Well, I suppose the back drama is somewhat
over around our house. At least the
wondering can melt over into more specific worrying – er, no – planning for
what comes next. I had an appointment
with the neurosurgeon yesterday to go over the results of the MRI of my lower
back. I knew the problems were getting
serious when my neurologist didn’t even recommend the usual pain management
steps. (Other than water therapy, which has really helped strengthen my core
muscles).
So I did get to see the actual MRI
pictures. (I have a copy of the disk here at home, but I just couldn’t figure out
how to get it to open. I think I can do
it now, though. I watched the nurse,
and you know nurses can do just about
anything). The doc pointed out no
less than three separate issues with my back.
First, there is a bone spur just below the lumbar 4 disk that the
radiologist actually missed on his report.
It seems to be pinching one of the nerves there. Jump up a level, and you find the most
serious of the problems. The area
between 4 and 5 is afflicted with severe stenosis. The bone is calcifying from the outside in and
closing off the area the nerves have to operate in. On the pictures, he showed a relatively
normal area (as normal as my back gets, anyway), and then showed this one. The normal one appeared as an area of all white. Mine?
I couldn’t see any white at all.
Not so good, he informed us. And
for a bonus, one level above that at 5-6, I have a pretty clear bulging disk,
also pinching on a nerve. At least I have
experience with that sort of thing from my neck surgeries.
So, what’s the plan? Well … a myelogram (injecting dye into the spine
and tracking its movement) is the next step to give the surgeon a clearer, more
specific picture before surgery. Now, wasn’t
that stated in a positive, reassuring way?
See, in spite of it being a tremendous asset in diagnosis and a guide in
surgery itself, a myelogram has the potential to be one of the most painful
tests there is. OK. I am basing that statement on my experience
with the numerous ones I have had for my neck.
And those carried the unfortunate side effect of tremendous
headaches. It is the only way to get the
information he needs to proceed, however.
Now he did say I could go with the
cortisone injections as a “temporary pain management fix.” The problem is degenerative, though, so it
will only get worse. Besides, I tried
those with my neck and they never seemed to improve anything. Oh, and he assured me that the water therapy
I have been taking has not been wasted.
The “strengthening will really help with recovery.”
And so it appears we are once again facing
the dreaded “S” word … surgery. But not
this week. All of our waking hours this
week are focused on funeral arrangements for Chris’ Dad. Chris has to make a trip to Victoria on
Thursday to sign some release papers with the funeral home. And it looks like we are hosting a memorial
service on Saturday, either at Seaside or here at the house. Lots of prep this week.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 says, “Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those
who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love
because of their work. Live in peace with each other.”
Father, help us as we prepare for this
memorial this weekend. Be with Chris and
her siblings. Grant them peace. We can talk more about this back thing next
week, OK? Amen.
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