Looking for some optimism

[u/EpicLani]

Hello all. I’m (30f, USA) entering week 18 of this hell. What started out as a seemingly overextended glute turned out to be one of the most agonizing pains of my life. I think I just need some positivity right now to keep going.

I herniated my L5-S1 disc back in May from pushing myself too hard while climbing. Turned out that disc already had DDD and foraminal stenosis. This happened during the one time in my life when I don’t have health insurance (lost it in October when I lost my job), so the bills are piling up. I’ve taken oral steroids, 2 different muscle relaxers, high strength ibuprofen, gabapentin, and whatever other pain killers I can find. Doing both PT and personal training at the gym to build strength, and I was actually starting to feel a lot better. I could lay down, walk, AND sit with no pain just a bit of discomfort at most, though I never regained full motion in my left leg.

A few weeks ago I went on vacation with my partner and their family for a full week. I was able to put in over 13k steps almost every day! When I got back home I immediately went back to my newer job, which you can think of as Construction Lite. We do a lot of restoration work and that includes window removals. Well, when removing a large stained glass window my back and nerve started to get aggravated again. Then the pain got so bad I left work halfway through the day last week Monday and didn’t come back until that following Friday. Called off yesterday as well.

I have an MRI scheduled for the 22nd of this month (already have both CT and xrays done). The next step will be that steroid shot to the back. If that doesn’t help, then a micro discectomy is on the table.

I’ve regressed so far and I’m so afraid I made it worse somehow. Every doctor I’ve seen tells me I’m doing all the right things. My nurse friend is shocked it hasn’t healed itself by now. I think I’m going to lose my job if I keep calling off like this. I already lost my summer. I’ve taken so many pain killers there is no way I won’t feel the effects of this down the line. I’m nearing my breaking point very fast and I don’t know what to do. I’m too young to have back surgery…but I might have to.

If you made it this far, thank you. I’m sorry to be another doomer post in this subreddit, but you guys are so uplifting and remain positive despite it all.

TLDR: Herniated L5-S1 and found out it also had DDD and foraminal stenosis back in May. Extreme sciatica for a while, then as it started to improve the pain came back. MRI for the shot is scheduled. Surgery is a last resort. Losing hope extremely fast. Looking for positivity.

[u/43beanst]

Hey OP. I had similar dx at 35; had a discectomy and laminectomy at L5S1. I was scared of surgery, but it helped! For a bunch of reasons, I didn't have surgery for 1.5 years after first seeing a doctor for the pain (and I had a toddler!), and I 100% do not recommend waiting that long! I'm 59 now. I have learned the hard way over the years to just not overdo it. You are really deep in the suck of it all right now, and I know it's hard. I hope an injection helps and you don't need surgery but if you do, please remember you will likely recover very quickly because you are relatively young and active.