My Lumbar Discectomy

Too much to write. The passing of my friend Jody deserves it's own entry, but I guess for now I'll write about my surgery. My lumbar discectomy, done to relieve a herniated disk, which pressed on my sciatic nerve for the better part of a year (ok really, the Worst part of a year).

On Tuesday at 5:30 AM, Alan drove me to Lawrence Memorial in Medford, to the Surgical Day Care unit. We were so early I was putting on the lights and TV in the waiting room. A nice nurse named Nuala (Irish) got me into my johnny etc and onto a gurny and once so prepped she wheeled me into another room, where Alan was able to sit with me. While there they started an IV and I met the anesthesiologist, a nice good looking young man, and saw my surgeon, Dr. Rachlin. He always looks happy.

After the usual questions and asking me my birth date a few dozen times, they said they'd give me something to relax, and I don't remember anything after that. Soon after, it seemed, I woke up in the large recovery room, and felt pretty good. I had to wait around awhile while they secured a room for me, and I heard the other nurses discussing lunch plans and the other patients. I honestly don't remember being wheeled to the operating room or when they started the anesthesia - after which they would have turned me on my stomach and also put a tube down my throat. Thankfully I have no memory of that.

Once in the room, I think Alan came up... I don't know how much time had passed - he said he had had both breakfast and lunch, and the surgeon left him a message on his cell phone. I loved the bed because of the adjustments you could make, and the nurse told me I could have the TV for $5, which someone would collect later. There was a girl in the next bed who was preparing to leave, so I listened to what was going on with her as the nurses came in and introduced themselves. Charlotte came and Alan left, and there wasn't much for anyone to do. I was hungry so she got me an ice cream, and found out how to order me dinner. Unlike Alan, Charlotte is a take charge person, and she has been in and out of hospitals with her parents (my aunt and uncle) for the last few years and I knew that she would also be the right person to bring me home.

Dr Rachlin came by to see my bandage and pronounced it "perfect"! He came by on Wednesday morning too and said I was doing great - tested my reflexes etc. I asked him how long my foot and leg would be numb, as the other numbness had disappeared. He said it would be gone in a few days (later on retracted and he said a few weeks!). He said that I'd start getting the feeling back in my foot around the time that my back started hurting (the incision site). I thought he meant because the drugs would be wearing off. Not sure now because as of this writing on August 1, Saturday night, my back isn't bothering me much, but my leg and foot are horribly numb (toes all pins and needles), and my leg, hip and calf hurt when I walk, much the same as they did prior to surgery. Does that mean the surgery failed???

In my (obessive) readings on the web, I've seen the wide range of experience those who have already had this surgery have had.... some people get up the next day and say that all their sciatic pain has disappeared. Some are left with residual pain and numbness, and some say they re-herniated and had to have the surgery again. There is such a wide range of experience that I don't think any one outcome is normal. I don't think that walking the next day with no pain is "normal"...

I am being cautiously optimistic, as it has only been 4 1/2 days since the surgery. Intellectually, I understand that my sciatic nerve has been irritated by the herniated disk for a year - it will take a while for the nerve to "bounce back" to it's former state. I've read that the numbness is the last thing to return to normal and could take a year or more. I can deal with some numbness - but it has to be less than this. I'd like to see some gradual progress in the next couple of weeks. Also, when I walk, I'm getting all the same familiar pain as before, so I don't know if that should be gone or not.

I've been pretty careful in the house, the only problem I have is getting up from the sofa, but I've walked around a bit - walked to get my mail, walked out to the dumpster once to toss some garbage. I don't need the cane very much, but if the surgery worked, then I don't think I should still have the same pain I had before... that is the pain that should be gone. So --- until I talk to Dr. Rachlin on Wednesday, I'll just have to be patient.. Reading all the stories on the web has it's pros and cons...it can help put some perspective on being too impatient, but also provides a forum for people who have horror stories to tell.