Here we go again...Surgery #5

Well for any of you who've been following me and my blog, I thank you and wish I had this earth-shattering wonderful news to share with you all...BUT, after another visit with my orthopedic surgeon, such is not the case.

Back in March (24th to be exact), I somehow broke my T12 transverse process.  I was fitted for a TLSO (a back brace) and spent a month in a rehab hospital getting strong enough to come home. I came home and was doing fairly well but continued with pain of varying sorts.  Slowly, "things" started getting harder, my balance was getting worse, my strength seemed to wax and wane. My entire right side from my knee to my shoulder blades started to hurt more and more. But my doctor kept saying "Everthing looked fine" - everything was clearly NOT fine. I fell on my bedroom floor last weekend and my right foot continues to turn purple if I, my leg goes numb when out for breakfast and my right foot is always soooooo much colder than my left.

Today, the orthopedic surgeon was clearly disappointed to see that the T12 has not healed at this point. It should've healed by mid-May, so by 4 months it most definitely should have healed. It is still broken clear thru side to side, left to right thru solid bone (SEE BELOW: dead-center eye level)

So with that news, the only way to fix it and stabilize the spine and vertebrae is to extend the fusion up to T2-3.  He would leave the current screws in place in my lumbar spine, add more screws on either side of my spine up until the point at which he was satisfied, remove the current bars on either side of my spine and then place new ones (bars) the entire length of my spine.  Sound familiar?? Didn't we just DO this??  Ugh.  I often wonder why he didn't do this to begin with but at the time, his answer was "Your thoracic spine is solidly fused at this point so there would be no point in refusing that area."

So, I don't know...that's where I am...Oh yeah, on Monday my god-father is taking me to have spinal injections into my SI (sacroiliac) joint and tibial nerve under sedation. Thank GOD for sedation, and for poor uncle who will be here at the not-so-bright but very early time of 6am.  His hope is that it will help with my leg pain and numbness and my right hip pain.  Fixing T12 by fusing all the way will hopefully fix the very painful areas along and just right of my spine.  Dear Lord, I pray it works.

A bump in the road, but all is well....

Well, last week was interesting, to say the least.  On Friday, I was 911'd to Cooper with excruciating chest pains that didn't let up after about 45' - and at that point, the pain was traveling up into my left shoulder.  It was very scary.  I called my cousin, who dropped everything and came over to watch my son, and within 4' of the call, a police cruiser and ambulance arrived (with no sirens or lights, at my request, as i didn't want to scare my son or bring attention to the neighbors about what was going on). I was admitted thru the ER and was discharged Sunday night...it was all due to a stone (even though i don't have my gall bladder anymore!) that was blocking my common bile duct, which caused a bit of pancreatitis - the actual diagnosis was something called "post cholecystectomy syndrome.".  VERY painful, whatever it was and i'm just glad it's over and that I'm home again.  My mom came up and will spend about 2 weeks with me...i'm really "wobbly" on my feet, as alot of people have mentioned to me, and i'm not quite sure why -- I saw a pain management doctor last week and maybe it's the new meds...my legs are still really really weak...but i can't do outpatient PT until the T12 transverse process heals.  I'll be going for an xray while my Mom is here and i see the surgeon again in a couple weeks.  HOPEFULLY it has healed by now...i sure hope so...

So I need to tell you what an amazing group of people from my church, HOPE Church, who name i still believe was meant for me...anyway, meals have been arranged for the next couple weeks as well as some light housekeeping and shopping if i feel i need it.  Rides to/from doctors offices, whatever!  They're ready and willing to do it all.  Through all the trials and tribulations, I am constantly reminded of God's grace and love - HE is in control of all this, not me - and HE will get me through it...whatever "it" turns out to be.  Through it all, I am blessed.