Affordable Health Care Deductible ...... NOT NOW!

You will recall me mentioning a little heel and my sciatic nerve ........

Over the last six months I have been doing some heavy duty driving. Long hours behind the wheel has made me all too familiar with aches and pains. Particularly my sciatic nerve and the burning pain that sets in and refuses to be pacified with a change of position. I have toyed with thoughts of hanging my left leg out the window as I drive and would if I thought it would help. It starts out as a burning from my hip to my ankle, then a slow steady ache. Stopping  frequently and walking has helped and adding a cushion to the drivers seat helps occasionally.


Sweet Jailynn slept with Gramma Monday night. She was happy to be snug against me. Cujo was not. He wormed his way between us right away to claim his place. He was a good boy and allowed her to pet him and coo at him. As soon as she fell asleep, I gently moved Jailynn over to claim more space for myself and Cujo moved to the foot of the bed at her feet.

Oscar woke me at 5:30 for a walk outside and I leashed the two dogs and took them out to do their business and returned to the warm bed full of little girl. We cuddled and I kissed the top her head while drawing in that little girl smell to remember during the next few weeks. We both went back to sleep and I turned with my back to her. In her sleep she turned over, too. Unfortunately she used my lower back to leverage her turn. Her little heel found that spot and I felt the burn immediately.

I lay there willing it to go away. I was scheduled to drive at least 8 hours and I was dreading it. I started out with the first leg of my trip. I stopped at my dad's house and had lunch with them before resuming my way home.

It bothered me at first, but I found that the extra cushion would not work in the RV as it did in my car. After my lunch break, I was feeling better. Could have been the Tylenol I swallowed with lunch, but I was doing pretty good. It was overcast and the sun was not an issue and things were going pretty good. The wind picked up, though and I was driving directly into it.

In a car, it would not have been a problem to drive into the wind. The RV was a different story, though. Bad enough that I was fighting the head wind, but every time a semi passed it was a struggle to stay on the road. At first it would push me to the right and then as the truck came along side, it wanted to suck me into it.

I sailed through Atlanta. Then the wind was really pushing me back. I stopped for gas (you don't want to know, you really don't want to know what it took to fill that tank!) and my leg was numb and tingling and my back was hurting, Swallowed more Tylenol and sucked down some caffeine. I really wanted to make it to Chattanooga before stopping. I continued north and the pain continued roaming up and down my back and leg. The wind continued to gust and then it started to rain. It was only 4:40, but I stopped at the first RV park I found.

Didn't make it to Tennessee, but hoped a good night's sleep would set me up for the next day. I got up and was on the road at 7:00 est ....... 6:00 central time. I stopped and procured coffee and another insane amount of fuel. Let it be known that every time I stopped to get fuel, I would find it at least 10 cents cheaper at the very next exit.

Over cast again, but the wind had subsided and I was determined to sleep in my own bed that night. I was aching all over as I started out. I was tense the day before and my arm muscles were sore, as well as my neck. And my old friend, Sciatica, was front and center. More Tylenol didn't help much.

I was losing the light of day as I crossed the Missouri line, but was confidant that I would make it home. I was miserable at this point. My left leg was aching and my right knee decided to join in protest to sitting behind the wheel. I was listening mindlessly to Siri guide me along the interstate. As soon as I exited towards St. Louis, instead of staying on 64, I knew I had screwed up. Adding another 30 minutes to my already long day.

I pulled into my parking lot at 5:30 CST. Eleven and a half hours after waking up that morning. I was so tired. My knee was screaming and my back was torturing me. I grabbed the mere essentials and a dog and headed inside, leaving the other dog and unloading to He Who awaited my return.

A long hot shower followed and I gratefully sank into my chair and snuggled with my canine babies. The knee was so happy not to be bent, the pain left immediately. The back is another story.

Still hurts. I can't get comfortable in bed and sleep is not coming easily. In addition to the pain, I am numb. A contradiction in terms, right? My pain is in my lower back, but my hip and part of my abdomen is numb. Like your face feels when the dentist shoots your mouth full of Novacaine. And it itches. I scratch, but can't feel the scratch, so it does not quench the itch.

So I googled my symptoms. I have a rash on my side ...... but not where it itches. The internet tells me I need an MRI to rule out a herniated disc. He Who is not a doctor assures me I have shingles. Really, I am not happy with either.

I have been taking it easy. I have high hopes that by tomorrow I will be in tip-top shape. I was relatively pain free when I went to bed last night. I was totally relaxed, happy that I wasn't struggling to find a comfortable position. I lay there on my back flipping channels on the TV when He Who had taken the canine creatures out for last call lifted Cujo into the bed. In his joy to see me again (it had been a good 10 minutes since we parted), he pounced onto my lower abdomen and I jerked my legs up in reflex ......... I have been up and down all night. The burning sensation brought me out of a sound sleep at 4:52 this morning.

Looks like I will be calling the clinic for an appointment tomorrow. If only I could wait until January 1st. I do not want to fulfill my deductible NOW.