Faulty Discs

Hey there imaginary readers! :)

Once in a while, it comes to my mind that this blog still exists. Haha! Been ages since I last updated this and recently, something crept up on me that I was inspired to write again.

Basically, I just want to update you on what’s been going on with my life recently (not that you care, though. Haha!). Well, nothing much, really. Aside from my current addiction to Bey’s “Lemonade” album, everything’s pretty normal, I guess. Work’s still a b*tch (joke!); Family’s fine; love life is still, well, a work in progress (Haha!). On a serious note, though, one thing that’s not quite normal about me these days are my discs. Yes. Discs.

All those times I thought I was going crazy because of back and knee pains, well, I wasn’t. Indeed, the pains were real and not just a product of my “insanity” a couple of years ago. While everyone thought I was just pretending (haha!), I knew something was wrong. I’m that OC when it comes to health issues! 

But since everyone told me it was all in my mind, I tried to divert my focus to other things. Fast-forward, I got here in Doha and started a new life.   

Recently got back to the gym, too, and while I was so busy grinding at it for the past months, an incident left me almost immobile. I overdid squats and deadlifts followed by another straining activity the next day, which made my hips really painful. It’s that kind of pain that radiates to the buttocks and even to the legs. I instantly thought it was only DOMS. But it did not go away for weeks. It’s more painful when I sit than when I’m standing or active. I even went to the gym for a few more sessions even though I’m already not feeling totally well.  

So after numerous visits to the doctor that eventually led me undergoing X-ray and MRI scans, I recently got diagnosed with minor tears on my L5-S1 disc and while they’re not that serious, they’re actually causing my nerves to go berserk, hence, (relatively bearable) pains on the lower portion of my body. The problem was there all along even before I went here in Doha and was just aggravated when I started lifting at the gym again not knowing I have those tears.

And yes, just when I thought I’m just a step ahead towards achieving that “dream physique,” I’ve always dreamed of (kidding!), guess I’m back to square one. UGH! I’ve been out of the gym for almost a month now and I can already feel my (still unshaped) muscles shrinking.

The doctor said I can’t lift heavy yet, which is like telling me not to breathe. Okay, I’m exaggerating. Haha! But seriously, what else is there for me to do in this boring place? I can’t just eat stuff and not sweat?! That is like suicide! He put me on medications (and boy I hate taking medicines!) and scheduled me for 12 sessions of physiotherapy. He also made me consider not lifting heavy again, which is actually impossible!

 

 

While I’m upset about it, I guess the only consolation I got from this situation was that I’ve discovered the condition early on and that it’s still fixable. A few days from now, I’ll undergo physiotherapy to correct what’s wrong in my discs and after the doctor’s evaluation, I should be able to resume to my normal life. Darn! I can’t wait to go back to the gym again. Quitting’s out of the question. After all, I’m not just all about having the physique. I’m more for the long term effects of exercising regularly. However next time, I should really be more cautious about proper forms when lifting. I can’t afford to have another injury. 

Signing off for now from the gym. See you soon.