Tomorrow is the big day. I will go to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center and get that darn herniated disc taken care of. I am excited for the results the surgery will bring, but I am a bit nervous about the recovery process. The whole recovery process is three months, but the first month of thos three will be the hardest.
I won't be able to bend at the waist for four whole weeks. Think about that. We humans bend at the waist dozens and dozens of times a day. That alone will make my life interesting. I will only be able to lift 8 pounds (that is basically a gallon of milk). I can only sit for 20 minutes per every hour for two weeks which means I will be lying around a lot for most of Christmas, which also means no Christmas break movie theater trips. Sad day. And the really sad restriction is that I won't be allowed to take a bath for two whole weeks - showers only. This is truly disappointing.
I am also getting staples instead of stitches. Good thing my mom is a nurse because they have to be removed 7-10 days after surgery. That should be pleasant.
But when the three months of recovery are up I know that I am going to be feeling so much better and I am so looking forward to having my life back. It is truly a blessing to be able to have this surgery, performed by a world renown surgeon at the hospital that is only a mile away from home. It is kind of a bummer that I have to go through all this during Christmas time, but it is really a blessing and I am really grateful for it. I would really appreciate any extra prayers that you can spare...I am going to need them!
And for those of you who are interested... I found two good videos that show you what a discectomy is all about. This first link is for an animated video that is very informational without making you queasy. Click HERE to view animated video.
This second link is for a video of an actual discectomy. DO NOT WATCH this if you can't handle blood, bodily fluids, seeing people get cut open, etc. It's the real deal and it is graphic so be warned. I watched it and was fine... it's really not that bad. Click HERE to view real video.
Hopefully that helps for those of you who wanted to know. Thanks for all of your prayers, love, and support. It's been a long road, but I finally feel like I can see light at the end of the tunnel and I am looking forward to living a normal life again. Much love and gratitude to you all! I'll write again soon with an update.
4 comments:
I'll be honest, recovering from back surgery isn't pleasant AT ALL (I've had 3 back surgeries). But it is SO worth it. Let me know if you need anything.
go tin. go tin go.
Good luck with everything, Kristin!
I'm glad to hear things are going well... i left you my number on your facebook account... do come visit when you are feeling up to going out! I'm excited at the prospect of a reunion!!!
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