Oh, My Achin’ Back!

Having been plagued with upper back pain for the last thirty four years, and since I am just finishing up with a seven day acute phase, its on my mind....so bear with me!!

When it is acute, I suffer. When it is chronic, I am thrilled.

Much of the time I control the pain with a TENS unit which sends electrical shocks to four patches which I place on my back. This is supposed to “scramble” the pain messages to the brain. Well..................sometimes it doesn’t work. I pump it up to level ten, my back and shoulders jump in protest, but, alas, it doesn’t do its job.

This looks like my unit, only I use square patches. I own three of these machines, and sometimes wear two of them (8 patches) when my pain level is past bearable.

The acute phase is awful! I just hunker down in my “nest”, turn up the heating pad with a wet cloth on it,don’t move to avoid the spasms, knock myself out with muscle relaxants and pray for the pain to abate. (Pain meds do not work--doesn’t even phase nerve pain)


I become a little more intimately acquainted with my family room, every time I have a flare-up, My view from the “nest” follows................

 I wish I felt more like reading, better yet, using the cookbooks!

A nice fire would be nice........too much work

I watch too much television during these times--Fortunately a friend brought me the first series of Tale of Avonlea, which turned out to be a great bunch of simple little stories and helped pass the time.

Since 1988 I have been with a pain-management clinic and they have sent me to every kind of specialist, had many tests, x-rays, bone scans, mri’s, cat scans, you name it----I’ve had it.

I’ve had botox injections at the site, facet injections, trying to kill the nerves with radio waves, facet steroid injections, and a trial implant for a spinal cord stimulator. All have failed and I’m through exploring further avenues. Prior to this latest episode, I went six weeks relatively pain free, and had eleven days not wearing my TENS unit which is a record!

Today this latest acute phase is winding down and I am thrilled, looking forward to getting back into “action” and thankful it is a new week beginning. I am learning to “be thankful in all things”, to count my many blessings, and rejoice with pure joy on the days that are pain free.

This week, Lord willing,

Monday, I will have my weekly lunch date with sister, Carol
Tuesday, Bible Study and errands
Wednesday, care for two little boys to give their Mom a break
Thursday, lunch with my sibs and spouses, since brother, Bernie, is in town
Friday, to be announced

So, in the scheme of things, these flair-ups are just blips on the timeline of my life, but I do fret against them when they happen.

Sorry to be sharing my bad back woes, but it is such a big part of who I have become, and it is very much on my mind today and the last few days, so........

Tomorrow will be the beginning of many good days to come, I trust.