SPECIAL POST---DECISION MADE TODAY

 LOWER BACK PAIN

        Some of you know I have been dealing with right side lower back pain since July of 2023.  It was not too bad until beginning of 2024 and has continued to get worse.  When we lived in Durango I had several steroid injections in my spine, a platelet rich plasma injection, and months of physical therapy.  Nothing seemed to help.  A MRI indicated a bulging disc and annular tear L5/S1 of spine.

        We were scheduled to go on a 90 night Grand Arctic cruise last summer but cancelled it due to my back pain.  When we moved back to Dallas in August of last year, I had several treatments by a chiropractor that did help some for awhile.  I saw a pain management doctor who injected a dye and some steroids in my L5/S1 area of the spine trying to isolate the exact cause of pain.  He recommended a series of different injections over a 6 month period that was not covered my Medicare.  Cost was over $20,000 with no guarantee and would probable only relieve pain for a couple years.

        He referred me to a spine surgeon to see if surgery might be in order.  Dr Shah ordered a new MRI and said a microdiscectomy would fix me up.  This procedure is less invasive than disc replacement or disc fusion.  This procedure would entail a operation to file off the part of the disc that was putting pressure on the nerve causing my pain.  

        I liked his plan so scheduled the surgery for April 11th, the week after we return from these two back to back cruises.  It is covered by Medicare!

  

        Ever since being on this ship my back pain has increased even more.  It is very painful for me to shower and dress (any straightening up after being bent over feels like someone stuck a knife in my back).  Standing up after being seated is also very painful.  So much so I let out yells.  So today I called Dr Shah's office and asked if the surgery could be moved up to March 28th.  They said yes.  We are to be back in Miami on the 21st (end of this cruise) and was to start the second cruise that day (14 nights) but I called my travel agent and had her cancel that cruise.

        This afternoon I called American Airlines and changed our flight to March 21st instead of April 4th.  We are going home!  Surgery on 28th, two weeks earlier that planned originally.  I just can't stand this pain any longer.  I do have pain meds but do not want to get addicted so I don't take them.

        Our next booked cruise is a 27 night cruise beginning August 23rd (Barcelona to NYC).  I hope to be pain free on that cruise.  Planning another blog then.