[runner]

Hi Amy,

I have been meaning to PM you, but I just seem to be taking extra long naps (and forgetting). I am too tired.
It took a while for my doc to send me to the pain doc I suppose because they want to wait for that one-year mark. Yes, I am coming up on it too. Ten more days and I will be at a year. Not quite what I expected either.
Why do your docs not want to go the ESI route?

I started the ESIs in January and have had an increase in back pain the past two months that they are attempting to alleviate. Even now, my legs are periodically sounding off with the sciatica knife-like pain. It is time for my last Gabapentin of the day. I know the Gabapentin is really doing a number on my body but I don't think I could function without it. Still taking 1800 mg a day and taking Darvocet sometimes during the day and percocet (5 mg) at night. They just added the percocet when I said I wasn't sleeping too well.

I cannot work for a number of reasons. One, being that I am taking narcotics, two, the Gabapentin and three, the laying off doing anything during the ESIs.

Any work has to be done at home. This is one time I wish I had an office job.

I am doing the PT and exercising on my own. My core muscles are a lot stronger. I just cannot do as much as I would like to or I was doing back in August. It is pretty discouraging.

I have another appointment with the pain doc (who is really good so far) on Friday and then it will probably be another round of epidurals the following week.
I am keeping busy with a few projects and the kids but I am limited in what I can do mainly because of the pain.


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