Monday, September 24, 2007

Just Buy Me A Beige Cardigan

Some slippers. A hot water bottle.

Because apparently I'm an old person. I have sciatica, according to my doctor. That's like an old person thing, right? Like listening to talkback radio and eating caramels. Like greeting cards with pastel roses on them and "where did I put my glasses?".

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Join the club - but I've had it since my early 30s, so I don't think it counts as an old person's disease.

Michael said...

You can take the Kleenex out of your watchband, Grandma, because young people get sciatica, too.

Poor dear, what did they give you? Get the swelling down ASAP and then walk! walk! walk! Exercise! Oh, don't look at me like that.

Thombeau said...

Oh, honey, I had very bad sciatica several years ago, even had to use a cane to get around. It was soooo painful, and I totally understood why it can take the elderly so long to hobble around. What helped was a chiropractor and, as Michael said, walking, walking, walking. I read a great book about stress and back pain that sort of changed my life. So relax in every way, and remember the pain can't kill you!

The Other Andrew said...

Ah, we've all bonded that little bit closer. Can you feel it? It's like we've formed our club. :)

(I snorted out loud at the "take the Kleenex out of your watchband, Grandma" comment.)

I have mega tight hamstrings, which is a large part of the problem. They need stretching. Regularly. Anyone thinking what I'm thinking? It's medicinal.

Anyhoo, the doc has given me a referral to a Physiotherapist and I'm going to start going back to my massage guy (strictly above board, not like a Mike Hancock/Corbin Fisher/Jake Cruise 'massage', m'kay?). Plus more walking, stretching and yoga. No drugs at this point.

Maggie said...

My mom has had this problem since her mid-thirties. The advice she always got was to walk, like Michael says. But she doesn't, not nearly enough. A couple of years ago she got an epidural which has really helped.

The Other Andrew said...

I already do quite a bit of walking, but having thought about it I am probably doing less in the past few months than I was. It's a pretty easy thing to do, I sometimes walk home from work (about a 45 minute stroll), so I should just do some more of that. Plus the stretching of course.

Michael said...

45 minutes is perfect. The key is CONTINUOUS walking, not the start-stop stuff that many of us do all day. And what better time to do it than on the cusp of summer down there?

PS When we were standing before my beloved Grandma Lizzy's casket, once my racking boo-hoos were over, I sniffed to my Mom, "We really should stuff some tissue under her watchband," and she snorted! Mom, I mean, not Grandma. Drew a few stares, but I know she appreciated it. Mom AND Grandma.

Ur-spo said...

what you need is stretching; and check out yoga too.

M-H said...

Stretching, walking, treatment. Been there, doing that. Constantly. Swwimming is good too. I go to an excellent osteopath - if you need her details contact me privately. But the stretching (also massage, yoga, pilates) is the most important thing - if you don't do that the rest of the exercise won't do you much good. I've had sciatica most of my life, but don't you 'old woman' me, you whippersnapper!

Unknown said...

You could be pregnant? That's why I got it ;)

The Other Andrew said...

Lara,
a) absence of ovaries/womb/vagina, b) that would mean I broke my Silver Ring Thing promise to remain a virgin until married and c) the complete lack of the having of the sex of late... aside from that...

Unknown said...

Could be the next virgin birth? We're about due for another messiah....

yani said...

*Note to self: Get Andrew big bag of caramels for his birthday*

;)