The comfort of knowing.
I find a great satisfaction in having a diagnosis when something is obviously wrong. When I was much younger, when I first was diagnosed with depression (disthymia actually), it was such a relief to know that this "thing" had a name. I had also feared a diagnosis because that would make what I had real, as in "you really are crazy, not just moody."
So, my current diagnosis is a herniated disc at L4/L5 and significant arthritis in the facet joints in multiple levels of my spine. Yay! It means that I have someone that I can call if things get worse and who will try to make it better. It means having a resource for medication other than over the counter meds, which most of the time is enough - except when it isn't. It means having insurance, and not having to ignore signs and symptoms of something being wrong because I can't afford for things to be wrong.
Current plan of action is to try some medications; one for my paresthesia (numbness of leg) which will hopefully relieve some of that pain and one for just general pain. Also some physical therapy. After a month we'll re-evaluate to see if further intervention is needed. Next step may be some epidural injections of steriod and painkiller.
Also going to get a referral to a rheumatologist to see about treating the arthitis.
Yay.
So, my current diagnosis is a herniated disc at L4/L5 and significant arthritis in the facet joints in multiple levels of my spine. Yay! It means that I have someone that I can call if things get worse and who will try to make it better. It means having a resource for medication other than over the counter meds, which most of the time is enough - except when it isn't. It means having insurance, and not having to ignore signs and symptoms of something being wrong because I can't afford for things to be wrong.
Current plan of action is to try some medications; one for my paresthesia (numbness of leg) which will hopefully relieve some of that pain and one for just general pain. Also some physical therapy. After a month we'll re-evaluate to see if further intervention is needed. Next step may be some epidural injections of steriod and painkiller.
Also going to get a referral to a rheumatologist to see about treating the arthitis.
Yay.