DX ??

Well, I spent quite a while at the orthopedic clinic this afternoon.  I left work at 3:15, didn't get home 'til 6:30.  (There were some VERY anxious dogs waiting at the door, let me tell you!)  

Anyway,  . . . for the last three weeks since I pulled something trying to do therapy with Joey, I've been in terrible pain only when I straighten up.  I know, I know . . . that is just TOO weird.  But as long as I'm standing up straight or sitting down -- no problem.  But if I bend over to pick up a dog bowl or a feed bucket, when I try to straighten back up my leg and lower back are in absolute AGONY.  

Anyway, after I explained the problem to them (or tried to, anyway),  they took a number of x-rays, then the doctor did an exam and asked more questions.  After that, he sent me back over for still MORE x-rays of different spots (I think I  may just glow after the lights go out tonight!).   But the main things they found are (1) my hip joints are absolutely perfect, and (2) five of the discs in my lower back have shifted and narrowed the space where the nerves run, so he thinks it's possible that a pinched nerve in my BACK is causing those feelings of pain in my leg and hip.  Not something I would have imagined, but hey . . . he IS a doctor, so maybe that's true.  

But actually, he didn't really say that was a definite diagnosis.  He gave me one of those prednisone pill "kits" that you take for five days that do a major job of reducing inflammation.   I guess whether the pain stops after I take those or not will tell him if an inflamed nerve is causing the trouble.  I guess if it's a damaged tendon or muscle or something, maybe that wouldn't feel better after the prednisone, so it would be easier to diagnose maybe?  Hey, I don't know how that stuff works - OR how it affects the diagnosis.  Anyway, I go back in three weeks and he will decide then what happens next.  Physical therapy, maybe?  I don' t know. 

But as far as I'm concerned, the most important thing is that he also gave me some really good pain pills!  So I'm going to make it through until Mark comes home no matter WHAT the cause of the problem actually is!  That prednisone pill schedule starts tomorrow morning, but the pain pills -- those are starting  RIGHT  THIS  MINUTE!!