Why There Have Been No Posts Since April
I usually reserve this section for reports on the training, health and progress of the horses. But "Riding" is in the title too, so in the interests of telling the bad with the good I am going to give you a timeline of what has gone on with my back this year.2013 Back Pain Timeline
2/10 Woke up with a back spasm. Started 150 mg. per day of Indomethracin: one 75 mg.
capsule morning and night.
2/19 Acupuncture
treatment.
2/21 Saw Dr. Moritz. She prescribed Tramadol (50 mg.) and Cyclobenzaprin
(10 mg. ) Started taking 100 mg. of Tramadol per day: with my Indomethcine
morning and night.
2/28 Therapeutic massage.
3/9 Took a sauna.
3/11 Saw Dr. Green. He prescribed an MRI.
3/14 Got Tramadol refilled
3/15 MRI was denied by Cigna when I
showed up for it.
3/17 Tried taking the
Cyclobenzaprin. I took one at 4 pm. It took about 30 hours for me to feel like my
brain was working normally again. Won’t
take any more of that drug.
3/20 Started taking a third Tramadol
at bedtime.
3/22 Added treatment with the TENS
machine and ice packs during the day.
3/25 MRI
3/26 Acupuncture
3/27 Therapeutic massage
3/28 I could not get out ahead of
the pain with ice, TENS, and medication, so I started taking the maximum
Tramadol prescribed: 2 pills every 6
hours.
3/29 Noticed that I would run out of
Tramadol on Sunday, so I called the pharmacy and Dr. Moritz’s office. They said they would get it done. I called the pharmacy in the evening and it
was not done.
3/30 I called the pharmacy and it
was not done last night.
3/30 Called Elizabeth family health
– they did refill the prescription.
Picked it up.
4/1
– 4/3 Made it through partial
work week on maximum Tramadol + ice + tens all day.
4/4 Injections! Local wore off on the way home and pain
returned. Stayed off feet and back on
full amounts of Indocin, Tramadol and continued ice packs. Felt better.
4/5 Pain back in the
morning. Continued medications and
started hot packs and Tens. Stayed off
feet except for modified morning chores and a little cooking. The tens became unnecessary and pain was
managed well all day. Dropped to 1
Tramadol every 6 hours at 4pm.
4/6 Pain back in the
morning. Took 1 Tramadol at 4 am. I slept a little more but pain got me up at
7:30. It was less than yesterday morning
but started hot packs and stretching and tens to get through breakfast and to
the 10 am Indocin dose. I never got the
pain under control. Went back to double
Tramadol with Indocin, tens and hot packs.
Went to bed with a heating pad and slept pretty well.
4/7 Alarm woke me for 4 am dose
of Tramadol and I went back to sleep.
Awoke around 7:30 with severe pain.
Tens didn’t help, stretching didn’t help, walking didn’t help. Nausea from pain. Ice seemed to help a little. 10 am dose of
Indocin and Tramadol could not come soon enough. Started to alternate ice and heat. Really, I wished someone would just shoot me
this morning because of the pain. I
began alternating ice and heat and eventually the pain levels began to
subside. I had turned a corner. I dropped Tramadol to one every 6 hours and
started taking 75 mgs. Indocin every 8 hours while I was awake.
4/8 Alarm woke me for 4 am
doses. Continued Indocin every 8 hours
and 1 Tramadol every 6 hours. Continued
ice and heat and attached TENS to my leg before leaving for work, but never
turned it on. Worked until 2. Home, light chores and rest. Snow day tomorrow. Took last dose at 8:30
4/9 No alarm . Slept until 8:30. Woke up pretty comfortable. Took Indocin and 1 Tramadol. Continued ice and heat.
4/10
– 4/25 Only needed Indocin – 75 mg every 12 hours and Tramadol with the evening
dose.
I started to do light
exercise, stretches and could stand to cook, wash eggs, etc.
4/24 had a wonderful
massage – worked an 11 hour day though.
4/26 Something has shifted. I’m not sure what I have done, but pain is
increasing again. Barely made it through
the last of the testing at school
4/27
– 28 Stayed pretty
much in bed all weekend. Soaked, iced,
heated, massaged, slept. But I had to up
my meds again (reluctantly) to 50 mgs Indocin and 50 mg. Tramadol every 8
hours.
45/1/2013 Saw Dr. Charney. He did labs.
Said I was managing things well and recommended that I see Dr.
Wong. I have an appt. for 5/9/2013.
5/5/2013 Still on 150 mgs. Indocin,
but pain is decreasing and I am able to be more active. Dropped to 50 mgs. of tramadol at night
only.
5/10/2013 Saw Dr. Wong. He took Xrays and showed them to me and
showed me the Xrays of people who do not have the conditions that I have. My discs are black instead of white because
of my Reiter’s. I have 3 herniated
discs: the one at S-1/L-5, and the two
above that one. L-4/L-5 and
L-3/L-4. He wants me to swim, lose 20
lbs., do physical therapy, and get the other two discs injected before turning
to surgery. He says when I need surgery
it will be micro-surgery.
5/31/2013 Had PT evaluation and got 3
exercises: double knee to chest, pelvic tilts, neutral pelvis with transverse
abdominus. I am to stop all other
exercises.
6/1/2013 Lots of pain today. Stayed off my feet and started taking
tramadol with my indocin and valerian root.
6/2/2013 Worse today: :( pain kept me awake at night
6/3/2013 Not going backwards down this road again!! Even though it hurt, I swam 14 laps – Gave
Faleena a lunge lesson and rode Gus for about 15 minutes. W-T-C.
Resumed my old exercises and I feel much better!! No tramadol at night and slept like a rock.
6/4/2013 PT today.
First day of real therapy. Bike,
exercises, presses, ice. No tramadol and
did ok. Shopped without the motorized
cart.
So, since June 4th, I have finished my PT and done 2 of a proposed 6 acupuncture treatments. I am
off all drugs and pain free. We got an above ground pool and I am exercising in the water almost
every day. I am riding almost every day and able to do all my normal activities. I am doing the
exercises I got from physical therapy and their
stretches every day. I feel it if I don't. When I have symptoms, they are numbness and tingling, not
pain any more. I have decided not to do the two injections recommended by the surgeon as I am pain
free. I still have to lose the 20 lbs. I know there are no guarantees and this will probably happen
again. What was different about this time as opposed to previous events of this kind is:
The pain was the worst ever
I have no idea what I did to bring it on
It lasted a LONG time
Perhaps having the flu and being down for so many weeks in January and February made me weak?
Perhaps I am getting old? I really don't know. But there were many days when I did not think I was
ever going to get back to normal... or anything approximating normal.