I'm Cured....Temporarily!

Cheers to me! My back pain is alleviated, for the moment. On Friday, I went to my spine doctor for an EMG and a Nerve Conduction Study. Basically, he tortured me by shocking me and then sticking a needle into different muscles, moving the needle around, and then making me flex the muscle the needle was in. Yes, it sucked. Actually, the shocking part was not that bad. It was the needle in the muscle bit that hurt.

Any-hoo, they found that my nerve is not damaged but most likely irritated. Damaged nerves lead to dying tissue, so I am happy to not have that. I was confused as to what I should do next. Well, he reminded me that a Selective Nerve Block Injection was the next test in my diagnostic protocol. The purpose of a selective nerve root block is to block one or more spinal nerves to decrease pain. This is done by injecting an anesthetic and anti-inflammatory steroids into the space around the nerve.

Oh yeah. Well, we somehow finagled it to where they would let me undergo this procedure that day. I had to go to another hospital in a different town, but they did it.

Two days later, after the pain from the injection and procedure wore off, I am feeling good! It's weird because I can still feel the knots in my muscles, and I can still feel the strange popping sensation in the tissue, but I can't really feel the pain.

This has lead to great celebration and a sense of false security. See, I'm not better. The pain will come back as soon as the steroid wears off. I'm not cured, but they now know what nerve root is giving me the trouble.

But, I sure am acting like I am better. I will probably pay for this greatly, but it sure was fun. I give you, Hula Hooping with Wine: A Story in Pictures! and some words...hahaha


Right off the bat, I attempt a move that I have not done in a long time due to neck pain


That pesky wine needs to travel through the hoop to reach my lips.


it's all in the timing


SHAZAM!!!


Steeeeeeeeaaaaady...


Salute!