It’s so nice to be back out in Casper. This weekend we’ve headed out to the Yorkshire Moors National Park. It’s not too far from where I live, making it a perfect getaway for the weekend. With it being the school holidays, a lot of places are quite busy. This is a quieter National Park compared to some of the others near home. I’m not saying it doesn’t get busy, it can do in certain popular areas of the park. I just know where to avoid it.
Yesterday we did a lovely walk to the seal colony in Ravenscar. It was a painful walk due to my sciatica but the minute I saw the seals, bobbing up and down in the water, it made it all worthwhile.
Not Sure What Has Caused Sciatica
Not sure how I’ve got sciatica or what I have done to cause it. I first noticed I had a sore lower back. This started on the Friday at the end of May. I was sitting twisted in our van writing a blog for a good few hours. Since that moment, my lower back felt so sore. I never really thought much of it. Just thought, I would give myself a good stretch out at home and I would be ok. The pain never really went, even after a good stretch.
On Monday, I was walking home from work. I was feeling well and the weather was nice, I decided to take a long walk home. I decided to go across the footpaths on the fields. As I did, I cockled back over on my very bruised ankle. Something which I had been doing on nearly every walk of the holiday in Scotland. This then for some reason made the pain in my back worse.
Wednesday mornings I love to go out for a good run when my health allows it. But the night before I was talking to Alex, debating if I should be running at the moment. My ankle is very bruised and sore. I can walk on it ok and without it hurting, but I keep cockling over on it easily at the minute, because of how weak it has got. Every time I go over on it, I’m delaying the healing process. So running on the trails, where I love to run, is most probably not a good idea at the minute.
I woke up on Wednesday morning and climbed out of bed, realising it was now not my ankle I have to now worry about. I had pain all in my right leg. It hurt every time I put weight on it. I didn’t think much of it but I certainly didn’t feel like I was able to run on it. I still got changed into my workout gear but did a cardio pilate session instead. My leg hurt, but wasn’t too bad once I got it moving. Plus a lot of the session didn’t put a lot of weight onto my right leg so it wasn’t too bad. A lot of it was floor workout too.
I then did some research to see what could be causing the pain. This is when I soon realised it was sciatica. I then read up on a few different reliable sources, including NHS website. They all said the best way to heal it quickly, is to try and do your normal activities as much as the pain will allow you. Walking, swimming, and yoga are the best exercises to do.
The Pain After Doing Some Hoovering
So I got out of the hover and did my housework, just like I do on an average Wednesday. By the time the hovering was done, I could hardly walk. I couldn’t put any weight on my right leg. It was just so painful. I took paracetamol, it made no difference. I took codeine, still made no difference. Every site said to take Ibuprofen, however, I can’t take it for two reasons. Firstly, because I take Etoricoxib which is already a NSAIDs. Secondly, apparently, Lupus patients shouldn’t take Ibuprofen. Not sure why we can’t take it. I just remember once when I was an inpatient in the hospital, they wouldn’t give me any because I had Lupus. If anyone knows why, please let me know as I’m interested to know why.
I spent the rest of Wednesday alternating cold and hot compressions on my sciatica as recommended. By the evening, I was still in a lot of pain, and unable to hardly walk. I then did some more research on some physio I could do to help.
The physio helped a little but the biggest game-changer was my sport gun massage which I have. Ever since Wednesday, I’ve been spending 5 to 10 minutes each morning using my massage gun. It helps to release the muscle which is pressing on my sciatica nerve. It still hurts to walk, but it makes it so much more be able.
No Pain No Gain
Yesterday was one of the most painful walks I’ve ever done. But I know by forcing myself out on painful walks will hopefully be helping it heal quicker. I just kept telling myself all day yesterday it’s good pain. You know the phrase, ‘no pain no gain’. They say the worse thing to do, is to not move. Even though that’s the least painful thing to do. I could quite happily sit here all day long, catching up on blogs. But I know it will only slow the healing down.
Today, it feels a lot less painful compared to yesterday morning. Hopefully, that is a good sign this walking is helping. I haven’t needed to use my sports gun massage yet today. It still hurts to walk on it but definitely heading in the right direction. Yesterday morning, I couldn’t put any weight on it until I had massaged it. Knowing this improvement from yesterday, makes me want to get out for another painful hike today, knowing I’m helping to heal it.
Update On The Wolf
Apart from my Sciatica, things with the wolf still seems to be going well. I’ve had some sinus trouble this week and my asthma was bad yesterday. But I wasn’t sure if I had forgotten to take my steroid inhaler in the morning. I am feeling quite fatigued this morning, but I think that’s just from yesterday’s walk and fighting pain all day.
Hairdressers
Next week I’m off to hairdressers. My first time since the start of the pandemic. My hair really does need a cut. It’s so dry at the ends. Plus if it grows any longer, I will be sitting on my hair! I’m a little anxious about going but I know it will be safe. I’m trying to slowly bring things back into my life. Slowly getting some normality again. Of course I’m not going to do anything that will put me at risk. Hairdressers will be safe as they have to follow the COVID measures. The risk should hopefully be the same, as the risk I have going to work, or going to my medical appointments.
Anyways, that’s it from me this week. I have my routine bloods next week.
Until next week.
Goodbye for now
Emma
xox
