A Solitary Cabin

Last Friday, I went back to the hospital.

I was doing okay, or so I thought, after I got out on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I went out, ran an errand, and generally had an okay day except for taking a small spill when my left leg refused to hold my weight while stepping up into the house.

By Thursday, I couldn't go from lying to sitting, or sitting to standing, without howling in pain.

And on Friday, I fell. And that was that. I wasn't safe at home on my own... and back to the hospital we went.

More scans, another MRI. It's been determined that, while I do have some major issues with my back (bulging discs, arthritis), that's not the core problem. It's nerve compression on the sciatic nerve, causing pain and weakness in my left leg and hip.

The good news is that there is a plan.

I'm going to be spending some time in a short-term physical rehab facility. There, I'll be monitored, given physical therapy, pain management, and be watched for falls or other issues so that my wife doesn't need to worry about me trying to limp around the house on my own.

The hope is that this will make things better over time. If it does not, we'll start talking about injections into the spine to settle things down. I've already had one in the SI joint... hopefully, I won't need more.

If the injections fail, then we start talking about surgery. Again, I hope it doesn't go that far.

I will probably be writing through this... and posting here. I need to write to stay sane, and I appreciate the feedback I get from folks as well. It means a lot. This is a lonely process.