Tuesday, April 08, 2008

I am not dead.

But last night, I almost wished I was. Needless to say, the back strain, and the sciatica, particularly, have not cleared up magically overnight. They have, in fact, worsened to the point that I can't even sit or recline comfortably. And driving? Driving is an exercise in misery. Yesterday morning, I honest to god thought I had left something in my driver's seat, and reached underneath my butt to dig it out. There was nothing there. The feeling of sitting on rocks was coming simply from my knotted up glutes. Nice. I did go to the doctor yesterday, and got my own prescription for the drug I was "borrowing" from a friend (so it's a felony--sue me), plus some steroids. But so far, I have to say, I am still quite miserable.

Have you ever had sciatica? Any magical, miracle cures to offer? I have been told about the wondrous healing powers of apple cider vinegar, and I plan to try that as soon as I can drag myself back into the grocery store. I am open to any and all suggestions. I've got three more performances to get through later this week, and my masseuse (New Guy) is out of town all week.

And now, if you will excuse me, the hunching over my desk and moaning won't do itself.

10 comments:

stinkypaw said...

From knowing this pain, the only thing that really helps (besides good drugs) is when I see my osteo... maybe you should, 'cause it just won't go away "like that". It might be worth the investment. Really.

Hope your pain subsides soon.

3carnations said...

I'm sorry. I hope it goes away soon. My problem this week has been intermittent shooting pain in my hip. It's not so bad, except it comes when I'm sitting. You know, like at a desk. In an office job? Today is much better than yesterday, though. I hope today gets better for you, too!

shelleycoughlin said...

I had the worst back problem last summer, but the only thing that truly helped were the painkillers they gave me at the doctor's office. I slept for like four days and when I woke up: magic! My back felt better!

Oh, and ice. That helped a bit too.

Anonymous said...

Ice, heat, stretching and massage are what work for me, but I've never been in the kind of pain you're describing. I like NPW's idea of a sleep cure, although you'll have to wait until after your show, I guess.

Stefanie said...

Does wine help? I'd try wine. :-)

Failing that, my mom had sciatica (I think), and as usual with back stuff, I believe her chiropractor was way more helpful than the doctor.

I hope you're out of this misery soon!!

Unknown said...

I've had sciatica issues when I was pregnant so there were no drug alternatives for me.

Massage was the only thing that dented the pain.

Hope you wake up today and it's magically gone!

L Sass said...

Ouch! I have no solutions, but... I hope that you feel better soon, Liz.

Hugs.

georgeious said...

just so you all know, i went to see liz's show and you couldn't tell how wretched she felt - not for one minute! i'm just glad she got to spend part of that time "passed out" on the couch in it. the poor dear was hobbling out to the car afterwards.

liz, the show was fun and goofy for me. that guy from UT can go fuck himself for trying to turn the whole thing into some social issue that isn't even in the script. i hope his negativism works to sell more tickets.

oh, and annie is doing massage now, if you need someone for that. excellent suggestion.

don't call me MA'AM said...

I'd say:

Chiro or Osteo for sure,
Cat stretches,
Lie on back with knees up and feet right next to your bum,
and Skelaxin. LOTS of Skelaxin. It saved me.

Whiskeymarie said...

Back pain is so miserable- I've had it in varying degrees for many, many years. I find that gentle stretching (or yoga) along with muscle relaxers (in moderation) help.
Unfortunately, resting often makes it worse, which is the only thing anyone wants to do with back pain. That? Sucks.

Oh, and like Stefanie said- wine can't hurt.