Update: Family is doing great. I haven't seen any pictures from them yet (not sure why they haven't posted them), but I have heard itw as a nightmare. My dad said their yard is STILL a disaster...but they have about 25 trees. thankfully there was no damage to the house or anything.
I think I have just survived the craziest three weeks of my life lately! Not because of some horrible anything, just SCHOOL. HOLY COW!?!?!? I have been so busy! There is something major due every class period the past few weeks. Midterms!!! On a positive note, I A-ced every single project and test! Of course, I have not slept in forever...but who needs sleep! I also had a scholarship audition.
I personally think it went HORRIBLE. I was fine until I sat down, and then it just flew out the window. My instructor assures me that I did great, but I really dont think so. I will be getting something, just not sure what.
Last week I met with a new doctor for my ongoing back problems. It turns out that I have degenerative arthritis in my lower back. The cartlidge is getting thin as well. That could explain why I feel like I have a baseball of muscle knots in my low back. This has been such a LONG journey for me. I started having back problems when I was 20. At 21, I went to a chiropractor in Sikeston. He told me I had degenerative arthritis and I would be crippled by the time I was 30. After that, I went to a rheumatologist. At that time I didn't have insurance but the thought of being crippled by 30 terrified me. I went to one in Springfield. He did not look at my back, he did not take x-rays, he did not do an MRI. NOTHING. He looked at me and said "You are too young. It will go away." (i.e. You are 21 and don't have insurance...)
So for the last 8 years I have been living in excrutiating pain. I have gone to numerous doctors adn chiropractors since then. No one has been able to help me. It really became a battle because they all said I was too young. Finally, Fibromyalgia came up. So I became labled with that. In my heart and head, I KNEW that was not it.
Finally, on 12/22/08 I went to the ER. I could hardly walk and had only one time before experienced back pain like that. The ER doctor was great. He referred me to a back surgeon to do an MRI. He was floored that no one had ever done that. So two weeks ago I met with a back surgeon. Long story short...the man was a JERK. He was hateful to me. He was only in there for a couple of minutes. He said there was nothing he coudl do for me and without saying this exactly, he insinuated that I was wasting his time and he flat out told me that I was in pain because I was overweight. I was crushed. I sat in my car and cried like I haven't done in ages. I was so upset and frustrated. I KNOW pain and I know there is something wrong! It's not like I wanted something horrible to be wrong that required surgery...I just wanted ANSWERS!
The one good thing Dr. Jerk did was refer me to another doctor who specializes in pain management. So I went to Dr. Woodward two weeks later. He was AMAZING. He reviewed my MRI and discovered the arthritis. We talked...he talked...I talked...HE LISTENED (imagine that???) and now I am in physical therapy. I am going to the same place I went to when I had ankle surgery and am going to the same therapist. Just in one session I noticed a very slight improvement. It's just so wonderful that I KNOW what is wrong and that someone believes me and has answers! So I will be in therapy for a few weeks. They will teach me things I can do at home since time/money are issues for me. Then I will go back in 2 months and meet with the doctor. Then we will start working on a fitness routine to help lose weight. It's not hte cause of the problem, but it doesn't help.
Answers are amazing and they really are half the battle. I have a better attitude about it now and I feel more confident that I can live with less pain.
Next post: My upcoming trip to Cambodia! I don't have time to blog on that now, but will later!
