Back Pain, Something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy...

I have been suffering from back pain since 2001. When it first started it got so bad that it hurt to sneeze, cough, move, breathe. Yea, it hurt to do everything. I tried physical therapy and ended up in the emergency room in September of 2002 because my right foot was going numb. A week later I had a lamenectomy to remove the bulging disk between L4-L5.

This took care of the pain for a little while, but in the summer of 2004 it returned with a vengeance. I fondly refer to this as the summer that percocet forgot. Actually I wasn't on percocet until after my surgery in August, but I was on a combination of Tylenol 4 with codeine and Flexeril, not fun times.

The surgery was a success, I still had occasional pain and cramping in my right let, but I could usually get it to go away by resting, exercising and over the counter meds when needed. When we moved in 2011, the pain again returned and got worse. Of course having two little ones that can't walk to tote around didn't help. As well as all the lifting involved in the move.

I have been on a combination of narcotic meds again to help with the pain, which I do not consider a long term solution. I was referred to a pain clinic and started physical therapy last week and am happy to say it has been helping a lot. I have not needed nearly as many drugs and have been drug free during the day. It's a wonderful feeling!