Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

Saw the DO yesterday. Left the appointment with some hope. For nearly four weeks I've lived with incredible pain in my right leg. The pain grips my thigh, knee, and upper shin, like my leg is in a vice that is tightening and not letting up. For nearly four weeks, I've sat in this recliner, crying through the night because of the pain. Exhaustion on top of pain is not sustainable. The DO asked me to go through what I've been experiencing. When I finished, she shook her head, saying the ER went down the wrong path, that the issue is not the compression fracture; it is a nerve issue. Most likely a herniated disc, which wouldn't have shown up on a CT scan. She seemed irritated that they didn't do an MRI right there given the amount of pain I was in at that moment in the ER. I said it was pretty obvious they didn't believe me when I tried to explain the pain.  The DO ordered an MRI, which I hope to get done early next week. She also prescribed a nerve-blocking painki...

Three weeks into this compression fracture of my L2, I'm seeing some improvement with mobility, less pain overall, but a very short patience fuse. Three weeks of too much sitting, not enough sleep, and constant pain is a recipe for disaster. I'm trying to be mindful of what the dogs need, but there have been moments when all I can do is sit here and cry because I know I'm not giving them my best me. Not even close. But I don't know how to give them the best me when I can't move like I used to, when I am in pain all the time, and when I'm exhausted. I'm just trying to make it from one moment to the next. When I was in the ER, I tried to convey just how much pain I was in, but I'm not convinced the nurse practitioner or the nurse believed me. The nurse practitioner offered morphine, which I probably should have taken, but me being me, I figured there was an alternative that wasn't so drastic. I was given Norco while there, but it didn't seem to do ...