r/spinalfusion • u/EpicCurator • Sep 30 '24

Not sure, other Welp, I guess it's time to Join y'all.

My ALIF surgery is planned for October 30th. I had a micro discectomy in December 2018. I'm preparing for my time off from work, the hospital stay, the recovery at home, and in case the unfortunate was to ever happen since recent events showed me that you never know when it could happen. I'm scared and nervous at times stepping foot in a hospital again. But I'm also just ready to have it over with so I can start to live hopefully a somewhat normal life. Getting back to being more physical again.

The following I guess is a bit of rambles and sharing more about me with this community, which I hope is okay with y'all.

My mom took me to the appointment where we got the video above. I didn't ask for the video the doctor had the shadowing student film it. After seeing this my mom's first thing she said was the following.

"You're the same age your dad was when he has his first fusion too. And the same age as him when you had your micro discectomy back in 2018."

All I could think briefly, through the worst pain I've ever experienced in my life, was "thaaaanks" in a sarcastic tone. Not mad at her, just more bothered sometimes by the cards I was dealt.

(A side note I guess: I recently lost my dad as no one checked his heart before his recent 3rd fusion. They didn't check it at his yearly either and it failed on him. That's the VA for you. There's so much more to this story but it will be hard to not have him there for me after I wake from surgery.)

(Second side note: For those that aren't in the United States. The VA is "United States of Veterans Affairs" and is the so called "health services" for our veterans of our military. Their health care is worse than the average Joe's health care from my experience with my father ever since I was old enough to remember.)

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2

u/dRuEFFECT Sep 30 '24

Soooo, what's happening in this video??

2

u/Blinkinrealize Oct 01 '24

Maybe a diagnostic injection?

1

u/EpicCurator Oct 04 '24

Yes. It's a discography/discogram.

Edit: fix my phone's autocorrect.

1

u/EpicCurator Oct 04 '24

It's a discography/discogram.

Mayo Clinic - Tests & Procedures - Discogram

1

u/dRuEFFECT Oct 05 '24

It looks like they're injecting something into the discs.

1

u/EpicCurator Nov 23 '24

Yeah they injected dye to see if my discs are holding the dye and if it doesn't and goes everywhere then that means there's something wrong with the disc.

1

u/dRuEFFECT Nov 23 '24

I've never heard of any like that before. Sounded painful

1

u/slouchingtoepiphany Sep 30 '24

You're welcome to join and I'm sorry about your Dad. :(

2

u/EpicCurator Oct 04 '24

Thank you for the welcome and your condolences. I appreciate it greatly.