I feel the pain most in the mid thorax area and the spine and muscles are very sore. Couldn't use the Magnassager on it. Hurt too much. I had to strain a lot at Mayo to lift a heavy bag holding medical records I had to carry with me on my lap to everything. I would lean over, sit it down, then sometimes I had to pick it up from the side. And the strain of sitting upright in the van. You have to understand that I am very deconditioned, gaunt, no muscles etc. It wasn't affecting me this way until the one hour trip to Dallas (sitting up) two days after we got back. The lumbar curve in the car doesn't quite match the curve in my spine. I think I strained it and then further aggrevated it by the car rides. I noticed you have to tense muscles to just stay upright. That combined with doing three loads of wash, etc.

The pain is more a soreness and a kinda catching when I turn. Hurts to turn over in the bed. Hurts to lay on my back. It doesn't feel like the nerve pain does. By unload, I mean that I can stay upright but when I try to change my position (sitting to laying down or twisting), it gets my attention right away. Takes my breath.

I'm about half way thru the treatment for the H.pylori. And taking the Nexium like I'm supposed to. I had to buy one of those big pill boxes to manage the meds. Too many bottles. Some of them will be stopped when I finish the h.pylori treatment. About 5 more days.

The Indomethecin is a vague med with me. The first few days I took it, I couldn't tell it did any good. But I am so afraid I'll be worse without it so I persist in taking it. I really would like to take something that is safer but my Rheumatologist insists that it's the best one for the spondylarthropahy pain.

I decided to put the Salonpas on and give it a try. They helped before with my knee.

I had the first physical theraphy that Mayo ordered yesterday. Subjected myself to another car ride (third one in three days) and then the therapist did a two hour evaluation with me bending, stretching, tensing. I honestly had problems with it. But she knows about the new back pain. So she is treating it too. We are trying to be conservative about the treatment but if it doesn't stop in a few days, I'll see the doctor. I'm trying not to do much.

Thanks for the help..sorry I'm so wordy but I was trying to answer your questions and put your mind at ease more.

Love,
Billye