Has That Thing Got a Hemi?

By all accounts the surgery to repair my herniated disc (a microdiscectomy and something with a name I can't pronounce--I think it was something like hemilemidingdong) went great. The numbness and pain in my right leg and lower back are completely gone. I can't twist, bend, reach, lift, sit down for more than 20 minutes or drive, but I can stand up, walk around, go up and down a few stairs, flex my feet and wiggle my toes. Of course, I have to do it all verrrrry slowly and with the aid of some serious pain meds. I didn't take enough last night and so woke up this morning at 4 a.m. in agony. It took me a half-hour just to ease my body into a sitting position on the side of the bed. Then I literally had to crawl to the kitchen to get my pills. But I'll take the temporary all-over pain caused by trauma--i.e. the surgery--over chronic nothing-you-can-do-about-it pain any day.

I did have to stay overnight in the hospital--that was a first for me. I was lucky to get a private room. The nurses were all really nice and they took very good care of me. I was surprised at how freaking loud it was at night but enjoyed being brought a surprisingly yummy breakfast in bed the next morning. I'm *really* looking forward to taking a shower today, although the nurses said the doc's handwriting on my back (to make sure they do the right operation in the right place) won't come off for a week.

More later -- my 20 minutes are up.
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