I can't use the excuse: "My patients need me", any longer. I will have to find another excuse.

drdawg said:I can't use the excuse: "My patients need me", any longer. I will have to find another excuse.

Thank you, Jean. Blood work, x-rays, pre-admittance forms, and a doctor's pre-surgery chat tomorrow.

"My plants need me!"

drdawg said:"My plants need me!"

There you go.

We're pretty fond of you too, Ken, and want you to heal correctly.

drdawg said:Thank you, Lyn. I have no concerns about the surgery. I worry more about the recuperation period. Even though this is my "slow-period", I have so much to do. I'm afraid I don't do well "waiting to heal". My wife has already laid the law down on me. "You do exactly what the doctors tell you to do after the surgery. I don't even want to think about how you spent the recuperation period in 1990!" I had back surgery in 1990. Since I was told I could not bend over for two weeks, I figured I could go out in the yard and pull weeds sitting down. My neighbors snitched on me. Can you believe that? At least it will be too cold to pull weeds. I was supposed to be off work for six weeks and then, the neurosurgeon said he would discuss with me when I could go back to work. I was back in three weeks. I had patients that needed me. My wife has never forgotten and I don't think my neurosurgeon was too happy with me either. At least this is a new neurosurgeon. He won't know (unless my wife snitches).

Good grief, Ken ... haven't you had enough pain ?

Of course, I am the wrong person to say even one word about getting back to work too soon. I've done the same thing a few times in my life ....

When I shattered my ankle, I was supposed to keep my foot up so that there would be no swelling. Oh, yeah. I had a tax practice at the time and it was tax season. I went through the whole tax season with my foot up on my desk ... well, it was UP ...

Then when I tore a ligament in my knee, I wasn't supposed to be outside after I got the brace off for a whole month ... nah, I was out there pulling weeds within a week ... I had enough time on the couch. I couldn't stand watching the weeds grow and not doing anything about it.

Ken, back pain is 24/7 listen to your doc and your wife this time.

To keep yourself from worrying about weeds during recovery, just don't go outside and look at the weeds! They'll still be out there when you finally are allowed to do it!

To keep yourself from worrying about weeds during recovery, just don't go outside and look at the weeds! They'll still be out there when you finally are allowed to do it!

@Kelli.

I always listen, Lyn. Sometimes its, in-one-ear-and-out-the-other. I guess if I had more brain-matter, the sound might not make it to the other side. I will try to be a better patient.

Thanks, Ken. I am certain I would listen to you the same way if I were going to be the one who was in recovery ... I am not very good at that, either.

Can I hire you as a "temporary" wife? I could get away with murder.

Only if I could hire you as a "temporary" husband after your recovery ...

Yesterday, I tweaked MY back and today I had to haul trash down to the street level, haul recycling stuff down to the car and put the stuff in recycling cans down in the carport into the car and haul it to the recycling center. Then I had to come home and haul wood over to the patio to re-stock my wood operation. My back was in total disagreement about the whole process ..

I am very thankful we had a break in the rain so that I didn't get sopping wet while doing those chores.

On second thought ... nah. I don't think it would work. Your wife would murder ME before you recovered.

Ken, take care of yourself ...

I will do my best. Thanks, Lyn.

Ken what exactly are you getting done?

Fusion of L4-L5-S1 vertebrae. The surgery in 1990 was done to "clean-up" a twice-ruptured L5-S1. that was called a discectomy. I have no disc between those two vertebrae and the two bones slide back and forth when I move/stand.

Ouch.

Good luck Ken. I had the distectomy 5 years ago and have been putting off the fusion for three years! My husband had the distectomy last year and was like a new man, completely pain free. I hope you get relief

I will add thankful today for my pain medication that does help.