My Recent Surgery And Absence
I haven't been around lately and thought some might like to know
why.
The day before Christmas, I was shopping with my daughter and all
was fine. Some of you know I have been having some tingling and
numbness in my hands over the past year but otherwise, I was fine and
my blood sugar has stayed in the normal range without medications and
just dieting and exercise. The day or two after Christmas, I couldn't
walk without assistance and my hands were about 50 percent numb. I
could not read or write Braille or feel the keys on the keyboard well
enough to type emails. Needless to say, I was big time freaked out.
For a year and a half, about ever 3 to 4 months, just when I would be
getting over a lower back pain episode, it would come back. Once it
was so bad, I had to go to the emergency room via ambulance because I
literally could not move. I got over that in about a week or so but
then came the big one at Christmas. I went to our family doctor, he
sent me to the emergency room, and they sent me home after telling me
I need an MRI, as if I didn't already guess as much, but after a week
of nobody getting the MRI scheduled, I entered the emergency room once
again. They tried, and failed, God bless them, a lumbar puncture. It
isn't as painful as it sounds, trying to shove a needle into your
spinal cord for drawing fluid, but the psychological effect is beyond
measure mentally and emotionally. No, I didn't cry as they tried
killing me but I didn't win the patient of the month award either.
Plus, I deliberately skipped giving the doctor a tip. Anyhow, that
didn't work. Believe it or not, they finally did two MRI tests and
when the right neurologist was called in, he figured out what was
wrong. I was so weak below the waist, I couldn't walk without help
and my hands, as I said, were like two useless numb clubs at the end
of my arms. No pain. No fooling. I had no pain any place. amazing.
It felt as if my whole body, however, was slowly getting weaker and
weaker and I honestly figured I might be leaving this world for the
next. To say I was scared would be an understatement. The last week
I was at home, I refused going to my office where my computer and new
ham gear was because I honestly thought I was never going to get to
use any of it again.
I was admitted on January the fourteenth for spinal stenosis
surgery. I received to surgeries for the price of one because they
had to open the front of my throat to put in a scope to see what they
were doing when putting a titanium plate and screws to fuse two
vertebra together. No, I can't feel it. Then, once that was done, I
was turned over and the back of my neck was cut open to remove a disk
only to be replaced with a synthetic bone mass material to lessen the
compression it was creating on my entire spinal system. They waited
to do the surgery because, they said, I was in no physical danger. If
they could have only read my mind. I acted normal, though, so no one
but my family new how spooked I was. I'm not kidding. I thought I
was a goner. Not being able to tel that you are holding a tissue in
your hand to blow your nose is right down scary as a blind person and
I don't give a damn what the NFB says about it. For my sighted
friends reading this, I'll explain about that some other time. By the
way, I have been blind for 44 years and I still haven't adjusted to
it. I mean, I have never recommended anybody go blind because it is
so fun that they should try it for themselves. You know what I mean,
Vern? Anyhow, I had to have a heart stress test but a chemical test
since I couldn't stand to walk on the treadmill. That was an
interesting experience and not as bad as I thought but as I said, I
already thought I had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana
peal in the first place so the heart stress test was more than a
little scary. My heart is fine, fortunately, so on to the surgery two
days later.
The surgery was scheduled for 7 hours but it went so well, it
lasted 5 hours. I had been wearing a dumb neck brace for two weeks
already and another week after surgery. He had said I would wear it
for six more weeks but after my appointment Monday, he took the neck
brace off, told me to be careful, and sent me home. I am using a
walker about 50 percent of the time now and also having physical
therapy at home a couple of times each week. My hands have returned
to about where they were before this all began and the doctor said to
be patient concerning my hands because it will take awhile. As you
can see, I am typing, but slower than normal but thank God I am
typing. Writing is very important to me. I sit around watching TV
with an egg shaped vibrator in my hand to stimulate nerve development,
which drives me crazy, but I am more than just a little thankful for
the progress made so far. When I awakened in the recovery room, My
lower back pain was totally gone and I could feel the strength already
in my body from the waist down. Boy, was I thankful for that. I came
home after only two and a half days. I think I'll write and ask our
insurance company for a partial refund since I came home sooner. I
asked the doctor what I did to cause the whole thing because I've
never been in an accident or anything that would have caused it. He
said I did nothing but rather it was a degenerative type think that
started showing itself a year and a half ago until it suddenly popped
out full blown. Weird. I have a six inch scar incision down the back
of my neck and about a 2 inch incision on the front right of my neck
which my grandchildren think are cool. No, they don't hurt now but
did a little for two days in the hospital. The staples are all taken
out already, too. No, that didn't hurt either when they removed them
Monday.
Did I learn anything? Yes. Mostly importantly I learned just
how dad blamed important your family is. My daughter, she is 30 years
old, stayed every night with me in the hospital, which was more
helpful than you can imagine, and especially the two different nights
I couldn't sleep at all the whole night. Nurses are very helpful but
it ain't like having your own family with you. Coming home was
interesting. I couldn't shower by myself so my son had to help me. I
sat on a chair in the shower stall and shaving was a trip, let me tell
you. Plus, I had a water proof neck brace I had to wear and the other
brace I had to wear even when sleeping. I felt like a turtle. I
probably smelled like one, too, by this stage of the game. My son put
up various grab bars around the bathroom and down the four stairs
leading down into my office built on the side of the house. My 2 year
old grandson, when I use the walker, likes to hold on to the front to
guide me through the house. He is a better driver than I am, too. My
wife waited on me hand and foot at home at first and believe me, when
you cannot take care of yourself as a blind person, it really does a
whammy on your personal pride. My wife is blind, too, of course, and
works full time from a computer station at home for the same hospital
I was in but she was always there for me. We just had our thirty-
seventh wedding anniversary a week before the surgery. We'll have to
celebrate later when I'm more back to normal, whatever normal is. I'm
glad I married the right woman; that's for sure.
By the way, I had to be fed for a couple of three days unless the
food was something I could pick up but even that was difficult. For a
couple of days after the surgery, my wife even had to put the pills in
my mouth and the glass of water in both hands because I couldn't feel
when the medication was in my hands. Talk about humbling. Did I
learn anything? I now know what it feels like to think you are going
to die and it is no picnic and I even know where my picnic is going to
be, if you get my drift. Plus, I thought I was stronger than that but
believe me, when you can't walk without falling, which I did a couple
of times, and as a blind person, you can't feel what you are touching,
all sorts of weird thoughts pass through your mind and emotions. I
know some of you reading this don't know me so I'm sorry for the
dribble but I just thoughts some might like to hear what has been
happening the last month or so in my life.
There is a website my neurosurgeon recommended which has a lot of
textual information about this surgery but for those of you receiving
this who can see, it has video, too, and shows the entire surgical
procedure I had. Click on the link below if interested. Otherwise,
live long and prosper, as Spoc used to say. Is he still alive?
Addendum: February 8, 2009
Praise the Lord! I can now shower without help, I'm no longer
using the walker, and although I have a lot of stiffness in my upper
and lower body, and although my hands are still not completely normal,
everything is dramatically improved. My physical therapist had
planned coming twice a week for two months but after three weeks post
op, she said I was equal to a physical level of 6 to 8 weeks beyond
the surgery. So this week was her last week. I'll be returning soon
to the surgeon for new x-rays and eventually another MRI to check all
that was done and how it looks.
I haven't been scheduling any prayer sessions as of yet because I
have a ways to go before feeling well enough to continue doing that on
a regular bases so your continued prayers are appreciated.
Phil.
P.S. I had someone email me and learned Spoc is still alive and 77
years of age.
Go To HOME: SafePlaceFellowship.COM