Best Birthday Ever

I have to say this is one of the best birthday's and birthday week.  I actually slept the best I have slept in over 10 months!!! I had surgery on Monday and had some anxiety and nervousness about it because when the doctor came in to speak to me and my folks before surgery he explained in clarity how I need a spinal fusion and his success rate with the procedure he decided to do Monday is usually 90-95% but he could not say that in my case. Then I wondered why didn't we just do the fusion...but he spoke before I could ask and said how he knows what my activity level is and he did feel mentally I could not handle the recovery from a fusion and it would be almost a year before I could run again with that. I understood this and he is right...the past 6 weeks of pain and being stuck on the couch caused me to have so many selfish thoughts of not being able to hold on another day but I did - I have a amazing son who called from college and checked on me everyday and told me how much he loved me!
I only told a few friends about what was going on because I don't like people to know when I am in pain or not doing well. I learned a lot from doing that as well....I learned some of those that I thought were close friends really are not -I guess I thought telling those I felt were my closest friends meant I cared about them enough to let them know what was going on and thought they cared enough about me to support me and keep me positive. Instead I learned that there were a few who I told when I saw at a Doctor visit or if they saw me crippled over in the grocery and could tell something was wrong and came to me in concern that those were the ones that have really been there for me more so.
Lets get back to the surgery/miracle for now - We stayed the night in Columbus on Sunday night as I had to be to the surgery center Monday am. I got all checked in and they came to do my IV. The girl doing my IV was rough and kept pushing so hard and the vein popped and I passed out...next thing I was hearing was 3 nurses saying stay with us stay with us and the anesthesiologist asking me questions about allergies while I was just trying not to hyperventilate and at the same time the other nurse starts to put the IV in my other arm. I then remember the anesthesiologist say she will wait a minute LOL...ok yes please do because I can't hear a word you are saying right now. I had to sit up for a minute to get bearings and then the other nurse got my IV in and it bleed everywhere. Wasn't my morning for needles and at this point I am so tired of needles and hospitals and doctors.  After that is when the doctor came in to discuss what we were doing and what I need done etc. When I got to the surgery room I guess during the anesthesia I kept fighting it asking the doc if he thought I would be recovered enough to run 100 miles at Nanny Goat in May and all these other events. After the surgery when I woke up I just I started on those questions again. haha. He told my folks boy she's a stubborn one isn't she :) He also told them I have a lot of permanent nerve damage and that a spinal fusion is eminent. He did say no to 100 miles at Nanny Goat in May haha He also say no to even the 25K at Zion in 6 weeks mostly due to it being unstable trail and risk of falling right now. I am planning to volunteer but will get his permission and what duties and hours I can do it.
I got to the recovery room and I did wake quickly and recovered quickly. My surgery took about an hour and I was on the way home by around 10:30. I could feel the incision pain and even though it was a small area it felt like the entire back of my lower back....I could already tell the pain in the glute hip and down the leg was gone.  My folks went to get the car and the nurses said I probably wouldn't see him until my follow up because he has surgeries scheduled all day and typically just speaks to the family after the surgery and goes in for the next one. He stopped in to check on me as I was dressed getting ready to leave and I told him I could already feel the difference and again asked him about running LOL. I did this because my mother only heard that he said no to running trails and long events and NO 100 milers..and he said no to 100 miles in May and trails right now because of falling and injuring a disc since everything has just been opened up. Falling now could easily rupture something else so I need to let it heal and be careful. I respect that and I will follow orders but when my mother started telling me I wasn't going to be running I was completely let down because thats why we didn't do the fusion right now and did this procedure so I would recover faster and be at the things I enjoy doing quicker.  I was so glad he peaked in before I left because I woulda gone crazy not knowing anything at all about recovery before the 13th when I go back.
My mom came and washed the orange off my back yesterday and then I got into my shower and washed my hair....wow I washed my hair and body without having to hold on to the towel bar crying and praying for the shampoo to rinse out faster!! That was the first in 6 weeks and was an awesome feeling!! I can walk to the bathroom. I can stand and make a sandwich.....all the small things we take for granted and when they are taken away from you its a terrible thing but when a doctor can give them back to you its a miracle!