Back Pain. Uggh!!

OK, after spending all day in the car last week and maneuvering through hail storm after hail storm I woke up at 1am in horrible back pain. I had been suffering from back pain on and off all spring but now I couldn't lie down, I couldn't sit.  My butt and down my leg had a constant sharp burning buzzing pain.

I paced around downstairs in a pain of 7-8/10 muttering to myself, weeping and generally losing my mind.  I was frightened that I would feel the pain forever; that I would never be able to sleep.  It also felt creepy because it reminded me of last year when I was in terrible pain when my ear drum burst and I got septic and delirious as the night went on.  At 4 am I called my doctor who was sleepy and sympathetic to what she thought was probably a herniated disk.  She called me in some steroids and pain meds,  At 5am I woke Rob up and sent him half-asleep to CVS.  The meds finally kicked an hour or so later and the pain dropped to a 3-4/10 and I was able to lie down and sleep in a weird contorted position.  It really sucked. 

 Thank goodness my parents got me this nerdy picker-upper last year when my back was sore.  It has saved me from bending for or ignoring all the stuff that ends up on the floor.









Now I live downstairs on the futon (where I don't wake everyone up with squirming and pacing and getting meds then snacks at night).  I spend alot of time lying down on ice or the heating pad.  I haven't been to work for all week and I have numbness and weakness down my left leg.  I am on more pain meds than I have ever been on in my life and I stagger them through the day to make the pain bearable.  I'm going to PT and we are starting slow.  At this point I am hoping to get feeling and strength back in my leg so I don't have to do cortisone shots or talk about surgery.

Just before this happened I had decided the family would get some kayaks and spend time paddling over serene lakes and rivers.
That seems very far away, but I am trying to stay positive and imagine that someday I'll get to kayak down a peaceful river, pain-free with a strong and sturdy back.