I’m headed in for back surgery next week (sometime–exact date TBD).
(I herniated a disc at L5/S1 while working in the Montana Conservation Corps during the summer of 2008. After ~6 months and two epidural steroid injections, I gained 95% pain relief. I had almost 12 months as a normal (well, relative to me, anyway) healthy, active 22/23 year-old, before a recurrence of pain in January 2010.)
Two additional injections have provided limited relief.
Dr. Speth will be performing an L5/S1 microdiscetomy. Should be a slam dunk: > 95% chance of success without any complications.
I’m a little scared–there’s a very minute chance of paralysis or death. But I’m also a little excited. Heaven knows, I’m ready to be pain-free again. I’m ready to touch my toes again. Ready to sit comfortably again. Ready to be without any reasonable excuse to be cranky, lazy, flabby, reclusive.
