A Wake Up Call

I think everyone in their life has wake-up calls at some point or another. I had my first wake up call when I was 16 and thought I was invincible as most teenagers do and totalled a car. That car wreck left me with two broken ankles and a broken hand. It also made me cherish my life and made me realize that there is a reason I'm on Earth and God has big plans for me. Well, at the age of 30, I had another wake-up call. As you know from my previous posts, I have had a terrible time this past year with right hip/leg pain resulting from a herniated disc, my L4/L5 to be exact. I have had 2 rounds of oral steroids, 2 steroid injections and tons of pain medications to no avail. I have visited so many different doctors and it came down to having back surgery. Thirty years old and having back surgery...talk about scary!!! We met with one final doctor to make sure that was my very last option, Dr. Gill. He is one of those non-sugar coating tell it how it is kind of doctors...great doctor but zero bedside manners. He told me that I have the back of a FIFTY year old!! What?!?! My MRI indicated that I have degenerative disc disease and he said to expect FIVE back surgeries by the time I'm FORTY!! I could hardly believe what he was telling me and it was taking everything in me to not break down and cry in the middle of the appointment. I have never had back problems and I don't have a clue how I even herniated this disc in the first place. He said that 60% of this is genetics and my Grandmother had countless back surgeries in her life and evidently that gene was graciously passed down to me.

So, I decided that surgery was my best option. I met with two doctors at Spine Team Texas in Rockwall on the recommendation of my chiropractor, Dr. Reif. I was highly impressed with this team of doctors and their facility. They try to focus on non-surgical treatment first but agreed that surgery was the next step. John did the research on the surgeon and he had a good background and we really liked him. It's crazy though...the anesthesiologist that me met with first to inquire about possibly a third injection first is a year younger than me and John. That just blows my mind. The surgeon is much older though and is a whopping 33 years old, lol.

I had surgery last week. Tomorrow will mark the one week. I checked into the hospital at 6:00 am and was wheeled back to OR at 7:30. I woke up around 9:30 and was in less pain than I was when I arrived at the hospital. I knew in my heart that I had made the absolute best decision.

This past week hasn't been an easy week, though. I haven't been able to lift anything heavier than 10 lbs or a gallon of milk. That has been very hard with having 3 kids, especially a 1 year old and a 4 month old. Preston is such a momma's boy and he doesn't understand that I can't pick him up and it has been super hard to not pick Liam up and love on him. I am proud to say that I have been "narcotic" pain med free for two days now!! I haven't gone a day without codeine in quite some time. I am taking some muscle relaxers as my back muscles are super tense but I'm hoping that goes away soon.

I go back for my follow up appointment on Thursday at which time I will find out about physical therapy. Physical therapy will kick start my new life.

The wake-up call I have had is that I'm a product of how I treat my body and how I take care of it. God has given me this one body to have here on Earth and it is up to me to take care of it. I can live care-free and destroy and possibly not live to see an old age or I can choose to take care of it and give it the respect it so dearly deserves. My kids need to learn from me and John what it means to be healthy and lead a healthy lifestyle. I need to cherish my body. It is up to me to prove to that doctor that I will NOT have five back surgeries by the time I'm forty.

I am now extremely passionate about losing weight and getting into shape, not just to look good, but for my body to actually be healthier. I want to be able to encourage my kids to play sports and get outside and move. I want to be able to lead by example. I don't want to be one of those "do as I say not as I do" type of moms. If I expect my kids to eat their vegetables, I need to be expected to eat them as well.

This has definitely been an unexpected turn in my life, but it isn't the first nor will it be the last. However, I'm choosing to make the best of it and turn it into a good situation. My thirties are going to be much better than my twenties...I'm determined to make it better!!!