oh grumbles

It turns out I'm one of those dumbasses who will go on stoically experiencing pain until it becomes chronic and ugly before I consider going to the doctor. I have some type of sciatica-esque pain in my left leg that, while not crippling, has been making daily appearances for the last couple of months. It began sporadically a couple of years ago, when I was working in-house, and I always attributed it to being stuck at a desk. I think the relative lack of exercise I get while good studenting is definitely a contributing factor, but an otherwise healthy person of my age really shouldn't be getting chronic anything. It's indicative of some old injury that hasn't healed properly is my guess, which will likely either make it the (evil) spawn of the car accident I was involved in when I was 19 (run off the road, flew down a ravine, flipped twice, ended up facing back up the hill and was nearly killed by a tyre jack tucked under the driver's seat -- lesson 1: keep that thing SECURELY IN PLACE) or from when I concussed myself by shattering a 10-pound solid glass lamp shade over my head a couple years later.

But don't let any of this fool you into thinking I've actually made a doctor's appointment. Oh no. That would be giving in. Heaven forbid my doctor think I'm a giant wussface.

I will make that appointment eventually (unless Dr Quick would like to use me as part of her experiments?), but in the meantime I've gone back to an old nightly exercise routine and am making a point of getting up every 30 minutes or so and having a wander when I'm studying and will start running again as soon as it's not cold (I may have grown up in a country where winter is Winter, but that doesn't stop me being a baby). I'm also cutting back on salt and thinking about cutting back on caffeine in the hopes that such measures might be sufficient. However, I'd really like it to stop NOW. Grr.

Comments

[Lix]

Er, you know how I ended up needing a back op? I had chronic sciatic pain with that and the thing with the sciatic nerve is if you don't get it treated you damage it, and that nerve does not heal. If you damage it permanently it's gone. So that will be pins and needles feet for life at best and not able to use leg and no bladder control at worst. Dude. Go to the doctor.

[Camille]

Good God, woman—that car accident sounds horrific!!! You better get to the doctor soon, there's no sense leaving it any longer, is there?

/nag

;)

[Kate (aka Dr Quick)]

I would LOVE to use you in my experiments (that sounds weird) but afraid I can't really help... but the exercise is definitely a good thing, as is general wellbeing, getting enough sleep is very important - try those before cutting out caffeine - that's crazy talk!

[Drop Stitches Not Bombs]

Poor you! I hope you feel better soon. I often think I should do something about my posture, which becomes more hunched the longer I sit at a desk. I haven't got round to doing that something, though...