May is the month when it’s all going down.
Back surgery. The last day of school. (Both on the same day, I might add.) Doctor & dentist appointments. School meetings. End of the year celebrations. Gift buying. Camp registering. Plan making.
It would be a lot to deal with during an ordinary month. But with my back pain factored in…well, it all feels like a bit much.
So my pain. Last time I wrote, I was having some success with an anti-inflammatory called Duexis – a high dose of ibuprofen plus a stomach acid reducer. It seemed to be helping with reducing the pain and improving my mobility. But about a week ago, I got another really terrible stomachache out of nowhere. It felt like the stomachaches I was having earlier in the spring when I was taking OTC ibuprofen, and I can only assume that the medication is once again the culprit. So I stopped taking the Duexis.
I have a prescription for hydrocodone + acetaminophen, but I’m not having much luck with that either. If I take it before bed, it seems to keep me awake. And if I take it during the day, it makes me dizzy and loopy.
So I’m back to taking no pain medication, which pretty much sucks.
We had a garage sale over the weekend, and I must have done too much bending down & standing up – my back has been especially prone to spasms since then. It seems like the only time my pain is a 4 or less is on the days when I do nothing but lay in bed most of the day. And that, of course, is terrible for my mental health.
I guess this sounds like one big long whine, and I guess it is a little. But I’m just really ready to stop being in chronic pain and start the process of healing. I know recovery could be long and difficult, but at least I know I’ll be moving forward – you know?
My pre-op exam is on the 18th, so I’ll fill you in after that. Oh, and I don’t want to forget to mention the one really nice thing that’s happened so far this month – I had a really lovely Mother’s Day with my girls and my husband.
The girls made me several cards and gifts, and my husband bought me roses. We had a nice lunch together, and I got to take a nap. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Until next time…