Back Update #4 - Surgery Consult / Spinal Injection

I haven't posted anything in a while because not much had changed over the last week or so.  Physically I lay around and when I stand I have a 3-5 minute window before my sciatic nerve acts up and I need to sit due to discomfort in the leg muscles and my ankle.  It's hit or miss on how extreme it is and at the peak of my anti-inflammatory medicines for a hot second I sometimes remember what it feels like to walk pain free but that lasts only a few minutes.  One big thing that did go down last week was the actual scheduling of my spinal surgeon consultation. The problem is that the soonest this particular surgeon could get me in was August 8th (that was eventually moved to Aug 1... big whoop).  My mouth hit the floor, I had visions of my next month and a half of me laying on the ground going bonkers.  I called the spinal nurses and left a voicemail and basically said this is crazy and never heard another word from anyone.  On Monday I called the surgical scheduler and tried to at least get to the bottom of why it would take so long and it makes sense but it still sucks.  That was last week in a nutshell. This brings us to today.

Today I had my 2nd cortisone spinal injection. It was extremely different than my first one two weeks ago and not in a good way.  My doctor wanted to make sure he was in the correct spot so he somehow set my sciatic nerve off to make sure he was exactly in the right spot.  This experience is something that is almost indescribable.  When he set it off I felt a wash of extreme fiery pain go down my right butt cheek, and into my leg.  I felt every branch of my nervous system in my right leg light up like a christmas tree.  It felt like someone lit a firework in my leg and it exploded on the inside.  I let out the most guttural groan and sucked wind.  It was horrible.  It was numbed very quickly so it was probably a whole 2 seconds that went by but what a horrible 2 seconds.  That was indeed the spot.  After the injection my spinal doctor told me that surgery for me is probably the way I should be going and said he would personally work out getting me a sooner surgical consultation.  His last comment was "a month is way too long."  And that is where we stand (or lay) at is moment.  I want to still hold onto the hope that this 2nd injection will work but it seems realistically that if I want to be up on my feet and moving well before September, surgery is looking more like the right answer.

Let's see what kind of magic the doctor can work for me.