[prodiscette]

Hello fellow spineys! Greetings from cold and rainy Arizona. I'm looking out my kitchen window at the gray skies and the freeze damaged plants and trees--it's been a weird winter. Just spent a little time reading some posts from you old-timers and it's good to see that you're improving with and without surgery--Maria, I'm amazed!! Best of luck to those of you who are seeking solutions--this is a great forum, lots of caring and smart, resourceful people. Mark is an invaluable asset to your journey as he was to mine. I don't even want to think about where I'd be if I hadn't discovered this pathway to healing. It started with a link from Djscal on Dr. Yeung's website and here I am today. Thanks so much to you Dan, Mark, Pauletteski and everyone else who helped and inspired me.

I had my surgery with Dr. Bertagnoli at St. Elisabeth's Hospital in Straubing on 1/10/06 so it's time for an update. I'm doing so well that the date came and went without me realizing it! A brief summary: I am 55, in good general health, have been moderately active all my life. Had lower back pain on and off for years but constantly for 2+ years after training to walk a marathon (what was I thinking?!) Went through all the consults, diagnostics, ESIs, endoscopic discectomy, pain meds and finally ADR at L3-4 (thanks, Mark) and L4-5. The trip to Germany with my mother Barbara, Mark's assistance, Dr. B & his staff, St. Elisabeth's, meeting other patients from the US--a once in a lifetime experience!! I am so lucky and grateful that everything came together in the way it did.

As I sit here writing, I am aware of only a slight burning sensation on the outside of my right lower leg. I had this issue before the surgery only worse. Now it comes and goes and is barely noticeable most of the time. I am able to do almost everything I did before--except heavy lifting and moving furniture around--that's off my list permanently! I am still careful about my movement but that too is a permanent change. The biggest change is that I have a life that is no longer measured by pain. I can make plans and keep them without worrying about how long I can sit, stand, walk, etc. I can enjoy cradling my new niece who is just 8 weeks old!!! I've been able to catch up on movies, concerts, trips. Organizing my home office, which had become the repository for the mountains of medical paperwork, was overwhelming. Now I've got that mountain down to one little hill which I'll finish today. My attitude is more positive too. I never lost hope before my surgery, but some days it was dangling by a thin thread.

I met with my Phoenix orthopedic surgeon last month-I still check in with him for follow up x-rays and prescription refills. He told me I'll probably always have some pain from nerve damage. That was hard to hear and I haven't accepted it. If he's right, though, and this is as good as it gets, I am satisfied.

Good luck and good health to all of you this year!