Setback II

I had a setback to my Sciatic nerve healing in February, which was likely aggrevated by one of the walks in January where I felt twinges in my lower back walking up a hill but it faded so I didn't think about it.

The February setback was the first significant setback since September 2012, but kept going on my daily walks until the body and especially the legs were overly tired and the next day my left leg was in pain from the hip to the big toe (one of the nerve paths down the leg).

I rested for nearly two weeks but got tired of waiting and felt good enough to walk, but kept the walks shorter, just 6 miles to town and back with less in the backpack (~8 lbs). It seemed to work as I was able to add a half mile. Until.

Until one walk my legs gave out about a mile from home but there was nothing to do but just walk slower and slower to get home. The next day, Wednesday 12th the pain returned to the left leg in full force where I couldn't walk the pain away.

This time the quadricep muscles and shin in both legs hurt, but especially the shins, more than I've ever had pain from shin splints, which I knew it wasn't because I've learned to tell the difference in pain, from nerve and muscle pain, from shin pain and shin splints, etc.

So today, Friday the 14th, the legs and lower back are better but this was more than just a rest day or two rest setback, and I don't know when I'll resume walking, hopefully Monday for the 6-6.5 mile walks again.

But it's hard to predict anymore with these setbacks when I can get back to my walking schedule again. I've almost become addicted to walking, the body and the legs get restless and my morning is real unless I'm getting ready to walk, even if I don't look forward to it because I'm tired, it's cold or raining, whatever.

Anyway, that's where I'm at, the third day of rest which is helping, but walking is better than sitting, pain and all. I'd rather give the nerves in the back and leg muscles a reason to yell at me than just yelling.