I had been doing fairly well by avoiding everything that triggered my symptoms
when the bottom dropped out about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I would wake up in the middle
of the night in agony. It got to the can't lay/can't sit/can't stand place. A
week ago I woke up at 2 AM in agony and could only pace. I walked for 4 hours in
my house, took too many Advil and it was as bad as it gets, really.

My doctor took an after hours call and phoned in some Vicodin which took enough
of an edge off that I could apply heat and get some sleep. Monday I had an appt
and he gave me steroids, a 30 day supply of Vicodin and ordered MRIs. They are
going to MRI my spine and both hips (even though my symptoms are confined to the
left hip and leg). His feeling is that the additional symptoms (added pain,
numbness, and occasional tingly feeling in my private area and left buttock as
well as a sometime burning sensation where the numbness is) means that something
has changed and we need to know what that is.

For my part, I am happy for the Vicodin and - seriously - the steroid/Vicodin
combo has meant I've spent a full day completely PAIN FREE. I haven't been
completely PAIN FREE in probably 3 years. I'm not going crazy and doing anything
stupid (although I got to put my pants on without sitting down today and could
even tie my own shoes if it weren't 100 degrees and I wasn't wearing sandals).

I am curious about the MRI order since last time I had an MRI of my spine and
one of my hip/leg. Also, he has sent me to a different place for the MRI and -
listening to their ON HOLD message, this place seems to have a special new and
improved MRI technology that allows increased detail. I have no idea if that is
true or just the self-important advertisement they were giving themselves.

Anyway, no idea if this means I am going to get some additional treatment but
the Vicodin alone is going to get me through our 3 week vacation so I'm feeling
fortunate.