It’s been one week since I received my first round of Prolotherapy injections. The process itself wasn’t as bad as the other injections I have had this year. Right after receiving the injections, I noticed an immediate difference in my back. The doctor had me stand up to see if I noticed any difference in my hip. There was a bit of relief, when he had me lay back down on the table was when I noticed the biggest change. Any time I would lay flat on my back, I would have extreme pain in my back. That didn’t happen, I was hopeful. By the time I got home it was a little different, it was certainly painful, every step I took where my weight was on the left side was the most painful. It was challenging to lay on my left side and wear my sacral belt. I was a bit nervous how the next day would be, we were hosting our annual Oktoberfest party.
Day 1
The next day I woke up hopeful, we had our Oktoberfest party with 50 people coming, I had to make it through the day. For the most part, I was doing well. I noticed I wasn’t having the pain I had been having. My back was feeling good, my hip wasn’t terrible. I was aware of the times that I needed to take a break and made sure to sit. It wasn’t until after everyone had left and I crawled into bed that all the pain set in. I’m sure the adrenalin got me through the day and that when all the fun was over, I was able to understand just how much I pushed myself.
Day 2
I was surprised to wake up and find that I wasn’t in that much pain. The day before was a busy day and I was on my feet for most of it. A day like that usually leaves me unable to do much of anything the next day. That wasn’t the case for day 3. I wasn’t experiencing the level of pain that I usually do after an active day. I was able to help my husband with work we were doing on the house. later in the day was a different story. My back and my hip made it very clear that I needed to stop, I needed to sit down and take it easy.
Days 3-5
These days were some of the easiest days I have had in a LONG time. My back has been feeling great. I could say that I am feeling 80% relief in my back. My hip has its moments but not the extreme pain I have been struggling with. Day 5 I had a busy day ahead of me, doctor appointment, home appraisal and I decided to take on some very physical work around the house. I wasn’t struggling, I wasn’t having the stabbing pain, My hip was stiff but doable.
Day 6
It was an early day for me, our oldest was having surgery and we needed to be at the surgery center for 6 am. I knew that sitting in the waiting room chair was going to be a challenge for me. Sitting in a regular chair, upright for longer than 20 minutes typically causes a great deal of pain and swelling in my lower back. My husband had questioned if I was in pain before we left because I was wearing the sacral belt. For me it was more about being prepared, trying to make sure I was comfortable and held together for the day ahead. It was a struggle for me to be comfortable, the pain in my back was flaring up, my hip was hurting. I would be home soon enough relaxing with my girl while she recovered. Later in the night, the stabbing almost burning has come back into my hip.
Day 7
My pain in my back has been present, not as severe as it has been prior to the injection, enough to remind me it’s there. The hip pain is there but it’s different, it’s more sore and burning no matter if I am sitting or standing. I considered taking our dogs for a walk with my husband, something I haven’t been able to do for months. Instead, my body told me I needed to rest and ended up taking a nap.
Prior to the injections, it was difficult to walk, stand, and sit at my desk for more than 20 minutes, the pain was off the charts. Trying to find a comfortable position for sleep was a nightly challenge. Sleep is still challenging most nights. Day 6 told me that sitting for a long period of time in a traditional chair, not my cozy recliner, is a challenge. Walking, being physical is not as challenging but does still come with lingering pain. Even as I sit here and type, the burning radiates up from the lower hip and into my back. Am I 100%, no, and these injections are likely not going to get me there. I would say that I am 50-60% better than I was one week ago.
My next round of injections are scheduled for October 6th. I am looking forward to seeing how I improve from there. My chiropractor asked me yesterday if I felt more stable in my joints. I hadn’t really thought about that since I had been focusing more on the pain than stability. The jury is still out on stability.
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