I don't know how many of you still show up here, but I hope a few do. My ability to sit (and to blog and to earn money) remains somewhat impaired, but the problem has become more-or-less manageable. Many thanks to those wonderful people who wrote in with advice, all of which I have taken to heart.
A few of my correspondents humbled me with descriptions of their own chronic, life-long conditions. If any deity or demiurge exists, then he, she or it should weep tears of shame to look upon those creatures who know pain every day.
My recovery comes with guilt. I'm haunted daily by thoughts of maimed Iraq vets. Why should I walk when some of my betters can't?
Of all the sciatica cures I've tried, the one that worked best was walking. Simple walking. An hour or more every day, and never mind the 100-plus temperatures. The first twenty minutes can be -- the word is not too strong -- agony. A scream with every step. But after an hour, my body rediscovers something close to normality. The problem re-asserts itself after sleeping and waking, but the cure remains free of charge and does not cloud the mind, as drugs do.
Besides, weilding a cane (black and red, of course) allows me to live out the persona of the cantankerous Victorian gentleman: "You shall withdraw that comment, you mountebank, or I shall thrash you about the ears with my stick!"
My thanks, again, to you all. I wish I could help you as you have helped me.
5 comments:
joe, again we are synchronized!
though not fully transitioned, i a closer to 'normality,' and hope to pitch in by the weekend.
glad to hear you're feeling better, and the cure is not so noxious. it makes sense that walking would relieve the sciatica, especially if a nerve is pinched in the hip joint.
meanwhile, your sense of gratitude, at least relatively speaking, is comforting to see; always the way to go.
miss ya, but still with ya!
Might I suggest another "free cure". It worked for me after years of knee, ankle and foot pain that was getting steadily worse, hadn't been able to bend my knees for 2 years, and I could hardly stand in the am and took a hour to start hobbling. I stopped eating ALL animal products. Worked in about 2 weeks and has not come back. (ref The China Study and any of Dr. John McDougall's books. My whole family followed suit, it's been over 4 years now.
Joe,
When I saw this headline
"News Flash: Substance Sells
One of the many lessons we should have learned about Katrina is that Americans care about the suffering of other Americans, no matter how much the media would rather cover glitz and scandal"
I thought about you (and dr. elsewhere too). It's true, people do care and they even like to help if they can! I remember right after Katrina a lot of people got in their cars and went down to New Orleans and offered to do what ever was needed. Guess what? They were told to go back, no help was needed and that everything was under control. Our system does not encourage sympathy or the good old fashioned helping hand. Help can only be given by organizations (government or charity) that have a stake in financial/moral/religious/political profiteering. It is sad!
You witnessed this fact for yourself, most of your readers tried to help in any way they could. Almost all are still around and check everyday to see if you are back on your feet( so to speak).
As for me, I like to have you back red faced and fuming and spewing and grouchy!
Look, there is talk of war with Iran (God help us) and Robert Fisk is complaining about "Trannies" except he calls them "Rovies". And September is here, which means the right time has come for pitching all kinds of political marketing ploys by both sides. There are closet gays being outed and Bush is got himself a new poodle! Pakistan may get a new president and there is coup being engineered in Iraq.
So keep walking and get back to the keyboard as soon as you can.
All of the advice given by your friends is sound advice. I would like to add a simple but effective supplement to what has been given. Aleve..if you have not ytried that over the counter aid please do. I have sciatica and it alleviates the pain for a day by taking two tablets
Mr. Cannon
I am a long time lurker,first time writer.
Your tussle with sciatica has moved me to let you know about two medications that truly changed my life;Lyrica which is for damaged nerves,and Ultram,which is one of the best for back pain even though it isn't really "rated" as strong as is seems to work.
I also want to say that the severity of your symptoms would suggest that you have a more serious pinching of the nerve,one that could cause damage to the nerve that would result in your agony being permanent.I know that you wouldn't want that!It seems to me that the routine for these cases is to allow one to suffer an awfully long time before any serious testing is done to determine if there is a mechanical problem that can and should be addressed,there are some new procedures that can be done in one day but they don't deal well with excess scar tissue which can result from waiting too long.
Good Luck (from one whom has been there)
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