Off bike for a while

[Geonz]

Gosh, and I just posted at BJ asking... but I know they want to know too. THinkin' of ye!

(P.S. I posted one of my fav'rite holiday greetings on my blog... link in my sig...)

[Michelemarrano]

Hi Mary!! I live in Columbus, OH and I've been reading about your back pain. I regret you're in pain and your riding, which has been so impressive, is on hold. In 2000 I herniated a disc in my back and surgery, etc...was being discussed. I took it upon myself to go to the Y and swim for an hour each day--at least in the water I felt "normal" again. In order to avoid additional injury by turning my head out of the water to breath as I swam a freestyle stroke, I wore a mask and snorkel so I did not have to lift my head out of the water. I was able to keep my entire spine stationary as I swam laps for an hour. In three months I was injury and pain free, no surgery, and I went back to working out with weights and riding again in 3 months.

My preferred exercise is bicycling (50 miles/week is my training goal) but I know the pool is always there for me should I be incapacitated. I hope this helps, XOXOX MH

[RoadRaven]

Oh Mary
I have an inkling of how devastatingly frustratingly horrid this must be for you

I was off my bike for most of September with chronic back pain which fortunately came right with a course of strong anti-inflammatory tabs

Everything hurt - sitting, standing, stepping, lying down... and that was only a few weeks

My thoughts join the others here with hopes for quick relief and respite from the pain and discomfort... and a speedy and full recovery from it all...

[silver]

Mary, this is silver's estrogen laden hubby:

I hope that the MRI identified something definitive.

Eight years ago, I had a similar problem with no "obvious" cause like a bulging disc.

So, my MD gave me a steroid pack that worked for a couple days, but then the pain was back. I had x-rays, but not MRIs, that showed nothing. Therefore, my MD's conclusion was it was time to "grin and bear it". He also gave me some meds that made me emotionally volatile - swinging from emotional to aggressive at the drop of a dime.

One day, in an act of desperation, I apprehensively made an appointment with an acupuncturist and a chiropractor . The acupuncture didn't do anything, the chiropractor cured me .

The chiropractor x-rayed me standing up (the MD's x-ray was laying down). The MD was looking for a bone spur or disc problem; the chiropractor was looking for a skeletal misalignment. The standing x-ray showed a very clear spinal misalignment that twisted my hips and pressed my right hip against the sciatic nerve. He 'pounded' my hip back in to place over a period of thrice weekly visits for 12 weeks. Ugh!

Eight years later, I still get regular adjustments and consult my chiropractor at the first signs of pain.

I wish you the best on this...it's a shame that insurance is such a complication.

[silver]

This is silver's hubby again:

I'm may not be a doctor, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night...

I believe that you can check for a serious misalignment by standing on two identical scales at the same time (maybe at Bed Bath and Beyond).

Theoretically, a balanced body will weigh the same on both scales; the more difference between the two scales, the greater the misalignment.

Might be an easy self check without spending money .

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

This is silver's hubby again:

I'm may not be a doctor, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night...

I believe that you can check for a serious misalignment by standing on two identical scales at the same time (maybe at Bed Bath and Beyond).

Theoretically, a balanced body will weigh the same on both scales; the more difference between the two scales, the greater the misalignment.

Might be an easy self check without spending money .

Be sure to remove your shoulder bag with the jar of pennies in it when you do this.

[mary9761]

Thanks again everyone, and Silver's estrogen laden hubby I did finally get the MRI yesterday and have an appointment tomorrow with my doc so as much as I really hate having tests showing something wrong, I hope they see something on the MRI as well. I want to get my life back.
I'm recouperating again from a really BAD day yesterday after running out of meds because of no refills and red tape with the doc's office. Finally got a new script but I was in terrible pain by the time I got home. Thankfully between exhaustion and the meds I passed out. I'm doing better this evening.
I'm going to make sure I take a good dose of meds in me before I head to the doctor's office because one never knows how long one will have to wait there.
The plan as of right now at least is for my doc to look at the results of the MRI then referr me to a neurosurgeon for their consult/decision of what will be the best course of treatment. I just hope this doesn't drag out like the first time I injured my back years ago. I know this is worse though because when I had the compression fractures in 1988, I didn't have the leg pain.
I'm ready to get healed and send the poop faery back to where ever he/she came from (don't ever want anyone else to be visited by them either) we've had way too much illness/injury/surgery/financial situations in our family all at once here in the past few weeks.
Depending on how I'm feeling physically when I get home tomorrow afternoon/evening, I'll try to post whatever update I get from the doc. If it ends up I need surgery, I want it over with ASAP as well. I just need to get back to my abnormal (nothing is EVER normal in my family)
I hate the fact that now even for small amounts of groceries that I would have ridden my bike to get or have walked for I have to call someone to come and get me. Quite the reminder to myself and hopefully my family to see just how important my bike riding is/was.

BTW I just tried the scale thing, one regular non digital and the other digital it wouldn't work. I kept getting an error message on the digital and I was too tired to keep fighting with it.

Anyways thank you all again for the thoughts and prayers. May you all have a safe and happy holiday season. I apologize to any who may be having problems that I may have missed during this time. I have been limiting my sitting time at the computer as sitting is one of the more painful activities with this. I'm trying to catch up on some WAY overdue christmas toys for my neices and nephews that were started a couple years ago before I started watching my grands and lost that time to work on my dollmaking. Luckily all but a bit of it is already sewn and only needs stuffing and/or assembly. I'm hoping to finish it and if I get a chance I'll show you all what I'm doing to bide my time when I'm not flat on my back playing solitaire on my cell phone. I used to have all my art doll and play items on a picturetrail site, but I didn't pay to keep it up so the photos aren't online anymore. In my other life before cycling I was and to an extent still try to be a cloth doll/figurine artist with many originals. Most of what I'm working on right now are originals.