Also, this is to update everyone on what's going on with....all this. Some of you know most of it, a lot of you know a little of it, and then the rest have no idea what's going on. So:
Early-to-mid-July, during the Hill Cumorah Pageant, I stretched a muscle in my, uh, gluteus maximus. And it didn't go away like it should have, so I went to Dr. Alice Baron - who is amazing and a miracle-worker - and after a couple visits she had me on the mend, though we hadn't had time to go enough to get me completely fixed. So she told me to avoid sitting as much as possible.
Then we went on a two-week roadtrip out to BYU. *facepalm* So the muscle got inflamed again, and started to hurt again.
I didn't go to the doctor for a while because...uh...because...actually, I don't really know why. I think it was just cuz I never had the time, and since the pain was manageable and really only present when I was in the process of sitting or standing, and I was still able to find comfortable sitting positions, I didn't worry about it too much. Except then the pain became more constant, and I started downing Motrin like candy, and I couldn't sit without pain...so I sucked it up and Sierra went with me to the urgent care place at the Student Health Center, where the doctor recommended physical therapy and that I take even more motrin to bring down the inflammation.
That didn't work. Motrin really helped for a while, and I was really hopeful that the PT would too...but after the initial visit I noticed that the girl became more causal and a little more sloppy with some of the treatments, and then I started feeling worse after doing the proscribed stretches. So after a month or so - maybe a bit more - of PT I went back to the doctor - a different one this time - and after an insanely lengthy interrogation he recommended I get an MRI.
SO. After 4 months after the initial problem, and 3 months after Alice told me my sciatic nerve is pinched, I got the MRI. And guess what?
She was right!
And my roommate wonders why I have such faith in naturopath doctors...
Anyway, the MRI got sent to Alice, and she managed to track down a kinesiologist that is not in the phonebooks, is not listed anywhere, doesn't even have a website...got his info, passed it - and the MRI report - to my mom, who passed it to me, who went to him at 8am this morning and is now feeling confident that the problem can be resolved. :)
Basically, at your 2nd lumbar vertebrae the spinal cord ceases to exist as a cord, and octopus's out into individually wrapped nerves (not for individual sale). The disc at my 5th lumbar is bulging inward and pressing on one of those nerves, thus creating PAIN. So he worked his awesome kinesiologic magic and I felt so much better coming out! Turns out my left leg is a half inch shorter than my right, since my pelvis tilted up from limping and is now misaligned (or was, 'fore he fixed it). And there's this muscle right in the front, that connects the spine and the leg that is mega-tight. And I mean MEGA. TIGHT. At the very end he had me lay on my back and move my left leg up, out, and back down while he was pushing on the muscle with his fist. My face turned red, it hurt so much. >< I think even he was surprised by how tight it was: he told me it's probably a good 50% of the reason I'm in so much pain.
So, yeah, that's coming along (please tell me you get that reference...). I'm going back on Monday, plus I have an appointment with an orthopedic doctor on Tuesday. My Mom says he'll probably recommend a series of shots, or maybe surgery - please no - and that should help fix it up really quick.
Funny story about the doctor (no, not that one): for one thing, his last name is Bacon. :) Which automatically makes him cool. Second...see, I have all these connections here in Utah. I think every Mormon has some connections in Utah, whether they are aware of them or not. Mormons are kind of like Hobbits, in that we're all inter-related (somehow), and you can call on favors based on relationships from years ago. Case in point: my ride to the MRI was my mom's old mission president (he's the one who was in charge of all the missionaries in her area, which was Anaheim, CA). He now lives in Provo, has only met me once for about an hour, but came, picked me up, drove me (and Sierra, who was wonderful and took time out of her day to come sit in the waiting room for an hour) to the doctor's office, and drove us back again. He's amazing. :)
Well, I found out today that he grew up with Dr. Bacon: they were next-door neighbors as kids. O.o Who'd-a thunk?
Anyway, that's about it so far. I'm wearing a lumbar support belt (I love it! It makes me feel SO good!!!), avoiding sitting, and currently lying in my bed, trying to write two essays without falling asleep. >< Wish me luck: I need it.
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