The epidurals WORK!
Well, except the first one...
But go to a pain management center where they know how to give them..
My FIRST epidural, I went to my local hospital and some anethesisoligist there gave it to me while I was just sitting on a guerney.
I passed out, when i woke up I was soaked with sweat.
A couple of weeks later I was sent from a bone and joint clinic to the Bloomington Pain management center (Doc Gettlefinger)
The man said" Your chart says no more epidurals, but man I gotta shoot ya again"
I let him and I am glad I did.
They laid me face down on a table and he guided those needles in (long needles) and would occasionally check the x-ray to make sure they were going to the right spot.
The pain went away in less than 12 hours.
My drop foot continued for another 2 weeks and was very much lessened by the first two shots (total of 3)
I went back in April and he said one more time..
So, he shot me for a fourth time.
On Saturday May 2nd for the first time since January I could walk on my toes.
Jubilant.
I still have pain my tailbone and the left leg is still weak.
It's probably 90% of the right leg..
I can now step up two steps with my left leg leading and that is also a first.
Will it come back?
They say it could and it may, but try the conservative approach FIRST..
1. Pain management center
2. Physical Therapy (no matter how Mickey Mouse it seems do it, it all combines to do good things)
3. WALK- I came to work for 106 days at level 10 and people cringed when they saw me walking on the road at noon..
In a quarter mile walk one day, I got offered a ride 7 times.
Another time a car stopped, the window rolled down and all the guy did was stick his hand out the window and point up..he said "There are buzzards following you" then just drove off
AND THERE WAS.
4. CORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I timed myself in a walk once.
It took 14 minutes to walk 400 meters....that was in February..I ran a 1600 in 8:26 yesterday.
It may come to surgery someday and each day you just hold your breath and every pain you feel in the back almost causes me to have a nervous breakdown..but you gotta go..
Tonight, I'll be riding a bike following 8 freshman and 2 sophomores on a cross country summer training workout..
that and lifting 5 gallons of water in my truck and 2 gallons of gatorade are putting the L4 S1 to the test,,,
but you gotta go man....what choice?
sorry for the rant....This was the most profound injury in 31 years and 80,000 miles of running ad I dunno if I ever want to try every day training again ever.