So I visited a neurosurgeon yesterday....

I know, it's been almost a month since I've posted. Sorry. Really, I say it a lot but I mean it!
Anyway, since my last post, I'm no longer confined to my bed thanks to modern medicine, especially steroids and narcotics. I'm able to go to work, but have strict activity restrictions.

Anyway, I had an MRI for my back. I finally found a new primary care doctor (and I hope this one doesn't move, since I really like this one! And the other doctor in the practice is the one I stopped going to and I will go to urgent care instead if I'm sick enough for a doctor and he's the only option). Anyway, after checking out a few things, he was afraid I had herniated a disc and sent me for an MRI. I had that on a Wednesday, with my follow up appointment with him again on Monday to go over the results. Instead, he called me personally on Thursday as soon as he saw the results.

Never a good sign.

I got a referral to a neurosurgeon, and finally had that visit yesterday. Again, a series of funny tests, and he patted me on the shoulder and said I'd hit the disc jackpot. I thought he meant I was really okay, no big deal, go home and you'll be fine soon. Nope. He said he's seen worse herniations, but not many in his career. And that it's been 20 years since he's seen one so bad. He was shocked I've been walking around, not to mention working every day. He showed us my MRI, and wow.

This obviously isn't from my back, but see the bottom right one? The pink area is the herniated material. Imagine 3/4 the spinal column compressed instead of just the half. That's how mine looked. Apparently I have a larger than normal spinal column area, and he said that's the only reason I am able to get out of bed, period.

So, in my very near future, I'll be having back surgery. This is what I'll be having done. After the surgery, he said I'll feel SO much better, but I won't be able to drive for a week and won't be able to return to work for 10 days.

I am completely ready to have this done, though. I am tired of being in pain. I just want my life to get back to normal! Poor Sophie a few days ago was saying she missed me picking her up and holding her. She said "It's just not fair!" The worst was on election day last week, she and I were walking into the polling location, and she tripped over the broken sidewalk and fell down, skinning her knees. My baby was crying on the ground, and I couldn't do a thing about it. Luckily, my husband was already there and came over to pick her up, cuddle her, and clean up her knees. In no time at all she was running around playing. But I felt so helpless! What if he hadn't been there at the same time? What would I have done?

This surgery can't happen soon enough.