Ouch.....

Well, I'm coming clean.  Most of you know that I got the band so I could lose weight (just like the rest of us).  My other issue is that I can't really exercise because i have a really bad back.  Three herniated disks and a cist in my neck. 

Some of you already knew this because I've commened about it on some of your blogs.  A couple of weeks ago when I was dog sitting for a friend of mine I slipped and fell.  Since then I've been experiencing pain that wasn't normal.  It didn't feel like what I had experienced the last few years.  So I called my doc to let him know that I fell down and he ordered an MRI.

Below are a couple of pictures of what the disk looked like before I fell.

Since a remarkable amount of us are in the medical industry (I think that's kinda odd by the way, but that's another post for another day) you know that the disks with the white fluid in them are normal; the one without the fluid, that is bulging, is not normal.

(Breaks into a verse of "Which of These Things is Not Like the Other") sorry about that.  Moving on.  :)

The picture below is what the disk looks like now, two weeks after I fell.  This is from the MRI I had yesterday.

This is bad.  And it hurts a lot.  I go back to the doc next Friday.  He only practices where I live every other Friday so I have to wait till then to see him or I have to drive about an hour and a half to get to his office.  I'm TERRIFIED he's going to operate this time.  I've pretty much  exhausted all of my options at this point. 

I've done steriod shots (did that for six months, they didn't work, and they sucked, so I won't be doing that again), I've done physical therapy (this actually helped, but insurance stopped paying after six months, don't know why, maybe I should show them my scans), and I've been taking various pain killers, muscle relaxers, and sleep aids for about 4 years now.  I change up my meds a lot due to the high risk of addiction associated with them. 

I.  am.  completely.  freaking.  the.  hell.  out!!  I knew it was eventually going to come to this, but at the same time it's not making it any easier to deal with.  Like when you're expecting ripping off the band-aid to hurt like hell, yet still it does.  Don't get it. 

While I have a very high tolerance to pain, due to the fact that I've had to deal with this for so many years, this is killing me.  I'm miserable.  I can't sleep, can hardly walk and don't really want to do anything.  As a result, I've gained a pound since Sunday when I weighed in for the Swimsuit Challenge.  So let's just rub salt in the wound right? 

In other, happier news, today is my nephews birthday party.  He's going to be 4 and is having a pirate themed birthday party.  This should be fun for the little boys and the big boys alike.  I plan to take many pictures. 

Well, that's all for now everybody.  Happy posting.