The Back Saga Continues: A new respect for women

Well, I've officially had an epidural.  I guess this was one of those things that I thought I would spend my life wondering what it felt like, but enjoying my manhood and the fact that that day wouldn't come for me.  It did.

Many of you know that I've been struggling with back problems for a while now, and nothing has really worked to date, so the next step after the MRI confirmed I have an issue with a lower disc was to have an epidural shot loaded with steroids injected into my spine.  hurray! :)  I honestly was excited to have it though, because I've just been looking for some kind of "next step" towards relief.

Yesterday morning, Kristine and I headed to the DR at 6am. (Props to The Fountains for letting Adler spend the night at their house).  As we waited for the DR, the nurse asked "Do you want any valium?"...I wasn't sure...I mean, i've never had an epidural, I've never had surgery for that matter, so I just said "Well, I'm not sure, what's that part for?".

"It will help with any anxiety"

Well, I wasn't anxious about the shot, so I politely declined...something i now regret.  They took me in, laid me on a table in a cold room and applied this freezing cold stuff on my back.  I laid there shivering for probably 7 minutes. 

"Are you ready?" they asked.

"I guess so"

they stuck me with the first shot, which was to numb the area and then informed me that they were going to begin the epidural.  First they shoot dye into you, to make sure that they've aimed correctly and then....pure pressure on my spine.  It really sucked. It only lasted seconds, but afterwards I really didn't think I could move, because the pressure in my back was so intense.  That subsided, probably because of the numbing shot and we left for the house.

Kristine was such a trooper. She took me to Dunkin Donuts for a breakfast sandwhich and some coffee and then we went to the house where I laid on the couch all day, icing and resting...the only problem was, once the numbing shot wore off, the pressure in my back got worse.  I was so uncomfortable last night in bed, I'm surprised that I fell asleep.  I did make it to work today, but we'll see how long I last...I've been told that I should expect to see some benefit to the steroids by tomorrow or Friday.  Here's to hoping I do.

The morals of the story are:

1) when a nurse offers you drugs before a proceedure...TAKE THEM.  I would have much preferred to have been a little loopy when they jammed that rod of a needle into my spine.

2) women are way stronger than me.  The fact that they have these shots as a precursor to the pain of giving birth blows my mind...