No worries.

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My anxieties stand in line all day so they can pop out just when I am ready to go to sleep. Tonight the leaders are all the things the neurosurgeon said were potential risks of this spinal surgery. I don't need to list them here in bold letters, and if it weren't so dark and quiet right now I wouldn't be reminded of them.

I would rather think of the potential AWESOMES of spinal surgery: no numbness or pain! no lifting or driving for six weeks! a new short hair cut so it doesn't get tangled in my cervical collar! lots of time to read and nap!

I am scheduled to have a discectomy with fusion of two cervical vertebrae on May 24. You can see why in the handy-dandy visual aid to the left. That vertical center line is my spine and the black bulge in the middle of it is the offending disc. So far it is only bad enough to cause pain, numbness, and weakness in my neck, shoulder, arm, and hand. Unchecked, it could eventually cause loss of control of my everything. That's why we are fixing it! No worries. He says I have strong spinal ligaments and they will hold everything together for the next three weeks. I am cautioned, however, to not consult a chiropractor or lift a laundry basket, just to be safe.

Assuming surgery goes perfectly and I'm am cured, I am still anxious about recovering for six weeks. About being stuck in this house, bored, sick of looking at the cats, missing Starbucks and trips to the grocery store, turning pale and haunted, running out of things to watch on teevee. I have started a notebook to list allowed post-surgery activities. Maybe I could cross-stitch!!!!!! Just brainstorming.

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 6, 2011 at 8:37 AM

    I can help with stuff to do/ read post op! I'm on week 6 of "recovery" - 4 weeks of post op PT, surgery on April 22nd and so far, 2 weeks post op. Another 2 weeks to go AT LEAST. I'll send you a list or we can compare notes! ;) Good luck and hoping the best for you~ IG

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMay 6, 2011 at 8:38 AM

    oops - 4 weeks PRE op, followed by 2 weeks POST op :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. WolvyMay 6, 2011 at 8:42 PM

    I don't remember how I found it, but last year a guy in Australia was quarantined to a hospital room with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (picked up somewhere in South America). He...well, it's pretty great how he turned a potentially really awful time into awesomeness (and life changes afterwards). I don't know if you're up for youtube fame, but you might like looking at him/his videos/him (he's pretty cute)/how he passed the time and changed his life around.

    http://www.youtube.com/user/ChristiaanVanVuuren

    ReplyDelete

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