He said I had a "focal point" irritation of a nerve, which can occur spontaneously. He prescribed Celebrex (a prescription anti-inflammatory) gave me some lidocaine patches which I wear over the area to numb the tissue underneath, and told me to use ice on it. In restrospect, I learned that assuming it was a strained muscle and applying heat was what caused the increased irritation the night before. Oops. It was a much more severe level of pain than I'm used to and I was alarmed when I took what is a huge amount of medicine (for me) with almost no relief.
Anyway, I got written out of work for last night and tonight because of this (with a note!) and my vacation was this next week, so I got a longer vacation than I was expecting. Oh, but the downside is I have had to do virtually nothing to ensure this inflammation goes away as quickly as possible. (Typing doesn't irritate it *grin*.) But seriously, I have a lot of stuff I need to do, but I'm afraid to risk it for fear it will flair up again just when I've secured a couple of shifts (Monday and Wednesday nights) at the "other" hospital. I'm going to engage in light activity today and see if I notice any increased discomfort. If not, I'll get back to normal, because I'm falling desperately behind.
