Hello haywired: I'm sorry you are having all of this difficulty. It's been a couple of days now since you posted this. Perhaps you've already taken some sort of action. Unfortunately there's really nothing I can offer with regard to it. From what you wrote, it does sound, to me as though checking in with someone (whether by going to the ER or in some other way) would be warranted before you try to make the kind of a drive it sounds as though you'll need to make in order to get your MRI done. I have a ruptured disc in my lumbosacral spine that impinges on the sciatic nerve. I haven't had any major problems with it recently. But I can recall times when just getting in-&-out of the car was excruciating, let alone riding in it. And driving was simply out of the question. If there's some other way to get to your appointment besides driving, that might well be the best option. I wish you well...