Some Serious Pain

On October 6th, I got up with some really bad pain in my left hip and leg.  If I was laying flat or standing up working it out so I could walk, I was fine, but if I was in the process of sitting down or standing up from a sitting position, I was in terrible, awful pain.  I managed to survive the week--going to the eye doctor on the first day of pain and going to work and attending meetings, checking on teachers and students, doing lunch duty, and more the rest of the week.

By Friday, I had my mom check with my doctor to see what he could do with a pinched Sciatic Nerve.  He recommended a chiropractor in the same office, so I visited the chiropractor on October 10th.

This was my first chiropractic visit.  I was so nervous and worried.  I shared all the symptoms and info, and he worked on me.  He said my left hip was out of location--kind of pointing out and back. He put that back in place.  He then worked on aligning my hips and checking other vertebrae.  He explained the Sciatic Nerve, where it runs, and the type of pain it causes, and he really didn't think that was my problem.  He thought it was more of a hip muscle or ligament issue.

I went home, still not able to get up and down, still feeling pain, and soon, feeling so much pain I couldn't move.  I stayed in bed all weekend.  I was so grateful I didn't have to go to work b/c there was no way I could.  The pain was unreal!  I really thought that if I could cut my leg off that I would be better off. I just can't explain how bad it was.  (How do people handle a broken hip?)

On October 13th, I went back to the chiropractor for a follow-up.  Some how, I really don't know how, I made it through a day of work.  I did everything that involved standing and moving around at one time and then everything that involved sitting at another time.  I didn't get up and down more than necessary. I rolled around in my chair when possible, but even the act of making myself move hurt. When I got to the chiropractor that afternoon, I explained how I wanted to cut my leg off.  He did more work, thought more, and said it could be arthritis or degenerative bone disease or something else I can't explain (but I do understand), but finally decided it was a pulled Periformis Muscle and Sacrospinous Ligament.  These run from your tailbone area across your buttocks area to your pelvis.  Your Sciatic Nerve could run above it or below it or through it.  He worked on me a little more and said come back in a week.

Thank goodness the pain began subsiding from what it was over the weekend.  While there was still pain, and I really had a hard time getting up and down, the pain was nothing like it was over the weekend.  The chiropractor gave me some exercises to do, which I did (fought through the pain), and will continue.

I made it through that week and a little of another before going back.  The pain continued to get better, and I had more mobility, but there are times, especially when I'm tired in the afternoons and evenings, that the pain pops back up.

I visited the chiropractor again on October 20th.  He checked my alignment and mobility and said he was pretty much done.  I just need to continue the exercises and letting it heal.  So . . . I am.

Through this, I have learned to appreciate the handicap bathroom stalls and the handrails.  Those are miraculous objects.  I appreciate a chair that can be raised and lowered to get to the height needed to help lessen the pain when sitting and standing. I greatly appreciate my mom, who took care of me the weekend I couldn't move and just wanted to cry.  I appreciate a very supportive and caring staff who checked on my daily and a principal who texted me on a Friday night. I also learned to appreciate anyone who has a job where they must stand hours on end.  (It was just easier to stand up all day.)