Pain in the Leg

Let me ask, how many of you have had a pinched sciatica?

Raise your hands. Don't be shy.

Well, since I can't see through your monitor, dear reader, I have no idea who of you has experienced the agony of a pinched sciatica.

Remember back before Thanksgiving when I wrote about a twinge in my back? After I got back here from Thanksgiving, it felt better. No pain at all.

On Thursday, as I was walking to work, my low back and my right leg suddenly burned and I couldn't walk any more. I stopped right where I was and stood there swearing under my breath. I hobbled over to the nearest bench and sat down for a minute, happy to know that the pain was gone. I sat for a minute, or two... or five... before I finally felt like I could stand up, which, ouch, and walk again. I hobbled the rest of the way to work, each step causing pain down the outside of my leg, from hip to heel. When I got to my desk and sat I felt better, but each time I got up, it hurt.

Friday, it still hurt, but I got up, showered, and walked to work, with a quick stop for sitting in the park, this time planned for. Still I hurt standing and walking, but not so much sitting. After work, I went to the movies (I saw The Golden Compass. It was pretty good. It sucks that they give away the mysteries in a prologue, I wish they had gone with the ending in the book, and I thought there were scenes that needed more space to breath, but Sam Elliot was wonderful and so was the bear and the bear fight was brutal. There's a moment, during the bear fight, where the audience was stunned into silence.) but had real trouble getting back to my apartment. I sat on the steps of the church near where I live and think I saw a drug deal go down.

(Although, it could just be my imagination. But I saw a car get parked near the church, the guy got off and walked away. A couple of minutes later, a car pulled up in front of the steps I was sitting on and a guy got out and the car left. This new guy walked over to the car that had just been parked and groped around on the ground near the driver side front tire. When he found something, he opened the door, started the car, and drove off. Weird, no?)

On Saturday, I had trouble sitting as well as walking. So, I spent most of the day laying down in front of the TV.

Sunday, I climbed into the shower and had a real hard time getting through it. I did, eventually, and headed out to do my laundry. I hurt, hurt, hurt all through the laundry. I didn't stay to fold; I pulled the clothes out of the dryer and headed out, to the grocery store. At the store, I leaned on the shopping cart as if it were a walker. When I got back to my apartment, I only made two trips. I made damn sure I wouldn't take anymore than two trips. Between trip, I collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath and cursing up a storm in my mind. It was around 10:30 AM when I finished putting the stuff that needed to be in the fridge in, the rest sat (and sits) in bags on the floor of the kitchen. I settled down on the floor, on my left side, and turned on the TV. I was there for an hour, with slight variation in how I lay there. By noon, the pain was so intense, I finally got the phone to set up an appointment with anyone. After getting the run around, I was told that I was put on a list and I'd be called back to set up an appointment. Someone finally called me around 3:30. I got an appointment for nine the next morning.

The next morning, my leg screaming in pain, I called into work to let them know I wouldn't be there right away, that I had to go to the doctor's. I almost didn't make it through the shower that morning, but I did and I eventually made it down to my car and into the seat. The drive there was HORRIBLE. Agonizing pain burning in my ankle, shooting right below my knee, and throbbing below my hip. Sweat beaded on my forehead. I made it to the medical center, although I can't tell you how, ten minutes before my appointment. Then I had to search for the office. I couldn't see my usual doctor because she's on vacation. I found it pretty quickly, but there was a line of eight people. I stood there, in pain, through one person and my stomach started churning and I started sweating more. I broke out of line in search of the nearest toilette. I barged, as well as I could, through the door and to the first stall I saw and heaved. Nothing came up, and I heaved again. Still, nothing. I heaved two or three more times before I finally thought about taking off my glasses so they wouldn't fall into the public water. I sat there for a little while just breathing.

Eventually, I got up and, shivering, headed back to the check in place. There were more people in line and the lady I was behind the last time was two from the counter. I pulled the line to the chairs along the wall so I could sit as I waited and waited and waited. Finally, at the counter, the lady informed me that I was late and asked if it was the line or was I really late and then she told me she had to call to make sure they would still see me. They did. I explained my problem and, really without even thinking, the doctor announced sciatica problems. Hooray! He prescribed me 800MG of ibuprofen. Hooray! I took the pill, hopped in my car and painfully drove back to my apartment.

When I got on the floor, I felt better. Not just better because I was on the floor, but better than I'd felt since Thursday. The ibuprofen was working! In time, I got to the phone and called in to say I wasn't gonna be there that day and explained the problem.

Yesterday, I woke up, took my pills, and went to the shower. After washing my legs, I fell to my knees in pain and decided I wasn't going to work, again. I finished up, called in, and turned on the TV. (I was on the last season of Angel.) The day was long, long, long. I did get to call my brother and wish him a happy birthday and chat for a while. That was really great. The rest of the day was very dull with the TV and the occasional pill and the pain and the trying to walk or sit through the pain before settling on my back, again.

Today, I just forced myself to come to work. I still hurt pretty bad, but it's not as bad as it's been. I took the huge pill and when I started hurting a lot again, I popped some fake Tylenol. I'm finishing this on my knees in front of the computer. I really look forward to getting back to my apartment.