November 22, 2014

Best Educated Guess

Imagine that you are twenty-three years old; just starting a family. You are a hard worker and the primary provider for your little family.

One afternoon you hear a snap in your back and your legs are instantly numb. Somehow you stay on your feet but your not sure how!

You get to the Emergency Room and after many hours and tests the ER Doc informs you that you have suffered serious back injuries. He prescribes pain meds (narcotics) and advises you to sit in your recliner for the next three days rather than lay in bed.

The next day, your feet start to turn blue and it's back to the ER. Same diagnosis: serious back injury! Advice: takes meds, sit in recliner but this time, get an MRI on Monday. More meds. May need surgery to repair damage.

Three days later, pain is bad; not improving, pain meds doing nothing. Steering away from ER, you see a different and highly recommended doctor. Diagnosis: Serious back injury, may need surgery but might be rehab-able. New meds, two weeks bed rest and most importantly, stay out of recliner; lay flat.

Two days later, pain not letting up. Visit another highly recommended health specialist. Advice: get up and walk; walk a lot!

What do you do?

Do you take meds and sit in recliner?

Do you take more meds and go to bed?

Do you take lots of walks and hopefully don't fall down as meds are prone to knock you out?

Do you draw a big circle with 3 or 6 or 9 pie shapes; each pie shape with one word. Recliner, Bed, Walk. Spin a soda bottle and see where it stops. It's not an "educated guess" but have the highly educated health care professionals helped you sort out a solution?

I'll tell you one thing....if they mention surgery again...scoot out of the way as fast as you can because that is a pretty invasive guess.



2 comments:

  1. Whoever i saw about my back problems recommended the same. 2 weeks of bed rest with the feet on 2 pillows, and then taking it easy really slowly. I never did the rest and i suffered for many many months, until i caught a cold and i did not want it to get to the baby. So i rested. My back healed tremendously. I still have serious problems. But the first step is rest. I am guessing you have been given antiinflammatory too. They will help. I could not take them because i had an allergic reaction.
    With back there is always someone recommending surgery but it is always. Rest first. physical therapy and then core strengthening.
    Trust the doctor who told you this and the pain will go away!

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  2. Second and third dr. did advise core training once pain is gone. I am not the one who was injured but it was my grandson, who has a 4 month old. He was told not to pick her up but he still holds her all the time. Says her daddy needs her and she needs daddy!

    I'm glad your back is better and that baby is doing better too.

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