Decisions

I had a CT scan Friday morning on my back.  I've been having some issues for the past couple of years and last fall was diagnosed with Isthmic Spondylolisthesis which has been causing a great deal of sciatic nerve pain in my left leg.  I couldn't sit, I couldn't stand, I couldn't walk, I couldn't lay down, I couldn't do anything in any one position for any length of time without pain. After physical therapy, shots and pills and everything else the pain had gotten unbearable and my doctor recommended surgery.  Due to the crazy work schedule I had determined to live with the pain until this fall when it would be easier for me to take the 6-8 weeks off work that he estimates I'll need.

So that was the plan.  Except that in May I took a steroid pack for my sister's wedding, so that I could actually stand up for 20 minutes straight during her wedding.  While on the steroid pills, the pain is almost gone, but usually the very first day after I finish the steroids, the pain returns.  This time it didn't, at least not right away, and since then although I'm still in pain, it's not nearly as severe as it was.  This level of pain I could live with, although I would prefer not to, as it still damned inconvenient to not be able to find a comfortable position no matter what I'm doing.  But my doctor is now not so gung ho on the surgery, although he admits that it probably will return to the previous level of pain at some point.

Thus the CT scan today.  It serves a two-fold purpose.  One, to see if something has shifted and it's just not pinching the nerve as much now or what.  Two, to give him a better view in general in preparation for possible surgery.  I don't really want to have major surgery, and I certainly don't want unnecessary surgery, but I don't want to put the surgery off now and 6 months from now be back in the amount of pain I was 3 months ago.  So I don't know at this point.  I go back to the doctor in another week to see the results of the CT scan and I guess we'll see what he says then.