Hi all! Please excuse my lack of post last week. I will have another volume of Agent Questions very soon. I do ask that you send in more questions! I feel like I have over-run several subjects, but there are so many to choose from, I like to have choices that are relevant to you!

Now, why was I gone? Good question. I had been experiencing some terrible back pain, to the point of using a walker in public and having no control of my leg muscles. I called many doctors who said to keep my April appointments and that if it was that bad to go to the ER.

Not only is that an expensive ($753) option, but I knew they would try to unsuccessfully help my pain and send me home with a doctor’s appointment. Thus, my refusal to go in, and my many ineffective attempts to get an appointment sooner.

After my doctor ordered me three series of painful spinal injections, things became much worse in the span of two weeks. I was falling several times a day, and barely able to use my stairs with help. So I told hubsalot that they were never going to take me seriously unless I went in to the ER.

We went the next day and as they were unsuccessful with my pain, they took an MRI and admitted me for “overnight observation.”  It was not long after the MRI when my surgeon showed up. He said I needed emergency spinal surgery.

Oh, and I’m also a MRSA carrier. Surprise! Happy birthday. 

Gee, thanks. They ended up cutting out the disk that was spilling its nucleus, relieved the pressure from the spinal cord being squeezed, and fused L2 to my L3/L4/L5 fusion. No, nothing happened. No car accident or trapeze stunt gone wrong. Its all genetic. My poor dad has had over 6 back surgeries, two hip replacements, two new knees, and now that one shoulder has been fixed, the other one is acting up.

He gave me: spinal stenosis (neck to tail), degenerative disc disease (top to bottom), lumbar osteoarthritis, and all by myself I got a reverse curvature in my neck (Reverse cervical lordosis), and kyphoscoliosis (where my spine twists from side to side, AND over exaggerates front to back curves). And I have a spinal stimulator implanted in my hip. At least the rechargeable battery is there. Yes, it charges through the skin. Yeah, the kids call me a cyborg.

Whew! I know, that’s a lot. It’s okay. It makes me a chronic pain warrior. And I have a handicapped parking pass, because it’s for people who can’t walk 3,000 feet (or something close to that) without assistance. Sometimes my walker is my assistance; no one notices then, or if I need my cane. But days when it’s just the stimulator and a brace…people comment. The biggest thing I hear is, you don’t look handicapped. Or, where’s your wheelchair?

That’s just hurtful and divisive.

Soapbox over. Hey look, squirrel!

So, I stayed in the hospital for a few days and came home to find out that my incision was infected. I rolled on the couch in a fever for a few more days and found that I cannot stay awake long enough to do anything.

That’s my apology~ish. I’m sorry I didn’t post last week, but not only do I have a good reason, I will follow this with another writing post tomorrow! Yay! If you’re still with me, good for you- you have patience and maybe a fascination with surgery and gross stuff.

Me too.

Here’s what my X-rays look like now. The little do-hickey that’s off to the side is my spinal stimulator. The battery is implanted in my hip and the wires go to the pain center of my brain. It causes a distraction, because your brain can’t fully focus on two pains at the same time. So I have this tingling, like when your foot falls asleep, only I have it from the rib cage down to my toes. It feels like wearing electrified pantyhose. No joke.

That’s from the front. And the following photo is from the side. The screws go all the way through the bone!

That’s my life! Have a great day! See you tomorrow!

~jenn