I am 4 days out of surgery and I feel great. Great for someone who had spinal surgery 4 days ago, that is. The pain in my leg, as well as the pain from the injury to my back is gone. It's like it was never there. Seriously, this surgery was that effective. Now, I still have soreness from the surgery itself, but it's bearable. As a matter of fact I stopped taking my pain medication Saturday afternoon. I found I really didn't need it. I started taking 800 mg of ibuprofen 3 times daily after that to manage what was left of my pain. I have since dropped it to 1 dose of ibuprofen as needed. Hopefully in the next couple days I can forget about that as well. I am starting to get a little stir crazy. As you are aware, I cant drive for another 9 days. And, honestly, I can understand why. I would be unsafe to others on the roadway as I can't turn from side go side to see out of the vehicle. Looking behind me is completely out of the question. I could drive if, say, the zombie apocalypse happened tonight. Other than that, I am pretty unsafe behind the wheel. I am pretty much confined to my house for another couple of weeks. I have been surfing the interwebs, reading Clive Cussler books, playing PS3, and generally procrastinating on what I should be doing, studying for the LSAT. I have decided to take it in August, just to see what happens, but I was always much better at procrastinating than studying. As a matter of fact, if we all die eventually, aren't we all just procrastinating until then? Yeah, thats what I thought.
I have been eating like crap. Since I can't really stand long enough to cook a meal I have just been eating whatever was around the house. This includes pizza, chips, sandwiches, etc. Pair this with the fact that I can't work out for another couple months and I am sure I will have to start my year of getting fit all over again. I'm ok with that as I wasn't very far into it. We went to eat with several members of our crossfit family tonight. It's hard to hear them talking about the gym. I want to get back in there badly.
So, 4 days post surgery wrap up. If you are considering this surgery, then you are like me and are beyond any other help. Either you have exhausted your other options, or you have an injury that is sufficient enough that other options really aren't options for you. I fell into the later category. So, if your doctor is suggesting a Microdiscectomy, I say do it! I certainly don't regret mine. I can already tell this has taken several years off the age of my back. It really feels great. Once I get fully healed up I feel certain that I will be back in the swing of things in no time. I'll update again in a few days.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
120608
So, I had an L5/S1 Microdiscectomy yesterday morning. The surgery itself went smoothly. The only unexpected thing they ran into, according to the surgeon, was a hole in the disc they were repairing. Apparently it was so badly herniated that it was actually ruptured. This increases the possibility that i could herniate the same disc again if I'm not careful in the future. I was in surgery just under 2 hours. Woke up lying on my side in the fetal position in the recovery room. When I went under I was on my back. They must have forced me into the sideways position and operated on me that way. Probably makes it easier to perform the surgery with the spine elongated in that way. In any case, I woke up slightly when I was in the recovery room. They made me roll over into another bed once I was in my actual assigned room in the hospital tower. This was a little painful, but I immediately fell back asleep.
I woke up some time later with my family in the room with me. My back felt tight and a little sore, but it was nothing that was unbearable. I noticed that the pain in my left leg was gone! That was really the whole reason I had the surgery, so I was extremely excited that it seemed to be successful! I was told by the nurses that Discectomy patients are generally required to spend the night at the hospital before being allowed to go home. I informed them that I was not really interested in playing sleep over at DCH and asked what I had to do in order to be discharged that day. They said I had to do three things: (1) take a second round of intravenous antibiotics, (2) be able to stand up and walk a little ways, and (3) urinate. I told them to hook up the IV, bring me a bunch of cups of water, and lower the bed rails. Over the next few hours I completed all three tasks given to me. The surgeon came by to see me and gave me the blessing to go home if I wanted to. I didn't give him the opportunity to change his mind. I left the hospital shortly thereafter and came home.
I spent much of yesterday sleeping due to the medication I was given. My wife and my parents were nice enough to rearrange the living room furniture so I could relax, see the tv, and still feel like I am part of the group. The last thing I want is to feel isolated for the next several weeks. The doctor told me that I should get up and walk a few times daily to make sure I stayed stretched out and try to strengthen my core. I have been doing this. It blows my mind that my spine was operated on yesterday and today I'm walking down the street. I have a large back brace (that resembles a corset, really) that I am supposed to wear for the next two weeks, until I have my post-op meeting with the surgeon. I am on pain medication, anti-inflammatories, and muscle relaxers. The concoction makes for an interesting feeling. I dare say that I am a little stoned at times. All in all I'm feeling pretty good for having endured spinal surgery yesterday. My incision is burning a little and my back is fairly tight. I can't sit down for more than a few minutes (per the doctor), so lying down or standing up are my only options. Right now the hardest thing for me to deal with is the fact that I can't drive for the next 2 weeks. Apparently if I were to react quickly while driving I could mess up whatever they did in my back. So, for the first time since I was 15 years old, I have to rely on other people to drag me around town. That sucks. Hopefully when I visit the doc in a couple weeks he will clear me to drive. So far I'm definitely happy that I had the surgery. I feel better already. An unexpected gift from the surgery is a large swollen upper lip. Apparently they busted my lip while inserting the breathing tube after I was under. It's very swollen and is making speaking, drinking, and eating difficult. It looks and feels like someone punched me in the mouth while I was unconscious. Since Sarabeth is working at the hospital this summer I have tasked her with finding out who busted my lip and whether it was on purpose. Once I heal up I'll exact my revenge. I'm joking of course (or am I serious?) I'll update again in a couple of days to let everyone know how I'm progressing.
I woke up some time later with my family in the room with me. My back felt tight and a little sore, but it was nothing that was unbearable. I noticed that the pain in my left leg was gone! That was really the whole reason I had the surgery, so I was extremely excited that it seemed to be successful! I was told by the nurses that Discectomy patients are generally required to spend the night at the hospital before being allowed to go home. I informed them that I was not really interested in playing sleep over at DCH and asked what I had to do in order to be discharged that day. They said I had to do three things: (1) take a second round of intravenous antibiotics, (2) be able to stand up and walk a little ways, and (3) urinate. I told them to hook up the IV, bring me a bunch of cups of water, and lower the bed rails. Over the next few hours I completed all three tasks given to me. The surgeon came by to see me and gave me the blessing to go home if I wanted to. I didn't give him the opportunity to change his mind. I left the hospital shortly thereafter and came home.
I spent much of yesterday sleeping due to the medication I was given. My wife and my parents were nice enough to rearrange the living room furniture so I could relax, see the tv, and still feel like I am part of the group. The last thing I want is to feel isolated for the next several weeks. The doctor told me that I should get up and walk a few times daily to make sure I stayed stretched out and try to strengthen my core. I have been doing this. It blows my mind that my spine was operated on yesterday and today I'm walking down the street. I have a large back brace (that resembles a corset, really) that I am supposed to wear for the next two weeks, until I have my post-op meeting with the surgeon. I am on pain medication, anti-inflammatories, and muscle relaxers. The concoction makes for an interesting feeling. I dare say that I am a little stoned at times. All in all I'm feeling pretty good for having endured spinal surgery yesterday. My incision is burning a little and my back is fairly tight. I can't sit down for more than a few minutes (per the doctor), so lying down or standing up are my only options. Right now the hardest thing for me to deal with is the fact that I can't drive for the next 2 weeks. Apparently if I were to react quickly while driving I could mess up whatever they did in my back. So, for the first time since I was 15 years old, I have to rely on other people to drag me around town. That sucks. Hopefully when I visit the doc in a couple weeks he will clear me to drive. So far I'm definitely happy that I had the surgery. I feel better already. An unexpected gift from the surgery is a large swollen upper lip. Apparently they busted my lip while inserting the breathing tube after I was under. It's very swollen and is making speaking, drinking, and eating difficult. It looks and feels like someone punched me in the mouth while I was unconscious. Since Sarabeth is working at the hospital this summer I have tasked her with finding out who busted my lip and whether it was on purpose. Once I heal up I'll exact my revenge. I'm joking of course (or am I serious?) I'll update again in a couple of days to let everyone know how I'm progressing.
Monday, June 4, 2012
120604
I've been away for a while. When I found out that I was having spinal surgery I got a little depressed. The doctor said I couldn't work out exactly the way I wanted anymore and that kinda bummed me out. I actually felt sorry for myself for about 2 minutes. However, I'm realigned and squared away again. Thanks to everyone for the words of encouragement via messages, emails, phone calls, etc.
I went to the beach last week. The in-laws took Sarabeth and I down to Orange Beach. It was a nice little vacation. I definitely had time to re-evaluate my situation while I was there. I was very jealous of Sara. We took a set of bumper weights, her bar, a kettle bell, and a 20# medicine ball for her to use while we were there. She woke up every morning and performed a solid workout in the parking lot of the condo complex. Of course, everyone else staying there thought she was crazy. At one point she was using the side of my truck as a wall for handstand pushups. She was also using the tailgate for box jumps. That was one heck of a high box. Easily 36 inches, at least. She is so dedicated. In any case, all I could do was sit and watch. I wanted to participate so badly. I finally had to stop watching. I spent most of my time during daylight hours on the beach reading Clive Cussler novels. I love his books. I managed to keep the pain in my left leg at bay thanks to anti-inflammatories, Lortab, and a few Bud Lights. My doctor also prescribed me a dose pack of steroids to keep the swelling down. Sara told me it would work well, but would be temporary. She was right. It worked very well, and had my pain all but stamped out. However, I finished the pack Friday. It's Monday and my pain is already seeping back in. Luckily I only have to endure it for a few more days.
I am scheduled for my presurgical testing today at 1230. Hopefully everything will check out alright and they will give the green light for surgery Thursday. People keep asking me if I am anxious about the surgery. My answer is an overwhelming "No". I am ready to have the procedure and get on with my life. I am ready to get back to a pain-free state and see what I am able to do in the gym. Unfortunately, the weeks since I hurt myself have probably set me back to my beginning state, as I feel I have gained a few pounds of chunkiness and lost some strength. I feel certain that I will get it back, and that this is just a set back I must deal with.
My major goal right now is to be able to walk without pain by June 25. June 26 is our wedding anniversary. I have booked a surprise trip for Sara and I for the 25th through the 28th. It had to be a quick trip due to her work schedule, as she has an internship at DCH all summer. She knows we are going somewhere...she just doesn't know where. I'm going to try to keep it a secret until the day we leave. I think it will be more fun that way. In any case, that is only 2.5 weeks after my surgery. I don't want my back to limit us on our trip, so I am so focused on being able to walk a decent amount by that time that I don't have time to be anxious about the procedure. Sarabeth is much more nervous about it that I am. I would do it today if I could.
I will update again before the surgery. Afterwards I am going to try to give a play by play rundown of everything that is going on with my body in the hopes that it will benefit someone else down the line. Thanks for reading!
I went to the beach last week. The in-laws took Sarabeth and I down to Orange Beach. It was a nice little vacation. I definitely had time to re-evaluate my situation while I was there. I was very jealous of Sara. We took a set of bumper weights, her bar, a kettle bell, and a 20# medicine ball for her to use while we were there. She woke up every morning and performed a solid workout in the parking lot of the condo complex. Of course, everyone else staying there thought she was crazy. At one point she was using the side of my truck as a wall for handstand pushups. She was also using the tailgate for box jumps. That was one heck of a high box. Easily 36 inches, at least. She is so dedicated. In any case, all I could do was sit and watch. I wanted to participate so badly. I finally had to stop watching. I spent most of my time during daylight hours on the beach reading Clive Cussler novels. I love his books. I managed to keep the pain in my left leg at bay thanks to anti-inflammatories, Lortab, and a few Bud Lights. My doctor also prescribed me a dose pack of steroids to keep the swelling down. Sara told me it would work well, but would be temporary. She was right. It worked very well, and had my pain all but stamped out. However, I finished the pack Friday. It's Monday and my pain is already seeping back in. Luckily I only have to endure it for a few more days.
I am scheduled for my presurgical testing today at 1230. Hopefully everything will check out alright and they will give the green light for surgery Thursday. People keep asking me if I am anxious about the surgery. My answer is an overwhelming "No". I am ready to have the procedure and get on with my life. I am ready to get back to a pain-free state and see what I am able to do in the gym. Unfortunately, the weeks since I hurt myself have probably set me back to my beginning state, as I feel I have gained a few pounds of chunkiness and lost some strength. I feel certain that I will get it back, and that this is just a set back I must deal with.
My major goal right now is to be able to walk without pain by June 25. June 26 is our wedding anniversary. I have booked a surprise trip for Sara and I for the 25th through the 28th. It had to be a quick trip due to her work schedule, as she has an internship at DCH all summer. She knows we are going somewhere...she just doesn't know where. I'm going to try to keep it a secret until the day we leave. I think it will be more fun that way. In any case, that is only 2.5 weeks after my surgery. I don't want my back to limit us on our trip, so I am so focused on being able to walk a decent amount by that time that I don't have time to be anxious about the procedure. Sarabeth is much more nervous about it that I am. I would do it today if I could.
I will update again before the surgery. Afterwards I am going to try to give a play by play rundown of everything that is going on with my body in the hopes that it will benefit someone else down the line. Thanks for reading!
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