It's been a year and a half since my surgery. Things are better. I'm still not 100 percent. I might not ever be. But I'm close. Ninety percent I'd guess. Still have some numbness in my foot and little toe, I guess it's nerve damage. But not dead numb like it used to be.
Currently undergoing a little setback -- good news is that they are fewer and farther between. But I did a number on myself this time. I think it is a strain or pulled muscle though, and not disc-related. I was sweeping and cleaning the kitchen, doing a bunch of bending and twisting, and then when I went for the dust pan, BAM. Ouch. Stabbing pain on the right of my spine (my "bad" side is my left). Stood up and was in excruciating pain. I've heard of people hurting their backs this way ("suddenly") but that had never been the case for me -- mine came on gradually over the course of several months.
I instantly felt pain in my upper right thigh, and, thinking it meant this was disc-related, freaked out. I have read so many accounts of people herniating the remaining disc on the other, "good" side that I was afraid this had happened. I envisioned a second microdiscectomy, followed by a disc replacement (due to no disc material left!) and then a lifetime of chronic pain and back problems -- not a life I want to ever lead. I've read the message board postings and talked to some of these poor people and it's not somewhere anyone wants to go.
I have been icing my back and taking a non-steroid anti-inflammatory and two days later feel much, much better. It still hurts. But not in the leg and I don't think it's a disc problem anymore. It feels like a strain from back all the way around my side. More reason to get that core into shape.
Which is hard, getting your core into shape. I am exercising -- swimming and walking -- but not doing any core stuff. It's hard when it's so easy to hurt yourself. Yet it's something you gotta do in order to quit hurting yourself. If this most recent mishap ever heals, I swear I will get more serious about some core work. It's gotta be done.
