Oops….Not So Fast

Well, it turns out that Tiger and I aren’t so connected at the hip, or should I say back, after all.  Oh, for sure we both have herniated discs, but mine, in one case, has improved, while the other stuff that’s not bothering Tiger so much has gone south for me.  L4-5 is the culprit, and it has decided to show just who is boss of this operation, no pun.

And this, boys and girls, is your Lumbar Spine.  Pretty, isn't it?  Looks like a snake.

Of course, I found this out when in Florida for my pre-op consult…which took place exactly 15 hours before my scheduled surgery.  Think they could have made a phone call and saved me a trip? 

Though I did spend a week in Florida, and thoroughly enjoyed sun that warmed me to my bones, it was, for the business of the business I was there for, a wasted trip.  It also called to mind the inexact and imperfect and inefficient world that is medicine these days.

All of which left me more than a little peeved.  A letter written by a pen warmed up in hell is in the offing.  I think the good Doctor needs to know there is a huge disconnect between him and his “front office.”  This was to be my very first surgery in my whole little life, so I had no precedence to guide me, but in retrospect, I could hear balls being dropped at every juncture of this experience.  Luck of the Irish.

So, I am back in sunny Syracuse, now scheduling another stab at painless.  This time it’s an orthopedic surgeon, not a neurosurgeon.  And, I’m happy to report, so far, so good.  I’ve had the consult, scheduled the pre-op visit, and have a surgery date.  The doctor in this instance knows full well that on August 1^st, the bus for Cape Cod leaves the depot, whether I’m on it or not.  He assures me I will be on it.  We’ll see.

Because this is a more extensive endeavor (a fusion for God’s sake), it is a little more serious.  But, as luck would have it, again I qualify (so far) for the minimally invasive version of this surgery.  That, they promise me, means less pain, less recovery time, and in some respects, a better outcome.  Golf and biking and walking are gloriously in my fairly immediate future.  If I couldn't be physically active, I'd go nuts. 

And I guess I’m thankful for the present day.  My neighbor across the street had a spinal fusion done 50 years ago (he’s 90ish and still walks, plays golf, etc.) and he had to live in a body cast for 3 months after surgery!  With good behavior, they tell me I’m out in 2-3 days, tops.  By the time my kids deserve one of these, they will probably do it as an outpatient; in at breakfast, out by dinner. Or maybe even at home.

Mark Twain Quote: “as far as being on the verge of being a sick man I don’t take any stock in that.  I have been on the verge of being an angel all of my life, but it’s never happened yet.”