Update..

Thank you everyone for your responses. I went to see my spine dr. Wednesday and he's investigating other dx for my pain. At the beginning he thought it was sacroilitis but after the treatment I've done he's suspecting something else. He ordered a CT and MRI to get a good look at my previous fusion and check out the nerves. So I won't know anything for probably a couple weeks, I just hope my pain doesn't increase to the point I'm bedridden again. I'll keep you updated and thank you everyone! Oh and the dr. Without a soul.... he's basically just my pain management man. My actual pain mgmt dr. just died the shots and he does talk to my dr so they do confer with each other.

Back when I was a district manager in retail, I had stores in Utah that were mine - I’m in Portland, Oregon.

I always had the same routine. The first day of my visit I’d fly into Salt Lake City, pick up a rental car and drive to my store in Ogden - which is about an hours drive north.

On one particular trip, I had a lot on my mind. Mid divorce, son recently diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, ex had emptied bank accounts...

So, driving, thinking, driving thinking. Then I just kinda snapped out of a fog and looked around, realizing I didn’t recognize the landscape. I had driven this trip over a dozen times before so needless to say, I was a bit alarmed. I keep driving looking for a sign... then I saw it - “Idaho 35 miles”. I had driven a few hours - blowing right by Ogden.

Becoming road “hypnotized” is easy to do - especially on a freeway. Especially, when you’ve got a lot on your mind.

As for your back and your dumbazz doctor - maybe it’s time to find a new one who has a bit more compassion for the people he treats?

Deal with it? Wow that is a terrible thing for a doctor to say! You probably already know that pinched nerves in your back can cause other life-altering (maybe that’s the wrong word?) problems such as bowel incontinence! Glad you are going to your spinal surgeon, this isn’t something you can just “deal with”. My husband just had his second surgery on a herniated disc that was pinching nerves & like you causing numbness down the leg. Got to a point where he was bed ridden because the pain was so bad. I am appalled at your doctors response to be honest!

Lacey,
Maybe a good Chiropractor can help you. I know when I had a plnch nerve in my neck I went to a Chiropractor and it was fixed in just a few visits. It wouldn't hurt to try!


Just a thought!

Lacy, when I had terrible pain in my back that would run down the back of my leg, I tried physical therapy, meds, even talked to a surgeon. I was tired of walking with a cane. And tired of the gut wrenching pain any time I got out of bed, up off the sofa, or up out of a sedan type vehicle.

What worked for me was "traction". Nope, not the type you see in old movies laying in a hospital bed with weights hanging. Just two times at physical therapy being strapped into the traction machine worked. Good grief, why didn't someone recommend that months prior??? That was 20 years ago, and rarely do I get that type of pain again. Once in awhile I will reach for something the wrong way, and ouch, but it will go away in a couple of days. Ask your doctor what he/she thinks about this?

Oh, I also get road hypnotized. I will arrive at home and can't remember if I had stopped for the traffic lights or not :P Since there were no blue lights in my rear view mirror, I had obeyed the traffic signals :)

It's a little late for turning back, I've already had two spinal surgeries but I certainly do wish like crazy that I'd never had that first one, but I didn't have a really easy choice as I was having severe pain from my sciatic nerve was going down to my foot making my foot numb...either way I'll find something out Wednesday.

I'm not familiar with your situation, but, it's good that you are getting an expert opinion. If you have numbness in your thighs, I would definitely have your blood sugar checked. That is one of the symptoms I had right before I was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. Other symptoms, extreme THIRST that cannot be quenched, constant urination, blurred vision, extreme hunger, etc. Once, I got on insulin, the symptoms, including the numbness in thighs went away. Just something to check on and rule out. I hope they can help you.

Telling a patient to "deal with it." OMG.... I don't see how that is helpful or professional.

Deal with it?

Thank you, doctor. Er, any suggestions on how?

When you go and see your spinal surgeon, promise me you will investigate every form of exercise and physical therapy before you let anyone near your back with sharp or pointed objects.