03 Apr
Back Surgery
I tell you this because I think there are some of you who genuinely care about these back problems I have (some of you are just moderately interested, and that’s totally okay, and then there are those who don’t care at all, and I understand that too!), although talking about these things, especially bringing up something like surgery is going to leave me with approximately 227 comments from people telling me that I am making the wrong choice.
Today the Dr. informed me that I have the back of someone who is 33. Maybe even 43. I was given a bad hand genetically, and I can blame all of this on my parents/ancestors (thanks a lot mom and dad!). Back pain is just going to be a part of my life. I’m going to have the surgery now to give my nerves some room to breath. The jelly from my disc (what I like to call a donut now, thanks to a previous commenter), is pushing on that poor little nerve causing me so much pain. I need some space and so the Dr. is going to go in there and give me some.
Feel free to voice your opposition, as always you are free to voice your opinion, but I’ll still be going under the knife sometime in May (hopefully the 12th), as my husband and I have decided that this is the best possible option for us (me, us, it’s all the same). Chiropracty, acupuncture, physical therapy, decropmession therapy, traction therapy, positive thinking, etc are not what we are going to do.
Below are the credentials of my surgeon. If your credentials outweigh his, I will consider your reasons for pursuing a different course. Otherwise it’s all just personal opinion from a whole bunch of people who have the same amount of orthaepedic background as myself. You understand right?
Born and raised in Fresno, California, Dr. Carmody received both his baccalaureate, medical degree and orthopedic training from the University of California at Irvine where he graduated in the top 5% of his class. He completed a full, one year Fellowship scholarship devoted exclusively to spinal reconstructive surgery, which included state-of-the-art techniques of minimally- invasive spinal surgery.
Dr. Carmody was awarded the prestigious U.C. Regents Scholarship in medical school and is a member of AOA. He has authored and co-authored numerous scientific presentations and publications.
Editors Note: Since some of you have mentioned it in the comments, this is actually my third opinion! First Dr. Straus, then Dr. Manning, and finally Dr. Carmody. The first two brought up surgery, and the reason I switched to Dr. Carmody is that he is supposed to be one of the best back surgeons in Dallas.
Interestingly enough, before my MRI, Dr. Straus told me surgery was entirely too drastic and that PT was the way to go. After he saw my MRI results, there was no more talk of of PT, just epidural steroid injections or surgery.
Also:
I'm a farm-raised almost-crunchy stroller-pushing picture-taking lifestyle-blog-writing gastronomy-obsessed divine-seeking thrift-store-combing cheese-inhaling pavement-pounding laughter-sprinkling lover of individuality and taking chances.
Good luck! I hope everything goes smoothly.
1Good luck and I hope it works out well for you and you finally get some relief!
2You are too funny posting his CV! :o)
I am not going to voice my opinion. I just KNOW that I always feel a little heartache when I know someone is heading to the OR. My mom is going to have surgery tomorrow too- and I just feel bummed about it. No reason. It’s just hard to fathom knowing someone is going to be subjected to something painful. It’s hard to see and to go through- regardless if it’s a stranger, your parent, loved one or child.
I know you made the right decision for yourself. You will continue to be in my prayers so that you get a result of comfort!
That is the ultimate goal!
Peace…
Katherine (a.k.a. Sparkles) Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 1:12 am
I just realized your MD is from my current hometown! Irvine!!! (But I am a Bruin… which is neither here nor there… go bruins!)
I was born and partially raised in Fresno, which means that he must be even more brilliant than me since he was all the way raised in Fresno. Also? I think it’s funny that everyone seems to be an expert because they have access to wikipedia. What works for one does not necessarily work for all.
Jenna Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Ah yes, that is the curse of Wikipedia and the internet I think.
I have all sorts of respect for any UC trained professional (UCSB grad here!) and for your decision. You need to do what is right for you.
I think second opinions are always a good idea.
5No opinions here at all! You have to do what is right for you. Good luck (although I’ll say that closer to the time too). I’m one of the interested ones; I’d love to hear how the procedure works - how do they create the space you need for the nerve to breathe? - and how long do the results last? - does it need to be redone every so often in your life because it works its way back to the bad stage?
Sorry about that muddled sentence!
Jenna Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:34 pm
My mom asked that very question today, and I don’t have an answer. I need to ask the Dr. exactly what the procedure is called so I can google it. I wish he would let us videotape it or something so I could put it on the blog (haha, I’m totally crazy). Results should last a long time, but I have a bad/weak back so they might not. We’ll just play it by ear for now.
Good luck Jenna! I always have back pain (mostly upper and then my hip) as well and while I have been lucky to have visiting the chiropractor work for me, I cannot imagine that I wouldn’t want the surgery once it got to the level of a herniated disk.
7One word: juicing. It will solve all your woes. No juicer? Have That Husband chew all your food for you first. No need for surgery then!!
Seriously, girl, trust in your gut, ignore the crazy ideas and do what is best for you. They don’t let schlubs graduate from the top 5 percent of their medical schools. You are in great hands. A second opinion, of course, couldn’t hurt, but it’s your body (and your pain), you get to make the decision. We are rooting for you.
R Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 2:03 pm
NO! She can’t juice. She has to consume the pulp. That is totally the part that is going to make her well! I know all about this because I once heard someone who read something give a talk!
Jenna Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:36 pm
I added in a footnote to this post because you reminded me that all of you don’t know that this surgeon I’m going with is actually my third opinion!
I echo phruphru.
I’m glad that you made a decision you are at peace with and know that it is right for you. All my thoughts and prayers are with you. You are in good hands; your doctors and ultimately, and more importantly, God’s (you know that). :o)
Only opinions/advice you’ll get from me is when you do have the surgery, take time to heal. I don’t want to see blog updates for at least a week. Twitter, perhaps. But no blogging. Hahaha!!! Just kidding dear. :oD
Happy Friday and have a fabulous weekend!!!
PS. Does your church do anything special for Palm Sunday? Seeing as it’s this week, I was curious. I always loved Palm Sunday when I was little b/c we all got palm fronds, lined the aisle and got to wave them during worship!
Jenna Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:38 pm
We don’t. I’m not sure why?
Good luck Jenna! Surgery is a big step! I’m sure you’ll do fine and be back up and taking great pictures in no time!
10jenna, i truly think you have exhausted all the nonsurgical options that are feasible. sometimes all the yoga, massage and chiropractic manipulation in the world won’t solve physical problems. my hope is that you use the surgery to level the playing field against your back. i would encourage you to push yourself during your recovery to get all the benefits from the surgery. i say this knowing it won’t be easy, but it will make your life better. what you put into your recovery, you will get back in painless days and greater mobility.
11best of luck!
-amanda
I hope that your surgery goes well! Your surgeon definitely seems qualified to me! (Unlike the Surgeon in Weird Al’s “Like a Surgeon.” haha) Hoping and praying for the best!
12I was on a jury for a case involving something similar. Honestly if it’s going to make it less painful then it’s probably worth it. Most of what people try to tell you about it just to scare you, usually they don’t know anything about it. Good luck!
13That’s a big decision, but I’m glad you have some peace about it. My mom had a similar experience just last year, though hers was a combination of leg numbness and back pain-in exactly the same area you mentioned. She went with the injections, which didn’t help as they were expected to. (the effects apparently depend on the person). I wish you well!
14I hope you get some relief finally!!
15I wish you much luck and hope you have a speedy recovery. Hopefully they can figure it out and provide a better cushion for you.
16I’m so glad you’ve made a decision that you are happy with - because you are the only one it should concern (besides TH of course!). : ) Here’s to your back feeling much better and pain free soon!
17I wish you a speedy recovery! For what it’s worth I have a friend who went through something similar 2 years ago (it was 1 disk up from yours). Only her doctors wouldn’t consider surgery until after 3 months of PT and 3 epidurals. She’s in her 30′s and had just successfully hit her goal weight after losing almost 30 lbs. The first doctor actually tried to blame her weight loss for the problems, oh and he also said it was because she was too tall (huh?). In the end she found a 4th opinion and had the surgery. Being super active the recovery time was really hard on her, but she said it was the best decision she ever made. The other side of this is she is now pregnant and the consensus is that had she not had the surgery before the pregnancy that the added pressure of the developing baby would have pretty much made her back pain so extreme that she would have been on bed rest the majority of the preganancy. Long story short….you know your body better than anyone so never be afraid to make the best decisions that are best for it. Best Wishes for a speedy recoverey, but make sure you take time to let yourself heal….so in the words of my grandma…”not too speedy there missy”.
18Jenna, did you know that Shanna had back surgery last year? You should talk to her about the recovery process so you can be a little prepared by what’s ahead of you. (I of course understand that the Dr. will prep you, but it can’t hurt to talk to someone who has had a similar experience!) Good Luck, you’ll be through it before you know it.
19Good luck! i hope that this surgery is really helpful and relieves you of the pain! It sounds like you found a good doc too, which is important!
20good luck!!!
21Good luck. I’m sure everything will go fine though. Let us know when the actual date is.
22Good luck!! I used to work for a neurosurgeon and I have seen the difference the back surgery can do!! I wish I lived by you then I would bring you dinners and such when you get home from your surgery!!
23I too would elect for the surgery. You are going to do great and you’ll feel MUCH better! And May is the best time for a surgery - people always lose a bit of weight in the recovery process after a surgery - and it will be swimsuit season! Sounds like a win-win!
24Definitely hope this gives you some relief! Sounds like you have done your research, and made the decision that’s right for you!
25sounds like you’ll be in good hands. best of luck! hope for a successful surgery and an easy and quick recovery.
26Hey if it makes the pain go away! I’m glad there is relief in sight for you.
27Like me, he’s from Fresno, so he’s got to be awesome!
Best of luck and hopefully this will ease some of the pain!
28I’m happy you’ve found a solution to help ease your pain, and I’d hate to think there are people who would tell you that you’re making the wrong choice. It’s not like you’re just doing this for fun! Geez.
29Oh goodness. Poor thing. It’s so hard when doctors give you a different opinions. I had this problem last year. I say you know what’s right for your body.
30Both of my parents have had herniated discs (the same disc too!), and had surgery shortly after they figured oout what was wrong. It really does make you feel all better (you know, after the week or so where it kinda feels worse from being poked and prodded on the inside). Gee, I so look forward to my own most likely surgery when I’m in my late 40s.
Maybe transporters will be invented in the next 15 years and they can just beam things where they’re supposed to be. Install some tiny little force fields in my back? OK, I’ve been watching too much TNG (Star Trek).
Anyway, now’s the time to get the main floor of your house all spiffy, since that’s where you’ll be living for your first few days home. I remember my dad being tempted to shower with a garden hose on the back deck because the only showers were upstairs or in the basement in our house.
31Good luck Jenna! I’m glad you made the right choice for you (and TH). That is the important part. And I agree, surgery is probably the best route to go. (Not that my opinion matters, just thought I’d let you know that there was someone who agreed with your decision).
Hmm, does your camera weigh more than 5 pounds? I know after my dad had his surgery, even after he was up and around he wasn’t allowed to lift anything that weighed more than 5 pounds for like 2 months after.
32Good Luck! It’s great that you get the opportunity to take steps to make you feel better when you’re young and recover easier. And like you said, you got dealt a bad hand with your back, so all the other therapies can be part of your arsenal later on, if it comes to that. i’ll be thinking about you!
33Sometimes, surgery is the only alternative. I’ll be keeping you in prayer, especially in May!
34I just wanted to say I will keep you in my prayers because I know that this is not a fun time dealing with all of this! Like I told my MIL regarding her bone spur, sometimes surgery is unavoidable. I went through it in regard to my TMJ and major Jaw Surgery. I will pray for your doctor to be blessed by god and provide you will relief from your ailment.
35sounds like you made an informed decision to me!
*pets your back* we shall pray for you and your back jelly to recover quickly!!!!
36Wow, tough decision. If it were me I would feel better just knowing what it was I was going to do, and not having to “figure it out” anymore.
I hope that it goes well and that you recover ASAP.
37You have to do what is best for you. I admire you for sharing so much of your life with all of us here in internet-land. Lots of preyers being sent your way!
38I just got diagnosed with carpal tunnel - I’m supposed to wear a brace for a month, and hopefully it will improve, but otherwise they’re going to do surgery. If something interferes with your quality of life, and you have the power to do something about it, do it. Good luck and keep us posted!
39Wow … that’s interesting how the 3rd opinion is so different. Frankly, if you can alleviate the pain without surgery, then go for it. I have a friend who has a herniated disk, and she fixed it over about 2 years with P/T. It was a lot of work, but it was almost as good as new. (Never the same, but pretty darn close.)
She had the choice between injections or PT. She chose to avoid the injections for various reasons. The PT was a long time and a lot of work, but she is much better now.
40i think it’s great that you are going to be fixing the problem!
41As a 31 year old, the comment about the “back of a 33 year old” had me rolling! Reason? 1)It makes me sound/feel REALLY old, and 2)it makes me wonder what’s going to happen to my pain-free back in the next year and a half!
It sounds like you’re making a good, well-educated decision (and IMO fixing it with surgery is better than paying a chiropractor for years to come).
42I’m facing the same decision now (same condition/same surgery), and have been leaning towards going ahead with the operation. Getting a 2nd opinion next week. I really appreciate reading your updates, please keep us posted and good luck with your recovery!
43I say go for it, you seem to have come to a VERY reasonable conclusion. Best to do this before babies, after all. Best of luck, from another girl who got dealt a very bad genetic hand spine-wise :).
44At the end of the day, what’s most important is how YOU feel about any medical decisions you make. If the doctors reccommended it (and of course, I do grant them the respect they deserve for the extensive schooling and training), but you didn’t feel right about it, it wouldn’t be the right thing to do. Always trust your own prayerful thoughts and gut feelings - your the one that has to live in that body!
So I wish you a very speedy recovery - I’m sure you’ll let us all the details you want to share. I hope this makes things 100% better and your life pain-free!
45Good luck, Jenna! I’ll be thinking about you and hoping the surgery is a success!
46Good luck! I’m sure everything will go swell, Jenna. We’re all sending positive thoughts your way!
Do you have a good insurance plan that will cover all of this? Are you on your husband’s medical coverage? I just ask because I’m assuming it’s going to be expensive going to the best surgeon in town.
47My dad has disc issues and has had to have surgery several times. He worked in a very labor intensive job and that caused the issue to worsen. His disc would rupture and press against his nerves and cause him so much pain he could not function. His pain was so bad, that after he had the surgery, he was up and about in two days (in one instance ready to go back to work in two weeks, but the doctor said no). The pain of the surgery was far less to him than the pain of the discs. Having seen that, I think you are making a good, informed choice. You have to do what is right for you. Just know that doctors only do so many of these, at least in his case. My dad is at his max and can’t have another because of the amount of scar tissue around the spine. He should have retired years before he did and he wouldn’t have this problem now.
Good luck with this and regardless how good you feel after the procedure, take is easy until you are sure you have your strength back.
48I love my chiro, and even she told me (the first time she examined me) that she is leery to treat people with a herniated disc and that sometimes surgery is the most appropriate thing! Your doctor sounds like he knows what he’s doing, so hang in there! I am in nursing school doing my last rotation (EVER!) on the neuro floor, so I’ve seen a lot of back surgeries. The people with determination and motivation (people like YOU!) do GREAT afterwards!
49My brother-in-law had a worse back than you did. Multiple herniated discs , actually. Back surgery was his only option left after doing PT and all the alternate therapies. Fortunately, he’s now able to do a lot of the stuff he couldn’t do in the past. It’s really helped him.
So, I think you’re doing a good thing (if it really matters, haha). It really could change the quality of your life. I’m all about improving quality of life.
Good luck when you do go into surgery!
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