Don't ever feel that you are a bother here, or that your feelings do not matter. They are very, very important, both because they affect your health and well-being, and because they help convey the intensity of your condition. If you received a nerve-block then you were probably injected with steroids, which cause emotional feelings and feelings of strong intensity.

It is, unfortunately, extremely common for family and friends to fail in their efforts to understand what you are going through at a time like this. To be perfectly honest, in a way you are alone with the emotional aspects of a problem like this, at least in the short-term. That's what we are here for. A few tears can go a long way to making a person feel better, so why try to control that? Pity has nothing to do with it.

If the pain is all in one side it would be worth reading-up a bit on shingles. This illness most commonly shows up as a rash on the skin, but in a fair amount of cases no rash presents itself, and the symptoms are neurological. They sometimes begin in the lower side, back or thigh, and can progress quite rapidly down the leg. Resulting neurological symptoms can last for weeks or months. But its usually best not to latch ones thinking onto any specific illness unless there are real reasons for doing so. Too many symptoms cross boundaries in various illnesses, especially in the short-term.

My medical record was less than a dozen pages long before I suddenly became ill at the age of forty. Now those pages number in the hundreds. It sounds to me that a neurologist is probably the right kind of doctor for you to see, but one word to the wise...it generally pays to speak-up for yourself in these visits and make sure your concerns are heard. Most specialists allot about 20 minutes per visit, and sometimes walk out on you in the middle of a sentence you are speaking because your time is simply up. Be polite and pleasant, but make sure they understand how seriously you hurt. I've seen over 30 doctors to date, and I've had to learn how to deal with them.

Last, but certainly not least, you need someone to talk to. Someone who understands the challenges of sudden changes in health and what it can do to you. Good intentions aren't always enough, even from those who love us the most. There are very few illnesses or conditions which aren't worsened by excess stress, so get the stress out. There are people on here you can talk to. NT has always been an awesome support site as well as a source of information. If there is anything else you can think of regarding your illness, or anything more specific, I would be happy to help wherever I can. I have been studying chronic pain for a lot of years. Even if you get it figured-out, it would be nice to hear what was causing your problem. My hopes go out to you, Lois. May everything turn out great and get you up on your feet again in no time at all...