For the fourth time since November, I am having an epidural shot today. After going through my second back surgery in July of 2008, my back problems have come back. Actually, I have been suffering since around Thanksgiving of last year. I'm extremely upset about the lack of success with my back surgery. I thought I could get some peace for at least a year or more after surgery. The back surgery has proven to provide me with very little relief. I had an MRI in January. The results were negative. My doctor cannot locate any possible source of the pain, other than scar tissue that "might" be pressing against the sciatica nerve.

I admit my doctor told me before my surgery, of last year, there was about a 70-75% chance the surgery would be a success. He even explained to me that the medical field is not the exact science that so many patients intensely want to believe. I had heard this all before. But, I still held out hope this surgery would do the trick. I have no intention of going through another surgery. This is especially true since the doctor cannot locate the source of pain on an MRI film. Exploratory surgery is simply out of the question. The good news is that I don't have a ruptured or herniated disc. The bad news is that the pain in the lower-left side of my back has returned and is down my leg, all the way to my foot.

I'm not sure what the answer is going to be with my medical condition. I'm just extremely upset as I type this. The epidural shots, if they work at all, provide relief for only about two days. I think it's possible I will get a second opinion also. Right now, I have to get ready to go to the hospital. Wish me luck. Prayers would be appreciated also.