back update.

[a_bleeding_rose]

My back apparently can't decide if it wants to behave after this latest steroid shot or not. For a week and a half after the injection, I was still in a significant amount of pain, though at least finally able to lie down and sit without too much pain. I was also still taking megatons of tramadol and Advil. Then last Thursday or so, I started to notice my back wasn't bothering me nearly as much, and I was even able to walk farther than normal before it became necessary for me to sit. By now I am able to sit and lie down with almost no pain, (though there are occasional flare ups even doing that), and I can walk about three blocks before I feel like I'm going to break in two (which isn't an acceptable distance at all, but is improvement). I cannot walk or stand, however, without *some* pain. Even with the painkillers, which I've knocked down to just Advil during the day and then two tramadol at night with Advil (instead of tramadol three times a day with Advil). So, it's improvement, and if it keeps improving, awesome. If this is as good as it gets with the steroids, however, then surgery is still in my future, because I cannot live like this.
And while my hip is still obviously misaligned, I can stand and walk straighter than I had been, so that's some comfort as well.
On the really downside, I don't know if it's before of the steroid, because of the painkillers, or simply because my blood pressure is through the roof right now because of all the pain, but there have been a few times now when I've noticed my heart skipping beats. Frankly, it scares the shit out of me, and makes me wonder just what the fuck else is wrong with me.