In 8 hours I’m scheduled to be at St. Joseph’s hospital to have the L5-S1 disk cut out of by back. It’s terrifying to think about it. A lot can go wrong and I certainly hope it doesn’t. I’ve spent this whole weekend trying to find things to keep me busy so I don’t start freaking out about it.
If all goes well I will hopefully be cleared to start looking for some work that allows for people with disabilities in about 120 days. That would be a great Christmas gift. I was supposed to have the Charite prosthetic disk implanted in that spot but after doing a ton of research I found out that it had a 47% failure rate. The ones that didn’t fail are considered a miracle cure for many but far to many break or dislodge and cause severe damage to the spine.
So I decided to go with a medical spacer and cage. Supposedly their is a flexible spacer that inserts into that spot and then a cage fits around the vertebrae to hold it all in place. The cage reminds me of a set of handcuffs, it looks like it brackets to a specific tightness. This is major surgery and I have been back and forth on it a dozen times. It all comes down to the fact that I can’t bend, sit or walk for any length of time.
Sleeping has been down to 3 hours at the most for about the last 2 years. I toss and turn and the pain is just so bad that I end up watching TV at 4am to try and take my mind off it for a few minutes. I have a TENS Unit and that helps but it can only be used for 2 hours maximum before it starts feeling like hot needles being stuck in my back.
I just got a portable traction unit to try and help with the pain. It lays out on the bed and after I strap my self into it a pneumatic pump stretches my spine just a millimeter or two. The relief is unbelievable and I always find myself falling a sleep in it. But that only lasts minutes because of being strapped in to the machine.
The best news I’ve had recently is I just learned this week that my doctor has ordered me a sleep by numbers adjustable bed. It costs about 5 grand and I thought he was nuts when he told me that the insurance company has to pay for it. I confirmed it with my attorney, it’s true. If the doctor prescribes this bed because it will help with pain relief and allow me to sleep longer with this injury then the insurance has to buy it. I can’t wait to sleep for a full 8-10 hours for the first time in 2 years.
Anyway tomorrow is the day. Wish me luck and say a prayer for me. I would for you.
