The shot in my back was successful in that it reduced my pain enough, I can better walk around. After six months of very limited walking, my muscles are weak so I'm trying to build, slowly.
I'm also pretty sure I am going to have another shot. I think he started at the bottom of my spine, intending to work up. It's the next level that is so freakishly bad.
As it stands, I will probably have a very small garden... strengthen myself over the spring/summer. Teach this new class and then go have back surgery, perhaps.
Bottom line, this is the first thing that's been even remotely effective... outside of that waver vibration machine which has also benefitted me. It disrupts pain in the short term, when nothing (I can tolerate) will. I'm believe there are other benefits as well... getting things moving and such.
Bottom line, I am heading into about six months of slow recovery and feeling pretty good about it, all in all.
@elsa I once had a shot in my shoulder joint. I had a small tear in my rotator cuff and the solution was try the shot(s) or surgery. Of course, I tried the shot. And it was remarkable how it took down the pain (inflammation) so I was able to heal. The shot hurt going in, but I did get relief.
Did you get the same sort of thing? In your spine?
Glad you are feeling relief. I had never had back pain in my life before. It is the most miserable thing imaginable. Unless someone has had it, they cannot know how debilitating it is.
@soup yes, that's what I had but best case scenario it will just buy me a little time. It can't "heal".
My spine is degenerating, rapidly and has been for about fifteen years... this is when my doctor that was initially treating torn discs in my back, which I got when I ran out of that fire with my children.
So I'm going to the gym and getting shots in my back and periodic mri's. The last one I had in Denver, I was told my back had fallen off a cliff, basically. My doc no longer thought it made sense to get shots. In fact, he told me he's never seen such fast degrading ever.
I really had no idea what he was talking about. "What do I do?" I asked,
He said he was very sorry but he thought I had something besides torn discs and it looked to him as if I needed a rheumatologist? I didn't know what that was at the time.
Long story short, I got the lupus dx, after a shocking neck x-ray. It's a litany of pain from that point on.
So this last mri is two pages long with ghastly detail at nearly every level, in multiple ways. Crooked, narrowing an also the bone marrow in my back is compromised... level 2. I think level 3 is pretty rare, but I'll get there.
So this can quiet it and I may go for awhile but it is still rotting out, in the background.
I'm not really sure what the back doc has in mind. Like messing with bone marrow & straightening & fusing? I didn't ask him but he did say it would not be easy.
The thing is, my videos aside, if you actually see me, I do not at all look like I have a rotted spine. In part because my threshold of pain is so very high.
As a result, people tell me I look good and the condition of my back is not real to them... like I am exaggerating. 
But the doctor knows and my "look" and my lack of drug use and the fact I am still working and such... and I fare very well with surgery, no bitching of any kind... because of these things he wants to help me and I believe he will.
This doctor was sent by God... I mean, I've seen eight others and they just shrug at me. So I have the doctor, willing to go all the way to the rim of hell to help me, the same way I do with my customers dealing with unique, complex problems. He's an end of the road, guy...but really no one but him has ever been willing to touch my spine since that doctor in Denver told me I was above his pay grade..
@elsa You are dealing with the unimaginable. I have arthritic pain an probably something unknown although when I had a CSCAN before my hysterectomy they didn't mention anything out of the ordinary. I'm sure sitting during my depression episode didn't help.
I can't imagine what kind of hell you're going through. Back pain is miserable and there have been times when I haven't been able to stand up straight, holding onto something....refuse pain medication because it makes me feel gross, makes me itch, makes me sick to my stomach. So when it's bad I just lay down.
I've had some relief lately.
You've been very strong through all this. I don't know how. Prolonged excruciating pain is not for the weak. You're not going to give up. Period.
When my back hurts I feel so defeated.
I can say this. When you have a hysterectomy they cut ligaments and I've not been the same since that surgery. I should have had it examined a month after that surgery because if he did something wrong I'm probably past the statute of forcing him to correct it.
I've overused my back though. I was heavy lifting for 15 years... and I didn't do myself any favors.
My oldest son has several fusions. He broke his back. DILs mother just had one. She's using a walker right now.
Horrible pain. Until you've had it in some capacity there's no way to understand.
@soup Oddly, it is my LEG.
When you're dealing with the lower, low back, the nerves run all way to the foot, but it's not sciatica. It's in the hip, the front of my shin and my tight and my back... the whole leg, like if I could snap it out from the socket like a doll leg, I would be okay!
This is why I am pretty sure I need the second shot.. a series.
He shot s1/l5 but the pattern of pain that remains, indicate l4.
I do think this is because of abuse. I got beat up, very badly for a solid dozen years. My father had no problem whatsoever, kicking us in the spine, when curled in a ball. I'd have weighed 60 pounds, he was 220, with a steel-toed boot!
He also used to send out out of the room. We'd turn to leave and he would kick up between the legs from behind, steel-toed boot, lifting us off the ground - sometimes we went flying. So it takes a toll!
We took to backing out of the room to avoid this. He didn't like this so he made us turn, "to see if we would get kicked"? Psychopath, okay? These are no interesting people, I wish people would get that.
Anyway, I don't know why things like this happen to some people but not others.
April is shaping up to be a travel-intense month, especially the last week. Should be interesting!
@gogol Hopefully it’s good!
I was just thinking about the upcoming weekends and I’ve got stuff going on until mid-May! We’re doing Easter with the kids and some in-laws this weekend. Going to visit my mom next weekend because it’s her birthday. Then we’ve got the granddaughters overnight the following Saturday and my husband is traveling that Sunday. Our daughter’s birthday…oh! The last weekend of April, so I guess we have a weekend tucked in there! Zoom zoom zoom!
@allie120 Oh yeah totally! I have one international trip planned, which would also have 1 local trip within....It's all work related, but I get along well with these people & this is the first time I'll be meeting them
@gogol That’s great! Business trips are, well, business, but if you can get a chance to experience the place outside that, it’s a benefit. I had a former boss stress this to me, as well as seeing my husband do this also (these two people never took advantage of this on the company’s dime!).
@allie120 Thanks, I mean to do a little bit of sightseeing, outside of office hours! Besides, there's always new food to try out, & I can grab that on spot
I'm feeling a bit excited, haha! It's also the first time I'll travel to a different country all alone, w/o any colleague or a group which is fun in itself!
@gogol That is exciting!
I have a good friend who started a new job last fall and she works from home. Their call center is in Colombia and she had to go on a business trip last month. She really fretted over it (she’s a Virgo) because she needed to update her passport, she hadn’t traveled for business in a long time, she really just wanted to stay home with her family, she didn’t know most of the people. I knew she would be ok but I just listened to her.
When she got back I asked her how it went. Well, she shared these gorgeous pictures of them having dinner and drinks near the water, against the beautiful sun setting, and she was smiling. She had a great time, was happy to connect with other colleagues, and was so happy she went.
I understand the Virgo angst, though lol, fret, complain to yourself, be prickly, but then relax and say, omg it was great lol
Enjoy!
@allie120 Have a great time ! Family gatherings are always fun, something that I've come to value even more after the pandemic.
Off the phone with designer client at top tier. She's dressing the top, top, top, yet again. It's surreal in a way. News breaks and I get to see the dress!
I'm actually excited.
@allie120 yes! This gal is insanely talented. I personally love her stuff.
I'm not a fashion type but her clothing is exquisite and undeniable. The kind of dresses, I don't care who you are; you know someone knows what they're doing.
In fact the first time we talked she told me she did X's dress for Y event. I am not into celeb / politics but when she said this, I knew exactly the dress she meant. I don't necessarily like the person wearing the dress, but when I saw it, years prior, I remarked to my husband, "Jeez, whoever dressed her nailed it. There is not a better dress in the world for this..."
Then I wind up working with the gal who made the dress. Uranus in 7th!
It's a case of someone who found their true calling. There's always a lot of velocity around a person like that. She probably started thinking about clothing when she was five... and will continue until she is ninety-five!
Just think of how much information fits in your head!
I got my music back!
Out of all platforms that eventually get removed from the internet, the death of Vanced hit me the hardest. I'm not a big consumer of YouTube as such, but their music app is so, so good. Naturally, I continued using mainstream yt music after the demise of Vanced,until today, when I discovered revanced.
Thanks Venus conj Uranus! It's indeed, a beautiful surprise kiss:)
Our breezeway remodel project is coming together. Super Mars-y contractor guy has been here a few days getting it done, with my husband taking days off to help him. We are really happy with how it's turning out. I took husband out to our favorite burger joint last night after the scrappy dude bossed him around all day. We both slept like babies last night. Venus/Uranus conjunct my husband's moon.
I am signed up for an addiction counseling program. Yup - Saturn in Pisces transiting my 8th house. Neptune is square my Gemini Mars. I am getting some relief with Mars now in Cancer, but sheesh, now I can't wait for him to exit my 12th. My natal Mars would really use some alone time. 
I also had all these years with Pluto conj desc, followed by Pluto square Venus. Finally that's moved on.