23/10/2024
It's finally official! I'm having back surgery on Wednesday, Oct. 30. My spine had been giving me problems for about 10 years, and my low back has gotten pretty bad the past 4 years. We've been watching my lowest discs closely on xrays and MRIs every 6 months or so.
I've done years of physical therapy, pain management injections, multiple prednisone treatments (which help the most, but also started giving me vertigo and is not a long term option), chiropractic care, massage, pilates, minimal bending/lifting/twisting, and multiple medications to help take down inflammation, even shots every 2 weeks... basically everything we could do to put surgery off as long as possible.
The degeneration has gotten a lot worse, vertebrae is collapsing, and now the disc is protruding into the nerves. I noticed this summer I had new symptoms of nerve pain down my legs, and burning stinging pain that wouldn't let up during my flare ups.
It's been an interesting process working with neurosurgeons and prayerfully deciding between two different surgeries. Insurance has been a huge headache, but finally everything lined up. As crappy as this whole situation has been, I have seen miracles and God's hand in the whole process.
I'm so thankful for my family and close friends who have prayed with me, fasted for me, and have supported me and my family in many ways.
We decided on doing an artificial disc replacement, for a couple reasons, and there are a few things that make this a complicated surgery, having to do with my past surgeries and my connective tissue disorder... so I'm asking for continued prayers that this all goes smoothly, and that the surgery is a success so I can get some relief from the chronic pain I've been having! I feel the prayers and constant support, and feel so grateful I've been given the strength to do what I have been able to do. I'm hoping with some titanium in my body I'll be superwoman soon!!
