u/mamawamae

Hey people, I'm reaching out to ask if anyone else has had a diagnosis like mine, mostly because I'm just fed up with waiting waiting waiting.

I'm almost 50yr old female, 128lb 5'7" quite physically fit, with a long history of mild to moderate lower back pain. I'd pushed myself too far, or lifted somewhat incorrectly, probably a dozen times over the course of my adult life, but always just endured a few days of deep soreness, which I would baby and then feel better pretty quickly, and back to normal within a week or two.

This May was different. I work in the architectural salvage space, and hurt my back on 5/30/26. I was shifting a heavy cherry dresser across a wooden floor by myself, totally routine, and had to lift it over the lip of a floorboard as I was shifting it. While actively lifting and pushing, something popped in my back. I heard it and I felt it. Instant deep bilateral soreness and intolerable shooting pain in any extension position, so I avoided that position.

That day and the next few days, I had extremely deep bilateral lower back pain, debilitating but with two lumbar support bands, I was able to provide enough supplementary support to go about basic tasks. Didn't know the extent of my injury and didn't think I was debilitated enough to call off work, so I didn't.

After about a week of this, the pain increased, shooting through my piriformis and down my right leg. Absolutely debilitating, hot, electric, shooting sciatica pain that completely occupied 100% of my consciousness. First time ever in my life experiencing sciatica pain. Finally made an appointment with my primary and got in pretty quickly.

Hobbled in to my appointment (I had started using a cane because I couldn't even hobble-walk without it), and my NP prescribed 800ibuprofen and 100mg gabapentin. She said my insurance required a trial of PT before they would pay for an MRI, so I did that. Religiously. 9 sessions.

PT did help to manage the worst of the pain, we did positional "stretches" that weren't very stretchy, just positions to try to reduce the sharp stabbing pain and centralize my symptoms. But even though I made great progress in every other direction, I couldn't extend back at all, maybe 5 or 10°, max, and then it was the worst stabbing pain all over again.

PT was terrific and said he really thinks something mechanical is wrong, he predicted the herniation and also said he suspected a free disc fragment, bc of how my pain would move depending on position and such. He sent his extensive notes and letter to my NP, who advocated for an MRI with my (crappy Highmark BCBS) insurance. They denied the request twice but finally approved it on the 3rd try.

Had my MRI this past Monday. I still don't have the radiologist report, but they gave me a disc of 136 images as I was leaving on Monday. Waiting for my NP to call with the report. Waiting waiting waiting.

Yesterday my nurse friend looked at the images with me, and the main problem seems quite obvious. From everything I've read, it sounds like I'm one of the few that needs surgery to remove that large fragment, and maybe a fusion?

Curious if anyone here has faced a similar-looking MRI diagnosis and if so, what did your treatment protocol look like, did you do injections? Surgery? How's your pain now? How long ago was your procedure?

I'm a single mom of 3, who's already been out of work basically since the beginning of June. I don't have any family here and my ex has warrants for non-payment of child support, so I'm really on my own, scared, and unsure what would ultimately bring me 1) fastest pain relief (bc it is UNBEARABLE), and 2) long-term best chances for non-reoccurrence. The medical side is only part of it, with the financial side being just as stressful at this point (advice welcome!!)

Meanwhile I am still taking 800mg ibuprofen as needed, plus prescribed 300mg gabapentin 3x/day. I usually take 600mg 2x/day on bad days instead, but some days I don't take any gabapentin. Doing NOTHING but resting, the only completely pain-free position is sitting upright with a very soft tempurepedic pillow on the chair, with my right leg elevated on a heating pad, and an ice pack on my lower back. Walking is painful after a couple minutes. Standing too, and my leg goes to sleep within 5min. Can't lift anything. Stairs take forever. Applying for temporary assistance but I don't understand the process and think I might be applying for the wrong thing, someone said I should be applying for temp disability instead.

Help! I'm just so overwhelmed and confused. And scared The constant pain for over 2 months has made my thinking change, I can't remember things and think much slower than normal. I'm guessing I will finally hear from my NP today with the radiologist report, but wanted to ask what others with a similar diagnosis have decided to do, and what were your outcomes? Feel like a need a caseworker and patient advocate, and someone to hold my hand...