Stepping back

Normally, I'm not a person to ask for help and really don't like to share much of what is going on with me personally.  Sure I wrote a lot about my bum knee last Summer, but in reality - that had an end I could see in sight that was favorable.  And I guess blogging is about me too - but I prefer to view that as sharing about what I (and my family) do - rather than writing what is going on with me on a personal level.  So, I'm somewhat hesitant to post this, but kind of need to be picked up a bit, or to vent - or both. 

This time last week I started to notice my lower back hurting.  Nothing new really - it has hurt to some degree for many years - probably over a decade.  But the pain increased quite suddenly last week for no identifiable reason and fairly quickly became quite intense and unbearable.  It was located at the base of my spine and hips area. 

By Friday morning I went to my chiropractor.  I've been seeing him regularly for a couple of years after a car accident that dinged up my neck - and that has helped.  X-rays have never shown anything of concern or a major problem in my lower back and hips though.

Kind of hard to describe what we have found out in the past few days what is going on.  In essence - I can't actually stand up straight.  I'm leaning about 10 degrees to the left.  My hips have rotated due to some hip disc thingy that used to resemble the shape of a pepperoni slice - now looking like a wrinkled pringle chip.

The pictures of the damage are clear.  Things don't look right at all.  I have seen xrays and other body type scan pictures before - but have most times needed to have things pointed out what is the problem.  In this case - to see how non-level my hips are and as a result the angle of my spine as a result - no wonder I hurt the way I do right now.

Worst case scenario - surgery.  We don't know if the disc is infected, don't know how it got to be like that, we do know it is sooooo highly inflammed and pressured right now.  I do know that for about a week I haven't been able to get comfortable for even a short length of time sitting, standing, slouching, lying down in any position.  I haven't been able to sleep much.  I can't put socks or shoes on and need help putting on pants.  Sharp pain, dull pain, constant pain - nothing really seems to lessen it.

Ice packs every hour, finally resorting to anti-inflamatory drugs - but they don't seem to help much either.  Twice a day to the chiropractor is about the only thing that is providing any kind of relief - but even that is temporary.

My chiropractor knows the body well and has seen a lot more than just backs and necks out of alignment - now that we have seen as best we currently can what the issue is - he can treat it better.   I'm putting a lot of hope in him.  No running upcoming for me for quite a while.