ladysprite | Worse Than The Disease

So, since Friday I've been dealing with a diagnosis of spinal injury and nerve compression to my right arm. I've been put on meds, and I've got an appointment to see a neurologist today.

Unfortunately, my body doesn't deal well with drugs. I tend to live pretty cleanly, all things told. I don't smoke, I don't drink, and the most aggressive indulgence I have is occasional low-dose ibuprofen. So when I do get slammed with meds, they tend to hit me pretty hard.

I started out on vicodin and flexeril, which left me semiconscious all weekend. When the pain didn't get better, they added prednisone, which then made me drink like a fish, while still leaving me thirsty and dry-mouthed enough that I lost most of my voice.

When I had to go back to work Wednesday, I had to stop everything but the pred. So at my pre-referral appointment with my doctor yesterday, she prescribed me tramadol and a different muscle relaxant, that I started last night.

I haven't taken anything yet today, but I am a shambling wreck. Shaking, cold, uncoordinated, dizzy, stumbling, emotionally volatile like nothing I've ever experienced before, nauseated, weak.... I tried to go to work for the morning, at least, but was sent home after just two hours, when the staff realized I could barely hold a pen to write my notes, and was on the brink of tears

If it's a choice between this and a non-functional right arm.... I'm really not sure which is worse. But at the moment I'm strongly leaning towards the drugs being the greater evil.