It's Complicated

Xrays (left) and MRI scan (right)

It's complicated has become a meme for how convoluted something we thought would be simple has evolved into a tangle akin to a bag of yarn attacked by feral kittens. I had an appointment yesterday with a well-regarded neurosurgeon and I brought my X-rays and MRI images. The doc was noticeably older than his profile pic but he was amiable and more importantly, he patiently explained what he saw as the issue and the solution. I'm not sure if I should've mentioned my theory that I have loose ligaments etc due to some defective proteins related to skin and other tissues. But it probably doesn't matter, because the doc said because there were two issues, a movement of a vertebrae forward and a narrowing of the spinal canal, that would require a surgery more extensive than I had expected. 

The doc would shave the vertebrae and widen the canal, securing the bone in place with screws to prevent further slippage. Ugh. It's essentially a vertebrae fusion and there's a recovery time associated with that. Maybe even an overnight stay although some resources say it could be a same day procedure. But it is surgery under general anesthesia. Double ugh. The doc suggested I do the cortisone shot first. It works well for some people. I recall that when I had to take prednisone for the never-ending cough last winter, my sciatica felt soooo much better. But of course, I need to also consult with my glaucoma doc cuz cortisone shots could cause a spike in IOPs, but not always. It's not like it'd be in my shoulder or neck or anywhere close to my eyes, but still, better to be cautious. 

Now my quest is to find a pain management doc since they're the only ones who are licensed to do these sort of things. Ugh. My health insurance provider has been messing with their website, making it impossible for me to even log in to see what local doctors are in-network and what their office hours are, or even just their contact info. Instead, I'm stuck in endless security identification authentication loops and I finally called their service line, but they weren't really able to help me either. I got the number to their tech help but they were closed and the automated message said to call during business hours, except they didn't say what time zone they're in, so that'll be a hit or miss type of call(s). 

I got to the gym later than I wanted but I still did everything on my list: cardio, pull-ups, weights, mat movements in the much too warm Aerobics room with a fly buzzing about. Cardio hurt most of the time except while pedaling backward at higher elevations. Pull-ups felt better than expected but not by much. I haven't been brave enough or masochistic enough to attempt push-ups lately although Air Squats weren't horrendous today. 

I pushed some DBs and modified the reps according to how my shoulder felt. Oddly, the position that aggravates my sciatica the most is standing upright with legs shoulders width apart and moving arms laterally with DBs. It's the same when I stand in the Aerobics Room doing arm circles. I'm not sure why this position causes such distress.

The one pain management doc I've located doesn't have any openings for new patients until October. I was hoping for sooner. I'm still waiting to see if the health insurance rep has managed to email me a list of pain management providers in my area in my network. Today, the sciatica isn't horrible. I wish it was better. I'm not happy about doing spine surgery but I also need to be able to shovel my own damn driveway. I'd like to be able to do pushups without worrying about whether I'll be able to limp out of the room afterward.  

After the surgery, whenever I schedule it, I'm not going to be able to drive for a few weeks. That's not going to go over well with my pups and their park time. Walking up and down our short road isn't enough. Today we were at the park for an hour and it was pouring. I was inside the shed and one of the pups came inside to dry out after being thoroughly drenched. The other one doesn't trust the tiny building and laid out on the fake grass licking water off his muddy legs. 

The park is a 5 minute drive from my house, so I think we'll still be going there even after surgery. I'm hoping I recover faster than the weeks and months suggested for recovery. There's going to be rehab. I wonder if I'll have to put the gym on pause. I am absolutely dreading this. But I really want to be able to continue doing pull-ups and pushups into my old age and right now I'm having trouble seeing that future. 

1 September 2026 1:18-3:20

Sciatica Tuesday

Rain Rain SCIATICA

Precor elliptical #1 (1:55)

Program #2

Time: 30 + 5 (5202)

Distance: 2.73

Cal: 296

Precor HR: 195-84, 144

Google Health: 43-169(!)

(Foot numb / calf clenched )

HGPU 15.5 ugly

Sciatica

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Bent Over Flys (slow & EZ)

10 lbs x 25/15/25 (2:22)

15 lbs x 25/15/25 (2:30)

Inclined Reverse Flys

20/15/20 lbs x 20/15/20 reps

Set 1 (2:41); Set 2 (2:52) 25/15/25

Balmy Aerobics Room w Flies!

20 Piriformis/Hip flex (3:00-3:19)

20 Hamstring / 20 nerve flossing

Skip Dead Bugs too painful

50 crunches x 2

Numb toes intensify during crunches if feet on floor; better if knees to chest

12 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Arm rotations 20

Skip Push-Ups 26

Air Squats 25 (mild sciatica!)

Neck Stretch / eye yoga