Sounds exciting, doesn't it? Isn't that how everyone would like to spend their Friday?
The sciatic nerve pain I was talking about in my last post came back with a vengeance (on my birthday, no less) the day after I started physical therapy. I spent the weekend in bed, since anytime I tried to stand I had a hot, burning pain traveling from the top of my leg to my ankle. Hmm, worse than before. Couldn't be a good sign.
Monday: a phone call to my doctor asking for pain meds and an order for an MRI. Tuesday I got in for the MRI (I now think I am claustrophic) and the results a few hours later showed a ruptured disc. The nice nurse at my doctor's office found a neurosurgeon that would see me on Wednesday and the next thing I knew I was being scheduled for surgery for Friday. Let me tell you, by the time Friday rolled around I was more than ready to have surgery, despite my apprehension about the whole thing. I liken it to having a baby - by the time Week 40 rolls around you are so big and tired and miserable you just want that baby OUT. But I digress.
Got to the hospital at 8 although my surgery wasn't until 11:30. They were 'ahead of schedule' so I actually went in about 11. One minute there is a pair of eyes asking me to take a deep breath, the next I am trying to figure out why my eyes won't open as I am listening to the nurse's recap of the previous mights Grey's Anatomy.
Surgery was a success. The doctor was able to remove the ruptured part of the disc from my spinal column and my leg is PAIN FREE. Cannot tell you how unbelievable it was to be in such pain and waking up to none. I am sure the drugs helped immensely but even as I hobble around today I am still expecting the pain in my leg and there is none.
My back is a different story though. Pretty sore where the 2-inch incision is and I am finding I can't sit at all. I was told to spend today walking a little bit around the house building up each day. I go back on Friday to have the staples removed (they even gave me a staple remover at the hospital to take with me - weird) and I am supposed to take it easy until then. No twisting, only sitting up for short periods of time and no lifting anything over 30 pounds.
I've already spent one week doing pretty much nothing and I don't know if I can handle another week of it. After playing Mr. Mom for a week, I am sure David doesn't think he can handle another week of me not being able to do anything either!!
