Epidural - Tumblr Posts

Sandhill cranes have a surprising and stomach-turning method of incubating their eggs. Rather than build a nest, these cranes place the eggs on their back and gently yet firmly press them until they become embedded in the flesh. After thirty days of incubation the eggs hatch, but the chicks will live in the cavities left behind for an additional two to three weeks before the mother moves them to a more traditional ground-style nest.

Back pain

I'm going to a doctor on Friday to get an injection in my back (I think it's called an epidural, but I can never remember what my doctors tell me). Hopefully this will get rid of the severe back pain caused by pinched nerves in my lower spine, and allow me to go out and do a bit more. I got one of these done before a little over two years ago, but the pain has come back since then. My back has given me trouble for a few years now. I'm not entirely sure what caused it, I only know that the pain got a lot worse while I was in basic training back in 2010. I woke up one morning and was getting ready to put my shoes on for morning PT, when there was a very sharp, very intense pain in my lower back. It was like someone had stabbed a knife into my spine. I went to sick call a few days later, and eventually saw a Lt. Colonel who was a physical therapist. He had me bend and stretch and stuff, and in the end said he believed it was a pinched nerve, although he wasn't entirely sure. He put me on a profile for a few weeks but let me continue on with basic training at my request. When I was out of basic I saw doctor after doctor, get several x-rays, and even did physical therapy. The pain hindered me a lot. Sitting was extremely painful, because the position would pinch the nerves even more. I had trouble working out, I couldn't hang out with my friends that much, and I had to stop taking flying lessons partly because it was so painful to try and sit for more than an hour. All of that just made me more introverted and like with everything else I bottled up how much it made me angry/sad. The doctors couldn't agree on what the issue was, although two or three agreed that I had "the worst back of anyone your age I have ever seen." They gave me pain medicine to try to help. I avoided taking it at first, but when I started to, I kind of abused it. I enjoyed being pain free (more or less) after having had to deal with it for so long. And it was the strong stuff. A friend pointed out to me after a while that he thought I was addicted to it, and while I denied it at first, I kinda believed him. So I stopped taking it so much. And the pain came back. HARD. It hurt far worse than it had before, which is what makes me think that I had been addicted to it.  Eventually I was scheduled for an MRI, and it was discovered that the issue was in fact several pinched nerves. They scheduled me for an injection like the one that I'll be getting this weekend, and to start physical therapy again. I went in, and the procedure was short, but incredibly painful. It was like a tank was rolling over my back, and it caused me to yell out in pain. But once it was over they sent me home, and told me to rest for a few days. I was still in a lot of pain that day, but afterwards the pain was almost completely gone. And it was pretty much gone for about a year in a half, unless I lifted something poorly (with my back, rather than my legs). I could finally move around pretty easily, and able to go out and do a bit more stuff. But unfortunately the pain started coming back around August last year (2013). It has steadily gotten worse and worse, though fortunately it still isn't as painful as it was at it's worst. I got the injection scheduled a few weeks ago, once a few things had been worked out with my insurance. Hopefully everything will go ok (there are a few small risks), and I can be pain free again for a little while, although I know the injection isn't a permanent solution to my back problems. At some point I'll have to get some sort of back surgery, although the doctor believes that the injections will delay the need.

Quote from Brene Brown about the church.