The Complexities of the Spine

I knew we were going to be studying the human body for school this year, but I had no idea I would be the lab rat!  We have learned so much, and tomorrow we get another field trip---but let me give the update….

Short story is I am NOT going to have surgery!  I actually just got off the phone with the neurosurgeons office to cancel my appt for Monday!  I know to reschedule will take weeks, but I am comfortable with that decision and finally have PEACE!!!  Peace has alluded me this whole process and I just couldn’t understand why, where I lost it, or how to get it back!  I do know that any decision without peace is the wrong decision and I was focusing on which surgeon---what I wasn’t considering is NO surgeon!  As soon as I did that, I was flooded with peace---thank God!

Last Monday I had a break down.  Full out, crying out to God, telling the girls to leave me alone, shutting the bedroom door, break down!!  I needed direction!!  On Tuesday morning the chiropractors office called to check on me.  I had stopped going so this was a routine check.  I have become friends with the staff there and chatted with the receptionist for quite a while and was honest about what was going on with my back.  She passed the info on to the chiro and he called me after lunch to beg me to come in and speak to him before agreeing to surgery.  He said he would look at my MRI results and not charge me for the visit but he wanted Mike there too.  We set up an appt on Wed. afternoon for that. 

Wed. early afternoon we had co op.  I usually am on cleaning duty but due to my back issues I have been reassigned to go wherever there is a need, and this day, by the grace of God there was no need so I was able to pour my heart out to a friend and she prayed with me.  Afterwards she called a physical therapist friend of hers (she is an Occupational Therapist) and she gave him the MRI results and he told me to look up McKenzie Extension Exercises up online. 

We all went to meet with the chiro and he spent well over an hour with us.  I felt better after talking to him that maybe surgery wasn’t the only option.  He made me feel better too in that I was afraid to move.  The medical docs said to be very careful, do not let anyone adjust or do anything to me because it could cause worse damage, so I was afraid of everything—every pain or pull I felt would scare me.  The chiro was able to explain to me that a lot of what I was feeling was muscular and not skeletal or nerve.  Of course his bottom line recommendation was to come in to see him, but he is aware of the fact that we just don’t have the money for that!  He was willing to work with me there, but I kept thinking there was more to learn before making the decision. 

That evening I looked up the exercises and since I was no longer afraid to move I gave them a shot.  I was really encouraged after watching several people give their testimonies of herniated and ruptured discs that got better from these exercises without surgery!!  I wanted to make sure that I was doing them right, so I made an appt with the physical therapist that was so highly recommended by my friend.  In the meantime I continued with the exercises and I was seeing improvement!!  I felt empowered as I feel now there is an answer that I can do on my own!!  Not only to manage this immediate need of mine, but to get stronger and prevent recurrence and if it happens again to know what to do.

I noticed through the internet that a lot was also coming up about Pilates.  I have heard of this, but never considered it.  In fact, I have been in the process of putting together an exercise program for myself.  I was going to do the couch to 5k and weight training.  I laugh now at my naivety  :)  I realize how bad that would be for my back.  I was praying about exercise, but never thought to ask the Creator of my body what exercise plan would be right for me!!!  How dumb!!  LOL!  I didn’t know I had a question, so I didn’t ask.  I believe now that all this is to guide me the way I was to go.  Of course God cares about my health, and the exercise I choose now will benefit me now, but will impact the long haul of the race I am running here.  I want it to benefit me then too, not cause more damage!!  Hindsight is always 20/20 of course, and that seems to simple---but I never thought about it….

I met with the Physical Therapist two days ago now (and I’m still sore!!  In a good way though as he really stretched me---I think I’m taller and he found muscles in my body I had no idea were there  LOL)!  He was wonderful and very informative!  I asked him about Pilates and he said that is absolutely the route I need to be going in.  He said much of the stretches and moves he was giving me to do he does with Pilates.  The girls were not with me for this visit as I was able to drop them off at Girl Scouts and Speech class so I was solo.  I go back tomorrow though, which is our field trip  :)  They are quite excited about it though, which just cracks me up!

My foot is still numb---however, I do believe it is less numb.  He said I had a little bit of an Achilles reflex  which is more than I had before.  He explained that my numbness is right where it should be for the S1 L1 injury I have.  I find it so interesting how the body is mapped out---yet more proof of intelligent design!!  To think this was all random is just so ridiculous!!  Anyway, I still have the ache in my back in the morning, but with stretching it feels much better and I have more range of motion.  He said that it would probably be months before I got feeling back in my foot, and there is no guarantee of course that there will not be permanent damage.  We will just have to wait and see.  That is less scary though then the prospect of surgery with the research I have done!  Most people are not happy they had the surgery and it isn’t the “fix” the doctors make it out to be.

I am disappointed with the medical community.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am.  They are so quick to throw you up on an operating table.  They assure you that is the only way to go without ever considering other options.  I am sure it depends on the doctor---but I went to two (and I am sure the neurosurgeon was going to be in agreement) and they were positive.  There is actually much evidence to show that a disc CAN heal---without surgery.  You get it back into place (which I know is going to take months to do), but once it is in place it does heal.  I am finding that not all medical professionals believe that it ever heals, but remains open and continues to ooze.  This doesn’t make sense to me as I know our Creator and His design is perfect, so of course it can heal. 

Bottom line, I am finally on the right path and have peace!!  God tells us to follow the peace and He has never steered me wrong and I am so glad to finally be back on the narrow path  :)  I do not like being off that path one bit!!

I have much to learn from Clara (well both of my kids, but in this instance it was Clara that taught me a big lesson)!  Whenever we would pray she always asked God to keep me from surgery.  When she asked others to pray that is what she asked them to pray.  I kept cautioning her that if I did need surgery not to feel that God didn’t hear her prayers, but there are different ways He heals, and He may use surgery to do so.  She was insistent though about me not needing surgery.  I got to tell her the other day that her prayer was answered and that I have a lot to learn about faith from her!!  She was not at all surprised and said she knew all along that God was going to keep me from needing surgery!  Well praise God!!!