Magic Crunch

For the last 50 hours or so I've been in agony, barely able to do much of anything. I was barely able to get out of bed. I've been hobbling with a cane. I hobbled into work around 12:30 hoping I'd be OK in the fairly decent chair I have at my desk and gave up in pain around 3:00. Elaine been trying to get me to go to the doctor since yesterday. I've been resisting, saying, "it just needs to pop back and I'll be fine." At 3:30 after giving up at work and an excruciating hobble home, I relented and called the doctor and got an emergency appointment with my doctor's alternate for 4:30 since my doctor is on vacation. At about 4:10 I went to stand up off the chaise and there was an audible crunch that Elaine heard from the other side of the room. I felt a series of small pops in the small of my back. That was it! That's what I've been waiting for for two days. The nerve that was pinched is no longer pinched and I feel infinitely better.

I called back and rescheduled a  non-emergency appointment to talk to my doctor about my back when she returns from her vacation. I'm still sore, the muscles in my back are cramped and spasming from the strain of the last two days and my lower back feels very, very tender, but compared to not being able to walk, sit or stand for any length of time plus stabbing, shooting and searing pains in my hips and down my legs, and the especially fun treat of having my right leg randomly buckle while walking... compared to that I feel amazingly good. It does not hurt to sit here and type this. I can sit up straight and even arch my back a little - that would have been impossible half an hour ago.

And before you say, yes, I realize this is not normal having sciatica to the point of losing muscle control - that's why I'm going to see the doctor about it as soon as she is back.

Nonetheless, right now I am very happy this episode is over!