First visit to the Spine Institue Yesterday

[Nighthawk]

I had my first visit to the spine institute yesterday. Got to meet my team of doctors and nurses assigned to my case. Talk about friendly, compassionate people! My pain management doc is quite the doc. She doesn't just concentrate on the back issues but really cares about the overall health of her patients.

We had a very frank conversation bout the level of disease in my back, treatments, expectations and goals. She told me that yesterday was the first step and she agreed that going straight into surgery is not the best answer in my case. She said I have a very, very bad back with disease very advanced for my age. The problem with surgery is it will have to be repeated over the years and given my age that means a lot of additional surgeries. Also I would be disabled for sure at what she said is too young of an age. However she did say that surgery is inevitable but she wants to help me put it off as long as I can. So we proceed with the epidural shots of lidocaine and steroid. They also put me on a oral med and had me stop the ibuprofen therapy as that compounds renal issues with my diabetes. Of the five bulging, dessicated lumbar discs at least one has totally collapsed on the left side thus pinching, or as doc put it grinding on the nerve. Three injections with a little burning with the first one and I could feel the fluid being injected with the other two but very little pain compared to what I endure every day of my life. I am a little bit sore today but this may be the ticket to getting me back on the water and out in the woods hunting.

There I was, face down on the table, pants pulled down to expose my plumber's crack, surrounded by women! Of course the jokes were flying everywhere! My poor dignity and their poor eyes all traumatized for life!