Nasty, expensive backache

Today is Day 5 of my nasty back pain. Here's a summary of my presenting illness:

Gradual onset of lumbar-sacral pain after sitting against the wall for close to 1 hour (bad posture). No preceding trauma. Pain was initially just a discomfort. The pain worsened the next day, agravated by 6 hours drive to Ipoh. Severe pain (10/10) was localized at the lumbo-sacral region on shifting positions e.g. sitting to standing. There was no radiation. After lying supine in bed for 10 minutes, I was unable to get back up again due to severe pain on any attempt to stand (the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced!). Was only able to mobilize after taking Panadol Extend.

That history was only up to Day 2. I went to a GP and was given IM analgesia on the butt. The GP also prescribed a Cox 1 inhibitor OD and Neurobion. That treatment costs RM45! I was able to sleep that night but I had to remain supine. When waking up, I had to use a tongkat. I can't even pray properly. I had to pray while standing!

Tongkat Mok

Day 3 wasn't any good. I noticed my posture was slightly scoliotic. My right shoulder was lower than the right and my gait was abnormal. Every step I take was unomfortable. This prompted my wife and parents to take me to a hospital. It was a Saturday and if I were to go to the general hospital, it would take hours for some one to see. So I opted to go to Ipoh Specialist Hospital. It was a quick visit. Lumbosacral X ray was taken and it appears normal. I was just given another dose of IM analgesia. The cost for all that was RM 354! It was damn expensive. It was a good thing I declined to be admitted. Or else it would have cost thousands.

The bill!

On Day 4, I managed to get one of my relatives to give me a massage since we have pretty much ruled out any vertabral pathology. The massage was painful! But somehow after the massage I felt abit better. I still get pain when shifting positions but its much more tolerable.

I am supposed to head back to Kuantan today but the orthopaedic specialist wasn't too keen on me driving or travelling long distance. Thus, I am stuck here in Ipoh. Not a bad thing though coz my wife is here with me :) ...but with my condition I can't be doing anything romantic :(

Ramadhan

Alhamdulillah Ramadhan is here. Although my wife and I are hundreds of kilometers apart, this is a special Ramadhan for us. Its our 1st Ramadhan as husband and wife. Hopefully the additional challenge of being far apart will be a blessing in disguise. InsyaAllah with great patience our marriage will gain more berkat from Allah s.w.t. At the time of writing this post my wife is on call at the gynae ward of Hospital Taiping. She may not be able to perform Tarawikh but Im sure in the course of her duty she will be rewarded by Allah for doing her work sincerely.

I have my worries though...where will she get food for sahur and how is she going to get a good meal for berbuka. She's been skipping lots of meals lately and it worries me. I wouldn't want her to suddenly collapse in the ward. All I can do now is pray. Hopefully Ill be able to make it back to Taiping next week and berbuka with her.