And then my foot started tingling...

Yeah. Remember when I said there was a reason I was posting the background of my injury? There was.

About three months ago I was sitting at my desk at work when I started having the oddest burning / tingling sensation in my right foot. I was wearing a pair of shoes that I hadn't worn in a while, so at first I thought it was my shoes (because shoes do that to people all the time, right?), so I took my shoes off at my desk and started rubbing my foot.

And it did nothing.

By the afternoon, I was having the same sensation in my left foot as well, although not as strong.

I mentioned it to FireMan, just as a heads up.

Since then, I've experienced tingling, numbness, and the occasional burning sensation in both of my legs (buttocks down to toes) off-and-on. Mostly in my right leg, like before, but definitely in both.

A little twinge of minor pain in my lower back on occasion as well, as well as the rare sciatic pain in my buttocks, extending into my hamstring.

All of this was just a little too familiar.

I considered calling my family doctor. But... since my surgery I've moved about 40 miles south, and the family doctor who I had at the time (who knows my case backwards & forwards) moved his practice about 60 miles north.

So... did I want to see my new family doctor? Drive to see my old family doctor, who knows my case? Just skip it all & go back to my surgeon? Or just wait it out?

Well, since all of these symptoms were more annoying than anything, I decided to wait it out, all the while trying to decide which doctor I wanted to see if / when the time came.

And then, one night last week, my back went out.

I don't know why. I hadn't done anything unusual. Just... horrible, crippling pain.

And the Hunchback of Notre Dame was reborn in an instant.

And of course this happens on a night when FireMan is on shift, and I am home alone with FireGirl. Luckily she is old enough to do most things by herself (with direction), and is also old enough to understand when Mommy's back has an owie and so she cannot be picked up.

I would give my pain that night an 8 on a scale of 1 - 10, without a doubt the highest since my surgery. By far.

Once FireGirl went to bed, I tried to get as comfortable as possible to relax on the couch, and finally gave up, took some Ibuprofen PM, and went to bed.

In the morning when I woke up, I felt great!

Until I tried to move. The minute I moved my legs, the pain came back. Not quite as bad as the night before, but... bad.

But... my history told me it was doable, so I got up, got ready, got FireGirl ready, and headed to work like normal.

And spent a good part of the day answering questions about why I was walking around so funny.

I called my family doctor, who didn't have an opening until the next week. And since I know this isn't urgent, and our work has an on-site clinic that I can go to if it suddenly becomes urgent, I decided to wait.

I walked funny, couldn't lift things, and generally tried to take it easy for 4 days before the pain finally subsided