On the Eve of 2015

Hello! I had two titles for this post wrestling around in my brain and the positive one won out.  The other was going to be "The Winter of Discontent".  Or Discomfort might be even better. It's been over 6 weeks since I posted here, so I wouldn't be surprised that there is no one left here to read these words. I do hope you've stuck around.

 

You may remember that I was complaining in May that my back was bothering me.  Carrying heavy solar panels and moving over 2 tons of plaster by myself during our laundry room renovation may have had something to do with being the last straw for an ailing back.  I've been in chriropractic care for over 7 months now only to see the situation continue to deteriorate.

 

This year, Santa brought me an MRI on the day after Christmas which shows two bulges in my L1-L2 and L5-S1 discs.  Bulging sounds so much nicer than "herniated", doesn't it?  No matter what you call it, my L5-S1, which is right at the base of your lower back, is so significantly herniated that it is now fully pressing on my nerves. 

 

The result is a tingling\numb left foot, pain down the left side of my leg and a feeling as if someone is sticking me in the ass with a hot poker.  8 weeks ago, it was intermittent.  Now the pain is constant and my life consists of sitting through the pain at work and coming home to lay on a heating pad on the sofa, which is the only place I feel relief.  Simply dragging myself up the 14 stairs to our bedroom is excruciating.  I'm only 44, but I hobble around like I'm in my 80's.  Grocery shopping? Nope. Laundry? Nope.  Cleaning the house?  Out of the question unless I drag a chair around with me.

 

But I couldn't bear to let 2014 leave me in defeat without leaving a post here to mark its passing. With the dawn of 2015, I am resolved to take back my health through whatever means necessary.  Pain only makes us stronger, right?  We've got new chicks coming in April, a new "old" house to renovate, and a garden to plan and tend to.  I hope you'll continue to come along with us in this new year.

 

All the best to you and your family in 2015.  Happy New Years, everyone!