Pool Very Bad, Back??

I went to the 9-ball tournament last night and my back was killing me. I was doing pretty well during practice and ended up having to play Steve for the first match. About the same time, my back started going into major spasms and between the two (playing Steve mano-o-mano and my back freaking out) lost 5-0 and that was being kind. I decided to hang around to see if it would clear up and ended up playing Jeremy next. My back kept going down hill and Jeremy was playing well, so on the final game, just before he made the 9-ball, I ended up giving it away to him and coming home in a total back spasm - I hope he is happy and did well... But, he should be as he just got this beautiful motorcycle for a steal. If I can every get on mine again we will have to go for a ride or two...

Then, today I had my epidural steroid shot which was BIG fun... As usual, they had a hard time finding my vein for the IV and finally had to bring in the heavyweight nurse, Pam (no relation)... I ended up with 5 new holes and some internal bleeding in the top of the hand that had to be pressure compressed. By then I needed a couple of Valium to get my 'back' together.

After they finally got me in to the OR, and positioned me with my 'back' up on the table, the doctor said they were going to do the local now and if it hurt more than a sting to let him know. Well, my hands were all wired and hanging down below the table, so I was speechless. It really hurt amazingly bad, but it was all over before I could let him know about it. From there, it went pretty well, I guess. They kept sticking the needle in and taking pictures of its location and after about 6 tries, he did the shot. I was back in the recovery room in a few minutes.

Since then, I have been going through all sorts of weird feelings, from having a numb butt, to tingles, to cool pressure to slight headaches. It is suppose to take a couple of days to realize the results of the shot, so we shall see I guess. So far, my back is not hurting as much, by far, and it sure seemed like he was in the right spot, for whatever that is worth.

On a lighter note, very early this morning I also took Calicat to the vet to get these really nasty fur mat balls taken off of her sides. We tried to remove them a few times and it was so traumatic to all concerned that we decided to have the vet do it. They were going to sedate her, if needed to do it. She really wasn't into it at all, even though they really bothered her. She really loves being put into her kitty carrier and taken in the car anywhere, but it seems a lot nicer now since her front claws are removed...

Anyway, we picked her up on the way home from my medical experience and she wasn't very happy, but the vet was able to just comb and cut it all out without any heavy stuff. She was glad to be home, as I was, and they did a great job. And, the cost was only $15 instead of the original estimate of around $100. Traveling the 30 miles or so to the hospital today, I noticed that we passed 8 vets along the road. One of the benefits of living here in DaHo, I guess...