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Sunday, April 23, 2017

Update on my "nerve lesion". (It's not a nerve lesion!)

On Friday afternoon, I went to the doctor and got pretty good news, as far as doctors are concerned. I was getting my leg checked out by my PCP.

My leg was very angered two weeks ago when I went to urgent care. I had been kneeling on the ground working on a sign for my show, and instead of just the stretchy skin feeling I had been getting for the past week or so, that are of my leg began to feel numb. The short story is I thought I had a blood clot, but instead the doctor at urgent care diagnosed me with "popliteal nerve lesion of the lower left limb". I was to take some NSAIDs, and if it didn't get better, follow up with my PCP.

My PCP listened to everything I had to say, took a look at my leg, and said it seemed more like a nerve entrapment to her and not a nerve lesion. Nerve entrapment is fancy doctor speak for a pinched nerve. She told me a pinched nerve is something that just needs time to resolve itself. I'm to keep taking NSAIDs because that will help the inflammation. But other than that, I'm just supposed to contact her if it gets worse, it's spreads, or anything out of the ordinary begins to happen.

Roger that!

She knows I run about five days a week and didn't mention anything about stopping running. I told her I don't feel it when I run, my legs don't feel weak, and I'm not changing my gait at all. Because of that, she didn't see running as a problem.

Now of course if I find that running bothers it, I will have to reevaluate whether to run or not. But for now, the only thing that angers it is kneeling on the floor with my bum on my heels. And when I say "angers" it, I mean it starts to feel even more numb and I get more of an awareness. It has never ever hurt.

This was a much better doctor's visit than when I went to urgent care for several reasons. First of all, this doctor was better able to explain what was going on. But of course I had specific questions prepared this time, so I'm not blaming the first doctor for anything at all. I just felt more comfortable after talking it over with my PCP.

Also, I left urgent care with information about prehypertension, but didn't get any of that at this visit. I tried very hard to calm down when they took my blood pressure at my PCP's office and it was a little lower- 133/74.

Another reason my urgent care visit sucked was because I accidentally saw my weight on my visit summary they printed out for me. At my PCP appointment, I told them I didn't want my summary. Woo! 

Of course I wish I didn't have a pinched nerve, but at least I got some info and a plan of action. I want to go google "pinched nerve" but sometimes googling doesn't ease one's mind, it makes things worse!
Have you ever had a pinch nerve?
Should I google or just leave it alone?

15 comments:

  1. I'm glad everything is okay and you can still run, plus you don't seem to have pre-hypertension. I've never had a pinched nerve but have heard the pain is crazy bad. Glad you got it checked out!

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    1. Mine doesn't hurt at all! Uh oh now I am scared.

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  2. Ugh...pinched nerve! I hope the NSAIDs help calm it down and you can get it all taken care of.

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  3. I'm glad this office visit went much better for you. Hopefully this is something that will just work itself out. Do you think getting a massage would help?

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    1. I have no idea. Maybe I SHOULD google what a pinched nerve is.

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  4. I'm glad that your doctor doesn't sound worried at all!

    Hmm that is such a tough question about whether to google or not! I would probably not Google it because I'm sure your doctor told you everything you need to know about a pinched nerve. However, if the symptoms don't get better in a reasonable amount of time I would definitely google so that you have so more info you can share with your doctor if you have to go back!

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  5. I'm glad it's just a pinched nerve! As far as injuries go, it's annoying but not serious, so that's good!

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  6. it is so much easier to not google symptoms!!

    I don't think I had a pinched nerve, but at work a lot time ago, I hit my knuckle while unplugging a computer, my middle finger was numb for weeks! but the doctor kept saying there was nothing wrong with it. It just felt like it was asleep.

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    1. That is very strange! I mean, SOMETHING had to be wrong with it, right?

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  7. Glad it is a pinched nerve and not something worse. And extra glad that you are cleared to keep running!

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    1. Thank you! I just want it to get better because it feels WEIRD and it is messing with my mind...

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  8. Did your pinched nerve hurt at all? Yes this feels like it's numb and it fell asleep... which is weird because when does the outside of one's leg ever fall asleep!?

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