We don't have a perfect place for this thread, so I'm putting it in Greets and Meets. No, I'm not special, but it seems that a lot of people want to wish me well, lend some advice (always welcome), and want feedback on what's happening. ScubaBoard has impacted a lot of lives and still does, so I guess the wellbeing of its owner is relevant...
Backstory, I've always had a strong back and some say it goes with a week mind. Humph!
I've paddled a canoe for about 4,500 miles in my lifetime, which has given me a strong back, strong arms, and a strong heart. I am bradycardic (pulse below 60 bpm), with usually low to average BP. I first hurt my back moving a washer and dryer in and out of my truck solo for a former girlfriend in 2004 or so. It's given me fits from time to time, but vitamin I and rest seemed to do wonders. Then, I broke my leg in Fiji five years or so ago, and somehow that affected my back, or maybe it was just old age and getting weaker. Two years ago, my dear sister was diagnosed with lung cancer, and I was her sole caregiver. In March of 2023 she had become quite infirm, to the point that I had to clean her, sometimes several times a day, change her diapers, lift her out of bed, onto the couch, and so on and so on. I loved my sister and loved being in her company, so it was absolutely not a problem. I just ached for her suffering. Then on January 15, 2023, while I was cleaning a rather big mess, I failed to raise her bed high enough, and I severely tweaked my back. I actually could no longer take care of my sister, and she had to go to a hospice, where she died about a week later. No, I don't blame my sister for this, I only blame me and my genetics. My one regret is that I could not honor her wish to die here in her bed surrounded by her cats.
I rested, I took copious amounts of vitamin I and other NSAIDs, and I suffered. I couldn't paddle, I couldn't work in my shop, and I couldn't even walk down to the springs to go swimming or diving. Exasperated, I finally went to the doc, and was referred to a surgeon at Shands in Gainesville. Last summer I had a laminectomy on L3 and L4. It was a tad bit better for about two weeks, and then things shifted, getting even worse. A lot worse. I got steroid shots but no relief. I lost confidence and went to another doctor in Lake City. More shots, no progress, but lots and lots of suffering. I couldn't stand more than 5/10 minutes. Because of the previous laminectomy, we both came to the conclusion that he could do nothing for me. I was getting desperate. So a year after the first injury, I went back to Shands and was referred to 2 doctors. I have since gained 70 pounds from sitting all the time, which just can't be good for the back and now I have slightly elevated BP. I don't feel like I'm aging gracefully.
Their first comment after reading the MRI, was "I'm surprised you're still walking". They pointed out a congenital overly narrow spinal canal, as well as a bulging disc that was impeding on that canal. In most people it would be fine, but I was cursed with a defect that somehow, had been masked by all of the strength I had built up from paddling. After a few more injections, diagnostics, and lots of pain, it has been determined that tomorrow I'll have 3 discs replaced, 4 vertebrae fused with screws, and they will enlarge my spinal canal while they're at it. I am off all NSAIDs and Meloxicam (arthritis) since last Thursday. I have been off Percocet since yesterday and will be fasting right after breakfast and NPO from midnight until surgery tomorrow. My grandnephew Ethan is here to help me out for probably the next month, and he will be in communications with
@Wookie.
For what it's worth, the staff, doctors, and surgeons at Shands, UF's teaching hospital, have been great, albeit a bit slow. Yes, they would characterize it more as being cautious, but they're not writing this post.
My son had a back injury in High School, where it was determined that he had an overly narrow spinal canal. They never solved it and he turned to self-medication, ultimately overdosing about ten years ago. I always had empathy for him, but it's on a completely different level after these last 16 months. It's almost two years since I've had a proper dive. I tried to dive Troy Springs a month or so ago, with friends bringing my gear to the water. With the Suwannee in flood stage, the vis was beyond crap and I don't think I was in the water more than five minutes. It's going to be at least another month before I can get into my springs. Cave diving is why I moved here.
So now you know. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Well, I'm looking forward to not hurting any more. That won't really end tomorrow, but hopefully, it's the beginning of the end of my suffering. No more sitting for hours on end. No more Mr GrumpalumpaPete. I really expect the best and will do everything I can to ensure that. The surgeon says my rehab will consist of lots of walking, and I'm really excited about that.
