Help-may have sciatica

[rbaker6767]

Hello everyone,

I was just wondering if I could ask for your opinions. I recently started nursing school and am finding myself really enjoying it and the work. Pretty much around the time I began going to school I started to develop back pain, which may or may not be sciatica. I am going to see a doctor tomorrow and a physical therapist on Friday to hopefully get a diagnosis. I am at a loss for what to do if this is sciatica. I had someone close to me tell me that I should drop out of Nursing School if I have sciatica, while others tell me that it is manageable and doable if I get help for the pain. I don't know what to think, and honestly the thought that I might have to drop out of school has left me feeling extremely depressed because right now I am 38 years old and I thought I had finally found something I really enjoyed doing. (I have my secondary teacher certification in English to teach high school but cant find a job because of the competition in my area and am also a waiter). Is anyone else in a similar situation? I would appreciate any advice. Thank you so much.

Robin

[OveRNineThousand]

Hi. I'm no expert on sciatica but I've had it before. I'm much older than you and just graduated last year. I certainly wouldn't drop out of anything for sciatica. Lots of people have sciatica. It's kind of painful at times, but it gets better and worse, and stretches seem to help a lot. I've had people recommend chiropractic services but that's not really my style. Just go to the doc and see what they say and what they recommend.

My first clinical nursing instructor told us how she was run over by a car in her 4th year of nursing school, and she was bound and determined to finish with her class. She got casted up and was right back at clinicals, caring for people with her leg in a cast. That would be worse than sciatica by far, so don't despair and certainly don't quit. I got through school by thinking, "just power through it."

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I've had it off and on for 37 years. Who told you you'd have to drop out of school? Someone at the school, a gloom-and-doom family member, or an actual provider?

People attend and graduate from nursing school with all manner of conditions which cause aches and pains..Others use it as an excuse to quit.

It's really a matter of how badly you want it.

[rbaker6767]

Thank You so much for the encouragement. Basically there was a family member of mine that said something along the lines of "how are you going to be an Rn if u have back pain?" , which was sort of ironic because this particular family member is an RN with back pain. The other person was my Anatomy and Physiology professor who didn't discourage me but told me to take an hard look at whether I want to go into the profession with scaiatica. Other have told me though that it's manageable but I would just have to make sure to take care of myself. I don't know. I really don't want to leave this program; I'm intrigued by the whole field. I just want to make sure I'm not getting in over my head and becoming part of a profession where I just don't belong. Thank you so much again, I'm gonna stick it out in the program and just worry about getting a diagnosis from a doctor for now.