[runner]

Update
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11 months and a few days post-op.
Saw pain doc last Thursday and expect to get another epidural this week. They have to schedule with the surgery center.
At the appointment last week, I spoke to the doc's office lady and then his physician assistant (P.A.).

The P.A. checked a few things and then had me cross my leg over my knee and she was testing for piriformis entrapment of the sciatic nerve root.
She told me that she was dragging her leg with sciatica with pregnancy and I told her that I had sciatica with pregnancy and the sciatica I have now is totally different. I told her this is 10 x's worse. It is a knife-like pain and different. I told her I had one day after the cortisone epidural that I felt 50 percent better and that I felt maybe 15 percent better overall. Not much change.

She said based on that they would try another epidural and some cortisone in the SI joints. She finished and I asked, "That's it. Don't I get to see the doctor?"

So I got to see the doc. I really wanted to ask him some questions about where I was going with these epidurals and such.

He told me he plans to do two to three more epidurals and see after that. I asked him what happens if epidurals don't get rid of the pain and he told me that we really need to have them work. If they don't, he said they would do more invasive tests. He said in that case, they would consider my problem more seriously. He wasn't downplaying things he was just telling me that a surgery after the first surgery would be more complicated.

So that is where I am at. Calling tomorrow to see when I can get in for the epidural and it seems like they never call me and I have to call. So I will call. I have a friend who may be able to take me to the surgicenter this week and drive me home so that is good. I don't want my husband to miss too many work hours.

Not too much numbness today and some sciatica and back pain is so-so. I am more worried about the back pain because I have been getting shooting pains on my left side. I asked the doctor if he thought it might be discogenic pain. He isn't sure and neither am I . I did get a percocet prescription for nighttime. I told her I hadn't been sleeping too well. I told her I didn't want to take anything stronger during the day than the Darvocet I have.
I don't want the brain fog although I think I already have some. So that is what it boils down to. I have a pretty normal looking MRI (except for some bulges) and have definite compression of nerves and gradually increasing back pain. This has been going on for five months now.

Will update after the epidural.