Struggling

You can learn a lot about yourself when you are struggling with things that life throws at you. At present, what life has thrown at me is a bad back with the added delight of sciatica. Having struggled with it constantly for a week, I went to the doc's last week and obtained from her prescriptions for paracetamol to take during the day and co-codamol for night time, although night time or any time I am lying down, is the only time I am in  anything less than screaming agony. (Yes, I know I have a tendency to exaggerate, but not this time, folks, not this time!)
On Tuesday, I went to the local osteopath for a bit of stretching, creaking, contortioning, the stuff that osteopaths usually do. At the end of the session he told me to make another appointment for this week. "You may feel a little stiff for forty eight hours," he said, "and then it should feel better. Oh, and no hoovering, no pushing shopping trolleys but keep active and use cold packs about five times a day."
Forty eight hours later, to the minute and I was definitely not feeling any better at all. Staying active has become less and less an option and, while a hot water bottle clamped to my derriere/top of left leg provides some ease, cold packs don't.
Yesterday, I tried a Tramadol tablet - just one to see how it was.
It was amazing. The pain decreased about 70%! Oh the joy of no longer feeling like a 900 year old tortoise creeping around the house!  The problem was that it also made me feel as if I was on a trip somewhere six inches above ground level, whilst also feeling slightly dizzy and very sick. Soon I had to give in and retire to bed to sleep for the next six hours.  Back to the drawing board.on the pain relief then.
Tomorrow I shall be battering on the door of the GP in a desperate quest for SOMETHING!
And what have I learnt?
  • That I am a very bad, impatient patient and it's probably best to steer clear of me at the moment.
  • That I am much better than I thought I was at swearing.
Well you didn't expect anything deep and philosophical, did you!



14 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Sorry to hear about your ailments Jenny. The frustrating thing about such conditions is that you wonder if they'll ever go away. I mean - a broken leg will mend itself but some things seem to have no ending and they tend to interfere with everyday thinking. I would make a light-hearted quip but that doesn't seem appropriate so I will just prescribe a litre of red wine. Guzzle at four minute intervals till the bottle's finished and then burp like a wildebeest.

Shooting Parrots said...

I don't blame you for feeling less than philosophical. You have my sympathy. Just a thought, but have you thought of trying one of those TENS machines?

Jennytc said...

That's what is worrying me, YP. Am I going to have a back problem for ever? Wine is not an option with the painkillers either, so maybe I have better delegate the litre-drinking to you - a beverage of your choice, of course! :)
PS. Burping is not ladylike, so I will delegate that to you too.

Jennytc said...

Yes but they don't work on sciatica, SP.

Cro Magnon said...

I can sympathise because I too suffer from both (but not to your extent). I'm afraid I have no miracle advice, other than to find the right painkiller. Exercise does help a bit.

Kate said...

Oh poor thing. I really feel for you. I wonder if a rest in bed helped at all?

Jennytc said...

Commiserations, Cro. I can honestly say I feel your pain! ;)

Jennytc said...

The one time the pain goes away to a great extent is when I lie down, but, having said that, the recommendation for back pain is to keep active. Can't win!

elaine said...

I can really sympathise a good few years ago I suffered badly from lumbago and couldn't stand up straight and walked like a crab. It did go after three weeks bed rest - I have been known to garden with a hot water bottle strapped to my back. If I were you I would lay in a bath of hot water for a few weeks that should do it.

Aileen said...

Dear Jenny

So sorry to hear of your 'pain'....had it years ago, and it is very painful!
Really feel for you.....
Anything but Paracetamol makes me 'sickly',and the strong ones do the job, but then unable to function for most of the day.
It should go away with time, as mine did.....I'm still dealing with the radiation to my mouth, and loss of taste :>(

(((Hugs)))

Aileen...X

Baby Gifts said...

Tramadol works for me as well, in that it reduces the pain, but it wipes out the rest of the day. I guess you have to weigh up the pros and cons.

Jennytc said...

Yep, that about sums it up! ;)

ZACL said...

That is a horrible combination of creaks aches and pains. I am sorry. It is very wearing, to put it mildly.

Tens may work for some people, for a while, it is a bit hit and miss.

Tramadol is not a nice medication. One neurosurgeon I spoke with said it was disgusting, but, it had its place and uses....adding a rider, "unfortunately". Your experiences are amongst those recorded. It can produce disturbing behaviours. I was told by a GP that about 85% of the people prescribed Tramadol can take it, that leaves about 15% in the population who cannot tolerate it. There are other prescriptions that can be considered with your present complaints.

Resting as much as possible is not such a bad idea.

Jennytc said...

Thanks for that ZACL. I have decided that resting as much as possible is the way I am going for now.

Plaster board and dust

So, we're still no further forward on the British Gas smart meter front and I've given up making non-existent appointments with them...