Day 3 & 4 Recovery from Microdiscectomy

Day 3 was Christmas Eve - I spent  most of the day in bed, pillows under my legs, narcotics pulsing through my veins except when I forgot to take my scheduled pain medication. My mother in law had prepared a wonderful spread of food for us and cousins visited to share it with us. Unfortunately, with all the excitement, I had forgotten to take my dosage just as guests were arriving. 

I found my spirits declining once again as I began to realize, even trying to walk slowly was becoming very difficult. Pain and immobility are frightening things to me. I worried I was getting worse instead of better until my husband figured it out. I had missed my oxycodone dose. Once again under the influence, I felt well enough to get out of bed and move about, step by step, slowly. 


Day 4 Merry Christmas!! - Being on schedule with my medication has helped greatly. I slept and was well enough to sit long enough in a soft chair to enjoy watching my family open gifts. My emotional state is so much better. I'm believing once again I will heal. I will be restored. 

My husband reminded me of a basketball player who returned to the game after back surgery and I remember my neurosurgeon telling me of a 17 year old football player he operated on this past summer who returned to football this past fall. For the record my neurosurgeon doesn't believe anyone should play football at all due to the injuries, but I'm hopeful I will walk my dog, swim, dance and hula hoop by next Christmas.

95% of my disc material had herniated, and I need to give my nerve time to heal. My foot feels a different kind of numb, like it has been wrapped up tightly in a bandage. For the most part, I do not feel pain in my leg like before, but my back hurts and my incision site is itchy. I have to be very careful how I move, keeping my trunk/core in alinement or else my back screams at me. With the pain meds, I can move slowly, which I'm trying to do often to reduce scar tissue from forming.