Drugs, physical therapy, general exercise, rest…nothing has worked during the past year to alleviate my aches and pains in my back, neck, arm and hand. I don’t think my doctors are addressing this problem aggresively enough. I’ve scheduled an appointment on Monday, during which I hope to get several referrals. First, I want an electromyography test and nerve conduction study done. This will help diagnose the source of my problem, whether it’s carpal tunnel, a herniated disk, or some other horrible disease.  After that, I want information about posture specialists (Alexander Technique teachers?), acupuncture, and pain management.

I want my life back. I want to be pain free and able to enjoy my hobbies (such as knitting–which I can’t do right now) and able to work at the computer comfortably.

Some people seem to think I should just “get over it.” That I should stop complaining about this pain and just deal with it…somehow. I’m not a wimp. I gave birth to two very healthy babies naturally–no drugs at all. I can handle a great deal of pain, but why I should have to “just deal” with unremitting aches and pains and general numbness, which makes it difficult for me to accomplish daily tasks and impossible for me to enjoy my hobbies? This is not normal. The last time I saw my doctor, all she had to say to me was “hang in there.” That wasn’t helpful or comforting in the least.

While I don’t hold out a lot of hope in these things, I purchased another book on strengthening my abdominal muscles (Lose Your Mummy Tummy) and a video called Back Care Yoga for Beginners (starring the delicious Rodney Yee). I am kind of enjoying my workout sessions, so that’s something to feel positive about!