Sciatic Blues

More than a month ago, I helped Cathi move in with her now hubby Tyson. In the ensuing days I had an achy back. Nothing unusual, but I sensed the pain would move and reside in my buttcheek. Which it did.

Under normal circumstances I’d be uncomfortable for about a week, then the pain would go away.

But not this time. The pain in fact got worse, spreading down to my thigh where it would shoot around randomly. Walking would put me in such pain, I would be tearing up. And don’t let me sneeze. A sharp pain in my buttcheek would send me in the fetal position.

I was slathering on Ben Gay like Britney Spears would snort coke (allegedly). The pain would die down for an hour or two, but it would inevitably come back with a vengeance. It doesn’t help that at work I spend my time sitting down in my cube then running over to the printer and go back and forth like a trained monkey. By last week I was hobbling like an 80-year old. By Monday my leg started going numb.

I can’t tell you how this has made me feel like an old man. Thoughts of amputating my leg have cometo mind. The worst is the fact that I want to go shopping for a nice outfit for my birthday, but I can’t walk around that long without the pain becoming completely unbearable.

So I did what any normal person would do: go see an acupuncturist on Wednesday night. I was stuck with needles down my spine and leg, and the needles on the back of my thigh were hooked up with electric currents. It was really nice. Since then my leg has been getting progressively better. Today I was able to do some housework without having to use any Ben Gay.

Hopefully by my birthday on Thursday the pain will be gone.

Speaking of my birthday, Friday night. 8pm. Cobras & Matadors. Tapas. Sangria. Booze afterwards. Yum! Let me know if you wanna come if you didn’t get an evite.