Catholic for a day.

So this week included Pancake Tuesday. In honor of the sacred holiday we made Blueberry Pecan Buttermilk Pancakes.


In other news my back/leg seems to be improving slowly. It's still a bit painful to sit for long periods of time but that also seems to be improving. I'm not getting as many pins and needles anymore either. I think I've finally seeing results and if I continue to improve I should be fine in a few months. And I'm okay with that!

Time

Well I'm 2 weeks post-op now and I definitely have not walked away "pain-free" as I was promised. It's a strange pain now, hard to explain. I still have twinges of sciatica down my leg and my feet have lots of pins an needles now which they never did before. I've called the surgeon to make sure all these symptoms are normal and that i haven re-herniated my back, however he won't be available for 2 days. So I just get to wait. Everyone made this operation sound so simple before i had it, but now i'm finding out it's not so simple at all and it could take me up to year to be back to 'normal'. which is frustrating for me because it's not what i was expecting. I'm not so sure I'll be able to go back to sitting at a desk for long periods of time as sitting hurts the worst. As you can tell my spirits are not very high at the moment and it's hard to just grin and bare it, but i'm trying.

In the meantime, i've passed the days by creating a new portfolio site and have opened myself up to freelance designing in my spare time. Take a look.

UPDATE: The doctor called back and said pins and needles are normal everything i'm experiencing is to be expected and he'll see me in two weeks. phew.

Home Again.

I'm back from the hospital and restricted to bed-rest for the next two weeks. Overall I feel okay, it's a little concerning because the pain I'm feeling now is identical to the pain I had before the operation. But the doctor has assured me that this is normal and the pain will go away. He described it as hitting your thumb with a hammer, once the hammer is removed the pain will remain for a little while. He said my nerves have basically been getting hit with a hammer for about 8 months now, and the hammer has been removed. So, it will be a only a matter of time before the pain subsides. This could be anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months. I'm hoping for the 2 weeks...

I'm moving freely around the house, able to go up and down the stairs and walk around. If I stand up for too long I start to get a bit dizzy, think that might be from the painkillers I'm on. Speaking of them, it's sure noticeable when they start to run out the pain is back in about 5 minutes and i know it's time to take another dose.

I've to go to the dr. next week and get my clips (aka staples) out and then in two weeks I'll be able to go swimming again. Then in a month it's back to the surgeon for a check-up.

Mick has been amazing. He was at the hospital with me the whole time, staying all day until the nurses would kick him out. When I got home he had put together our new orthopedic bed so I can get some good rest, and I have.

I think the hard part is over, now I just get to lay down and take it easy at home and watch the snow fall.

Thanks to everyone for all the loving thoughts.

Here's a few photos from the last few days and of our new house!

Surgery and new house

Surgery

Sitting in my hospital bed after surgery, eating cookies. More cookies stat! Surgery went well, or so they tell me, I don't remember a thing. I woke up in the hospital this morning at 6 to the sounds of construction work next door. I got up to close the windows and looked out on a snow covered Dublin. That was strange. Shortly a nurse came to take me to get my back 'marked' for surgery. After he informed me i had my gown on backwards we headed down to get marked. After receiving a local anesthetic they jabbed some inked up needle into me which hurt pretty bad. After they finished my body thought it would be fun to pass out, all the blood drained from my face and my legs and arms went tingly. I didn't pass out completely but i managed to get all the attention of the nurses. ;)

They then put me on a trolly/bed and pushed me back up to my room where i got my blood drawn and awaited surgery. About 9am someone came and took me down to the anesthesiologist. Can't say I remember too much after that. Woke up, went back to sleep, woke up again and then was taken up to my room where mick was waiting for me. Dr. O'Neill came in and said that everything went very well and that my disc was 'very large' and i had very much reason for complaint. Well not any more!

I'll keep you updated later. Lots of love, jude