Saturday March 20: Woke up with an ache across my low back/hips, thought it may have been delayed onset muscle soreness from my strength workout 2 days before, or the ache I experience with my menstrual cycle, though the timing as slightly off. As the day progressed, the pain increased significantly and radiated up my back along my spine – definitely NOT DOMS or menstrual pain. Very confused about cause since I have no memory of hurting myself.
Sunday March 21: Woke up with intense pain in low back, broke out my TENS unit – 30min on, 30min off from the time I got dressed until I got ready for bed. Could not bend from my hips without pain; left more so than right. Eventually figured out that I could do something like a one-legged squat on my right leg to reach items on the floor. Reaching across my body in either direction hurts. My posture hasn’t been this perfect since high school choir seeing as slouching is excruciating. Messaged bosses to ask permission to come in late tomorrow so I could see the chiropractor – granted. Tried to get some sleep but rolling over in bed sends a lightning bolt thru my back.
Monday March 22: Chiropractor confirmed what I suspected – both SI joints subluxed, as well as L5 at the S1 junction. TENS unit is still my best friend, as is ibuprofen. Tried to work my scheduled double, bailed after 11 hours when the workload died down. Had great fun trying to explain to people who are unfamiliar with my connective tissue disorder that I literally woke up this way and have no idea what caused the injury.
Tuesday March 23: Definitely over did it yesterday, called off today. Back was screaming. No noticeable change in symptoms. Continued to use TENS and NSAIDs religiously. I can’t walk my dog, but my new hiking shoes came today (pout).
Wednesday March 24: Chiropractor is still stumped, as am I. Did a seated workout, even that with modifications. Made it to work today with the TENS and meds.
Thursday March 25: Managed a very low impact, low key workout and some yoga. See comment about work from previous day.
Friday March 26: Chiropractic visit, we are all still baffled. In addition to the stifling pain in my back, this evening I discovered something creeping out of the opening of my vagina. Cuz I don’t have enough going on to panic about, now I have something that is supposed to be internal trying to escape via an already existing orifice. Need to let this new discovery settle in my brain before progressing.
Saturday March 27: Decided to google vaginal mass and followed the rabbit hole to something that looked probable – pelvic organ prolapse, specifically uterine. This would explain not only the weirdness happening in my lady parts, but possibly the back pain if the ligaments that anchor the uterus to the abdominal wall were pulling the vertebrae out of alignment. Took a pic of what was trying to fall out, looked like a seahorse. Looked up pic of uterine prolapse and wasn’t convinced that’s what it was but decided to schedule with my GYN to rule it out anyway.
Sunday March 28: Maintained status quo throughout the day. Rolled over in bed that night and suffered such a sharp, stabbing pain that I cried. Managed to get out of bed and limp down the hall for more ibuprofen. Husband saw me limping and crying and asked if I was OK. I said no. He asked if I needed to go to the ED. I said hell no, I just needed meds and to go back to bed.
Monday March 29: Scheduled to work another double, talked to bosses about the weekend’s findings. Asked if I had permission to leave if I could get an appointment same day, was told that if I couldn’t I was to go to the ED. I’d rather give myself the hysterectomy, but was threatened with being hog-tied, tossed into a wheel chair, and driven to the ED by one of the bosses. Couldn’t get an appt Dr until Wednesday, told the boss I would walk to the ED. Registered at noon, walked out of waiting room at 4pm without ever having been roomed. Found out later that they had tried calling me once at around 440pm and again around 930pm FOR VITALS! – not even to room me. I work for this hospital, sometimes in that ED, told them when I registered that my boss sent me there because of the pain I was experiencing, they noted on the trackboard that I was an employee, and they still would not have roomed me after 9 HOURS. Explained to my husband that this is why I won’t go to the ED unless I am bleeding profusely or have a bone visibly sticking out of my body. He quipped that if I had let him take me the night before maybe I would have been roomed by 4 that afternoon. Informed bosses that I left the ED without being seen, and that I would not return until I had been checked out by my GYN on Wednesday.
Tuesday March 30: SSDD (same shit, different day)
Wednesday March 31: Finally saw the GYN, who concluded that I have an insignificant vaginal wall prolapse that is very common in women my age who have had multiple vaginal deliveries, and it requires no intervention. It definitely is not contributing to the severe back pain. Chalk it up to coincidental timing. Pain level remains high even with several chiropractic visits and constant use of TENS and NSAIDs. Must continue to be very cautious of how I move, and rolling over in bed still sends a jolt thru my back. Still no solid answer as to how this whole shenanigans came about, but all are certain that the main underlying contributor is my damned connective tissue disorder.
Thursday April 1: SSDD. Mother is not happy with me for deciding to go back to work tomorrow, thinks I need more time off to rest. Reminded her that the last time I subluxed my SI joints it took 10 months for them to stabilize. I don’t have that much PTO.
Friday April 2: Back to work after almost a week off. I have good days and bad days, and today was
decent. Pain was manageable with TENS
and meds. Got thru my shift no worse for
wear.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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