Sorry to hear about the back, Kit.
I had a similar situation while lifting a heavy object from the trunk of my car - I felt a "pop" in my lumbar region and landed on the driveway, in a fetal position whimpering. It took me several minutes to crawl back in the house. The pain was excruciating.
About 2 weeks later, I was in surgery to remove a portion of a herniated disc between L4 and L5.
I don't think I've ever had Dilaudid, but you are in great company - Lindsay Lohan has a standing prescription for this narcotic, no doubt to relieve the pain in her dignity.
And my apologies for naming the beast. I fully understand that I'm going straight to hell for that.