More Terrible Back Stories

[Matildathecat]

This is the support thread for all sufferers of back pain. Acute, chronic, agony or niggles, we are strictly non competitive. All newcomers very welcome. (Though be warned, the language can be a little 'ripe' ).

Here are our previous threads:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/1871592-The-Back-Story
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/1992406-The-Back-Story-Continues

My story long and grim but basically had failed surgery for disc prolapse, then further failed surgery to attempt to salvage the situation. I have nerve root damage and severe scarring around the nerve at L5 which won't get better. I'm 48, can't work, take a lot of drugs and have a blue badge. Currently battling several different agencies for ill health retirement and other benefits.

But I'm ok, having some fun despite the pain and have made some lovely friends on here.

So come and join us for moans, advice, downright rants or just a laugh.

Urgh, I am having a crappy insistent rawr thigh pain day which baffled me until I realised I have had my new shoes on constantly in and outside the house for two whole days and I might need to slowly get used to a small heel not just decided to change how I walk after 2 minutes in a shoe shop :-D

Lazy morning sounds lush, I am listening to constant minecraft chatter whilst attempting some maths. I think I prefer your morning.

I love that expression! Amazing how much pain a little heel can cause. Are your DC on Easter Holiday now? Mine are, thank bloody goodness!

Made play dough with the children, put some washing on, had a fight with some broken drawers in our kitchen and that's my back fucked for the day

I have only taken paracetamol and naproxen though, need a clearer head for a day. Might need to take something stronger now.

Ah, aches and pains. I cricked my neck yesterday trying on a new top ( a message to me saying 'stop right there, you have no money?'). Still it makes a change to have a normal thing wrong. Actually really hurts, I'd forgotten how much a cricked neck hurts.

Hope you're all lying down being waited upon.

I have been out catching up with a really old friend so stayed out much longer than planned. Now need to go out for ds2's birthday dinner. Want to eat marmite toast in bed.

That makes me want to wear a permanent neck brace, I'd forgotten about that horrible feeling, hope it's easing now, I am also giving stupid backs a kick on your behalf for not letting you do two nice things a day without hurting. Honestly, you thought you could talk to a friend and go out to dinner, fantasy land.

YY waited on hand and foot all day because only a total idiot would have a horrible painful limiting illness and voluntarily make the only other adult who can do useful things move out of the house. Oh wait...

Lost I know what you mean about "armour", I wear it too.

I LOVE my armour, I've also got seriously into having my eyebrows threaded because it makes me happy to see them in the mirror all sculpted and tidy.

I was dreaming last night that I was in a doctors shouting at him, 'will you just sort this out, I have been in so much pain for so long and I have seen ALL these people and no one can help me, waaaaahhhh!'.

Hi everyone, how are you all this morning. losty glad you sound cheery as usual despite everything! You are getting very glam these days with the funky shoes. You will have to get a cool bag to go with them as this is compulsory on this thread. Ok only joking I am not glam at all and love my brown cardis. But if you want a nice bag no one here is arguing. Yes they really have posted photos of their bags on the fb page!

My back has been playing up the last few days. It was bad last night in bed. I am so upset it has not continued to improve beyond a certain amount and now it is getting worse again, when it was doing so well. I have had to take painkillers for the first time in a while, only paracetamol but I feel like I am on a slippery slope.

live rest. Rest. Move a little, rest. Take some anti inflammatories if you able to. It's going to take a long time to get yourself back on track and it's not unusual for steps backwards in your progress. Fingers crossed it's just a blip.

live, sorry to hear your back is niggling you again. Are you still doing your exercises etc? And watching yourself at work. Grrr, so annoying to have to put your back at the centre of your whole life.x

Hi pavlov, how are you doing? Hope your better weekend becomes a better week. In terms of what to say to the consultant I'd say read back through this thread if you need any reminders of just how dire you've been feeling. It's perfectly well known that backs flare up, improve a little then flare up again. If you see him on a 'better' day make sure he's under no illusions about just how bad it's been.

live lab yes I am SO glam . Now do as Pavlov says

Right, I MUST finish my homework today because I need to post it in, see you all later, byeeeee.

Thanks guys, I will take some ibuprofen regularly and see if that helps. I do have some naproxen so I will go on to that if not, but I don't have any omeprazole so I will see how I do. Yes I have not been diligent with the exercises so I'd better try to work harder on them I suppose. I guess I don't really believe they do much so it makes it hard to stick with it.

matilda I came on earlier today to say I was feeling great. A couple of days of goodness. Today I woke feeling relatively easy to move, little bit of hip and back pain, almost no leg pain, it was lovely although I was cautious. Before I went to take the children swimming and diving lesson, I started to get some back/leg pain (flu feeling but only in back and legs, and a little in the hands/arms). I needed the crutch for swimming (saved me £1.50 on my entrance as they let me in on the disabled concession so whose to say there are no advantages ) and now the pain is back and getting worse. Fucking stupid me for thinking I was on the mend. Why the fuck do I do that? And fucking stupid me for wishing the consultant saw me when it was not on a good day. I meant that I should have seen him last week, that'll teach me for tempting fate.

I mean, I felt so good this morning for a couple of hours I even considered going back to work for a couple of days this week. I thought that the pain was low enough to get back on with things, at the very least tidy this place.

But, on the plus side, DH is out tonight so I get to watch some more OITNB seeing as I am suffering from criminal withdrawal syndrome being off work and all

live you should be fine for a few days without omeprazole but if you need it for longer definitely get some. I know what you mean about the exercises seeming to be not doing much. Be careful about increasing intensity at the moment though while you are having increased pain.

Has anyone tried the pilates for back pain DVD, apparently there is one?

I have got the pilates for back pain, it is a bit boring but the guy who does it had an interesting story when I looked him up. He had recovered from a bad back injury.

(meant to say I came on earlier to post and didn't press send, and since then, all change!).

Oh is it live although, to be fair, pilates is excellent for core strength but i do find it generally a little bit boring, I have to be in a class to do it. I prefer Body Balance, but it's a bit faster paced (to music, love love exercising to music as I can zone out/into the music). I hope to go back again soon. But even if I feel ok enough to go, I am too tired as it's at 7:30pm, that's almost my bedtime these days I guess I could take a tramadol to ease any pain and with the added bonus of keeping me awake as a side effect

I might get it, and then put some tunes on to it.

I should do that too. This is the guy Allan menezes I know it doesn't cure everyone though, but quite a few people have said it helps, so might have to try again.

Just be very, very careful doing Pilates on your own. Not saying don't, just be careful. It's so easy to hurt yourself if you do it wrong.

pavlov, glad you had a couple of good hours. Think that's the best we can currently hope for.

I've been far too active today. Was in the supermarket at the checkout when text arrived from friend saying 'on my way'! We'd arranged dog walk and I'd, guess what, forgotten. So straight back, changed, longish walk (cheeky sandwich and latte in the park). Home then off to do reading practice with Naughty Neice. She's beginning to scan the sentence ahead so reading much more fluently. Happy about that. She then disgraced herself by pouring about half a bottle of ketchup over her brothers tea whilst our backs were turned. V.v. Naughty

Aw sounds like nice day though Matilda. Like the sound of your naughty niece, she sounds like a character!

Yes, quite a Character.

A brief interlude of being vomited over by 4yo DS. Luckily it went over me, into my hoodie pocket, down my jeans, across the bathroom mirror, wall, floor, toilet bowl… and not on the carpet outside the toilet. DH had just gone out, he came back and helped clean it up (well, disinfect as I had cleaned the actual gross stuff away already) while DS and I showered/bathed to get clean, then scarpered before he had to deal with more sick. DD was awesome as always in a crisis (as long as it doesn't involve maths, then her brain stops working). All was calm and then this is how the following next few minutes go:

DS: my tummy hurts!
Me: mummy's right behind you baby
DD: I'm looking forward to watching this!

and don't think the irony of having a sick child snuggled in my favourite white duvet, pillows and sheets has escaped me.

OMG the cutest thing! DD sat on the bed with Winnie the Poo: The Complete Collection of Stories and Poems and started to read DS a story, half way through the first page, and DS is already snoring! Lovely, she is so pleased with herself!

Ahhh, hope you are spared further visits to the Vomitarium. Dd sounds so sweet. We sleep in the loft, too ( well it has been converted!) it's so cosy somehow. Reminds me of childhood camping when it rains at night.

I really have overdone it. More sledgehammer than cricket bat..am awarding myself a quiet day tomorrow. Somehow never works out, though.

ours is converted too. I like it most of the time but not when it's blowing a hooley, like when we had the storms, I thought the roof was going to blow away for much of the time, on occasions having to sleep downstairs as i couldn't bear the stress of our velux windows being tested and whether the roof tiles were secure.