Back Pain.....It's Really A Pain In The @ss - HiJumpr111's Blog

HiJumpr111's Blog

Back Pain.....It's Really A Pain In The @ss

Posted on March 29, 2009 at 09:00 PM.

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From what I hear, it's only naturally for a man to experience more aches and pains as he grows older. Just one of the many areas we men (and I'm sure women, too) feel that pain is in the back.

Eighteen months ago, my back started hurting. No let me rephrase that -- it started to emit pain in such a fashion that I can only liken it to a freshly-forged broad sword that has not only been jabbed into my lower spine but then swisted repeatedly for good measure.

I just thought it was part of getting older.

Typically, I am not a "doctor-appointment-making kind of guy." I have decent (though not the best) health insurance, but I really don't take advantage of it. (My kids sure as heck do!) But this pain was different. I had to go and at least be enlightened as to what's going on.

So I go.

A few minutes with the doctor explaining the nature of the pain results in a prescribed regimine of stretching exercises designed to strengthen the lower back. Sounded simple enough. So I tried them....for about eight minutes. Wasn't worth it. Why on earth, I thought to myself. would I want to take discomfort that I was already experiencing that only measured an 8 on the "Richter Scale of Pain" and have it jack it up to a 15 after exercising and thus having to sweat in the process? So again, I thought it was all about me getting older.

Well a year goes by. Yes that's right - a year. I told you I'm not much of a "doctor-appointment-making kind of guy." This time, doc orders the MRI. So I figure, at least we'll get to the bottom of this.

I think an entire blog entry (or even thread in the forums) could be set aside for MRI experiences. I was an MRI virgin up to this point. It was really a positive experience for me, however. Being the claustrophobic I am, I wasn't bothered too much by it. (I could still look up and see the ceiling -- that was the key for me). The worse part was requesting "Classic Rock" music through the headphones and only being able to recognize 2 of the 8 songs I was able to experience through the process. (Note to Clarian West Hospital - the works of Inglebert Humperdink do not fall under the genre of Classic Rock.)

After being told to wait 48 hours for my PCP to call me about the MRI results, I proceeded to wait 120 hours before I called him. (I saw it coming...no big deal.....doctor's are busy people, right?)

After two days of phone tag, the doc's nurse dropped the bombshell -- "a ruptured disc with narrowing."

I didn't know whether to ask her how long I had to live or whether or not I should postpone any plans to skydive (which I never had planned to anyway).

Alas, now I await word from the Back Pain Specialist. (Is this really a specialty?) I worry that just the mere title alone suggests the philosophy, "Sir you have back pain...let's see how we can live with it."

So, I'd love to hear from any of you other back pain sufferers. In my case, I assume I'll have options....from a discectomy, to a laminotomy, to cortizone treatments. Or more likely than not.....more back stretching exercises. Can't wait.

Comments

# 1 stlstudios189 @ Mar 29

been through some of that my self. Cortizone shots, MRI's etc... what the final outcome was for me was SCAR TISSUE from a previous surgury I had 13 years ago. I was told that a 2nd sugury was needed and my insurance denied it stating it was optional surgury!!! 2 years later and 730 plus days of pain I have new insurance again and will hopefully get this scar tissue removed.