Well, all those years of gardening have finally caught up with me. As my stepmom would have said, "the wages of sin, my dear" and then laugh. She had such a sense of humor.

I met with the surgeon in Savannah today. Here’s the doctors report in a nutshell (with deepest apologizes to all my medical bloggy friends, consider me medically differently disabled) …

My C-3 is degenerated from age.
Between C-4 and C-5 there is a tear.
Between C-5 and C-6 there is a tear and a herniated disc. The nerve is bulging out and getting pinched. Thus, the pain.

Doc takes the disk from out between C 5 and C 6, cleans the area, removes a teeny tiny piece of bone, crumbles the bone, lay that aside, screws a small titanium plate to hold C 5 and C 6 in place and properly spaced, sprinkles the powdered bone on the area. The area quickly grows back like new.
He said I don’t have to wear a neck brace and I only have to spend one night in Hospital. I could go home the day of the surgery if we lived closer to said Doc but he will be 2 hours from our home. Since we live so far out in the country, Doc worries about my going home and having a problem and not being near medical care.
All I know is, I want ice cream afterwards! LOL
Boy, before you know it, medical care will be like on Star Trek after all. We’ll have medical personnel that can wave a wand over the affected area and you’re healed!
Dr. "Bones" McCoyCool deal.
But for now, we must rely on the “old” methods of anesthesia, a sharp knife and a skilled hand. Updates to follow. The Doc's office sent me home with some
Celebrex is calling me Monday to let me know when to report to Hospital.
A Few Medical Links Concerning This Procedure:
http://www.eorthopod.com/public/patient_education/6452/neck_pain.htmlhttp://www.doereport.com/generateexhibit.php?ID=808 ** UPDATE 26 January 2009: Surgery is scheduled for February 4th (Wednesday). It will done as an out-patient procedure. God bless! ***
PS: Many of y’all have very kindly been asking about our 4 year old niece, Amberlee. Happily she is on the road to recovery. Poor little thing has pneumonia. The fever broke yesterday and the doctor has her on a nebulizer inhaler and multiple antibiotics. We’re praying for a rapid recovery. Thanks y’all for your prayers!
Amberlee
♥ ∞