We have been trying different approaches to my pain management in terms of my leg and sciatica. As mentioned, Dr. Morash is going to send me for an MRI just to see if there is anything specific around my piriformis muscle or with my lower back that may be impeding upon my sciatica nerve.
The only real way to resolve this issue is through movement of that muscle and rest at the same time. This was just not possible with the level of pain I was having with my leg.
We are now taking the approach of keeping on top of the pain by taking a pain killer every 4 hours, like clockwork, whether I need it or not, just to maintain a baseline of pain control.
This does seem to help a lot, (not so much overnight and first thing in the morning) but it is much more controlled during the day with less flareups and more relief.
The drawback to the pain management working is it causes me to be very drowsy during the day now. I nap almost every couple of hours for a half hour or so, but even that helps me a lot. Given my lack of sleep at night sometimes, I do feel like I am catching up on some sleep issues.
The pain in the muscle could still be a side effect of the immunotherapy that hasn't quite stopped yet. Until we get back the results of the MRI and X-Ray of that area, we don't yet have a good idea of what is going on there, and so it's difficult to start treatment without risking causing further problems.
But for now, it's back to napping for me. Just wanted to keep you all updated.
Thanks again for keeping in touch with me. It's always so good to hear from everyone. I could not have beat this major battle in my life without all of your support, prayers and wishes.