In Which I Have a Microdisketomy Also Known as Surgery on My Back

In the above pictures, my microdisketomy had not started yet. Just in case you were wondering. This was the night before.

After nine years and two months, I am no longer employed as a cleaning lady at the doctor’s office! As you can tell, this was an event worth celebrating! I can not believe I’ve cleaned the office that long. It’s going to seem a bit strange not to go, but I will soon adapt and I won’t mind the extra free hours in my week!

It has been a really good job and I am thankful for the opportunity.

Said cleaning ladies may have gotten a bit silly. Or it may not be all that out-of-the-ordinary either!

With my surgery and recovery coming up and an opportunity arising for Renae to clean for one of our neighbors, it seemed like it was time for this chapter and bit of our lives to close. I’d thought about it and then Matthew mentioned too, that it looked like it just might be time to quit. I did quite a bit of sweeping there and that didn’t seem like something I should jump back into very quickly.

Thus….the end!

NOW. For the name of the post being what it is, I don’t have pictures of microdisketomies or surgeries or anything like that.

For which you can breathe a sigh of relief. If you’re anything like me anyway! I am not very medical. I could never, never be a doctor or nurse. I get squeamish rather easily.

Matthew did take a picture of my incision so I could see it, but I will spare you that as well. I tend to like pretty pictures better.

It was a microscopic surgery and my incision is around an inch.

My lower back has bothered me a good bit for about two years. It’s really bothered me a lot longer than that, but it was in the last couple that it would flare up and I would have a good bit of pain. Then in May 2014, it really pulled a doozy! Something started pressing on my sciatic and I was flat on my face in pain, not walking and moving as little as possible. Not fun. To say the least. Wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

I ended up in the emergency room. They gave me shots for pain and to relax my muscles. Sent me home with pain pills and muscle relaxers. It was wonderful to have pain relief. To cut the pain from a 10 to a 5 or 6.

A friend recommended a chiropractor to me and I started going to him. He is good and I like him. The treatments did help. But then, it seemed I just couldn’t get better. I’d have good days and I’d think “Woo-hoo! I’m going to soon be over the hump and back to normal!” But no dice. It would flair up again. Come and go. Go and come.

Sometimes it would hit me unexpectedly, leaving me gasping or crying out.

It was ouchie.

At the end of summer, my chiropractor sent me for an MRI.

The results?

I had a loose fragment in there that was moving and pressing on my nerve and that’s why I couldn’t get better.

I wasn’t that surprised to hear this report. I had thought to myself on a few occasions that it seemed like there was something in there that moved.

My chiropractor then referred me to a surgeon. Ironically, this surgeon operated on both my father-in-law and mother-in-law within the last two years. How crazy is that?! I had a couple people tell me we should surely get a family discount!! Somehow medical fees don’t seem to work that way. Ha!

We had my appointment with the surgeon and scheduled a surgery date.

I was dreading the mess and hassle of paperwork and phone calls and insurance stuff more than the actual surgery. I knew it would take time and frankly I had many, many other things I’d rather spend time on. Somehow it just loomed over me. It certainly wasn’t without its hassles and stresses, but it all fell in place. Thank-you Lord!

I had never been put out before, so I wasn’t looking forward to that. However, I was very ready to feel better if I could!

The surgery went very well and I am beyond thankful. When the surgeon talked to Matthew after it was over and I was in recovery, he told him the piece was bigger than he was expecting it to be and it was calcified which meant it had been in there a long time. There were also a couple of other small pieces he removed too.

I didn’t get sick to my stomach at all when I came to. I was hungry and the nurse gave me a menu and told me to call and order food and eat. So, I did. And it tasted so good. It also felt so good to drink. I hadn’t been able to eat or drink anything since midnight the night before.

I needed to get up and walk and go to the bathroom and then they would release me to go home.

Once I did both things, my nurse called for a wheelchair, had me sign dismissal papers and we gathered up my stuff and headed home.

We got home around 9 p.m.

It felt so good to get settled into my cozy, warm home.

I am just so grateful for how well it all went.

And praying I’m going to feel so much better than I have for a long, long time!

A great, big thank-you to all my friends and family who have prayed for me. I appreciate every single prayer so much.

See? THIS is a pretty picture! The kind I like. 🙂 {Better than an incision.}  Fresh flowers!! Just can’t beat them.

Apparently I am SET for this recovery thing.

THIS stack. And Doctor Dan peeking out to keep me supplied with bandages! And my knitting that I’ve wanted to pick up again! Definite perks to the whole recovery thing.

My dearie girl was busy doing laundry this morning and taking care of household chores.

There’s a certain farmer man who has me on strict instructions not to overdo it and to rest and take it easy. {Ahem.}

When I don’t feel well, I am always so, so thankful for my people and their care of me. There are many people who don’t have this blessing.

Just so thankful in so many ways and glad to have this behind me. Praise His  name!

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