First Post of the Year!

Salutations lovelies!

While I do not know who all reads this, I want to say Happy New Year! Hopefully your year has been filled with love and light. I cannot believe that we are already in our third month of the year, seems to be flying right on by!

Needless to say, I’ve dropped the ball in posting at all. I apologize, but there’s good reason as to why. In July of 2024, I underwent my first microdiscectomy on my L5-S1 disc. To explain, the “jelly” filled balls between the spine bones broke and squished out, pressing on my nerves and spine. So a neurosurgeon went in through a tube and cut that squished out part out of my back to relieve the pain. Everything went beautifully, except that I developed instant numbness in my left leg. Even with that, I was thrilled! I could move without too much pain and had more mobility.

It came with a cost though.

The numbness made me even more dangerous on the stairs and, being the “graceful butterfly” that I am, I fell UP the stairs because my left toes caught the lip of the next step. I went down like a sack of potatoes. Essentially undoing the previously successful surgery. After an MRI confirmed the injury (worse than the original herniation (aka more of the “jelly” squished out than originally)) and failing to thrive with physical therapy, I underwent another microdiscectomy on January 24th of this year.

Why not a fusion?

Good question, we wanted to try to preserve my mobility and flexibility. Once the surgery was completed, the numbness in my left leg was gone! I had complete feeling again! Which has come as a blessing and a curse. About three weeks in, I noticed nerve pain increasing, weakness, pain when sitting AND standing, difficulties bending/twisting, etc. I advocated for myself and even will be paying out of pocket for my second MRI of the year due to insurance red tape. I knew looking at the images before my neurosurgeon did, that it wasn’t good. Now keep in mind, I have been living like an elderly person. No lifting over 10 lbs. No laundry or dishes or sweeping/mopping. No long walks. Barely driving. And NO FALLS.

I herniated again. WORSE than the first two times.

According to the physical therapist I saw today, who looked at the images, there is zero room for my nerves to function without pain. I am now slated for my third surgery in 8 months. NOW we’re doing the fusion because too much of the “jelly” has been squished out. We have no idea how this happened or why it happened. I’m dealing with a lot of emotions about it, but am just hoping that this takes care of it.

What is a fusion?

So a fusion is where they “fuse” two or more vertebrae (back bones) together with rods and screws. They make two incisions in your back (if done minimally invasively). They’ll remove the rest of the “jelly” and put a cage to support the bones in its place. Then they will drill holes in my L5 and S1 vertebrae (which is in the lower back, right above your tailbone) and attach rods to them to keep them supported. Then they’ll glue up the incisions. It will require me to stay at least one night in the hospital, possibly longer if there are complications.

Are you using the same neurosurgeon? If so, why when the past two surgeries were failures?

Those are excellent questions. Yes, I’m using the same neurosurgeon because he recognized that I was in pain and that this wasn’t something that could wait just because I’m overweight. I am still going back to him because I believe the first failure was on me. I fell. There’s no two ways around it. The second failure, we don’t know what cause it, but I can’t blame him either because there’s no proof. I believe he’s working in my best interest.

While I do have my fears with the surgery, I have to believe that things will improve and get better. The physical therapist is optimistic that once I can start physical therapy, that she can help me retrain my muscles and nerves to experience sensations other than pain, because right now they’re living in fight/flight mode. And honestly, we’re fighting to just survive. My husband is doing everything he can to help me and has taken on so much responsibility when it comes to the housework, pets, work, etc. I am determined to get better.

I want to thank everyone who has been visiting the site and looking at items or considering purchasing from us. I also want to thank everyone who potentially reads this to understand why I’ve been so quiet. I am trying but when you’re in 8/10 pain, it’s hard to function. If you’re going through this yourself, know you’re not alone.

Please feel free to reach out to me with questions or well wishes.

Sending much love!