Back Down

This pic has nothing to do with my post but it makes me happy.

Tuesday last week I had a crown put on that required a lot of novocaine and apparently the spot on my gums that I had damaged with a pointy french fry (exactly why I NEVER used to eat the pointy ones at McD's when I was a teenager) got irritated from all the frigging around the dentist did.  When the novocaine wore off I wanted to die.  I had to go lay down in my bed and sleep the pain off it was that bad.  All day long I was in pain in my mouth.

The next morning I woke up and had no pain in my mouth.  I was so happy!  But then I started to get out of bed and BAM my back went out.  The pain in my mouth had caused me to tense up so badly that my pre-existing musculo-skeletal imbalance flared up.  Last time it happened this bad was in 2004 and I got pregnant with my 2nd child because all I could do was lay on my back for two weeks.......

Thankfully pregnancy is not going to happen this time!  But on Thursday the pain had not gotten any better so I made an appointment with my doctor's office.  Unfortunately I did not get my regular doctor who is young and agreeable.  I got an older woman who has been there a long time.  I had to bring my two younger kids with me as I didn't know how long the appointment would last and didn't want to leave them with the oldest for too long.

If you are wondering, yes I have gone to a chiropractor many many times.  They can fix it for a few days but then it comes back.  I really want to find out what can be done long term.  And get some muscle relaxers so I could sleep that night.  First the doctor asked me about 10,000 questions to rule out spinal cord injury.  Apparently she didn't hear me when I said that it happens all the time and I just need a prescription.  As the girls began causing ruckus after the first 20 min of questioning (we had also just spent 35 min waiting for the appt to begin as they were running late) she finally seemed to listen to me.
"Please, I just need some Flexeril.  I have had it before for this same problem and it helped."
"So, yes, I think that would probably be the best thing then.  Some Flexeril. OK.  But I want you to take Advil for the pain."
"But Ma'am, Advil does NOTHING for me.  I took some yesterday and it just doesn't work.  I have a prescription for Vicodin that I need renewed..."
"Oh, well, I don't like to give narcotics to women with young children." She says.  WTF.  OK, so apparently she failed to note that I have had a script for it for the past 2 years to take for pains that advil does not help and that I have never abused it or tried to get any for any reason other than pain. WHATEVER.  THANKS JUNKIES.

I didn't feel like arguing due to the intense pain and kids screaming and running around so I took the script for the Flexeril and left feeling about the same as I usually do at this doctor practice:  annoyed and unheard.  Now yes, I am an arrogant, egotistical, stubborn person.  I know that about myself.  But why is it that most of the time when I go to the doctor I already know what I need, the doctor doesn't listen to me, yet comes to the same conclusion that I already had and then pretends they thought of it?  Am I just nuts or what?  Oh well.

So, long story long, what ultimately worked was Flexeril to help me sleep, heating pad for an hour while watching Criminal Minds, and then after 2 days of that I started using the elliptical BACKWARDS ONLY for an hour each night, then heating pad for an hour watching CSI.  Today, exactly a week later, I woke up and my back didn't hurt at all.  Well, until I picked up the laundry basket for the first time in a week.  I won't do that again!!

<3 Betsy