Very much appreciated. However, since that last post, things have become weirder with my back.
I got lucky and got an appointment just after noon today with my spine doctor. He wrote me out a prescription for enough hydrocodone (3x daily) to tide me over until the scheduled May 16th procedure date. However, that date might not matter anymore.
The doctor was confused by what I said the nurse had told me would happen on the 16th. He says my MRI and diagnostic shot data doesn't jibe with a simple single-cause issue on my right side. So, he's ordered an electromyogram to be performed this Friday at the doctor's office and a CT myelogram to be performed at the hospital (the hospital with call and schedule, hopefully tomorrow).
After all of that, I'm supposed to follow up with a different doctor at the practice who specializes in spinal surgery. That doctor will determine if I get a major epidural cortisone/anesthetic injection through my tailbone into my spinal cord, or if some kind of back surgery will be required.
In one day, I've gone from a simple cortisone injection to a possible major epidural or even spinal surgery. This is going the wrong farking direction.
There is one upside, however—the doctor was more than happy to let me continue taking the Topamax, since it's helped me lose almost 20 pounds since I started taking it.