Sciatica hell. What might help?

[tattoonewbie]

I saw the e chiropractor last week and he diagnosed trapped nerve in three places Pain is in my bum, spreads down my leg and currently my outer lower leg is throbbing and my foot is fizzing.
I cannot get comfy. Back at chiro on Thursday but it's worsening. I've got GP tomorrow and will ask for some pain relief as it's awful. I've done my exercises tonight and it feels even worse.
It's so horrible. Just relentless.
Has anyone any top tips ? Please. I'm so miserable and can't see me being able to drive tomorrow to work. I can WFH but even the thought of sitting is making me want to cry. Sorry to sound pathetic.

@Maggieb90 don't worry. Google has you three steps from death at any one time anyway
I'm sorry you're dealing with stenosis
I've been so sore again tonight - guess why?

Yep, trying to mash potatoes because I couldn't bend down to get the potato ricer and used a regular masher. Absolute freaking agony. Knife like pain in my legs

@Maggieb90 just coming on to update and worrying my last post was not great. What I meant was that dr Google has anyone seriously ill with any symptoms. Hope you read it as such. I just cried as my leg pain was so bad in the kitchen - I was only stirring a chuffing pan, that it took my breath away and I didn't know what to do with myself. I dropped to all fours and just went in child pose and cried. I then got up and came to the sofa and cried my way through the second half of a film with my back straight and feet on a footstool in a kind of slumped position which is not great but paused the pain. Have got into pyjamas now and even reaching up to out my top on was sore. Just sick of it now.
Consultation on Thursday so fingers crossed for some kind of action.
My pain is much more in my lower leg and side of foot. Burning in my foot and knife like pains in my outer shin. Ho hum.
Just using this as a journal now really.
I saw an osteopath Wednesday who thinks I'm on the hyper mobile scale which might explain my ability to bend and lean to each side but who knows. She thinks scan is only way to tell what's going on but my foot drop and weak big toe indicate disc

Oh no please don't worry- you have enough to deal with, you are absolutely right, Google can lead you down rabbit holes and frighten the life out of you, know exactly what you mean x really feel for you, it's a bastard pain, I'm sitting here with ice pack on my back, as my pain is centred there. I hope you can get a scan soon so help can be tailored to exactly what you need. I hope you get some sleep tonight x once you know for sure, there are a couple of groups on FB I have found supportive and had some good advice, know not everyone likes FB groups but they have been helpful. Please take care xx ps I have also been told I have hypermobility x

Son was telling me today about his friends wife who has a fall. Went to the hospital had a scan. Was told she had bruising. Pain wouldn't improve so husband took her and her scan results to an osteopath. He read through the scan results looked up and said she had cracked vertebrae. She wondered how he had come to that conclusion. It's in the report he replied.

@justasking111 - jeez! Scary. What does she need to do then ?
@Maggieb90 sadly I do fit the criteria for stenosis so will just have to wait and see and try to work with it. I was very low last night and just want to sleep

Her health board sent her to Walton Centre as an emergency appointment. Consultant surgeon saw her said she needs surgery, but there's a long wait.

She's going to push for the health board to pay for her to go privately because they've cocked up so badly. They do have form for offloading onto the private sector when they get in a mess.

I tell you this to give you hope: to recap, had pain since july last year, disc bulges and stenosis, pain fits more with stenosis, kicks in after standing and walking for 10 minutes, couldn't sleep on left hand side, pain like an elephant sitting on lower, left hand side of back and /or a screwdriver in my back, pins and needles all the way down to toes in left foot. Today, I have felt better (don't want to jinx it) I have been able to stand up longer , havent had to use ice pack, did my exercises this morning (not very willingly) and some stretches, know you're not at this stage yet but want to give you some hope that you can improve, because I know how much it pulls you down xx trying to think of other things you can use,
Physio told me to use rolled up towel behind lower back when sitting, it does help and this knee pillow https://amzn.eu/d/gV1ifzz

@Maggieb90 thank you. I've got a knee pillow similar to that one and it does help for bed and naps.
I'm lying down again now after doing a bit of cooking. Enjoying being off work and just hoping consultant has a path of treatment for me

Visitors this weekend I did three days of cleaning as and when I could. Husband on the other hand cooked a roast for 8. The digs I got for not carrying everything through. I was on my second dose of cocodamol. He honestly thinks he's worked harder than me.

You really can't make people understand it's not just your back but your hips, groin, thighs, knees, ankles and feet that hurt so much. When I shuffle it's not for dramatic emphasis.

@justasking111 I'm so sorry to hear this. I cooked a roast but only for three of us in the end and did it piece meal. Wish I'd not bothered as DH went to pub and had a few pints while I stayed here - I was fine with that but it meant I could've made him beans on toast and it would have been fine. I was just trying to salvage Easter ! I felt so so sad last night and went to bed 8.30.
Shuffling isn't an option is it. It stops the daggers of pain.

Tattoonewbie and justasking111
(And everyone going through this !)
How are you doing? Xx

@Maggieb90 morning. Well. As the hour suggests (5.33 am ) I'm still struggling to sleep. BUT I've seen the consultant finally and am getting an MRI and in the meantime some strong cocodamol and more Gabapentin. Had an isolated good day - wasn't sitting all day - last week but it's back with a vengeance as I stupidly tried to clean something yesterday, albeit standing and not hunched or reaching.
Fed up tbh and run out of the muscle relaxants which were really helping in the day.

Good days and bad days. Overdoing things comes back to bite me the next day too.

Yesterday was a good day but I didn't do much. The other day I did some vacuuming then shopping. Carrying the shopping bags etc caneset off the pain that no drugs alleviate.

The accelerator foot pedal in the car can be a painful experience sometimes.

Those good days are gold! They give hope, because I think, it's a sign things can improve. It's hard not do things you normally do, I changed the bed and thought I'd got away with it (lifting the corner of the mattress) but no, few hours later I felt it! I've been using co op delivery ( minimum shop £15) and deliveroo for heavy shopping, only doing myself it's a handful of items as it just sets my back off. I'm still doing swiss ball exercises to try and strengthen my core (i know it's the last thing you feel like doing when in pain and some days it 's too much) and I've also started lying on the floor and pulling my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around my knees, it feels like it helps. It also makes me feel I've got some control over the pain rather than it controlling me - like im takng back my life (fuck off pain)if that makes sense! However, I wouldn't suggest any exercises until you've had an mri @tattoonewbie - it's probably the last thing you feel like doing now anyway, but you can get some advice after and maybe do some you can manage x @justasking and @tattoonewbie if you saw me in July last year and until recently, I could barely walk, I felt like the bottom half of my spine was weighing me down, pins and needles all down my left leg into my toes, severe pain lower back on left. No it hasn't gone yet completely, but I am seeing improvements, today have been walking around, standing for more than 10 minutes since 9.00am this morning, could never do this before. Had 3 days in the week where I didn't have to use an ice pack. I have hope for you both that you will get to a better place, improve and feel like yourself again. Xxx

Good that you are getting an mri OP. It helps to see what is going on and what exercises might help or if injection/surgery might be appropriate.

Things will improve. Last year I was in so much pain and could not walk very far. This past week I have averaged 10,000 steps a day.

I'm so stupid. I vacuumed my car. Not thoroughly and certainly not in nooks and crannies. Just seats and the bits by the gear stick. Absolute agony this afternoon. Could t straighten up and walking was like hot knives Now in bed. I need to really rein if in. I too thought I'd be ok but nope.

You're not stupid, you just did something normal because you thought you'd be ok, still too soon I guess x hope you manage to sleep, will soon have your MRI and then can look into what will be be best to help you xx

My car so needs doing, took the top down, drivers floor is dried mud and bits of leaves. I know I can't do it. Ordinary vacuuming, stick in one hand, hoover in the other is too much at times.

@Maggieb90 @justasking111 It just got to a point where I couldn't bear it
And now paying dearly!

It's taken me until today to clear away the crockery, cutlery and glassware from Easter Sunday.

Yesterday did three loads of washing, put it away this morning. We use the conservatory for dining. So decided to put away all the clean crockery etc. there's still sweeping to be done but I need more gabapentin, co codamal just now. OH and a bit of Easter egg 😁

Still sore today. Been at the office and the chair was so bad. I had my nails done which was lovely but also not great sitting down. Had to go for a lie down and couldn't get comfy at all. Took cocodamol and just begged for it to ease off. It's gone off a bit now but I haven't been able to get a prescription for 30/500 strength filled. Long story but private prescription done wrong so trying to reach GP to have it written back up. I was so uncomfortable and contemplated looking for the one Valium I have from
An old injury just to relax.

Hair dressers on Friday cut, then manicure and gel pedicure. I was crippled after two hours in the chair.

Today I sat in the sun it was so warm my body relaxed I was much better. This climate really doesn't help us most of the time

@justasking111 I'm in bed but can't get comfy. At least we have fabulous nails eh? What colours did you get ?

Just clear strengthening for my hands, they're always breaking. She recommended coral for my toes which does look pretty. Lovely hair cut too, a bit shorter than usual. It's bouncier. About the only part of my body which can bloody bounce 🤣🤣

I slept ok with the magic amitriptyline but it's sore as soon as I wake. I don't know now what's compensating for the leg as I am aches and definitely don't bounce ! 🤣