anonymous91 said on 13 July 2010
Hi,
I know the feeling Sparklefrog, I have had chronic sciatica for nearly 10 months now and can no longer stand up straight, straighten out my right leg, walk properly, stand or sit for more than a few minutes at a time or get up without help, and I'm only 19. I've had to leave work and have tried a variety of different painkillers, nearly all of which were completely ineffective, I now have to take Tramadol which anybody who has ever taken it will know has quite unpleasant side effects, just so that the pain is eased enough so that I can get some sleep.
I was initially left in pain for months when a doctor told me I had probably 'strained a muscle' and it was only after several persistent trips to my doctor's surgery that I was finally taken seriously. I was sent to a Physio who told me that it was too severe for her to treat and was bounced back to my GP, who referred me for an MRI, which diagnosed me not only with a herniated disc in the bottom of my spine but also Degenerative Disc Disease. I'm also from an Island and was terrified that I'd be in this unbearable pain for a long time before I was seen by anybody as the neurosurgeon I was being referred to only comes once a month. 'Luckily' as my case is so unusual given the sate of my spine and my age, the hospital only had to show him my file before he contacted me and recommended surgery, and recently I was given a surgery date for next month. I'm hoping it goes well and I will be able to start getting back to normal. I really hope that everybody suffering with Sciatica receives treatment that helps them and that everybody recovers soon, I know only too well how helpless it can make you feel!
