29th June 2025

18:48 | Mood: positive!

I went to a gallery today with my boyfriend and bought a new purse from the gift shop. It's about A5 in size, and I'm gonna use it to stash all my first-aid/toiletry stuff that I carry in my bag, as my current tiny box purse is overflowing with a wide variety of painkillers, heat pads, suncream, tampons, sanitary towels, diarrhoea relief. If you have an ailment, I've probably got something for it! My colleagues refer to it as a walking pharmacy.

I've been feeling a lot better recently. My back hasn't been as sore. Don't get me wrong, my left leg was achey after walking around a gallery and around the city all day but it passed. I'm feeling braver too, like I gave the bathroom a super deep clean after work yesterday and I didn't hurt afterwards. I know, what I consider as 'being brave' is very pathetic right now. I think my 'brave thing' today might be to repair some jeans at the sewing machine; or do some quilting. I took a hiatus from making quilts as my back was really sore after sitting behind my sewing machine for a couple hours.

26th June 2025

22:00 | Mood: okay

No news from my MRI, no news is good news i guess? If they haven't called by next Wednesday I'm gonna call them and see if there is an update.
Back has been okay, I think in hindsight it's been getting better a little each day. Nothing much to report on that area I guess.

I finally finished knitting that cardigan I mentioned!

my magnum opus...

I'm very pleased with the result. Planning on extending a rag rug I made a few years ago next, and then work on a sweater; this pattern specifically!

15th June 2025

19:12 | Mood: slightly apprehensive

Back is doing okay this week. The amitriptyline is helping me sleep, I'm not sure if it's having any effect on the nerve pain - but after a bit of googling it seems that any 'painkilling' effect takes a few weeks to kick in. I did a trick earlier to 'decompress' your spine; you lean yourself against a countertop, place your hands on the top, put your weight onto them, and lift yoruself so your feet are dangling down. I don't know if I felt relief however I felt a weird sensation in my lower back where my injury is, like something moved and had odd nerve pain in my hips afterwards. Ho hum. I guess some tricks work for some, and others don't.

MRI is on Wednesday, I'm oddly looking forward to it. I know I won't get the results for another couple weeks afterwards, but it feels like a big step to figuring out what I've done to my back. Looking forward to the recovery too; physiotherapy and getting active again are important to me. I'm apprehensive, I don't want to jump too fast into the deep end and re-injure my back, but I guess the MRI will tell all. Some days I feel great, like I'm healing, and feel like the MRI will show nothing; and other days I feel glum, and feel like whatever the MRI shows will be the worst possible outcome.

Feels like being a bit in limbo, with good pain days and bad pain days sprinkled around. Even though my back feels weird post decompression trick, I think it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be, which is a positive. I'll hold onto those good days and positive signs, thank you very much.

7th June 2025

22:31 | Mood: tired

just a quick lil update. back got a bit worse, went to the doctor, got prescribed amitriptyline for nerve pain and to help me sleep. I have an MRI scan on the 18th just incase I have bulged a disc or have some sort of soft tissue compression on a nerve. Been taking ibuprofen and paracetamol/cocodamol regularly just so I have some sort of painkiller in my system throughout the day.
It's scary, but I'm trying to stay positive. The doctor said whichever outcome it is, physiotherapy usually deals with the problem.
Nerve pain is exhausting, so I'm careful where I spend my energy during the day. Sadly, blogging is not at the top of that list. Don't be worried! Look after your backs, people. *shakes fist*