How is that for the title of a post? It’s very fitting, if you ask me. Today I had my follow-up appointment at the orthopedist, this time seeing a different doctor. I answered questions, they took X-rays, and he used the funny hammer thing on me. Interesting fact, when you have sciatica and your leg is numb down to your foot, it will not respond to the funny hammer thing when the doctor taps the back of your ankle with it.
After all this, and looking at my X-rays, doc said that I have some weakness in my calf based on my responses. Oh yay. He had me walk on my toes. I couldn’t even do it on my left foot, it just collapsed under me. I can’t tell you how freaky of a feeling that is. So, the plan now is that tomorrow I start physical therapy which will be 3 times a week for 2 weeks. After that, I go back to the doctor and if no changes or if it’s worse, I will need to have an MRI.
As for the X-rays they took today, they did not show anything, except for a little bit of arthritis in my lower back. Since I’m assuming they take X-rays for obvious reasons for my pain, I guess it’s kind of comforting to know there wasn’t anything weird or bad that they could see.
I am trying to not consult Dr. Google for this because any horror stories for this same thing will freak me out. It already freaks me out a bit that after just a week, there is already weakening in the muscle of my leg AND if this isn’t getting any better in a couple weeks and we do an MRI, steroid injections directly in my back may be needed. I asked if my staying off the leg as much as possible has had anything to do with the weakening of my calf, should I have been walking on it regardless? He said no, that it’s the pinched nerve. My staying off it has not had any effect on it.
I will say that going to the doctor this morning was totally different than last week when the pain first started. I could hardly walk in there last time. And most of last week, I was super fidgety, unable to get comfortable in any position whether I was laying down or sitting up. And the worst was in the car. My mom even says I don’t seem nearly as uncomfortable or fidgety and that I am walking better. If anything, it’s more of an achy feeling now than the PAIN I had last week. Well, that and the tingly numb feeling.
I am irritated about this whole thing and trying really hard not to get depressed about it. Sure as I’m sitting here, I know that the 10K I want to do next month is out of the question since it’s less than a month away. $&%!#@%
But enough boo-hooing about my back…. I thought it would be fun to show off the cool X-rays of my back. I think my spine looks pretty darn cool…
Have you ever had physical therapy for sciatica? How did you do?
