Saturday, February 2, 2019

Spinal surgery: not as bad as it sounds

December, Wednesday.  Herniated disc.  Out came some large chunks that were pressing on the nerves to my right leg.

Thursday and Friday, lots of sitting around.  Very boring.  I could have taken the painkillers they gave me but I don't like to unless necessary.

Saturday, went for a relatively long walk.  About a mile or so, I guess.  The first half was easy, the second a bit (much) slower.  Back sitting again, however.

A month and a half later, three days ago, with the pain in my hip and leg slowly going away, I ran a mile and a half.  Today, another.  Slowly, to be completely transparent.

When I needed back surgery, however, significant numbers of people regaled me with stories about people who had surgery and were in pain for the next forty years, or other people who had surgery and ended up in a wheelchair.

Mine, however, was outpatient (go to sleep, wake up, go home).  As related above I was taking walks two days later and running six weeks later.

So either I got lucky or back surgery is just better than it was.

Oh, and just to bring politics into it, wait time for neurosurgery is approaching a year in Canada, with their socialized medical system.  My doctor told me that if we didn't have surgery fairly quickly I risked ending up in a wheelchair with no bladder or bowel control.  They operated within five weeks of my initial doctor's appointment.

2 comments:

Ame said...

wow! that's amazing! so glad it went well and you're running! that's awesome!

Ame

heresolong said...

Thanks.