Summer of Me
Hey fam,
Turns out my hips are structurally sound, but I have osteoarthritis in both SI joints (where your spine attaches to your pelvis). The doctors tell me thats normal but I'm still skeptical being only 23 and having very painful arthritis. But what do I know?
After fighting and advocating, and a little bit of angel magic, I got to see a pain doctor who began nerve block injections in my back and hips.
Now 3 injection sessions in, my pain is fairly manageable with naproxen, baclofen, and tramadol. Kinda.
First off, the injections are about 3 needles, distributed with about 25 injections. Similar in pain to a bunch of flu shots. Totally worth it. Effects take hold immediately and are basically a miracle.
I went from being 10% to 70% functional with one session. As we go, we will taper the sessions. I currently go once a week, but that could eventually be once a year.
Wow. Magic.
NEXT
There is still pain. An osteopath I saw yesterday suggested I had spondylolisthesis, a slipped vertebrae in my back, probably from rowing days, that caused my body to favour my low back, and resulted in back, hip, and knee pain.
I have been assigned an exercise routine that will lengthen my hip flexors and strengthen my low back, and will making living with a vertebrae that likes to escape its proper place much much easier.
I have had an x-ray and an MRI of my low back in the past years. Both were lying down. Apparently, this can push the little determined vertebrae back where it belongs for the picture.
A standing x-ray could confirm spondylolisthesis, but I have already had multiple problems requesting tests from my family doctor. Several blood tests I have been told no, there is no point. Some times I am treated like an annoyance.
It's one thing to say know if you have alternatives. My family doctor says no we will not test for that and then in the same breath will ask what I want them to do for me. I am frustrated that so many things are going on in my body, painful things, and I have no cause.
I am coming to terms with the fact I may never know the cause of my pain. Human technology might not be advanced enough. It might be a host of problems. All I can do is try my hardest to be the healthiest i can be.
I am attempting to lose 100 lbs I have gained in the last 2 years, while building healthy lifestyle habits. This summer is my window.
I will try to document my journey this summer here, or maybe a YouTube channel. I'm still figuring out my whole plan, but I'm proud of how hard I have worked the last couple weeks (and I finished my second year at SLC with honours!!).
Thank you for sticking with me,
Stay tuned for a fun update on my mental health coming at you soon.
Love,
Jess
Turns out my hips are structurally sound, but I have osteoarthritis in both SI joints (where your spine attaches to your pelvis). The doctors tell me thats normal but I'm still skeptical being only 23 and having very painful arthritis. But what do I know?
After fighting and advocating, and a little bit of angel magic, I got to see a pain doctor who began nerve block injections in my back and hips.
Now 3 injection sessions in, my pain is fairly manageable with naproxen, baclofen, and tramadol. Kinda.
First off, the injections are about 3 needles, distributed with about 25 injections. Similar in pain to a bunch of flu shots. Totally worth it. Effects take hold immediately and are basically a miracle.
I went from being 10% to 70% functional with one session. As we go, we will taper the sessions. I currently go once a week, but that could eventually be once a year.
Wow. Magic.
NEXT
There is still pain. An osteopath I saw yesterday suggested I had spondylolisthesis, a slipped vertebrae in my back, probably from rowing days, that caused my body to favour my low back, and resulted in back, hip, and knee pain.
I have been assigned an exercise routine that will lengthen my hip flexors and strengthen my low back, and will making living with a vertebrae that likes to escape its proper place much much easier.
I have had an x-ray and an MRI of my low back in the past years. Both were lying down. Apparently, this can push the little determined vertebrae back where it belongs for the picture.
A standing x-ray could confirm spondylolisthesis, but I have already had multiple problems requesting tests from my family doctor. Several blood tests I have been told no, there is no point. Some times I am treated like an annoyance.
It's one thing to say know if you have alternatives. My family doctor says no we will not test for that and then in the same breath will ask what I want them to do for me. I am frustrated that so many things are going on in my body, painful things, and I have no cause.
I am coming to terms with the fact I may never know the cause of my pain. Human technology might not be advanced enough. It might be a host of problems. All I can do is try my hardest to be the healthiest i can be.
I am attempting to lose 100 lbs I have gained in the last 2 years, while building healthy lifestyle habits. This summer is my window.
I will try to document my journey this summer here, or maybe a YouTube channel. I'm still figuring out my whole plan, but I'm proud of how hard I have worked the last couple weeks (and I finished my second year at SLC with honours!!).
Thank you for sticking with me,
Stay tuned for a fun update on my mental health coming at you soon.
Love,
Jess
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