Brendan's Backbone Backlash and the Spinal Specialist.

Yesterday was D-Day for TLOML and I. After the pain and the x-rays and the CT scan and the ultrasound, we were finally going to find out what he had and what could be done. To say that we were a tad nervous is a little bit of an understatement, though of course we wouldn't admit to it! The evidence speaks for itself in that we left for the 2pm appointment at 11.30am...just a bit earlier than needed. We assured each other that this was a necessary precaution and soldiered on to the task at hand, namely navigating the perils of the public transport system and the rabbit warrens of today's modern hospitals.

We drove to the bus station because the hospital where our specialist has his rooms is right on the bus line, so there'd be less walking for TLOML to do. Then of course, we had to walk over hill and down dale to get from our car park to the bus - sigh! Thankfully there was a bus waiting for us when we got there and even more thankfully, the bus driver took pity on TLOML and saved us a bit of money with the bus fare.

Once we got off the bus at the hospital, we had another "journey" to make. This involved all sorts of treachery, including:

~ going up two different and unnecessary lifts

~ following a myriad of signs

~ not quite getting lost

~ looking at hospital maps where the red X doesn't actually mark "the spot" where you are, it marks "Emergency" (actually it was a red +, but I never was very good with navigation - we might never had made it there at all if it was left to me!)

Yet, despite all this, we still made it to the doctors and hour and a half early. Being prepared for all possibilities, I had a bag of "work" with me and Brendan had a coffee. We hung around the cafeteria until we decided that we would arrive at the waiting rooms "appropriately early", which meant that we got to see the doctor 1/2 hour sooner than the appointment - wooohooo!

I took copious indecipherable notes as he asked Brendan just the right questions to confirm the diagnosis he had made by looking at the scans. He made it rather uncomfortably clear that TLOML had two options: surgery or wheelchair! He kind of assumed that we wouldn't take the latter option, so he's sent TLOML off to have an MRI and will see him again next week,

Now, what do my indecipherable notes say, you might ask. Well, my years of nursing training and teaching have left me with an excellent skill - namely reading my own writing (I can usually even read my own doctor's writing!). So here's the rundown on Brendan's backbone backlash:

His spinal column has stenosed, or narrowed in the lumbar region (lower back). The result of this is compression on the nerves coming through this section. This is what is causing his leg pain and what will cause total immobility if he doesn't get it treated. What the doc will do is Spinal Stenosis Decompression.

This will take about two hours and there is an 80-85% success rate. He will be up and moving around one day after surgery, and in hospital for 3-5 days. He will be in a fair bit of back pain for 6 to 12 weeks, but the leg pain should ease almost immediately.

After the doc gave us all the ins and outs of the surgery etc, I had my own questions to ask. I had written them down in my notebook in illegible font earlier, and was very sure of what his answers would be. Well let's just say that humility is something that I need to work at and I've never been keen on humble pie (I'm gluten intolerant), but on all accounts, I was wrong, wrong, wrong.

Will he benefit from a lumbar support brace? No.

Is there some non-morphine based wonder drug that he can use to help with pain? Panadol.

Can we get a free MRI? Not unless we want to wait three months.

Should he try to take it easy? No, when he knows he's had enough, he will have no choice but to stop.

Should he try to straighten up his back? No. A bent back is the best for him right now.

Now, one thing that struck me throughout all the conversations with the doc was that this all seems to be happening pretty fast. Our GP had estimated months, the specialist seemed to suggest a much shorter time factor. So, with regards to the whens, wheres and hows, I'll keep you updated after the MRI and the next visit to the specialist.

#spinalstenosisdecompression #TLOML #straightlinesandcomfycurves #backbonebacklash