The Computer is a Scary Place.

I have been living with intense pain in my right leg for over 6 months. About a month ago, I finally set aside my natural male instincts and went to the doctor. Ripped fibers in my hamstring led to a sideways lean in my stance and walk, as well as putting my hips out of line and causing pain. Medication was no help, but 4 weeks of physical therapy straightened me out enough to give me back my old stride. Unfortunately pain remained behind and over the next few weeks intensified. Now it was off to the orthopedist, who is convinced that I have a herniated disc pinching the main nerve that runs down my right leg, has scheduled an MRI for me tomorrow and told me that if the MRI shows him what he thinks it will, I will need surgery. I type that last words with shaky hands because the idea of surgery, anesthesia, etc, scares me. Now, I did what every computer savvy person would do after a that kind of news... I scared myself even more by Googling "herniated discs". All the details, the horror stories, the possible problems made me want to close my eyes. Reading medical blogs, visiting medical sites all resulted in a bit of a queasy stomach. After I chilled out, I actually was glad I did the research. Being informed as to what is wrong with me and the various suggested treatments is interesting and helps me be a better informed patient. We will see what the MRI shows.