So my back surgery is Mon.

[yasmina27]

the 24th. I'm not looking forward to it or the months of recovery, but I wish it was tomorrow. Does that make any sense at all?? I had a CT scan this week, and when I got the films to send to the dr.'s office, it was clear as day that the L5 vertebrae has shifted at least 50% toward the spinal column. I tried to compare this to the MRI I had in April. I don't know how realistic it is to compare the two, but it appears to me that it has become much worse over the months. I can certainly tell that the pain level has increased. Even a complete medical moron like me could see that something was out of whack.

Seeing the CT films has even convinced my very sceptical, retired nurse mother. She couldn't believe it when she saw the films.

So I feel better knowing that I'm not being taken for a stooge just so another dr. can make money. I just pray that I get some relief, even though I know it will be a long, hard journey.

Work has been absolute agony. I feel like one of those lazy teachers you had in high school who sat at their desk and lectured. When I think about the way I used to teach (and still want to, how I've acted like such an idiot just to capture the students' interest, I just want to cry. When I walk more than 50-100 feet, it becomes an exercise in agony. I can barely make it from my classroom to the office. I just hope I can make it one more week. Open house is Thursday night. I want to go, so I can talk to the parents about my extended absence, then plan to tell the kids on Friday. The district is in a panic because they can't find a sub (I teach French). They have a girl interested who has a BA in French, and is in grad school to get certified, but they are balking because she would have to get emergency-certified. Excuse me, but it happens all the time! I refuse to worry - it's their problem. But of course I DO worry, because they are MY kids, and I want to be sure they will be in good hands.

I keep looking at the trampoline in my back yard that "Santa" brought our girls last year. I vow that by next summer I will be able to at least bounce on it (no aerials or back flips for me!).

Thanks so much for listening to my whining and complaining all these months. Your advice and suggestions have been invaluable. Keep 'em coming!

Thanks again!

[DemBones DemBones]

1. I'm glad you'll be having it done soon.

I've had many surgeries and it's always difficult waiting, even if it's only a day or two.

You really should not worry about your students; anyone with a B.A. in French should be able to work with them even if she's not fully certified. You know how useless most education courses are! And she's already in grad school working on certification so she really wants to teach. She won't do as well as you do, of course, but the kids will survive having a different teacher while you're out. And the district shouldn't be acting like it's a major crisis to have to hire someone on an emergency certificate when you are in so much pain and still working. Sheesh. That's why emergency certificates were invented, for emergencies!

How many months will you have to be out of work? Did you get answers to all your questions about what you'd need after surgery?

[yasmina27]

3. Thanks for your kind words

As of yesterday, I keep thinking "OK, next week at this time...."

It's pretty crazy trying to get everything ready for post-op at home. The nurse at the dr.'s office said that the stairs to our bedroom should not be a problem for me to navigate.

My district found another woman (with certification) over the weekend to sub for me. They were supposed to call last night and offer her the job. If she accepted it, she is starting tomorrow to work with me through Friday to learn procedures, see my class management, etc. That will be perfect, and I would like her to come to open house on Thurs. so I can introduce her to the parents. I've changed my plans though to tell the kids today, b/c if she comes in tomorrow, they'll be very curious. I actually plan to turn some of my teaching over to her while I'm there.

I would have been perfectly satisfied with the girl with the BA, and if this other lady turns it down for some reason (they interviewed both of them yesterday), she will be hired. They are going to arrange for her to do her student teaching with me in the spring, to lighten my load when I return.

Overall, things have turned out amazingly well.

The doctor told me to expect to be off work for three months. Most people I tell that to look at me like I'm crazy and say it will be longer. Except for one girl at work who said she returned after a month! I'm not going to rush it. I'll go back when it is medically appropriate and not a day sooner.

[DemBones DemBones]

6. I'd go with what the doctor says because

people who had similar surgery in the past may be right that their recuperation took longer, but medicine has changed a lot. They don't use as much anesthesia as they used to, they have lots of new surgical techniques, and they get you up out of bed sooner so you recover sooner. They take your gallbladder out now laparascopically and send you home a couple of hours later. In the past, you had a huge incision and a long recuperation period.

If you can have an epidural for pain relief, I highly recommend it, although your anesthesiologist may recommend something else for you and he or she would be the one to know. I can say an epidural is great for major abdominal surgery but I have no experience with back surgery.

You're right not to rush it. One of my colleagues came back four weeks after a hysterectomy and she really shouldn't have. Go back when you're recovered, whether it's a month (seems unlikely but who knows) or four or five months. You'll be able to read a lot or whatever you like to do. If you have a laptop, we'll see you back here, right?

I hope the certified sub took the job and you are able to relax and let her teach your classes for the rest of the week. Your principal should really appreciate that you have kept working in such pain. I do have experience with back pain due to muscle strain, used to wear a brace, and taught in pain quite often. They ought to give teachers something like a purple heart for teaching while in pain.

You take good care of yourself and don't worry about anything else, okay? :hug:

[flamingyouth]

2. Best wishes to you.

I've had several surgeries (two in the past year) and they've made them easier and easier to recover from, IMO. Please keep us posted about how you're doing. And I'm sure that your sub will do great!

Feel better soon - a week will go by fast. :hug:

[yasmina27]

4. Thanks for the hug!

I'm sure that before I know it I'll be saying "Last week at this time..."! See my response above for additional details. Need to get to ready for work, so I'll write more later.

[ThomCat]

5. I hope everything went well!

:hug:

Please check in when you can.

[Nite Owl]

7. This is so good that you are

are having the surgery done right away. Before you know it it will all be over and you'll be feeling better than ever!

All good thoughts go with you!
Let us know how it all goes when you are up to it.

:hug:

[yasmina27]

8. My last day of work today

until the new year! We had open house last night, and man, am I a hurtin' puppy! I way overdid it yesterday. I would just say f$@% it, and stay home, but I've got a mountain of paperwork to finish up at school. My sub, the lady who is certified, is teaching my classes today, so I just have to sit and take care of business. When I told the parents, they were so understanding and wished me luck and prayers.

This week has crept by SO slowly. The doctor's office did call on Wed. to see if I wanted to do the surgery today, since they had had some cancellations, but I told her that we weren't nearly ready. I would have loved to have done it today. Oh, well.