then.... ugh... gotta make myself get up soon though and let my dog out and give her her heartworm meds and flea drops... noticed today one of the kittens has worms, and my dog does too... thankfully no fleas, but will have to get some dewormer... but the last of my cash went to dog food, and I don't feel comfortable giving this woman one of my credit cards to get stuff for me... I'm sure I can trust her... but.... I dunno...

When she brought the dog food tonight, she offered to take me to the meeting tomorrow night.... I had to say no though, and I hate that.... but it's really bad, and the times it's been like this before, within a minute or two of riding in the car, even if I lay the seat back, I get really severe sharp pains and it doesn't ease up for quite awhile even after getting out of the car.... I'm already hurting bad enough, I'm not putting myself through that.... hoping in a few days it'll be better though and I can go. I hate letting this keep me from meetings, I feel like it's not a good enough excuse to not go... actually a sponsor I had in nebraska told me it's NOT a good enough reason, said if I was still drinking I'd deal with the pain just to get another drink.... *sigh* and I really want to go.... but I can only take so much pain too... I have a really high pain tolerance, so if it's actually keeping me from doing something, then it's pretty bad. It's been getting to me today, just kinda making me a bit out of it, and I'm real tired but can't sleep. :( Think I'm gonna shut the computer off and try to at least get some rest though....

Thanks y'all, for your prayers, and listening to my whining lol

Hi Lisa,
Hope your feeling a little better today. Your in my prayers. I have an idea, not sure if it will work: Pick a time that is good for you and some others and have an online meeting today! If you cant make it to one, We'll bring it to you. I would be happy to participate(If I can figure out what my problem with online chat is!) Just an idea, let u know! Lani

Thanks everyone.... last night was total hell.... was up most the night, couldn't sleep, was having severe pains that would take my breath away, actually considered going to the ER except I've done that before for this and they wouldn't do anything for me just told me to call my dr.

bf talked me into calling my dr today, so I called, talked to a nurse who told me they couldn't prescribe anything without me coming in, I told her I didn't want them to prescribe anything, nothing I've taken has helped, no pain pills help with this, just that I wanted to know what to do, if I need to go to a specialist or something. She tried to tell me I'd need to come in to them, they'd refer me to get an MRI and refer me to a specialist.... I asked if orthopedic doctors might treat back pain and disc problems, and they said some might, but not usually. Well, the only doctor I've ever liked and trusted was at an orthopedic clinic in Memphis, he did my carpal tunnel surgery a few years ago and was great. So I decided to give them a call, they said he was retired but was a hand specialist anyway, but said they have a good doctor there for back pain.

So.... I've got an appointment on Nov 15th.... this ought to be better by then, or at least I really hope so cuz it's an hour drive to the clinic, but with how I don't trust doctors, I'll drive that far to see a good doctor. Besides, I'll be needing to get in there soon anyway for my carpal tunnel again... Unfortunately, my appt is at 9:20am.... and I'm so not a morning person lol will have to leave here by 8am to make sure I'm there in time. Or I guess I can leave plenty of food and water out for the kitties and take my dog up there with me and stay at my mom's the night before, then I'd only have a 30 minute drive to get there. Oh well. I'll work it out somehow....

I about lost it last night, was just so frustrated... and scared... I'm not dealing with this well, I don't like being alone dealing with this. I was about to break down all night, except I don't cry, just that feeling like I'm about to but I can't, and that's even worse. bf was sending me links to Mayo Clinic's website, to read stuff.... I'd never found a lot of info on bulging discs, and well, they didn't have a lot of info there except that bulging discs generally don't cause pain, that people live with bulging discs without even knowing they have one. I'd already worried that since bulging disc is the beginning stages of herniated disc, that maybe it's progressed or something, but it doesn't match symptoms of herniated disc either. But with not trusting the dr that told me it was a bulging disc, I got myself worrying it's something worse. I know I don't need to try to self-diagnose, I don't need to get all worried, but with how long I've been dealing with this it's just scaring me a bit. :(


TenderHearts, I'm scared to try injections, it has not been suggested by a dr yet, but was reading on a back pain forum, and most in there said they did not like the injections for the fact that although it helps with the pain, it numbs it to where you don't have the pain and don't know when you are overdoing it, don't know when to take it easy, and can make it worse... Although I hate dealing with this pain, at the same time, I'm so bad about overdoing things (even with pain) and need my body to tell me when to slow down....

Lani, that's a good idea, thanks.... I'll do a post about it, see if anyone will join in..... any time of the day is fine for me.... so I guess just whenever others would be available...

Thanks Danielle, trying hard to not get on self-pity.... but... it happens at times... just mostly frustrated and scared though. I feel like such a baby, I'm usually such a tough little chickn.... bf and some friends keep telling me it's normal to get so upset and scared with this.... but I don't like feeling this way, I'm supposed to be tougher than this. :(