Sidelined by Sciatica on Sunday

Today finds me in bed, having personal stretching sessions and alternating between ice packs and heating pads.  I am not sure of the culprit that instigated this latest round of sciatic nerve pain but I am sure that it's not an easy or quick fix.  If you are not familiar with the sciatic nerve or the pain it can cause let me take a moment to introduce you. More than like at some point in your life your sciatic nerve will let you know exactly where it's located.  Your sciatic nerve comes from the bottom of your spinal canal through your pelvic bone, under your piraformus muscle and down each leg.  If it becomes inflamed it can cause very undesirable pain all the way from the top of your buttocks down to your big toe. Thank Sciatic Nerve for reminding me of your existence.

 
Since I am sidelined today and attached to either an ice pack or heating pad, I find myself wandering all over this amazing web we call the internet.  I have rediscovered a great Chiari support group, played Zynga poker on Facebook, chatted on skype, answered email and been having a 'Cake Boss' marathon on Netflix. Thankfully, I am great friends with pain so this is not a new position to be in.  Luckily, I am struggling with boredom and not fighting with emotions.  Since I have also taken muscle relaxers and pain killers, my brain is not fully functional.  It wants to be entertained and can't be bothered with trying to be productive.  The good news is that I am struggling with this now instead of 2 weeks from now when I am scheduled to be traveling to the Philippines.

I have never had a neurologist confirm that sciatica is a symptom of Chiari but I know I am not the only Chiarian that suffers from this dreaded nerve problem.  You can't convince me that if the flow of cerebrospinal fluid is disrupted or decreased that it will not cause other difficulties with the spinal cord or nervous system.  But I am not a doctor, I am just a simple girl with a complicated

condition.  Chiarians are notorious for having multiple problems.  I don't know of a single Chiarian that has just Chiari.  I don't know of any of us that don't have symptoms that seemingly defy explanation.  When one is given a diagnoses of Arnold Chiari Malformation, type 1, they should also issue a strong sense of patience as well. This condition is elusive at best.  It's complicated and difficult to manage.  A Chiarian must become an open book when it comes to health issues. We must have possess a strong sense of humor and a quick wit to deal with all the complications that are sure to follow our diagnosis. For all my fellow Chiarians, I admire you!  As soon as I can get out of this bed, I will start dancing! :)