SpineNation Group - Spinal Fusion Surgery Support

BackerKelly

6d

This is me a year ago. This is why I always say that a diagnosis or an injury or surgery isn’t the end of your story. This was just one of my 6 surgeries and it was a DOOZY.

7 hours I was on the operating table. My spinal cord was crushed and deformed. I had been losing the use of my legs AND arms. I’m one of the lucky ones when it comes to medical gaslighting. I’m still alive to tell the tale.

I speak out and up for everyone who isn’t and everyone who hasn’t found their voice. I posted this photo with the following text when I returned home from the hospital:

"Here’s how things are for me right now:

1. I need lifts for the toilets bc I almost can’t get back up off of them.
They’re on the way.

2. We will have a home health nurse coming to evaluate me and they may come 2-3 times a week.

3. I have a medical walker from the hospital and have to walk around my house every hour or so if I’m awake. Mike and Benny are bringing me tennis balls for my walker to make it easier to get around.

4. I have special tools to help me put clothes on including socks, but I need Nathan’s help for pretty much everything like getting on and off the toilet or in an out of bed.

5. I am not allowed to bend, twist, or lift anything more than a gallon of milk.

6. I am on a strong cocktail right now of Valium, oxycodone, gabapentin, and muscle relaxers. I literally fall asleep sometimes with my contacts case in my hand because I was going to take my contacts out and just fell out. That means I might not text very much. I also have to use speech to text because I ￼￼ cannot type very well at all.￼

7. I effing survived though!!!! and I still don’t have the horrible pain in my left leg since surgery!￼!

That’s me with my surgeon, who was SO THRILLED with how my surgery went, especially because the damage was way more intense than anyone realized and A four-hour surgery turned into a 7 1/2 hour surgery. He is my hero.￼

Photo cred: Eliza Daniels

2 Comments

<div><span style="color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">This is me a year ago. This is why I always say that a diagnosis or an injury or surgery isn’t the end of your story. This was just one of my 6 surgeries and it was a DOOZY. </span><br><span style="color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"></span><br><span style="color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">7 hours I was on the operating table. My spinal cord was crushed and deformed. I had been losing the use of my legs AND arms. I’m one of the lucky ones when it comes to medical gaslighting. I’m still alive to tell the tale. </span><br><span style="color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"></span><br><span style="color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">I speak out and up for everyone who isn’t and everyone who hasn’t found their voice. I posted this photo with the following text when I returned home from the hospital:</span><br><br><span style="color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"></span></div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">"Here’s how things are for me right now:</div></div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">1. I need lifts for the toilets bc I almost can’t get back up off of them.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">They’re on the way.</div></div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">2. We will have a home health nurse coming to evaluate me and they may come 2-3 times a week.</div></div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">3. I have a medical walker from the hospital and have to walk around my house every hour or so if I’m awake. Mike and Benny are bringing me tennis balls for my walker to make it easier to get around.</div></div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">4. I have special tools to help me put clothes on including socks, but I need Nathan’s help for pretty much everything like getting on and off the toilet or in an out of bed.</div></div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">5. I am not allowed to bend, twist, or lift anything more than a gallon of milk.</div></div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">6. I am on a strong cocktail right now of Valium, oxycodone, gabapentin, and muscle relaxers. I literally fall asleep sometimes with my contacts case in my hand because I was going to take my contacts out and just fell out. That means I might not text very much. I also have to use speech to text because I  cannot type very well at all.</div></div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">7. I effing survived though!!!! and I still don’t have the horrible pain in my left leg since surgery!!</div></div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">That’s me with my surgeon, who was SO THRILLED with how my surgery went, especially because the damage was way more intense than anyone realized and A four-hour surgery turned into a 7 1/2 hour surgery. He is my hero.</div></div><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 18.75px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">Photo cred: Eliza Daniels</div></div>

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