Yea, so this feels like it’s been going on for a bit now. And, the pain level is definitely fading. But, there’s still enough there to get my attention and make me think about it.
So, the pattern is that the inflammation arrives and lasts fr a while. And, this “a while” is starting to feel like a bit longer than previous “a whiles.”
I know I first started minor feeling it on October 5, 2021. And, on October 7 I was at the surgeon, and I told him my pain level was at a 2.5.
Truth is…that what I’m at right now is probably a 3 maybe, and I think the pain peaked at maybe a 3.5.
This is, of course, an awkward and imprecise way of doing this.
But, the point is mainly that these periods of inflammatory pain…they can linger! I’ve done some things like mowing the lawn, pushing a grocery cart and such that don’t help matters, either. But, I’m alive and I do need to do stuff.
So, that’s the update on that.
I’d say for anyone reading along…I’d say the same thing as always…don’t turn to the Internet for answers. Talk to the surgeon if you’ve really got a concern. But, I will add that in my experience—at least thus far—there are flare-ups that don’t indicate bone problems…that don’t indicate “failed fusion”…but, just indicate pain from inflammation of tissues, nerve, etc. And, the inflammatory flare-up can really fucking linger around for weeks!
(In the past, on a few occasions, I did take a course of Prednisone in these situations. And, it worked. But, I decided against that this time. Maybe I shouldn’t have decided against it! But, I wanted to see what it would be like trying to make it through without it. I guess I found out that it didn’t go that well. With Prednisone, I believe this flare-up would have already been over. But, I don’t know that for sure.)
You learn your limits. You learn how much you can do without triggering it. For me, it was the classes. I was overdoing it! And, once it’s triggered—at least for me—it takes A WHILE to get untriggered.