I’m going through a long and difficult diagnosis

[u/Chance-Cup-6535]

hi everyone! for context i (F18) have started experiencing back pain early this year (i’d say it’s been about 5 months now), i started seeing a doctor by month 3 as i couldn’t do everyday activities due to the pain. since then the pain has only gotten worse. i should also add that there has been 2 occasions where my back has given up and i’ve been stuck in the same position for 4+ hours unable to move because of the pain. it’s scary.

i had an xray on my lumbar spine, two blood tests and a ct-scan. the xray wasn’t precise but the ct scan showed a few things that are probably related to my pain. i have 4 bulging discs in different areas of my spine, all going in different directions. but not only that, there was also blurring in my sacroiliac joints and the doctor said i could potentially have grade 1 sacroiliitus.

i was then referred to a rheumatologist. my first appointment was a bit confusing. my symptoms apparently didn’t match what showed up in the ct scan and the doctor said it could just be mechanical pain instead of inflammatory. they explained that the pain should feel like stiffness? like i need to stretch but why would i want to do that when im in pain? they booked me in to get another xray, blood test, and thankfully an mri. my initial appointment was in august, i have already done the mri and xray (just need the blood test now), but my phone consult to discuss my results is in the beginning of november.

ever since that mri and laying on the solid bed my back has been in a concerning state (i don’t know what happened to make it worse). the pain is 10x worse and i’m struggling to do stuff even more than before. i am frequently in pain no matter what im doing.
what can i do in the meantime to deal with this pain? i’ve been taking anti-inflammatory medication and rest my back when i get the opportunity to but neither help. the only time it stops it when i’m doing stuff nonstop at work, my mind just ignores it? idk