The back is back

Those of you who know me, are more than familiar with my unrelenting struggle with chronic back pain.

Last week, my doctor scheduled me for a nerve conduction study. This procedure involves attaching electrodes to the top and sides of your feet and sending electrical shocks into your feet, then measuring how long it takes for the signal to travel up to your brain and back down to your foot. The procedure involves three different locations on each foot. Each location gets about a dozen distinct shocks over the course of a minute. At the end of the test, they download the data and run a printed report. Unfortunately, one of the locations did not report back, so we had to run that one again.

If you are suffering from excrutiating chronic pain, this test is tough but worthwhile. Otherwise, no normal person would be willing to put up with the discomfort involved in this procedure. The technician was impressed with my ability to withstand the pain. She said that every woman she'd administered the test to, in the last two months, bailed out before they finished. ... great ... I feel SO special.

My doctor's office contacted me a few days later, informing me that the test results show that I definitely have a pinched nerve in my back, probably the result of a herniated disc. They recommended that I have an MRI before, potentially, discussing next steps with a neurosurgeon.

um ... um ... GAK!

I hate the amount of pain I have to live with. I hate the way the pain effects my life and influences the choices I make in my life.

However, back surgery is an UTTER crap shoot. By most accounts, it's actually relatively ineffective, and can sometimes make the situation worse.

Well, if worse is more pain, I'll be jumping in front of a truck. If worse is paralysis ... that could work out ok. (ok, kidding ... MOSTLY)

I'll post my progress through the process. Who wants to lay money down that the medical establish will try to convince me that surgery is a good idea?