Had to leave work yesterday due to back pain.  It was our last faculty day before the kids get back for the start of the school year.  I missed the meetings about first day procedures and registration.  Oh well.

I've got scoliosis in the form of a mild 'S' curve in my spine.  You'd never notice it unless I pointed it out to you, but it's enough to screw up my back.  Since I've got a spine that isn't straight up and down, I've got a couple vertebrae that are taller on one side than the other.  You've got rubbery cushions between each vertebrae.  The misshaped vertebrae cause that cushion to be pinched on one side.  Your spine hooks up to your peripheral nervous system by having huge, cable-like nerves hook up to your arms and legs by going through these cushions.  The one that goes to my left leg is pinched now.

Even though this pinch is in my lower back, it causes severe pain in my upper-left butt cheek and a burning, radiating pain down the back of my leg to the knee.  I've also got a traditional back pain in the form of cascading muscle spasms in my lower back.  I can't really sit for long periods of time.  Unfortunately it's not comfortable to stand or walk either.  I can only lay flat on my back with my knees up. 

I got a shot of Toridol (anti-inflammatory) at the doctor and prescriptions for Etodolac (also anti-inflammatory) and a brand new narcotic called Ultram (tramadol).  I'd recommend the Ultram.  It says to take one every 12 hours.  It works better if you take 1 1/2 though.  Ultram is a competitor to Oxycontin.  It's a high potency, long acting narcotic.

I'm also getting a chance to try out the efficacy of my medical marijuana license.  I have to say that the combination of Ultram and purple indica weed does wonders to minimize your eye crossing back pain.  I was actually able to get five or six moaning, rolling around in the bed sleep last night. 

I'm hoping that I'm going to be able to make it to work in some capacity on Monday, but it doesn't look good.  Maybe I could take a half dose of the narcotic and still function.  I obviously wouldn't get high before going in.  I can't see burning a couple bowls of The Purps in my car before going in to teach eighth graders.

Fuck getting old.  Fuck back pain.