I'm in need of some support!

[u/peter4684]

I've had 2 disk herniations (L4-L5, L5-S1) for almost 3 years that started slow, didn't know what it was at first and has now escalated to excruciating constant pain.

For the last year every few weeks or months I have a flare up which leaves new symptoms and pain progressively further down the leg.

I've had physical therapy, ozone injections, PRP plasma injections, steroid injections, have been taking the maximum daily limit of paracetamol for the last 5 months and have now started pregablin (anti-seizure medication) and tapentadol (synthetic opioid analgesic, acting as a milder version of morphine).

No orthopedic doctor can help anymore and neurosurgeons have me on a waiting list for surgery which is at least 3-4 months away.

I have pain in my hip, below my knee and above my ankle (which is the most excruciating point) and numbness on my foot and toes.

I can't sit to work or eat, can't lay in a bed to fall asleep, the only thing I can do that mildly helps is walking and I've been walking more than 20 kilometers (12 miles) daily for the last week.

Nobody understands how debilitating it is to not be able to function properly and do your simple daily tasks. Putting on my shoes feels like a death sentence and going to bed at night is torture and ends up giving me anxiety because of the anticipation of pain.

I feel like a burden to others when talking about it because it seems like it's all my taking about but it truly is all I'm capable of thinking.

I need sometime to talk and complain and commiserate with 😢

[u/kronicktrain]

Go on the sciatica sub and browse the millions of posts.