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Hi Joy and welcome. Most Americans, including me, still love our neighbors to the North.
I'm so sorry for all you're going through. (Although it's good you didn't get cauda equina syndrome. I had that over 15 years ago when my sciatic pain started. It's a serious complication from lumbar spine trouble, and can be very inconvenient. In my case it happened once, lasted about 4 to 6 weeks, and then resoved.
But I have had other bouts of sciatica, although nothing as bad as you describe.
IMO, the best thing you can do is ice your lower back (never use heat on the back) and make sure you get enough lumbar support when sitting or driving. It also helps to lay on the floor and put your feel up on a couch or chair to relieve pressure on the spine.
What is your surgeon's long-term plan? What did the MRI reveal? I wish you all the best and hope to hear from you again.
Joe
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@heyjoe415
Hello, thank you for your reply.
I am so sorry you went through cauda equina!
It is a very serious condition as you well know and I can only imagine how agonizing and scary it was for you.
I am so glad it resolved for you.
Yes, I send a lot of time with an ice pack on my lower back.
Oh, my surgeon's long term plan?
He was a lovely kind elderly surgeon, who showed me my MRI, but said I "have a beautiful spine"??, that he could not do the surgery, had me touch my toes, while he and his assistant were incredulous at how flexible I still am-he said to, "Stand on your tip toes like a ballerina...", which I am also somehow easily able to do, and when he mentioned "what ballerinas do" and I told him, well, that is what I used to do-he looked at me wide eyed, then sad, he asked me if he could give me a hug, (with his female assistant there), and sent me hobbling away on my cane with no follow up-
(Yes, I am a classically trained dancer, and even the osteopath told me, "You are very flexible and strong"...and perhaps you will all doubt the severity of my pain and my mobility ever decreasing even while I am able to still touch my toes etc, but as I mentioned, I am at the same time struggling with the simplest of household chores, losing my autonomy, ashamed I am not functioning...)
Forgive me for emoting so much, and for not responding right away-
Sending you much gratitude and blessings.