Large L5-S1 Disc Herniation

Hello everyone!

I know I just jumped on here but I figured I should start where I am currently. I am experiencing a disc herniation that is so large it makes every medical professional's eyebrows raise, forcing a "WOW" or "OW" from their mouths.

For months I endured muscle spasms that would last for minutes on end. I lost feeling in the back of my right calf, the middle of the ball of my right foot, and those 2,3,4 toes. I have been experiencing borderline incontinence as it is getting harder to hold it and harder to get to the bathroom in time (Ugh embarrassing!). To top it off, my prior 3 years' worth of Physical Therapy progress I made in my right leg is completely shot. My leg is going into atrophy and I can visually see the lack of muscle tone compared to my left leg.

It took me about 4 months to get referrals for imaging after about 2 months of discomfort before that. I know my PCP meant well, but they were heavy on the "anxiety makes pain worse. just relax and do some self-care" stuff which was frustrating. Once they saw the imaging results, their attitude changed and they acted faster when getting me into the neurosurgeon.

I'm going on about 6 months of this pain and I am finally in the process of getting scheduled for a microdiscectomy! I have been on low-dose opiates and larger doses of gabapentin and ibuprofen to control the pain in the meantime.

While I was down and distracting myself from the pain, I was able to put more focus into my bible studying. I've worked on some crochet projects and had more time to connect with my husband and kids. To give myself an outlet to get my thoughts out, I also started a blog.

Once the meds started to control the pain so I could function, I started taking my kid to the playground each day. I think getting out and walking was good for my back and being outside improved my mental health through all of this.

Although this has been a long, excruciating endeavor, I am happy to say that a lot of good has come from it! I'm praying that I can continue to find God's goodness through surgery and recovery. Thanks for reading!