Herniated Discs

In 2015 I was playing spike ball on the beach with my ex-wife and friends. I felt something tweak in my back and knew it wasn't good. After that, I monitored the pain and a few months later ended up experiencing the first of what I now call "episodes".

The next few months consisted of me missing a week of work, going to the ER to receive a steroid injection, going to an orthopedist to receive another type of injection, and just going through agonizing, debilitating pain. Sleeping, riding in the car, standing, sitting, everything was so painful. What the hell was happening? I am 25?!

After seeing multiple specialists and finally being able to get an MRI (insurance is so annoying), it was determined that I had two herniated discs. Some doctors suggested surgery but were timid because of my young age of 25, while others suggested an epidural injection (uh no thanks), chiropractor, or physical therapy.

Little remedies took the pain away, but I was able to come up with an essential oil concoction of peppermint, panaway, and valor to manage the pain. I had already tried a chiropractor and was hesitant to do that again and also weary of the cost, so I ended up going to physical therapy (the least scary of the options in my opinion), which in the end was really what helped. When I finished the rounds of physical therapy I was told to continue with my exercises and that if I didn't, the pain would very likely come back and my back would get worse.

Did I listen? Of course not! I was 25 and in love (or so I thought). I did not give a shit about my back-I wasn't 70 years old. There was no way I could actually have back issues...

Fast forward to 2021. Divorced, but happy, in a new state, new job, new life, and things are going so well. I joined a volleyball team on my own. I knew no one on the team. I was so excited to play again after playing in high school and college and now Covid was ending and I could finally get out to socialize and play MY sport.

During warm-ups...felt the tweak. The same tweak from six years ago. God damnit. This is not happening. I played through it. I am here I am not going to not play through this. I have waited so long to play. Playing through the pain was fine. The next few days were not.

Playing volleyball on top of driving four hours that weekend landed me in the ER with even more debilitating pain than ever before. I couldn't move. My friend had to come to get me and the pain of simply getting into her car was more than I could bear. I had been through this before. I told the ER nurse to not give me an x-ray because I know what it shows. So they did an MRI- this time it showed 3 herniated discs protruding, and I was told by the way you have degenerative discs. So. This isn't going away. You will probably need surgery one day (terrifying). And also you may not be able to play volleyball ever again. No running or jumping. Great. You have got to be kidding me.

I went to the ER on May 16th, 2021. It is now August 8th and yesterday I did a 4-mile hike with a very good friend and also drove for about two hours in the car. I am a little sore today, but I did my stretches and am pushing through. I have since done a few months of PT (begged my insurance to let me keep going as long as possible) and with that and daily stretches/taking it easy for a few months, I am doing ok. *Cross fingers* I am still terrified of the day when I experience another episode, but I need to radically accept that my degenerative discs are not going away, they will probably get worse as I age, and I may never be able to move in the ways I used to. It is frustrating as hell, but it is reality and it could always be worse.

Things I have learned with herniated discs:

Bend from the knees- holy shit this is so important
Engage your core in whatever you are doing
Daily stretches once or twice a day if possible
Invest in an exercise ball, stretchy band, "the stick", and a massage gun
Limit what I lift
No jumping or running (for now- hopefully one day :/)
Stay positive
I will probably need surgery one day but that day is not today
Take care of my body
I'm not 18 anymore so don't play volleyball like I am