Myelogram/CT Results

Well I got the results from the Myelogram/CT on Wednesday. The neurosurgeon said that I have Chronic Degenerative Disc Disease, Spondylosis at C5-C6 & C6-C7 (which are vertebrae in the neck), and a central disc protrusion at C6-C7. Since all the other treatments available have failed, he suggested an Anterior Decompression and Spinal Fusion surgery. I am a little scared about this. They go in from an incision on the front of my neck and work on the vertebrae of my spine. He is going to use cadaver bone for the fusion. Since I have legs problems already, he will not harvest my own bone for the fusion. He said that the cadaver bone will not reject since it does not have any blood properties in it and it is easier to use since it is already pre-cut to fit the vertebrae.

After the surgery, I will have to be in the hospital for 1-2 days. They will fit me for a neck brace and show me how to use the bone growth stimulator. They said the bone growth stimulator will emit electrical signals to help the bone graft fuse to my vertebrae, which will take from 3-6 months. The surgeon said that the most likely causes of a graft/fusion failure are: more than one level to be fused, smoking, patient non-compliance with activity restrictions/or brace wear, using anti-inflammatory medications and malnutrition. I have two of the problems: more than one level to be fused and I currently smoke, but it looks like that will have to stop. I am going to try to cut back and stop on November 1st. In my mind, stopping smoking will be the hardest part of the whole process since I have smoked for over 40 years.

My son is not really happy about the time of the surgery. It will be on Tuesday, November 6th at 5:30 AM in Oklahoma City. That means we will have to leave here at 3 AM to be at the hospital on time. He is definitely not a morning person. But, I need him to be there just in case of any problems.

All of this will create a stressful holiday season since I will be in the recovery process through Thanksgiving and Christmas. My son and his girlfriend were planning on me cooking the Thanksgiving meal. Jokingly, I told my son that he might have to order Thanksgiving Dinner from one of the deli's. He said he couldn't believe I was saying that. I have always cooked big dinners for Holidays. But, I guess with getting older and in worse health he will have to learn that things can be done differently or he needs to send his girlfriend over and let me teach her how to do it. I guess I could be an instructor instead of the cook for at least one year.
Well I have rambled enough for now. I will report back after the surgery and let you know the results.

Till Later - Judy

MYELOGRAM/CT

Well, I finally got the myelogram/CT scheduled for October 3rd. My son's girlfriend took me to Oklahoma City for the procedure. I was a little nervous about doing this, since the last time was very painful and I wasn't sure what to expect. The whole process was very good. The staff at Mercy Health Center were all very nice and they were very good at doing their jobs. The myelogram went off without a hitch and the CT person was very nice and quick. I was only at the hospital for a total of 4 hours. Previous myelograms had me stuck in bed in a flat position for 8 hours. I did have to be on bed rest for 24 hours after I got home, but at least I was in my own home and was much more comfortable than in a hospital. Karen (my son's girlfriend) spent the night with me just in case something went wrong. I felt bad that I took her whole day off, but I really appreciate her willingness to go with me.

I am scheduled to see the neurosurgeon on Oct. 24th, but have been put on the waiting list if there are any cancellations before that. I hope I can get in earlier. The pain medication that I am on is not working very well, but the next step is a pain patch and I have had bad results with it before. I am going to try to make the best of the situation until I see the doctor again.

I know that this all seems very boring, but this is where my life is at this time. I have been trying for 2 years to get my body back in some kind of shape that will allow me to be more active, but I am just not there yet.

I did have an interesting experience a few weeks ago. Several little ladies stopped at the house and said that they had lived here when they were children. They were arguing about whether there was a pond in the back yard. I told them that there has not been a pond here since we bought the house. I invited them in to see the house and they told a lot of stories about the house and what had changed since they lived here. I was very glad to learn that this house survived the 1955 tornado (THE BIG ONE!!) that all but wiped out Blackwell. The two sisters were in their 90's and now live in Oregon. They were very glad to see the house and reminisce. I know that I would like to see some of the homes I lived in as a child and hope I contributed to making their trip a little more enjoyable.

I am looking forward to the weather changing next week. They say that we should have some days in the 70's for highs. I would like to be able to turn the AC off and open the house for a good airing out before the cold weather sets in. It would also be nice for the electric bill to go down for a little while. We have had a rate increase this year and it has really effected the cost of being cool.

I hope you all enjoy the fall like weather and I will be back in touch later.