Steroid Injection for Sciatica!!!!

         I am afraid to jinx myself by saying that the shots worked this morning.My pain management doc gave me five shots into the area near my piriformis muscle and my sciatica pain is so much better today!! I was in a lot of pain when I went for the appointment and several hours later my pain is less by at least 50%.  I am hoping it will continue to get even better and less pain! My pain management doc said she will send me to a musculoskeletal doc if these shots don't work. I just love this doc, she is always trying something new when my pain doesn't get any better.
         (Steroid Injections. Corticosteroids (steroids) are used to reduce inflammation and the activity of the immune systems. Injections let doctors deliver a concentrated dose right to the problem area Cortisone starts to work immediately following the injection, and inflammation usually begins to subside within a few days. Depending on how quickly the inflammation subsides, the timing of pain relief can vary from a few days to a few weeks).

After my doc appt this morning, I went to food shop and got my ham for Easter.  We are going to go visit Olya at college and have dinner on Sat. night with Matt and his family.  The we'll have Easter breakfast with Olya  and then drive home  My sister and her family come for Easter dinner and Erica's two friends usually come too! I'll set the table before I leave on Sat. so that I only have to cook the food when we get home! 

  After I unloaded my groceries I left to meet two friends for lunch.  We were celebrating my friend Amy's birthday.

Happy Birthday Amy!!

  I love Amy so much, she is such a good and kind person! Amy was a hospice nurse until she retired last year.  Those type nurses are such special people.  And now she volunteers there two mornings a week!!  The three of us were talking about skin care and I was telling them about sitting next to a woman at dinner and looking at her beautiful skin.  I asked her what she used, I was expecting a long drawn out process with several steps to have skin look that good.  Anita said "I don't use any treatments, sometimes I don't even wash it."  Amy said, "I love Anita, we were roommates in the hospital. Amy told me that she and Anita were roommates in the hospital when they gave birth to their daughters, both named Leah.  It IS a small world!! I gave Amy two lottery cards for her birthday.  None of us, and Dianne and I are both reading specialists, could figure out whether or not Amy won anything!!Those cards can get very confusing.
          Tonight was my bereaved parent meeting.  We had one new mom come to the meeting. I hope she comes back because she needs to be with people like us. I like that I can just say Amy's name or talk about her death or her organ donation and everyone just totally understands. I am thankful for such a nice group of people to share my grief with. My friend Kathy's husband Al walked me out to the car and put my walker in it for me.  He is such a nice guy! It is after 9:30 pm and my sciatica is still not as bad as it was! If this is the miracle cure, I will be so thankful!!!