Medical Endeavors w/ my Herniated and Degenerative Lumbar Disc

It took a while, but my sciatica has finally calmed down and now i'm back to where I was. I occasionally get some tiny jolts down to my feet, but they're really minor and completely tolerable. So pain is at a 0-2/10 level. I've decided to 'not care' anymore. Meaning, I'm not going to pay attention to my pain levels. It's really helped me ignore the issue and move on with my life. I still have to come back to healing it, but that'll be after my trip to South Africa. Manchester is in my sights. I heard they install the freedom disc over there. Good luck everyone! P.S. I'm packing for my trip already.a

I don't know what happened... and i'm trying not to get depressed about it... but my sciatica isn't getting any better. Looks like I'm back to where I was. It's more constant now.. and annoying as hell. I had forgotten what it felt like... but this reminds me of so many things that I just want to forget. Pain levels are at about 3-6/10 in the legs. Lower back is a 1-2/10. Well then, lets start experimenting with the next thing! But not until after my South Africa trip in June... Maybe by then the stem cells will wake and realize they have work to do, unless, of course, they're dead. :( Wish me luck people. I'll need it.

I've been getting random jolts (albeit, small and almost painless) down my left leg throughout the day. I would rank them at 3-4/10... The symptoms coincide with the location of the herniation (left side). The sciatica pain is a clear indication that the herniation/protrusion is still there. The sciatica pain is definitely not at the same level that it used to be. I'm taking it really really easy now... I wouldn't want to go back to the previous pain levels. I definitely enjoyed those 2 weeks pain free! I'll keep you updated with any changes.

It's been about a month and 2 weeks since my stem cell injection. Now, I don't want to get too excited right now, but lately I've had ZERO leg pain and ZERO lower back pain! I'm starting to get really optimistic about this. It's amazing how a week ago I was scheduling surgery, and this week I have no pain whatsoever. For the next month, I'll still be taking things easily. I can't risk messing this up over a day of fun. Btw, I've posted an album (on the right hand side of the page) that shows my MRI before the stem cell treatment. I will get another MRI in about 2 months. I'll keep you guys posted!