Sciatica Depression Despair

I had a lot going on in my life. Money issues, legal problems, crappy job, just to name a few. I was working at a dead end job, with little to no room for advancement anytime in my lifetime. Constantly on the feet, always lifting heavy objects, stooping, everything tough on the back, I was doing.

And then one day the arch of my right foot started to hurt. I thought, "maybe I need a little more support." I have fairly flat feet, so this kind of threw me for a loop. But I went to the store anyways, picked up some soft arch supports, and went about my way. Did yours start off slowly, or come on full force?

Gave it about 3 days...no improvement. In fact, the pain has started to crawl up through my ankle to the outside of my lower leg. So, a little ice and a little naproxen every day after work seemed to dull the pain, but nothing seemed to end it. But I am a tough cookie. I kept my mouth shut, and kept the truck moving!

Several weeks after the initial pain in my foot, it had gone completely up into my glutes, and felt like someone was stabbing every inch of the outside of my leg. I was drained trying to be tough about it. I could barely tie my shoe, much less put a sock on. The NSAIDs weren't cutting it, and I HAD to have some relief. So, off to the PCP (primary care physician) I went. He knew what the issue was right off the bat, but I had to go through the gamut of tests before anything could really be done. No wonder we spend so much on health care in this country!

To the specialists! By this time I was so emotionally spent by the fact I couldn't do anything, I went to the psychiatrist to see what he could do. He gave me a handful of Rx's and I was on my way to sleepy town. My leg hurt terribly, but I was sedated enough not to care. Next was the X-rays, which really was a tremendous waste of time since they don't show soft tissues. No broken vertebrae = physical therapy, which ended up aggravating the leg even more!!! How many of you have gone through this color-by-numbers method of seeking answers for what ails you?

Finally, its off to the MRI. Sitting inside of a tube for almost an hour is not my idea of a fun afternoon playtime, but it was a necessary evil in my path to healing. The techs were kind enough to let me look at the scans right after they were taken...what an interesting experience, being able to peer into my own body like that. If you haven't done so already, I would highly recommend it!

Diagnosis, L5S1 herniation/degeneration, L2 and L3 degeneration and dehydration, L4 dehydration, and mild scoliosis. DANG! I thought I was jacked up! Off to the pain management specialist! This was my first taste of relief. I had grown tired of taking Vicodin, Percocet, etc., and needed an alternative. So he pumped me up with Valium, put me on a table, and I had my first epidural.

For those of you who haven't had one yet, here is a quick description of how it feels. With the local anesthetic and valium, you have no idea that there is a needle in you back. UNTIL he hits the nerve! That shoots a jolt of pain through your entire body. Then they tell you that you will feel a warm sensation in your leg. Warm = BURNING!!! Then you get up and it looks like you are walking like a pirate with a peg leg. They tried to sit me down in a wheel chair, but I was enjoying the numbness I couldn't sit down.

Relief...temporarily. So several months and several rounds of injections minimized the pain, but didn't completely take it away. I kept up the exercises from PT, and had little pain over the next couple of years until I decide to over pack my luggage to avoid paying a 3rd bag fee on the flight home. I had almost called my shot doc to line me up in a couple of weeks when I decided to pursue a different approach. And this was homeopathic treatment.

I was put onto a tonic of 7 potent fruits and herbs and within 6 weeks I was pain free, had better cholesterol, more energy, lower blood pressure, stable blood glucose, and, again, NO PAIN!!! I also practiced healing meditation and yoga, and some stress management. I have been pain free for 7 months now, and just wanted to share my story with everyone who thinks that there is no end to the suffering.

Thank you and have a wonderful day! - Jason