It can only get better

I was at my doctor’s—the orthopedist—yesterday afternoon. He took X-rays and said that all my joints are in great shape, but my
lower spine, which has already been operated on three times, is a total mess. He also suspects
that my current symptoms are coming from that spine,
and he told me to do gentle exercises so that the
pinched nerve can release itself, and if the pain is still as bad as it
is now in 4 weeks, I should make an appointment and then
he’ll send me for an MRI.  For about 2–3 weeks now, I’ve had pain in my right leg from the ankle all the way up to my butt; some days I can barely get out of bed, and it takes until around noon before I can move around somewhat normally. But he’s not thrilled at the thought of
me having another surgery there—he said the chance that I’ll
end up in a wheelchair afterward is very high. I really don’t know what to
do, and I’m a bit shaken up right now because of these not-so-great
prospects. I hope things settle down and get better,
because I really don’t need that AOK walker.
Without my crafts, I’d be going off the deep end again—thankfully, they always keep me distracted.

Love, Inge

Dear Inge,

Unfortunately, life keeps giving us new challenges that we have to overcome. What knocks us down today may perhaps turn out all right tomorrow or the day after. That’s exactly what I wish for you!

The nerve is pinched, which of course causes a lot of pain. But now it’s stuck there and is rightly complaining. Logically speaking, you would need to loosen and soften the tissue around it—that is, the muscles and tendons—so the nerve can slip back out on its own. The gentle exercises recommended by the doctor are surely meant to help with that.

When I pinch something, moist heat always helps me. So I wrap a damp, very warm cloth (heated in the microwave) in a dry cloth. I then place the bundle on the affected area with a blanket over it. The whole thing must not be so hot that it burns your skin, just pleasantly warm.

The moist heat then slowly penetrates from inside the bundle outward to the skin. It first warms the upper layers of skin and then slowly penetrates deeper toward the painful area, where it loosens the tense muscles. The moisture in the heat bundle is also important because it makes the muscles swell and become more pliable.

When the muscles and tendons are warmed up, they become looser and more stretchable. They relax, giving the nerve more space and the chance to slip back into its usual position. That is where it naturally wants to go if nothing is holding it in place on either side.

That is only my approach. But I am not a doctor. So please ask your doctor first whether this is advisable and helpful for you!

I wish you a speedy recovery. You surely won’t need surgery if you do a little gentle movement and stretching every day. With so much loving care and attention, the nerve will have no choice but to slip back into its beloved, usual position.

Sewing is good and nice as a distraction. But you sit all folded up, and the lumbar spine gets compressed. So make sure to get up in between and do stretching exercises. I do that too.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you and sending you lots of very warm regards.
Ina

Thanks, Ina. Yeah, warmth always does me a lot of good, but I can’t stand this damp heat—I prefer dry heat. I have a lambskin that I use as a hip belt, and I always strap it on when the pain gets really bad. In the winter, I even have a lambskin in my bed and sleep on it; otherwise, I probably wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully and soundly through the night. I have these Terra bands, which I use to do my lower back exercises—nice and slow and steady—and I hope things will get better eventually. On top of that, I use a muscle-relaxing ointment that does its job.
So, now I’m going to take care of my Pfaff Expression—it started acting up while I was sewing the last few pieces and suddenly wouldn’t work the way it should. Luckily, I still have my 31-year-old Pfaff Creative 1467 sitting here, which still purrs like a young kitten :-) so I can always keep sewing if anything comes up.

Love, Inge

Oh dear, I hope you get well soon!

All the best to you, Inge.

Dear Inge, you said it: Things can only get better! It seems we’re in the same boat right now: I don’t even dare go for a walk or a hike anymore because the pain in my legs suddenly becomes almost unbearable. Luckily, the weather’s good enough for biking! Next week, the back specialist will explain to me what the MRI showed—I’m curious to find out! The herniated disc has already been diagnosed, but the pain has become increasingly severe. I wish you the best of luck with your exercises and a speedy recovery. 

Oh dear Wollbärli, looks like you really shouted “me too” when this was being handed out; nobody would wish really nasty lower back pain like that on their worst enemy, right?
Wishing you all the best and a speedy recovery, and hope it’s not quite so bad for you.

Best wishes, Inge

Get well soon to everyone who needs it right now. 

Dear Inge,
I’ve been dealing with this kind of thing for several years now with my husband. He’s been through sooo much. The last round of pain therapy only helped him a little and for a short time. Right now, he’s getting injections again that are targeted using an MRI. It helps a bit, but only for about four weeks.  But the doctor also told him, “You don’t want to put yourself through surgery at your age.” OK, my husband is 79.
On top of that, his helplessness makes our lives harder. Everything I do for him—even if it’s just running upstairs or downstairs to get him whatever he needs at the moment—is stressful.
But what I’ve managed to arrange now is to have a part-time helper for the housekeeping. I can’t even tell you how helpful that is.
The saying, “Old age is not for the faint of heart,” is true.
Handicrafts help me. Relaxation, joy...