sciatica

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Little Victories

I’m actually pretty pleased with myself today.

This morning I went and had my flu and Covid vaccines done. Then I came home and I changed my sheets and bedding, followed by a lovely hot shower, and then I wrote two pages of my novel after being stuck with writer’s block for ages. I’m a little sore after all the movement, but I got through it. All over and done with now - I can rest. 😌😴

My GP is always telling me that I should celebrate every victory - even the itty bitty ones. I’ve made myself a lovely hot chocolate with a dash of Bailey’s Original as a treat, and I’m huddled up with my fluffy hoodie on now, all cosy like.

#chronicillnesswarrior #ChronicPain #POTS #AutonomicDysfunction #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome #EDS #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #Jointpain #jointhypermobility #InterstitialCystitis #BladderPain #Diabetes #NAFLD #LiverDisease #BPD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Depression #Migraines #sciatica #BackPain #littlevictories

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Loki does not appreciate it when I have a lay in…

My kitten, Loki, is a very demanding little sir. Yesterday, despite suffering with very bad sciatica, I went over to my sister’s for the afternoon and early evening for dinner. I spent the whole time chasing and tickling my nephew, playing with him and his new toys, etc.

So, naturally, I had to take extra painkillers last night to actually finally get to sleep at around 2am. Which meant I woke up quite late this morning (around 10am). When I rolled over and tugged open my curtains, Loki was just sat there, staring into my soul. It was eerie. 😂

The second I managed to sit upright he legged it over to his food bowls (he has one always full of biscuits and then a few times a day he has wet food). But the way he practically SCREAMS his meows at me, you’d think I hadn’t fed him in weeks. My Loki, the Drama King and God of Mischief. 😂 I’m so glad I have him, though. He seriously cheers me up on days where smiling feels impossible. He’s a good boy, really. He gives me lots of cuddles when I need them.

I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not (but it probably is), but since my lower back has been painful for the last couple of weeks, when he crawls under the covers with me in bed, he lays behind me, curled up at my lower back. The heat from his not-so-little body eases the spasms there. 🥰

#ChronicPain #sciatica #BackPain #TherapyPets #Kitten #Cat #Loki #POTS #EDS #NAFLD #BPD #Diabetes #InterstitialCystitis #Migraines #Jointpain #Animals #cute

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Chronic Pain and Comfort Eating

Guys, I'm really struggling at the moment. Every single day of my life, I'm in pain. I've accepted it as a fact of my life. But a few weeks ago I randomly injured a muscle in my lower back that has been locked/cramped up ever since, and is pretty much crushing my sciatic nerve. I'm getting such painful burning-aching sensations CONSTANTLY. There is no reprieve.

I can't get comfy when I'm sitting, and I'm barely sleeping at night. My doctor has examined me and she's pretty sure it's my sciatic nerve that's been pinched and that I need the appointment for physio. But the earliest they could fit me in was 23rd October - 10 days away! My doctor has prescribed a course of diazepam (valium) to help ease the muscle and try and abate the muscle spasming around the nerve. Which works to an extend but I really can't do much. I can't lift anything heavy, etc.

I am truly miserable right now. And I have been for the last two weeks since the injury. It just doesn't stop... My nephew came over on Wednesday and I couldn't play with him the usual way I do - chasing him about, lifting him up and bouncing him. And he just kept coming and cuddling my leg, raised his arms at me and said; "Up!" It broke my heart when I said no. He walked off with his head hung down and his bottom lip poking out.

Since the injury, I've eaten a LOT of junk food. I just cannot stop, and I don't really care all that much. I know I'm comfort eating (I used to do this a lot in the past), and I know it's not good for me. I'm just finding it really hard to give a crap about it.

What should I do? I'm so close to tears... I need a nice long, tight hug/cuddle. It's so hard to keep going.

#POTS #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #FattyLiverDisease #NAFLD #Diabetes #BPD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #InterstitialCystitis #ChronicPain #sciatica #BackPain #exhausted #mentallyexhausted #feelingdefeated #chronicillnesswarrior #Advice

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Hey. I’m Sewkie.

This is my first time posting on something like this, so I’m kinda freaking out with anxiety.. I haven’t been social in a really long time. I have severe agoraphobia and I’m an introvert. It’s just my hubby, three kitty cats, one big pup and my love, Sora who’s a Yorkie. He never leaves my side. Anyway.. #Depression #Anxiety #BipolarDisorder #OCD #ADHD #PanicDisorder #EatingDisorders #ChronicPain #sciatica #Grief #BodyDysmorphicDisorder

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Lonely, so lonely. No one to talk to in rl or internet.

I feel so isolated, more than when we had to because of Covid. Probably because my husband was home then, after being laid off from an “essential “ job.

The isolation got worse in May, when I was falling, and couldn’t get up on my own. The scariest incident was when my legs just collapsed, and I spent 45 minutes crawling around trying to get up, until I could get to my car and have Siri call home, which fortunately my husband was there, a rare occurrence. I don’t know what I would have done otherwise, probably have called the fire department.

Of course, the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong, except Carpal Tunnel. 😡 After an EMG and an MRI.
Since then I don’t go anywhere by myself except for a rare doctor appt. My husband got me an Apple Watch, so I could always call someone if I needed help.
But my panic attacks are back, and so are my migraines, which were under control before.
I can’t get anything done, but a lot of that is being unable because of pain. I want to hire someone, but am too embarrassed to let them in. I tell myself I’m going to do this today, something I can manage, and end up doing nothing all day.

It’s a wasted life. If it wasn’t for my daughter, I’d find a way to end it. I would tell myself, not when the kids are in school. Well, she went on to Community College, got that degree, went on to a top 10 undergraduate college, got 2 degrees with honors, got her Masters in Chemistry, and is now in a Ph.D. Program for Physics. 😊 Who knows when she’ll be done with school! So, I’m hanging in there.

#PTSD
#Migraines
#ChronicPain
#sciatica
#Arthritis
#Fibromyalgia
#lonely

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There is one task I have to do each week that I reeeeeally hate.

And that thing is sorting out my meds and putting them into dosset boxes for the week. Ugh. It’s so boring and tedious, but it has to be done. I know that some pharmacies can do it for you, but the last time I trusted them to do that, they cocked up and I ended up being really unwell. So it’s just simpler that I do it myself.

It’s just annoying. All the medication you see is just for seven days, and that doesn’t include some of my painkillers. The Paracetamol, Naproxen, Dihydrocodeine and Amitriptyline are put in a different box with four slots in a day.

I get so many “friends” and “family” members that tell me I should try cutting out some of my medications. That I should try this diet or that diet, or that I should exercise or do yoga. That I should switch to more natural remedies, and that I should meditate.

It makes me so angry! I swear they think I enjoy taking so much. I’m only on 15 different medications, when there was once a time when I took 21! I hate taking them. They give me bad acid reflux, dry mouth, dizziness, decreased appetite, etc… We’ve tried taking me off most of them, and my quality of life DRAMATICALLY reduced. I could barely sit up without fainting, and my bladder pain was excruciating, and my joints were so bad I’d sometimes cry when I had to walk for longer than 10minutes at a time.

Sorry. I just needed a bit of a rant, I guess.

On a completely unrelated note, I hope you’re all okay and staying warm now the weather’s turning cold. I’m actually having to sleep with thick, fluffy socks on. And I hate sleeping with socks on with a passion. But I have bad circulation and thus very cold feet even on warm days. Now it’s colder? Nope. I need toasty toes, or I’m worried they’ll fall off. 😂

Stay safe, lovelies!

#chronicillnesswarrior #ChronicPain #AutonomicDysfunction #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #NAFLD #InterstitialCystitis #Diabetes #Migraines #sciatica #Depression #BPD

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So much stuff!!!

I have been having a really hard time and it’s been a reallly long year for my family.
About me I have Fibro, RA, IC/BPS, sciatica AS, DDD, SpinalFusion spinalstenosis etc..

I have my oldest brother who had a stroke this year. We have always spoken and never had and any issues ( unlike my other siblings that’s another post).

When I was younger my brother more than once sexually assaulted me.
I don’t know if it actually considered that
I was sexually assaulted by my father when I was a child and raped at 15 by an older man.

My brother who is 20 years older than me tried to kiss me on more than one occasion this was when I was in elementary school. He I found out a few years ago was also along with my brothers and my sister were sexually assaulted by my father as well.

So the situation is idkw but after he had his stroke I just couldn’t speak to him.
I did only speak to him because of my mother. I did tell my mother when I was younger and I can only say she made excuses for him and begged me not to not talk to him.

I love my mother very much and we have a very good relationship except for this issue. So I haven’t spoken to him since his stroke and I feel extremely guilty for it.
He has been trying to get in contact with me but I have thwarted contact.

My husband knows and of course he says I should not feel guilty and doesn’t understand why I had been talking to him all these years.
I don’t know if I should say something to my mom who is 85. I don’t think it would do anything but upset her or cause and arguement. Or bother saying anything to my brother. Which idkw I feel bad saying anything which doesn’t make sense.
I know I should have gone to therapy years ago but does anyone have any suggestions how I should proceed in the interim ?

#SexualAbuseSurvivors #SexualAssault #SexualAbuse #SexualAssaultSurvivors #ChildhoodSexualAbuse #SexualTrauma #SexualAssaultAwarenessMonth #RheumatoidArthritis #Fibromyalgia #Fibro #InterstitialCystitis #sciatica #DDD #AnkylosingSpondylitis #painfulbladdersyndrome #LymeDisease #ChronicIlless #ChronicLymeDisease #LymeWarrior #Spoonie #PituitaryTumors #PituitaryTumor #SpinalFusion #gastric sleeve surgery #Anxiety #CPTSD #PTSD #PTSD

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Advice needed after rheumatology evaluation please

Ten months after first asking my primary doctor for a rheumatology referral, I finally had an appointment with one yesterday. It didn’t go as well as I had hoped. I have a lot of different symptoms and pain in every area of my body. I have seen a neurologist, gastroenterologist, and orthopedist. I do have tendon tears that are causing pain, but it doesn’t account for most of my symptoms. My ortho and physical therapist think there might be a systemic tendon issue. My doctors ruled out many things with lots of tests. They only want to cover up symptoms, so I was persistent for an answer and finally got a referral to a rheumatologist. Unfortunately, he was pretty dismissive. He said he read my medical records from my primary care, he asked me questions, and he gave me a physical exam. He asked if I had a prostate exam (I am a transgender man) and didn’t know most of my current diagnoses. I also realized later that he didn’t ask me about my cognitive symptoms or check anything but the areas I already know there are tears and push on a few of my vertebrae. I asked about pain management because I am allergic to corn and derivatives which are in most pharmaceuticals. He didn’t know anything about compounding medications or herbal supplements. He recommended physical therapy and to “figure out what works for you.” At the end of the appointment he said he was ordering 4 blood tests. Repeating the 2 inflammatory markers my doctor has tested a few times and were normal, a different RA test, and one to check for muscle degeneration. He said that if those come back normal than I don’t need to follow up with him. He said to follow up with my ortho because my pain is likely due to injuries and micro traumas. And to see an endocrinologist, even though I already had a lot of hormones checked with my primary and doctor who prescribes my testosterone. And to continue with the heart monitor I’m wearing this week and the cardiologist because I could have postural tachycardia. I was nervous and felt pressured to say that plan was fine.

I got the blood work results via the lab’s app today and they were all normal. I am so upset. The doctor said someone would call me with the results. I am not a doctor, but I know there are other tests, blood and otherwise, that can be done to further investigate my symptoms. I’ve been researching my symptoms and connective tissue diseases for over a year. I feel like most medical professionals don’t care enough to dig deep into what’s going on and just pass me off to others or give me meds for symptoms.

I don’t know what to do. Do I tell the person who calls from the doctor’s that I want to follow up anyway and ask the rheumatologist for more testing? Do I go back to the ortho and have him check all of my joints, back, neck, hands and feet? Do I ask my primary for another referral to a different rheumatologist, when she didn’t even want to refer me in the first place? The original referral said “low suspicion of rheumatic cause, patient requested eval.” I don’t know.

I am just so exhausted, feel defeated, and want to give up.

#Undiagnosed #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #CPTSD #Depression #GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder #Anxiety #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #AvoidantPersonalityDisorder #SuicidalIdeation #CarpalTunnelSyndrome #TriggerFinger #Bursitis #Tendinitis #rotatorcufftears #labraltears #sciatica #Migraine #IrritableBowelSyndromeIBS #SleepApnea #Asthma #GastroesophagealRefluxDisease #Allergies #Folliculitis

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Hello Everryboddy ! ( I'm saying hello in my best Grover voice. ...a blue fur covered muppet from Sesame Street kid's program. )

I was told that I should come and say hello. My name is Tavia, short version of Octavia. I am married. I live in bed ( if you can call that living..) due to the pain of several chronic pain conditions /injuries from a serious car accident I was in 23 years ago. I am now in my 50s. I deal with a lot of loneliness and isolation and some depression about losing my life and most of the people I cared about to an existence in pain.

#EhlersDanlosSyndrome #Fibromyalgia #AnkylosingSpondylitis #SpinalStenosis #ChronicMigraines #sciatica #Bursitis #Nervedamage #cervicalfusion #cervicaldiscectomy #spinalbonespurs #Hypothyroidism #PeripheralNeuropathy #numbness #Insomnia

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