The Nerves Are Setting In..

The nerves are setting in, in less than 10 hours I will be getting my third lumbar spinal injection in my sacral lumbar. The needle will have to travel up the tail bone and then will inject the numbing medicine then the medicine itself around my lumbar spine and hopefully reducing the inflammation enough to relieve the area around the nerves to help bring back feeling to my leg and helping with the constant back pain that I've been having.

Actually now that I think about it saying the nerves are setting it doesn't even touch it. I've been stressing out all week long getting everything done before the injection and now the final day is here! No eating or drinking ANYTHING until after the injection is finished. Just in case I were to get sick or have a bad reaction to the nice numbing relaxing medicine they will be giving me through an IV to help me while I get this injection.

The first injection was HORRIBLE! Worse than my CT Myelogram and those are NOT a walk in the park! After the first injection I had difficulty walking, sitting, standing, laying, about anything you could think of and continued to have numbness, 100% sudden numbness in my legs along with lots of pain! I didn't begin to feel better till after about a week and a half passed, then finally after about two weeks I began to finally feel like myself again. Feeling like myself meaning that I had constant pain but wasn't in horrible pain all the time, just most of the time.

The second injection wasn't as bad. The doctor gave me more local medicine and the only time I really felt it was when the medicine went into the right side of my lumbar spine. The first injection it was between my L2 and L3 lumbar vertebrae. The second injection was between the last lumbar vertebrae and my sacrum. First above my spinal lumbar back fusion, second below the fusion. The second injection had me resting for the 24 hours afterward and I was still and had a little pain. But after the rest I was able to be up on my feet with some soreness but able to cook, clean and do some shopping days after.

This third injection I'm bringing a driver so I can get the good stuff to knock me out so I don't feel the experience so much, I'm sure hoping that the medicine they'll give me in the IV helps enough and that I'm not in horrible amount of pain afterward. If I am in pain after this injection it'll make for a very interesting Christmas. Oh yes I'll be happy to be with family but there will be a big part of me that will just wish to be away from all the world and by myself. I just hope that since the first injection made my pain worse as well as the symptoms worse, and the second injection didn't make a difference at all, that the third injection will not only help but I'll feel so much better. Who knows and here is to hoping.

The first injection I ever had ever was back in January 2003, right around my birthday if I recall correctly. I wasn't allowed to have any IV to relax me and the doctor used the xray machine to guide the needle up my tail bone to the lumbar sacral area to do the injection. Working his way up bit by bit with numbing medicine that didn't numb me and then finally the medicine. It was the first horrible pain that I ever had experienced in my life and I was only 22 at the time. Now almost 30 years old, almost eight years later here I am having to continue to get these injections in my spine to help with the pain. I shouldn't have to go through this this young!

All it took was falling UP a concrete stairwell and getting an instant disc herniation in my back to start the domino effect of a lifetime! I also injured my left knee at the time and my back and knee have never been the same! It was just a few weeks after my husband and my wedding and "through sickness and health" was already being put to the test as my husband had to help support me and take care of me right away!

After my first surgery which I thought was a success but turns out I healed to quickly, I lost my job! The place of employment says that I, quote, "quit!" but I did not! I was put on call and never called back! I was a liability all because I was healing from a back surgery and had injured myself at my place of work. Big sigh!

Years later the workers comp case was solved after I had to go through my second back surgery. This back surgery left me to be disabled after a multi level back fusion. I haven't been able to get back to work since then. This year it will of been 5 years since last working and 4 technical years since I've been employed. 4 years due that I was on long term disability and that status changed after I was 100% unable to return to work.

Now years later after that I continue to have problems, now worse than ever! I have stenosis above and below my back fusion, more bulging discs and I'm sure as well degenerating discs. My back fusion surgery caused me to have lots of nerve damage that has resulted to be 100% permanent! I don't see my feeling returning any time soon and if anything the numbness has only gotten worse over these years, not better. The nerve damage resulted in my right foot being a drop foot, which means I can't lift it or move it and have to wear a medical brace in order to walk. The use of my cane also helps when I'm out walking. I have had problems now since last February with foot soars that have been turning into blisters and ulcers. The foot problems are all thanks to the ped egg that I will never recommend or use ever again! Was gentle but it didn't matter, skin got all dry, flaked, I remove the dead skin, the area rubbed to much, developed a blister, became infected, spread like wildfire and then took over half a year to heal! Now continue to have problems with my foot and have been having to stay off of it and not do as much on my feet.

Staying off my feet has prevented me from being able to do all my work outs and it's frustrating as I have 25 pounds left to drop to reach my weight loss goal. I've lost well over 130 pounds since I was my heaviest, about three and a half years ago now. Had to imagine that back then I was well over 300 pounds, very unhappy, very depressed, very overweight and unhealthy and into size 26/28 jean sizes. Now into 8, 10's and 12's I'm a whole different person.

Every time I have to visit the doctor now it's a sad reminder that I will never have an easy life and that I am reminded to cherish everything else I have left. I have the function of my left leg for the most part all the time, except for the few times that I have had complete numbness from my left leg; that has only happened a handful of times over these past few months. I have the function of the upper part of my back, my legs when they cooperate, my arms, my hands, my fingers to be able to type and write, my neck, my head, my mouth, eyes, ears.. to be able to wiggle my left toes. I'm thankful to be able to do all of that. I am still able to get up and walk, though it may not be easy I'm still able to do it!

Hopefully my story can help others be thankful for what they have and remind them as what I go through reminds me.. just cause you think you have a hard life, there is always someone else that has it harder off than you do. Be thankful for what you have while you have it.

Most importantly, I'm thankful to have the ability to still speak, have a sound mind and to be able to still enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Hopefully someday soon I'll be a mother and be able to teach my child all these important lessons about life and how we should be thankful. <3