It's funny how you don't really notice things happening along the way. But then you sit down and start looking back and wonder how someone lived with the pain for so long. My husband had been officially diagnosed with degenerative disk disease, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, and bone spurs. He'd had back surgery early in his adult life for collapsed discs. He also suffered with gout.
My mother reminded me that during the cleanup of her house in 2016, he worked hard but had to stop due to back pain. I had forgotten that. Then I started remembering even further back of the projects he would start but not finish due to back pain. I complained about him not coming to our girls concerts. I said to myself, "Oh, but if it was a danged football game he'd go." I didn't fully realize that he simply could not sit through the concerts. He was suffering even in 2014 during our family trip to Alaska. How did I miss it? Is it because it was so gradual? What kind of wife am I that I wasn't paying attention?
Fast forward to Jan 2017, my husband had neck surgery. Before the surgery, he went to multiple appointments at the local VA clinic. He was proud to be a veteran of the US Army. All of these appointments were to provide a base line for his health etc. Then he began experiencing some numbness in his arms and tingling in his hands. He went for an MRI and Xrays and the results showed he had some bone spurs that were growing off his vertebrate and irritating the nerves. He got all the pre-op clearances done, including a nuclear stress test (results showed "age related blockages" but nothing serious) and in January 2017, he underwent surgery for fusion and bone spur removal. He said it was the worst thing he'd ever gone through, even after had a back surgery 25 years earlier! But, he recovered and quickly got back into the swing of things. He began planning a summer roadtrip to Alaska and bought an old junked up motorhome to refurbish for the trip. He was never one to buy anything new.
Fast forward through summer, and the roadtrip that DIDN'T happen, and in August of 2017, his back was bothering him to the point that he began seeking surgery relief. He never TOLD me his back was bothering him. It was just something he silently endured and set up a strategy to deal with it. He pushed himself through all the normal daily activities, continuing with his work duties, and never complained. So, in August, he began setting up appointments to get this back surgery. We consulted with a surgeon at Tulane and were instructed to take a few days to make a decision on surgery. He thought about it one day and decided, but then it was 4 days before we could get in touch with the surgeon. THEN, we found out that particular surgeon was no longer in the VA system. Back to square 1.
Starting all over in November 2017 appointments, MRI's, Xrays, yada yada, we finally received notice that he could have his surgery. At the very last minute, they wanted another cardio clearance. We took the day, drove down to the VA hospital in New Orleans (because that's where the the cardio place was) and talked to the cardiologist there. This doctor seemed uneasy with doing a clearance without another stress test but my husband was convincing in his explanation that he'd just had one done a nearly 10 months earlier and all was fine. The doctor stepped out of his office to consult another colleague and came back with the clearance. My husband was still in pain but I swear there was a pep in his step.
Surgery was scheduled and we were relieved to learn that the same surgeon who performed the neck surgery will do the laminectomy. On Jan 23, 2018, I drove him to the hospital and sat by his pre-op bedside. A short 3 hours later, surgery was complete, post-op checks were done, and we were released to go home. I swear he got 3 inches taller in those 3 hours!
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