"That's the 'Executive'..."

So as some or most of you know I hurt my back 4 years ago, did Physical Therapy for about 9 mos. and then felt great.I had a little bit of a problem with it after that when I would try to lift heavy things or work a double but this past Christmas it went out pretty bad and after a couple days rest it was great again.

April '09 it went out when I tried to carry a laundry basket containing a pair of jeans, a pair of sweat pants, and a t-shirt. I collapsed and the next day called my insurance company who sent me to an orthopedic spinal specialist who really was a chiropractor, she made it worse. I went to the ER got some meds, felt better, went to an internalist recommended by them.

Internalist ordered X-ray, blood work, MRI. Results are I have disc compression/dessication in my L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-T1 discs. I also have bulging in all 3 discs. I went to see a spinal surgical specialist.

I will have to have surgery. He said he's never seen such degenerative disease in anyone my age. He was shocked at what he was seeing. There is no avoiding it I will have to have surgery and remove all three discs and replace them with artificial discs. I need to find surgeons very good technically because they have to go in from the front and have a vascular surgeon move the blood vessels over, then have the spinal surgeon remove and replace the discs, then the vascular surgeon moves the blood vessels back. They have one shot because the scar tissue that develops will block them from being able to go back in again.

HOWEVER...the specialist said to wait as long as possible on it since I am so young. He also said that to help with the pain and everything I need to do pilates, yoga, and acupuncture. Hopefully that will help me to postpone surgery for as long as possible. He said if I can make it to 30 that would be amazing.

So that is the saga of my back. It sucks, I hate it, I get to wait on surgery. YAY!