I went to talk, briefly, with the spine specialist here in town. Looked at the MRI results, and, like the doctor said before, they’re messy (I just hadn’t seem them for myself yet). But, sure enough, big ol’ disk smacking my nerve. Surgery is going to be the only option.
The doctor was, however, very sympathetic of my lack of funds situation and the fact that I’m 25 and have a back this screwed up, so she’s going to make it as cheap as possible for me: She’s not going to charge me for her part (a Christmas gift, of sorts), we’re going to do it as an out-patient surgery, meaning I won’t have to stay overnight anywhere. So basically, I’ll have to pay for the drugs to numb the living s**t out of me and to keep me numb afterwards, and the time we spend at the Bend Surgery Center. Then, I basically wallow in pain in my couch for a couple weeks, doping up on pills — pretty much what I do already. She also did it on the agreement that my mom, a emergency room nurse for 25 years and an award winning trauma coordinator, is at my side as much as possible.
That was, honestly, the best news I’ve heard in weeks. She told me to tell my mom and sister “Hi” (my sister dealt with her for her back problems). I gave her a big ol’ hug, and thanked her profusely.
All told, it is still going to cost a bit for the time in the center as well as for the various medications I’m going to have to take to keep me from crying in agony for a long time, and I still have to pay off the MRI a various office visits and such, but a couple grand is easier to absorb then ten grand — not easy, still, but easier.
The surgery is supposed to happen on Wednesday. I don’t have the exact time yet, but that’s the plan.
Needless to say, after Wednesday, I won’t be blogging for a week or more. Any volunteers want to pick up the slack in my absence? Just pop me an email (and if you can’t figure out my email address, you shouldn’t be blogging here).
This was, truly, the best gift I could have ever received.
