06 | September | 2010 | Robert Witham

My experience with lumbar-sacral herniated disc repair

By Robert On 6 September 2010 · 5 Comments · In Uncategorized

I am writing this essay from the relative comfort of a borrowed recliner chair. The chair was borrowed from a gracious friend upon my return from a week-long hospitalization for emergency spinal surgery. I arrived home only to discover that I could not sit on any of the furniture in our house. Of course, there are those who have visited our house recently who can quite understand why I would not be able to sit comfortably on any of our furniture! My back problems, disc herniations at L4-L5 and L5-S1, have been steadily worsening for more than one year. I was referred for surgery about this time last year after all attempts at conservative treatment failed. Unfortunately, shortly after I was referred for back surgery last year my wife, Terri, experienced a significant complication with the cancer she has been battling. Terri's condition quickly de-prioritized my own health care needs. Consequently, my back problems have been escalating in the time since.

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Confessions of a care-giving husband

By Robert On 6 September 2010 · 1 Comment · In Uncategorized

People ask me how I am doing with some frequency these days. Sometimes, of course, they are employing the unfortunate linguistic device we Americans have devised wherein we ask how someone is doing in greeting, though we do not particularly care. At other times, the person asking the question is genuinely concerned about how I am doing. Discerning whether a person is merely offering a friendly, albeit confusing, greeting or is actually inquiring as to how one is doing is not always an easy feat. I tend to err on the side of caution and restraint when in doubt. Of course, and this will not be news for those who know me, my nature is to never tell anyone how I am truly doing. I have learned though, that if someone takes the time to seriously ask how I am doing, they probably care and want to know. This requires me to be real with people who express a desire to be real with me. This exchange requires risk for both people but, alas, this interaction is essential for a true, human relationship.

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Musings of a minimalist wanderer

My experience with lumbar-sacral herniated disc repair

Confessions of a care-giving husband

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