There's an end in sight for me.

I had an appointment with a neurosurgeon today.

He can fix me.  He can fix my back.  He says that whilst there are no guarantees, I should see at least a 75% improvement and could even see upwards of 95%.  Right now, with the kind of pain I've been having fo the last year and a half...I'd take a 50 or 40% improvement.  Almost anything would be better than what I'm living with now.

I need to have a discectomy and spinal fusion surgery done.

It's a little bigger job that I had anticipated, but it's going to give me the best result.  I'm going to be in the hospital for 4 or 5 days, off my feet at home for another week or so, and then in a brace for 12 weeks.  I'll have to have titanium plates and screws in my back and probably some cadaveric bone put in the place where the disc used to be. Basically, I'm having 2 vertebra fused into one.

After it's all over and done with, I'll be able to teach yoga again.  I wont have to be on heavy duty pain meds daily, I'll be able to walk the dog with my family...I'll almost be back to normal. 

I'm so happy, I'm crying.  This is what I've been waiting to hear ever since I first had the initial injury.

So, we're submitting a treatment plan to tricare for approval, I've made arrangements for the kids to go to their grandparents for 2 weeks...the wheels to get this show on the road are being set in motion.

The only thing that bothers me is that I'll be alone for the surgery and initial recuperation period.  D probably won't get to come home. However.....I've been through worse than this, and I have offers of help from all kinds of people.  His squadron and my office have both told me not to worry, that they'll make sure I'm taken care of; my friends and neighbors have also been magnificently kind and nice....people are offering to cook for me, to clean for me, to drive me places......I really can't ask for more.  Everyone's been fantastic.

So, all I have to do is get one more set of Xrays done and approval from the insurance....and I'm on the road out of the most painful period in my life thus far.

What a relief.