new to this forum as of today. Name is Carl.
I have a bulging disc at L4/L5 area that I've dealt with off/on since 2008, but have been on pain killers and muscle relaxers since Dec 2010. I've had times where I've been able to back down to only a couple of pills a day instead of 3-4 times a day, but never completely off. Cortisone injections helped end the muscle spasms, but not the overall pain. I'd say my daily pain level on meds is probably around a 4-5 with a 10 being having spasms.
I'm scheduled to get the Nerve burning procedure done at my PM Doc tomorrow afternoon. The blocker test did well for the first 24-48 hours I was almost pain free. So I'm hoping this procedure will help get me off the pills, then maybe I can start doing some exercise/strengthening of my back muscles and abs.
As for the weekend, well, luckily I am able to stay somewhat active as long as I keep up with my 3 a day dosage. So Friday night my son had a baseball game, then immediately following had his Pinewood derby for cubscouts. I was supposed to go race my mustang on Saturday, but the race was cancelled due to bad track conditions, so instead I went on a short day sail with my daughter and her Sea Scout troop. That was fun on a 26 foot Westerly sail boat.