Hernia # 2

For those of you who not read facebook...
I have been diagnosed with a second herniated disc this week. Probably caused by carrying all the tabels outside for the ward BBQ.
On Monday night I slowly developed an excruciating pain starting from buttocks till toes in my right leg. I didn't think it was my hernia, because the hernia i already had, is on the left. And besides, it feels differently. This pain can be best compared with a cramp in your leg. You know how much that hurts and how you want to get rid of it as soon as possible? Well, that's what it feels like, except i can't get rid of it.
I went to the doctor on tuesday morning, who gave me some painkillers, but unfortunately, they didn't make a dent in the pain at all. So on wednesday Leland called the doctor and got something stronger. I am still not pain free, but it's bareable now.
I also had a CT scan done on wednesday, which confirmed what the doctor already suspected: I ahve now two hernias in my back. The first (old) one is between disc L3 AND L4 on the right side of my spine, the second (new) one is between discs L4 and L5 on the left side of my spine. Yeah me!
The doctor prescribed rest for now, because often with a hernia the body will addapt and you'll be able to live pain free most of the time (which is true, because the first hernia has only bothered me a couple of times during the last ten years) So we are going to see what my body does. If it's not adapting in the next cuple of weeks or so, they'll probably do some version of an epidural, which will take the presure of the nerves for a long time.
My family doctor has a hernia herself and she has had this epidural like shot and hasn't had any problems since. She also said that if you talk to a surgeon, they'll probably talk you into having surgery, but she has seen in het many years of practise as a family doctor, that people who do have the hernia surgerically removed often get it back within a few years, so she doesn't recommend that, unless i start to loose all feeling in my legs.
So here is your update on me. I am on sick leave at least till next friday (4 sept) and then we'll see. Luckily the boys are with their oma and opa this week and net week they'll go back to school. I would be hard to be laying on th couch all the time with them demanding attention constantly. I do miss them, but luckily they call me every day. They sound so cute on the phone. Monty even sounds like a normal five year old. An Stoney is finally getting over his phone fear.