Monday

Well, monday is here and I was able to get out of bed this morning....YAY for that right? I stuck to my goals yesterday and managed to get my exercises in at bedtime. I don't feel any better today, but I don't feel any worse either. Tomorrow is my MRI and Im having a little anxiety about that. Mainly because I'm worried if 1. I'll fit in the machine there and 2. how long I'm going to have to lie there on my back. Lying on my back is probably the most challenging position for me because it makes it difficult for me to breathe and when you are having back trouble, it is probably the most painful position to be in. I usually need a pillow under my legs because if I stretch them out in front of me, it pulls on my back. Typically, they require that you have your legs straight out in front of you and honestly, I've had my back get WORSE after lying in this position for too long. Here's hoping they can get the images they need quickly.

I don't really expect the MRI to show any problems with my disc at this point. I've had a disk out before and I know what THAT feels like. What I am going through right now feels more muscular than anything else, but when your muscles are spasming, it is very easy to slip a disk. So, I guess, tomorrow we will see what happens.

My plan for the week

In an effort to foster some kind of accountability this week, I'm going to post my plan for this week and commit to posting at least once a day; no matter how short or boring it might be. So, for the record, here are my goals:

1. Meals are going to consist of two smoothie/shakes per day, a lean cuisine and fruit for snacks. I am hoping that this will help me get a jump start on getting more weight off (I had lost about 12 lbs the last time I stepped on the scale, but haven't checked recently..I'll get on the scale tomorrow and let you guys know where we are at).

2. Walk on the treadmill at least once a day. I'm not putting a certain number of minutes. I'm going to listen to my body and walk for as long as it feels comfortable and try to increase that by at least 5 seconds each day.

3. Do the initial back strengthening exercises here here at least once a day. BTW, if any of you can figure out what I'm supposed to be doing for the "ankle pumps" let me know. I thought they wanted me to raise them off the bed, but then they aren't much different from the straight leg raises are they? Also, do they want me to do 10 sets of 10? on each leg? I'm confused, but maybe that's the pain medicine I'm on interfering.

I also wanted to put your minds at ease about these exercises. I haven't exactly checked them out with my doctor, but most of them are exercises my physical therapist had me doing when I was having problems with my knees so I'm fairly sure I can't do too much damage. I ran through them all last night before I went to bed and none of them seem too taxing. The leg raises were probably the most challenging of the bunch, but I feel ok today (no better, no worse) so I'll just try to pay attention to how I'm feeling.

I go for an MRI on the 30th, this Tuesday so hopefully they will be able to see what is going on in there. I'm hoping it is just muscular at this point. Honestly, I have had my back go out entirely before so I know what incredible pain that causes. I'm not in that sort of pain, but I live in fear of my back going completely out because I know how difficult it was for me to get around when I was much thinner and more fit. I can't imagine how I would manage rolling over in bed at this size much less getting OUT of bed and walking around....I know it just won't happen. I will be in serious trouble. Methinks God has just soundly whacked me upside the head peoples.

Update

I'm sorry I haven't been updating my blog. I've had a lot going on in the last few weeks; the move, crazy business with a friend who was in trouble, and now back problems.

I suspect the back problems were due to a new walking regimen I started. I had only been walking a few days, but my back was probably the first group of muscles to start screaming while I was on the treadmill. I would only walk 5 minutes at a time, but I guess that was enough to tire them out and cause them to start spasming. It hasn't gone completely out and the doctor has me on amrix, ibuprofin and vicodin, but that doesn't seem to be doing a damn thing. It helps the pain, but it isn't correcting the problem. He has scheduled me for an MRI next tuesday so he doesn't want to give me the meds I think will really help (mobic and skelexin have always helped in the past) because he doesn't want to skew any results the MRI will pick up. In the meantime, I can barely walk, going to the bathroom has become an almost impossible feat since it is extremely difficult to get up and down from a seated position, and I'm truly terrified of what will happen if my back goes completely out. I can't help but worry about the fact that being in bed or in a recliner all day is only further reducing my activity which will lead to more muscle strength lost, etc. I'm scared to death that this may be the injury that puts me in bed for good and I'm pissed at myself for screwing off this last year. I had back trouble even when I was at my thinnest and fittest, but I know that the weight I have on my body now is only going to make dealing with it that much harder.

I found some exercises that I've started trying to do in bed (for my back) so I'm hoping maybe that will help. If anyone has any other ideas, medication that might work, etc, I'm WAY receptive to anything you might share.