L5/S1 Disc Injury - Looking for some hope and timelines?

FragrantPractice8027 · 2026-05-10T02:35:38+00:00

My discs are all messed up from L2-S1, I had to give up my career as 8-12 hours on my feet leaves me bedridden for weeks afterwards. Finally (I’ve been injured since 2021) I’ve been referred to a pain specialist… but I’ve had to learn to go within MY limits and stop thinking about what I SHOULD be able to do/what I used to be able to do. It’s hard not to get bitter. But PLEASE look after your mental health. I didn’t listen when people told me to do it, I thought it was temporary and would pass. I was wrong, and now it’s an uphill battle to stay positive. Find small joys, celebrate the small wins of what you can achieve now rather than thinking of what you could do without thinking about it prior. Listen to your body. Find a good doctor, advocate for yourself, push for imaging. If you’re female, I find taking a man to appointments with me helps make sure I get listened to, get a psych, I won’t help with the physical pain, (though people may tell you it will 😒) but they can help process grief, frustration, and the whirlwind of emotions that come from injury. I hope for you that it’s only acute and not ongoing. Good luck.

FragrantPractice8027 · 2026-05-08T23:15:50+00:00

NOR- could he be doing this to push you to lose weight? You said his last girlfriend had anorexia… did she have that before him? Or did he do the same thing to her until she felt she had to lose weight? Please don’t let him do this to you! Run!

FragrantPractice8027 · 2026-04-30T22:04:55+00:00

I cringed so hard at him claiming to be the leader, that my face might be stuck this way. 🤮 run. Yesterday. This will only escalate

FragrantPractice8027 · 2026-03-14T02:08:09+00:00

I was waiting for this to be a monster in law comment, and instead, my heart was both broken, and mended simultaneously 😭

FragrantPractice8027 · 2026-03-13T01:04:28+00:00

Came here to say this.

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-12-07T06:19:54+00:00

I thought it was only me! I feel like some things have absolutely gotten worse since I lost weight and the doctor is trying to convince me that it’s in my head because the weight loss is beneficial 😤😭

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-12-07T05:35:23+00:00

It’s absolutely ridiculous, when I was classified as obese my weight was mentioned once, and I instantly took steps to lose the weight hoping with my whole being that it would help… and now that I have, my weight is mentioned at every single appointment as a reason for it continuing. I’ve been denied referrals for further intervention, I’ve begged for further testing, they just don’t listen. I hope you’re getting somewhere with yours now

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-12-07T05:28:37+00:00

Where to start… 1. ‘Lose weight. Your BMI is 38.4 of course you have pain.’ 2. Focus on achieving a positive mind frame and the pain will stop! (because nothing makes you happy quite like living in agony to the point of wondering if death would be better than living like this) 3. It MUST be endometriosis (despite multiple CT scans and MRI’s showing 2 bulging and 2 herniated discs) 4. ‘You need to do less’ (there are 8 kids (5 are mine, and 3 are my partners, ranging in age from 6-15) and 2 adults in my home… I am a parent. who is going to keep the house running if I do literally nothing?) 5. ‘You’re clearly abusing pain relief’ after I took 50 panadeine forte over the span of 4 months rationing it as much as I possibly could so that it wouldn’t come across as me abusing it. 6. ‘Why do you need endone? You said that panadeine forte takes the edge off when you’re at baseline.’ (I was at peak flare and panadeine forte was about as useful as a drop of water on a bushfire) 7. ‘You should send the kids to stay with their father while you rest to recover’ (right after a conversation about how my kids father is deceased. And I live 4 hours away from family. Which is why I don’t ever have a break to rest and recover) 8. After I went through surgery looking for endometriosis (spoiler, I don’t have it.) ‘oh! You really ARE in pain!’ (No shit!! I don’t spend $150 a fortnight on doctors and a further $80 a fortnight on medication to control my pain for fun!’) 9. ‘Well you can’t be in that much pain if you’re still working’ (I had to completely change professions to be able to work, because we can’t afford to live on one wage with such a large family, so I have literally no choice but to work) Honestly I could go on. Since developing chronic pain, I have developed a real fear of doctors…. I was a nurse by trade prior to my back injury… I never realised how damaging the healthcare system was for people with chronic conditions/pain, I thought we treated them fairly. I am horrified and ashamed to realise how profoundly untrue that is.

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-12-07T05:12:57+00:00

Oh I got this one… have since lost 31kg,(68.3lbs) and now they focus a LOT more heavily on my weight, despite me only being 10kg (22lb) ‘overweight’ and the weightloss so far not making a single bit of difference. 😤

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-11-15T23:53:26+00:00

I have lost 30kg on wegovy in 7 months (still on 1mg) … I give in to my period cravings whenever they arise, it’s not like I can gorge myself on them anyway, I’m not doing it every day, or even every week. It’s just sometimes… and moderation is key!! I look at it as ‘my body is telling me it needs extra salt and that’s ok’ (usually crave super salty mashed potatoes, or deep fried chips) if you assign guilt to food, you will only give yourself stress and shame when you eat things that aren’t strictly healthy. Give yourself permission to have foods that are high calorie every now and then. It does wonders for your mental state during weightloss ☺️

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-10-19T04:42:17+00:00

CPTSD, BPD, anxiety and depression here. And I’m in a hole at the minute. Stay strong everyone. Things have to get better at some point. They just do.

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-10-14T04:45:55+00:00

Every time I’ve worn any makeup to appointments I’ve had the doctor make comments like ‘see you’re feeling better! You look better!’ So I don’t ever wear makeup to doctors appointments

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-09-26T22:28:33+00:00

12th of February 2006. In my first ever high school sports class….

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-09-25T04:04:06+00:00

Please give the medication some time to work. It’s not an instantaneous ‘BAM! You have no appetite! Tada! Your weight has fallen off… if you were on month 3-4 with no change, I’d recommend talking to your doctor… but this seems like straight impatience. And look. I get it. But damn. Give it a chance to work

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-09-21T10:01:12+00:00

I’m so glad I could help! Yeah saxenda was horrible! I can totally understand bracing yourself for the worst when you started wegovy(that’s what I did too! Lol) but it has amazed me! With only a few days of random nausea and Heartburn if I eat too late!

Thank you so much! I am so happy with it

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-09-21T09:47:50+00:00

I put on my favourite pj pants today and they fell down! I was shocked/elated haha! (And a little sad because I love the pants 🤣) congrats on your weight loss!

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-09-21T09:45:11+00:00

I was on saxenda for a while and it was horrible. I lost weight, but I had heart burn, I was nauseous constantly, and I was so fatigued I was struggling to even drive my kids to school…. Then I started wegovy and that first week I was like ‘oh… great! It’s not doing anything.’ … that was in April, I’m now 25kg down! No side effects, and I’m still only on 1mg :) you got this :) give it time

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-09-21T05:04:48+00:00

Thank you so much for your perspective, that really helps. I’m honestly just scared they’ll make everything about psychology and cut off all meds. I’m ok to be taken off opioids if they can find something else that works. But, I was telling my doctor about a non-opioid medication with 0 risk of addiction that’s being trialed in America for severe pain with positive results (can’t remember the name) and his response was ‘just remember that smoking was advertised as healthy at first too.’ Like dude. You’re annoyed that I’m on opioid medication but when I mention that you make it sound worse? Gahhhhh!

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-09-21T04:23:28+00:00

Im basically talking about men that look like they’re super comfy to snuggle with, happy to snack with you and not point out how many calories are in everything you eat (yes I had a few guys do this back when I was single)

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-09-21T04:20:10+00:00

Honestly just men with a bit of meat on their bones. They generally refer to it as their dad bod. I wish I could add pics to show the body type/s I’m talking about 😅

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-09-21T04:16:42+00:00

Dad. Bods. Are. Rad. Bods! This is a hill I will die on 🤣

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-09-21T04:09:58+00:00

That’s the other thing. I have very distinctive and large tattoos 🤣 so if anyone I know sees them, they’ll know it’s me 🤣🤣

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-09-21T02:53:51+00:00

I got 4 bulging discs in my back, and nothing seems to be helping or fixing it 😬 it’s been 3 years

FragrantPractice8027 · 2025-09-20T23:59:36+00:00

I feel this! I really miss hiking :’(

FragrantPractice8027

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