Back Surgery

As some of you may or may not know, I hurt my back getting out of the car and sneezing at the same time. I know how lame that sounds and that a skiing accident sounds better, but that is what happened. And I have been struggling with it every since! And it has continued to get worse and worse. Here is a little background for those of you that don't know what has been happening: I hurt my back on Saturday November 1, 2008. On Tuesday November 4th I went to my doctor's office and saw the first available doctor (not my regular doctor), he ordered an MRI and gave me some pain meds and muscle relaxers. Lucky for us my mom was up here visiting and was able to stay with us longer, so I could rest my back and take my medicine. On Wednesday morning I had my MRI and was told I would have the results on Friday. After not hearing from my doctor I finally called on Monday and was told that everything looked fine now and that it looked like a disc had been herniated. So I went to my chiropractor that afternoon and told him what the MRI said and he started working on me. By mid December I was worse and I now had horrible pain going down the back of my thigh as well as my back hurting. The chiropractor said it would go away as we realigned my back and neck. My mom was up here visiting us again when this new pain started and she was a lifesaver, helping with the household stuff and most importantly with the kids. But by mid January I still was not better. A friend from preschool referred me to another chiropractor. After a few visits with him my back and neck felt great! But the pain in my leg was still there and hurt just as bad. In February, right before our trip to Vegas, I went back to my doctor's office. I ended up with the same doctor as in November and he gave me more muscle relaxers and pain meds and order physical/occupational therapy. Flying with a bad back/leg is horrible! I started pt/ot as soon as we got home from Vegas. I couldn't walk after I was done, I hurt so bad. To help with the pain I went to an acupuncturist, it was wonderful, sort of. As long as the needles were in I was pain free. UNfortunately as soon as she removed the needles the pain came right back. The pain in my leg was getting worse and working it way all the way down my leg and into my foot. It was getting hard to drive, take care of the kids, take care of the house, and I knew it was time to ask for help. I called my mom and she flew up here two days later. She has been cleaning, cooking, shopping, driving, feeding, and doing everything I can't and probably more! I finally made an appointment with my doctor. He order another MRI and gave my muscle relaxers and pain meds that worked much better. I had my MRI the next morning. Two days later my doctor's office called to say that I had herniated my disc at the L5/S1 and it was pushing on two nerves. I was referred to a neurosurgeon, the best in Washington (Which is always a plus). I meet with him today and he reviewed the MRI and the list of things I did to try and solve the problem. He determined that surgery was the only thing left at this point in time to try and fix it. So I am scheduled to have back surgery on April 7th. I will stay overnight at the hospital and should be home be the 8th. I will then be on bed rest for a week. Then I will have very limited activities for another two weeks (no driving, lifting more than 10 pounds, etc). My mom will is still here and will be able to stay for the first two weeks after my surgery. Then my sister, Jennifer, is flying up to help for the third week. And after that all of my friends are pitching in to help if and when I need it. It will take a year for my back to fully heal so for the next year I have to be very careful with my back and limit my activities, but I will be pain free! 15 days and counting!!!