No, this isn't another one of my 'sorry for not making things' posts. As you can see by my recent (and upcoming) uploads (at least over on IB), I've been quite busy!

No, this is just to let everyone know what's been going on with my health lately. Nothing dramatic, I'm not dying any faster than normal aging as far as I know yet.

So, a week before Halloween, I woke up with some serious pain in my right leg and hip. Like, I can't sit up and walking is extremely difficult pain. Hamstrings were stupid tight, and my calf feels like it's bruised. I thought I'd torn something somehow. Went to a doctor the following day, and they gave me some pain meds, but also scheduled me to go to an orthopedic specialist. Got x-rays, and surprise surprise, I have arthritis in my hip and lower spine (and confirmed in my left hand, but I've known that since 2017). Thankfully, I didn't get more pain meds (I hate taking them, they give me heartburn and fuck with my balance).

Had to get an MRI soon after that. Literally had it done on Halloween evening. So I say I dressed up as an MRI Machine for Halloween. Definitely my most expensive 'costume' ever, especially since I only 'wore' it for 20 minutes.

Follow up shows... I have a herniation (bulge) at spinal disc L5/S1 that is pressing on nerves causing the pain. Also deterioration at the L4/L5 disc that could potentially lead to more (certainly causing some low back pain). About this time, I also finally got my cane, the next step in my gradual progression towards grumpy old man (not a fancy cane, but I might get a nicer one later)

Yesterday, I went in for a "surgical" procedure to address all this. I say it that way because it was just a steroid injection... directly into my spine. >_< OW! Should take a few days to see if it worked. There's a 75% chance it'll take, but if it doesn't then I'll need surgery for real. It seems to be working, my leg isn't aching quite as much, but steroid injection will do that. It's still a bit early to say if that's just temporary or if it's actually working. Calf still hurts a bit, but more like a bruise, and the hamstring hasn't tensed up. Poor knee is still sore, but that's more from the muscles on either side playing tug-of-war on it for nearly three weeks.

Thankfully all I've needed is the cane, not a wheelchair (good, because my apartment is upstairs). Of course, COST has been a problem, but we're working on it.

So... that's where I am right now.