the saga of my back pain or why i am a medicine maven

i have alluded in recent posts to my bum back...about a week and a half ago, as i was walking into the bedroom to lay with jubal while he fell asleep, my back spasmed--the lower left quadrant. i thought something clever like "that was weird" followed by "that hurts" and went to bed. it hurt throughout the night and on into the next day. and the next. and the next. rodney suggested going to the doctor, which seemed silly to me, as he'd probably say i need to lose weight (no, really?!) and maybe give me some pills, which i didn't really want. but, as the pain persisted, it started to seem like a better idea--those potential pills were starting to take on a glorified weight in my mind. i thought about occasions for vicadin of the past (post-hospital stay for The Appendix and a couple of wisdom tooth pulls) and i thought that might be really nice right now...so i went. but he wouldn't give me vicodin because i'm nursing--even though most of my research says it's probably okay, and i extrapolated that since jubal's not nursing much anyways, and doesn't actually get much milk, he would get barely any of the dose himself...this doctor is a real stickler. so he gave me the only muscle relaxer nursing mamas can have (baclofin) and high dose ibuprofin. nothing. no relief--except for the night that i added two beers to the mix, knowing that alcohol can enhance the effects of the baclofin (no worries, the kids were asleep and i wasn't driving anywhere)...not a dosing strategy that i can maintain! the doctor had told me to be back in a week if it was still bothering me, so i went back yesterday...

the doctor suggested seeing a chiropractor or at least getting some therapeutic massage, neither of which my insurance will pay for. he also said we could x-ray my back next time if it didn't improve, but then said "or we could do it now"--we'd be looking for arthritis or degeneration (at which i made some crazy sound which meant "dammit, i cannot handle anything that's going to be time consuming or depressing!", but which the doctor interpreted as me laughing at the idea of a 29 year old with arthritis)..."let's do it, " i said, so we did. i was x-rayed by some strange lady in this weird dungeon of a room at the clinic, laying on a hideously uncomfortable table, wearing a ridiculous "gown". while i was waiting for the doctor to return to discuss my films with me, i was looking at them glowing on the outdated wall-mounted light table, feeling pride and wonder at the human body, so gloriously made and beautifully built. my spine was so lovely.

the doctor quickly returned to inform me that i did have arthritis, i did have degeneration, and that one of my vertebrae is in the wrong place, which he "would expect to be uncomfortable." he said if i weaned the baby he would give me something stronger. gee thanks.

so i started thinking herbs. i contemplated the tincture of opium poppy i made many years ago "just in case", but thought that better be a last resort. so i stilled myself and thought about what i've learned all these years of studying herbalism, thought about plants that i know are analgesic, but which are still mild and safe, did a little quick internet research to confirm my intuitions, and called wise woman herbs to see if they had everything i wanted. they did. rodney wanted to golf in creswell anyways, so i enlisted him to pick up my pre-ordered bag of pain-relieving goodness...upon his return several long and pain-filled hours later, i quickly mixed myself up my first experimental dose--would it work? would it make me too sleepy or cause a stomach ache? did i pick the right combo, the right dose? it worked, folks. it worked quickly and well. and it didn't even taste bad. my body was quickly flooded with soothingness itself, and my mind was calmed (three of my choices are nervines). so here is the magic blend, because i know you're all dying to know: 1 part passionflower, 1 part scullcap, 1 part white willow and 2 parts california poppy (which i already had on hand, fortuitously having made two quarts of it in '07)...after the relief settled in, i felt so pleased with myself and was so happy to have my faith in herbs renewed--my faith in tonics is strong as an ox, but i did wonder about how herbs would do to relieve pain when the handfull of pills from the doctor did pretty much nothing (except make me puke when i took it before eating breakfast!), i realized i hadn't double-checked their compatibility with nursing! oh crap! i rushed to pull out my PDR for herbal medicine and checked the white willow...safe! i checked the others as well, even though i already knew they were safe, just to be sure. safe! yes!

and that is the saga of my back pain and why i am a medicine maven.

i am grateful for:
california poppy
passionflower
white willow
scullcap
intuition