Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Epidural. Take Two.

Doesn't matter how cute you are, Miss Lulu. This is still partially your fault. 

Sigh..

Yesterday, I was forced to lock myself in my closet and have yet another of those weirdo conversations with myself. You know; the ones in which my Bratty Inner Child Julia attempts to convince me NOT to do something that I know is necessary. I've found that it's best to conduct these exchanges while sitting on the floor of our walk-in closet. I can close the door, yak away, and no one is the wiser.  I wouldn't want it to get around the neighborhood that I spend considerable time and energy talking to myself. My neighbors already think I'm slightly batty.

It started about three days ago when I I noticed a decided twinge of back pain after wrestling around on the back yard lawn with Lulu and her doggie friends. I'm clueless when I'm comfortable, really I am. If I would have given this silly maneuver any thought at all, I may have realized that I wasn't doing my back and it's spinal stenosis any favors with my gyrations.

Ah, well.

After I painfully sat up and limped to the house, I tried to ignore the symptoms of increased back pain but was forced to acknowledge it's presence when my right foot became numb after hoofing it around the grocery store later in the day.

Grrr.

BICJ immediately took the opportunity to strike up a completely illogical conversation. Oh, we're just overreacting. It's nothing. Just ignore it.

ME: I'm not overreacting. I think I need to call my physiatry physician again.

BICJ: No. I'm not going back to a clinic any time soon and you can't make us. Listen, this can be cured easily with a trip to Krispy Kreme and maybe the frozen custard stand. Seriously.

ME: .::facepalm::. So it's going to be one of those arguments again? Into the closet. Now!

BICJ: Only if we make a nice cup of tea and take it with us. Do we have any cookies?

ME: Upstairs. Immediately. .::slams closet door::.

BICJ: Wow. Look at all those great shoes that our foot doctor won't let us wear!

ME: Nice try at distraction, but it won't work. Let's discuss our back situation.

BICJ: If we must.......But really. We would feel really dopey to admit to the doctor that we probably did something really stupid, do we? I mean, in addition to all of the other stupid things that we've already told him. How about lots of ice packs and ibuprofen instead? AND Krispy Kremes and frozen custard? Hm....maybe we should throw in a Butterfinger Blizzard for good measure.....

ME: Mmmmm......Krispy Kremes......  .::vigorously shakes head::.   STOP THAT. STOP GIVING US THOSE TERRIBLE IDEAS INSTANTLY!!

BICJ: And even if we decided to call, what is the doctor going to tell us? That we should come back in and pay another insurance co pay and maybe have some other stuff done, like -- geez -- you don't think they'd repeat the epidural this soon, would they? No. I don't think they would. So we should just forget the whole call-the-doctor project. We can be over to the frozen custard stand in ten minutes tops. Better idea. Much better.

ME: .::puts fingers in ears::. I'm not listening to you until you start making some sense. .::begins singing The Star Spangled Banner::.

BICJ: Hey! That's my maneuver!

ME: I think we should take a walk around the block to see if we fall over and potentially break a bone or something when the foot goes numb again.....that might convince you of the need to address this...hmm...

BICJ: Uncle! Uncle!  OK, I give up. How about we call the doctor.......tomorrow?

ME: .::whips out cell phone from bra and speed dials physiatry::.

I was pleasantly surprised with the discussion that followed with the very logical physiatry advice nurse. She asked me several questions, reviewed my chart and previous procedure and imaging studies, and promptly scheduled me for a repeat epidural. Even when I 'fessed up and admitted to her that I had begun to take my pain free status for granted and was not taking good care of my back, she didn't seem surprised or fazed. "It's OK. Sometimes we just have to repeat the procedure when patients get partial relief. I'll clear this with your doctor, of course. We can talk more about activity and exercises for your back after the procedure."

So. One week from today, I'll be hanging out in the pain clinic with the C-arm fluoroscopy machine and another physician. The nurse was optimistic that the previous excellent epidural results could be duplicated.

Stay tuned.

2 comments:

stephanie said...

Dang it. Sorry Julia. Seems like just when you've got stuff figured out, or are at an even keel, or you've adjusted your mental and emotional states to a good spot, something new comes along, and forces you to adjust all over again. I'm doing the same thing right now. Adjusting to something new. So sorry again. Hey, how about those Mariners? :-)

ShEiLa said...

Oh my goodness sakes!

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