January 16, 2025 • 19 mins
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Bed Back and Beyond, sharing positive
stories of recovery from seriousback or neck injury.
Your host is CK, a fellowchampion who draws on her own
experience with herniated discsurgery.
Join her as she talks withothers who have overcome the
physical and emotional trauma ofa painful injury and discover
(00:23):
for yourself how you can findhope and encouragement in
recovery.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Hi Chelsea.
Thank you so much for joiningme on this episode of Bed, back
and Beyond.
Before we dive into your injury, do you want to tell us a
little bit about yourself?
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Yeah, I am 34, almost 35 years old.
I am a nurse practitioner and Ilive in Florida.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Nice, and you do book reviews on TikTok right.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yes, yes, hopefully it doesn't go anywhere.
I'm still holding out hope.
I know I'm hoping Do you have a.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
What favorite book do you?
Do you tend to read?
What types of book?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Um, honestly, I go back and forth between like
romanacy, romanacy, like fantasyromance and then thrillers.
So I kind of like bounce backand forth between like fantasy
romance and then thrillers.
So I kind of like bounce backand forth between the two.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Okay, I'm currently reading the Quiet Tenant.
Have you read that yet?
I have not.
Okay, okay, I did see otherpeople reviewing it on TikTok.
Yeah, so far, so good.
So when did you get hurt?
How did your herniated discjourney start?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
So March of 2024, I had went to SeaWorld with my mom
and my kids and just normalstuff, didn't even ride any
rides, and I remember I waspushing the stroller like normal
, but just normal stuff.
And then probably three dayslater I noticed like an ache in
my lower back and I thoughtthat's weird, which I've had
(01:48):
some muscle pain beforeobviously with being a nurse it
happens but it was just likereally aching.
And then the next day I waslike kind of having to hunch
over to where it wouldn't hurtso I could walk.
Then the following morning Iwoke up and I just took one step
out of bed and it wasexcruciating pain going down my
right leg.
It wasn't even my back hurting,it was just that nerve pain
(02:09):
from that sciatic nerve that wasshooting down my right leg.
I couldn't walk.
I was literally bawling on thefloor and my husband ended up
having to leave work and comehome and get me and take me to
the ER.
So that's kind of where westarted with the journey.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Okay, and as a nurse practitioner, were you saying
kind of where we started withthe journey?
Okay, and as a nursepractitioner, were you saying
this is a herniated disc.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
I know it, or yeah, I was like something's not right
and the first thing I thought ofwas it's got to be something
like.
It's not a muscle.
I knew that and I was like,maybe a disc.
I never had any issues with mydiscs or back or anything before
that, so I just knew it was nota muscle and something was real
wrong and I knew it wasaffecting my static nerve, but I
didn't know exactly what it was.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Okay, did they take images that day in the emergency
room?
Speaker 3 (02:51):
No.
So the crazy thing was that waswhy I went there.
I wanted, I wanted to answerlike what was going on?
Um, so I went to the first ERand they gave me like a muscle
relaxer and a lidocaine patchand said, well, you need an MRI,
but we're not going to do thathere, so you need to follow up.
(03:11):
And I was like, okay, whichthis is my own fault.
I don't have a primary caredoctor.
I'm 34.
I've had babies and never hadany other issues, so I just
never had one.
So I thought, okay, well, nowI'm going to have a long journey
to just get a primary caredoctor, which in Florida it's
really hard to do becausethere's just so many people.
Um, so I waited like a week andthen I ended up having to go
(03:36):
back to the ER.
I wasn't sleeping at allbecause the pain was so bad and
I was.
I felt like I was losing mymind.
To be completely honest withyou, I was like getting real
dark and depressed.
I couldn't sleep.
I was trying NyQuil, benadryl,anything to help me sleep
Melatonin.
I would maybe get an hour ofsleep at night and then I would
(03:58):
just start walking because itfelt a little bit better to try
and walk, even though I waswalking slowly.
Bit better to try and walk eventhough I was walking slowly.
Um, so I went back to the ER andI told them I don't want
anything for pain that's not whyI'm here, even though it hurts.
But I just want to know whatthis is.
Something's not right.
And the doctor sat down andlooked at me and said well, I
(04:19):
got to be completely honest withyou.
You need an MRI, but we're notgoing to do that here because
you haven't lost sensation ofyour bowel and bladder.
And basically said well, wecould do a CT, but it's probably
not going to show anything.
It's going to waste your timeand your money.
So you really need to follow upwith a neurosurgeon.
And I thought, okay, like againI'm, I'm just getting shoved
(04:39):
out the door.
Basically, yeah, so same thing.
He wrote for um more likeactual pain medicine, um, muscle
relaxers, like anything.
They were just throwingeverything at me which wasn't
helping.
I, I didn't want that Right.
Um, thank God that they followedup someone along the lines of
(05:03):
the trail at that second yearvisit, followed up and called me
and asked how my pain was, andI was like excruciating.
And he was like, well, I'mgoing to refer you to pain
management.
And I was like, ok, so lo andbehold, the one like person care
team, whatever that I didn'tfeel like I needed ended up
being the one to like help mebecause I got to pain management
(05:25):
, needed ended up being the oneto like help me because I got to
pain management.
And that amazing nursepractitioner ordered an MRI for
me and I told her that's all Iwant right now, I just want to
know what's wrong with me.
But she also, instead of givingme just pain medicine, um, sent
in a prescription forgabapentin for me and duloxetine
, which I had never been on anyof those, but I had read that it
helps a lot of people with thatnerve pain.
So she got the ball rollingwith my MRI finally, yeah, that
(05:49):
was just my same experience.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Well, I went to the emergency room just one time and
I saw a physician assistant andhe just said this sounds like a
herniated disc here.
They gave me a shot for painand then three days of a steroid
and said go see a back doctor.
And I had to, you know, make anappointment and wait see a back
doctor, who then which was likea week wait who then ordered
the MRI, and that was anotherweek wait.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
It's fun.
Yeah, it's a really bigstruggle, which I understand,
why they can't just, you know,run an MRI on every person that
comes into the ER with some backpain.
But it's so hard to get across.
Like you know your body andyou're you know you have to
fight with the providers thatassume you're drug seeking and
then the providers that assumeit's really not that bad, cause
you're not, you know scratchingat the handrail, so you know
(06:41):
it's not that bad, you'reprobably fine.
And it's amazing to me because Isaw those two different ER
doctors the pain managementdoctor and a chiropractor all
within this short realm oftrying to like figure out what
was wrong with me.
And when I finally got my MRIread back that showed a 20
millimeter herniation, thechiropractor was like, how are
you walking?
Like you shouldn't evenfunctioning right now, like they
(07:02):
were all just so taken aback.
And he did tell me, which youknow said well, thankfully you
didn't get the MRI that day,because you would have had
emergency surgery that day andnot been prepared for you know,
the what to expect after right.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
So did you try?
Did they put you in physicaltherapy at all?
Or they like nope this surgery?
Speaker 3 (07:21):
surprisingly they didn't, which I was nervous
because I had already at thispoint waited three or four
months before my surgery date,just with the normal hoops and
everything.
They did make me do a likeepidural back injection, which I
didn't want to do, but theymade me do that for insurance
purposes, to approve the surgery.
And they said they may have tohave me do physical therapy.
(07:43):
But I think they ended upwriting off my chiropractor
visits because I had been goingfor months as like a form of
physical therapy and I don'tknow.
Somehow they ended up saying Ididn't need it.
And then I asked if I needed itafter surgery and he said no, I
was healing fine, symptoms weregood, so they didn't have me do
it.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Okay, had to cancel patients at this point Like
completely no.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
So are you still trying to work?
Surprisingly, I was stillworking, but it was bad.
I had to lay down on the floorin between patients and I had
ice packs.
I had heating pads on me, I wastaking my medicine, the
duloxetine and gabapentin, justtrying to get through because
between the doctor'sappointments I was having to go
(08:24):
to and I had to leave work twicewith the pain to go to those
ERs.
I didn't want to lose all my PTO, so I'm just like try it by and
miraculously I looking back atit now I don't know how I did it
because that pain was sointense, but somehow I got
through it, because you're awoman.
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
So how did you?
Did you get recommended to aneurosurgeon or did you have to
decide neuro versus ortho?
Speaker 3 (08:54):
So, yes, the day I went to that second ER visit,
they like put a referralneurosurgeon on that paper for
me and I actually had calledthem like that next day to try
and get in with them.
And then when the painmanagement place that visit came
, I ended up.
The neurosurgeon visit ended upgetting scheduled like two
weeks after the pain managementvisit, which worked out because
(09:16):
then I had my MRI to take tothat neurosurgeon's office.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Right, right.
So how long was it in betweenhurting yourself and then
actually going in for surgery?
Speaker 3 (09:26):
I hurt myself in March.
My surgery was the beginning ofAugust.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Oh, wow, okay yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Several was five months I think yeah, it was yeah
, I just basically lived in aback brace with the gabapentin
and the duloxetine and gotthrough.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Did you find a comfortable position to sleep in
?
It's always, though it's alwaysthe biggest question how do I?
Speaker 3 (09:49):
sleep.
No, and I tried all the things.
I tried the lifting your legsup, like your knees having a
bent.
I honestly, I slept well, quoteunquote slept on the couch for
a good probably month.
My, my mattress was too softand I didn't know that at the
time, which, learning all thethings I've learned since going
through this, all the things youhave to change in your life for
(10:10):
like better back health, thatwas one thing.
I bought a brand new mattressthat was like firm and hard and
that ended up being great.
But now I slept on the couchfor a little bit.
I laid on the floor for a fewnights.
We have these nugget couchesthat are like my kids play
couches.
I tried those.
Slept in my son's bunk bed onenight.
I mean, it was just anyposition I could try to get into
(10:31):
was what I did to get somesleep.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
And were you in and out of the surgery in the
hospital one day, or did youhave to stay the night?
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Yeah, it was same day surgery.
I went home a few hours afterwaking up from anesthesia, so it
was really nice.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
No, that's great.
I got stuck there.
I had to stay there threenights.
I had a.
Yeah, my herniated disc wasglued to the Dora around my
spinal cord and so they tore theDora, and so they, I think they
did a blood patch.
So I had to stay in thehospital flat on my back for
three nights.
Did you have a drain as?
Speaker 3 (11:06):
well, did I have a what?
I'm sorry?
Did you have a drain?
No, oh, that's good, that'sgood.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Yeah, yeah, and thankfully I don't have children
, so I didn't have that concern.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
On top of all of that , yeah, that was another added
thing, and that's what I wasmost nervous about was the
surgery.
Like you know, it's your back,it's your spine.
Anything could go wrong.
Like the doctor could sneezeand there goes your mobility.
Like I was just more worriedabout that part of it and he
kept telling me you'll be out ofhere same day as long as
(11:37):
nothing goes wrong, we don'thave to place a drain.
I kept thinking, oh my goodness, I'm going to be the one that
has to end up having a drain.
Like I was so worried about it.
But it worked out, thankfully.
And how young are your kids?
So they range in ages from 13to one and a half.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Oh, my goodness yeah they're four.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Were you dealing with mom guilt at all?
Were you able to?
It was hard because the baby Icouldn't pick her up Like.
My neurosurgeon told me flatout like you're not going to be
picking her up anymore, I had tostop basically doing a lot of
the two little ones' care, whichwas really really hard.
And even after the recovery hewas like you know, you can't
lift over 10 pounds for so manyweeks and then 15 pounds, so
that was really hard, like notbeing able to pick up my baby
like that.
(12:25):
It like killed me.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Yeah, yeah, I see that a lot on the threads just
moms like, yeah, with my baby,forgive me, like this.
I try to say this is just abrief moment in time.
A year will pass in no time.
Yeah, that's what.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
I have myself.
I'm just like she's not gonnaremember it.
I mean, you know it's.
It's that's what I kept tellingmyself.
I'm just like she's not gonnaremember it.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
I mean, you know it's it's me that's remember, it's
not her.
She won't remember that.
Did you struggle emotionally atall afterwards with like the
anxiety of re herniating, or doyou feel like your medical
background helped?
Speaker 3 (12:58):
protect you a little bit.
It's a double edged sword.
Honestly.
It helps that I know somethings and know what to do and
what not to do, but I also knowsome things that also make it to
where I'm nervous constantly,like I still have anxiety about
reherniating and I keep tellingmyself if I can get to the one
year post you know, post op markthat'll be even more like solid
(13:22):
rebuilding in my back and stuff, you know, just healing but I
still have that constant fearbecause I don't know what it was
that caused my herniation andthat was my biggest thing.
I kept asking you know everyonewell, what caused this?
What?
What did I do?
And he just, basically myneurosurgeon told me it could be
genetics, it could be the factI'm five foot tall and I've had
(13:43):
four babies and that's a lot ofweight on your back.
Also, working as a nurse in thehospital, you are doing a lot
of patient lifting, just properbody mechanics, not drinking
enough water, I mean there's somany things that could go into
causing it and that's my biggestfear.
I don't know what I did or whatexactly caused it and I don't
want that to happen again ever.
(14:03):
So yeah, I definitely have thatanxiety.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Have you made plans on what you're going to do as
far as spine health goes, anykind of exercise programs you're
looking into?
Speaker 3 (14:13):
So I've been.
I want to get back in the gym.
Big, that's my big thing.
Honestly, I'm still trying tofigure that out Because I'm
scared to do a whole lot ofanything.
And you know, you read thatwalking and running is good for
you in some senses, but thenit's not good for your discs to
some sense.
So I'm like in the middle rightnow of trying to navigate what
(14:35):
I should do, um, to juststrengthen those muscles in my
back and just keep remembering,you know, proper bending,
lifting, all that stuff, um, butI'm still trying to figure that
part out.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah, you said you weren't required to do physical
therapy after surgery, right?
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Wasn't.
And again I'm like, oh, thatmight have helped some more
honestly after surgery obviously.
But they said I didn't need it,so I'm like, okay.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I found physical therapy so helpful in the realm
of getting over the fear ofmoving again.
You know they are telling youhow, to teaching you how to bend
and how to lift and helping youto twist again, because you
know they said no twisting forsix weeks but it was like three
months and I'm still, you know,moving in a stiff way and
(15:21):
physical therapy was a greatemotional support, I feel like,
for me.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
How long did you do it for?
Speaker 2 (15:27):
The physical therapy.
I think it was gosh.
My surgery was 2019.
I'm trying to remember.
I want to say eight weeks, butI'm not positive.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Okay, and do you ever still have that fear of
re-herniating or you feel like abrand new person?
Speaker 2 (15:46):
The first year after my surgery I was an emotional
wreck.
It felt like PTSD and anylittle twinge I would just break
down and sob.
So like it took me six monthsto feel normal physically and I
think it took me a year to startto recover emotionally from it.
I still I do still get flareups where if I had a really hard
(16:07):
day at work or something, I'llhave to heat my back and just
relax, but the next day I'm I'mback to being pain-free, so I'm
not worried about reherniatingLike I was that first year after
the surgery.
Yeah, in fact it's other peoplethat drive me crazy now that
are like Christine, youshouldn't be doing that.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
I'm like, I'm okay, yeah that that is so true though
, like I think so many peopledon't understand that just how
much emotionally that messeswith you.
Like I've had people reach outto me and you know, tell me they
were like depressed and hadthoughts of suicide because they
were in so much pain with theirback and they didn't know where
to go.
There was nothing that wastouching it, helping, and it
(16:49):
really is a dark place to be inand you're through that, you
don't want to go back to thatand I think that's where that
fear comes from for a lot ofpeople.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Yeah, now, how was your recovery process?
Was it pretty smooth or did youhave a lot of flares during it?
Yeah, now, how was yourrecovery process, was it?
Speaker 3 (17:03):
pretty smooth or did you have a lot of flares during
it?
Honestly, it's been amazing andI was really worried about that
.
But no, I just really stuck towhat the neurosurgeon told me.
As far as restrictions, everyonce in a while I still get my
right calf will spasm and likealmost like a Charlie horse and
cramp up, and my right butt likespasms as well.
(17:23):
Um, and, like you said, I thinkit's all dependent on what I've
did that day, um, and justthings like that, because the
next day it's gone and it'snever pain.
It's just that like tightening,I can feel it like jumping
almost yeah, and are you back tolifting and everything at work?
Speaker 2 (17:39):
are you still a little bit on restrictions?
Speaker 3 (17:40):
yeah, he told me life as normal.
Basically, just, you know,don't do anything that wouldn't
make sense to do, like hisexample was, don't, if you're
gardening, don't be the one topick up the bag of mulch, like
let your husband do it, andthings like that.
So yeah, I pick up my baby now.
She's like 22, 23 pounds, so Ido hold her now but I lift
correctly now Like I bend downwith my knees, pick her up and
(18:02):
then stand straight up and keepher close to me, not you know,
out swinging or anything with myarms with her, like that.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Wow, that's great.
Is there anything you wouldlike people who are currently in
this situation to know?
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Um, honestly, just to keep advocating for yourself.
Don't let anyone tell you ordiminish your pain.
I don't know how many times Iheard when my MRI was read that,
oh, I thought it was just goingto be three or four millimeters
.
I didn't think it was anythingbig.
I just you know your body andadvocate for yourself, Like if
something's not right, you haveto speak up and keep trying to
(18:37):
find, navigate a way to get ananswer.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Basically, yeah, that's great, Chelsea.
Thank you so much for agreeingto be on the show and share your
journey with us.
I'm so glad to see that you'refeeling better and back to work.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Yeah, thank you.
I appreciate it and I likehearing your story as well.
It really is helpful to knowsomeone went through this and
they came out on the right sideof things.
So it's great, because a lot oftimes it's always a negative.
We hear and I'm just happy tohear that you've been through
this and you're doing good.
Yeah, doing great.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
If you are a listener and you have a positive story
of recovery from a serious neckor back injury, head over to
bedbackbeyondcom and click shareyour story.
I would love to include yourvoice on the show.
Welcome to Bed Back and Beyond, sharing positive
stories of recovery from seriousback or neck injury.
Your host is CK, a fellowchampion who draws on her own
experience with herniated discsurgery.
Join her as she talks withothers who have overcome the
physical and emotional trauma ofa painful injury and discover
(00:23):
for yourself how you can findhope and encouragement in
recovery.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Hi Chelsea.
Thank you so much for joiningme on this episode of Bed, back
and Beyond.
Before we dive into your injury, do you want to tell us a
little bit about yourself?
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Yeah, I am 34, almost 35 years old.
I am a nurse practitioner and Ilive in Florida.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Nice, and you do book reviews on TikTok right.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yes, yes, hopefully it doesn't go anywhere.
I'm still holding out hope.
I know I'm hoping Do you have a.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
What favorite book do you?
Do you tend to read?
What types of book?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Um, honestly, I go back and forth between like
romanacy, romanacy, like fantasyromance and then thrillers.
So I kind of like bounce backand forth between like fantasy
romance and then thrillers.
So I kind of like bounce backand forth between the two.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Okay, I'm currently reading the Quiet Tenant.
Have you read that yet?
I have not.
Okay, okay, I did see otherpeople reviewing it on TikTok.
Yeah, so far, so good.
So when did you get hurt?
How did your herniated discjourney start?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
So March of 2024, I had went to SeaWorld with my mom
and my kids and just normalstuff, didn't even ride any
rides, and I remember I waspushing the stroller like normal
, but just normal stuff.
And then probably three dayslater I noticed like an ache in
my lower back and I thoughtthat's weird, which I've had
(01:48):
some muscle pain beforeobviously with being a nurse it
happens but it was just likereally aching.
And then the next day I waslike kind of having to hunch
over to where it wouldn't hurtso I could walk.
Then the following morning Iwoke up and I just took one step
out of bed and it wasexcruciating pain going down my
right leg.
It wasn't even my back hurting,it was just that nerve pain
(02:09):
from that sciatic nerve that wasshooting down my right leg.
I couldn't walk.
I was literally bawling on thefloor and my husband ended up
having to leave work and comehome and get me and take me to
the ER.
So that's kind of where westarted with the journey.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Okay, and as a nurse practitioner, were you saying
kind of where we started withthe journey?
Okay, and as a nursepractitioner, were you saying
this is a herniated disc.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
I know it, or yeah, I was like something's not right
and the first thing I thought ofwas it's got to be something
like.
It's not a muscle.
I knew that and I was like,maybe a disc.
I never had any issues with mydiscs or back or anything before
that, so I just knew it was nota muscle and something was real
wrong and I knew it wasaffecting my static nerve, but I
didn't know exactly what it was.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Okay, did they take images that day in the emergency
room?
Speaker 3 (02:51):
No.
So the crazy thing was that waswhy I went there.
I wanted, I wanted to answerlike what was going on?
Um, so I went to the first ERand they gave me like a muscle
relaxer and a lidocaine patchand said, well, you need an MRI,
but we're not going to do thathere, so you need to follow up.
(03:11):
And I was like, okay, whichthis is my own fault.
I don't have a primary caredoctor.
I'm 34.
I've had babies and never hadany other issues, so I just
never had one.
So I thought, okay, well, nowI'm going to have a long journey
to just get a primary caredoctor, which in Florida it's
really hard to do becausethere's just so many people.
Um, so I waited like a week andthen I ended up having to go
(03:36):
back to the ER.
I wasn't sleeping at allbecause the pain was so bad and
I was.
I felt like I was losing mymind.
To be completely honest withyou, I was like getting real
dark and depressed.
I couldn't sleep.
I was trying NyQuil, benadryl,anything to help me sleep
Melatonin.
I would maybe get an hour ofsleep at night and then I would
(03:58):
just start walking because itfelt a little bit better to try
and walk, even though I waswalking slowly.
Bit better to try and walk eventhough I was walking slowly.
Um, so I went back to the ER andI told them I don't want
anything for pain that's not whyI'm here, even though it hurts.
But I just want to know whatthis is.
Something's not right.
And the doctor sat down andlooked at me and said well, I
(04:19):
got to be completely honest withyou.
You need an MRI, but we're notgoing to do that here because
you haven't lost sensation ofyour bowel and bladder.
And basically said well, wecould do a CT, but it's probably
not going to show anything.
It's going to waste your timeand your money.
So you really need to follow upwith a neurosurgeon.
And I thought, okay, like againI'm, I'm just getting shoved
(04:39):
out the door.
Basically, yeah, so same thing.
He wrote for um more likeactual pain medicine, um, muscle
relaxers, like anything.
They were just throwingeverything at me which wasn't
helping.
I, I didn't want that Right.
Um, thank God that they followedup someone along the lines of
(05:03):
the trail at that second yearvisit, followed up and called me
and asked how my pain was, andI was like excruciating.
And he was like, well, I'mgoing to refer you to pain
management.
And I was like, ok, so lo andbehold, the one like person care
team, whatever that I didn'tfeel like I needed ended up
being the one to like help mebecause I got to pain management
(05:25):
, needed ended up being the oneto like help me because I got to
pain management.
And that amazing nursepractitioner ordered an MRI for
me and I told her that's all Iwant right now, I just want to
know what's wrong with me.
But she also, instead of givingme just pain medicine, um, sent
in a prescription forgabapentin for me and duloxetine
, which I had never been on anyof those, but I had read that it
helps a lot of people with thatnerve pain.
So she got the ball rollingwith my MRI finally, yeah, that
(05:49):
was just my same experience.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Well, I went to the emergency room just one time and
I saw a physician assistant andhe just said this sounds like a
herniated disc here.
They gave me a shot for painand then three days of a steroid
and said go see a back doctor.
And I had to, you know, make anappointment and wait see a back
doctor, who then which was likea week wait who then ordered
the MRI, and that was anotherweek wait.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
It's fun.
Yeah, it's a really bigstruggle, which I understand,
why they can't just, you know,run an MRI on every person that
comes into the ER with some backpain.
But it's so hard to get across.
Like you know your body andyou're you know you have to
fight with the providers thatassume you're drug seeking and
then the providers that assumeit's really not that bad, cause
you're not, you know scratchingat the handrail, so you know
(06:41):
it's not that bad, you'reprobably fine.
And it's amazing to me because Isaw those two different ER
doctors the pain managementdoctor and a chiropractor all
within this short realm oftrying to like figure out what
was wrong with me.
And when I finally got my MRIread back that showed a 20
millimeter herniation, thechiropractor was like, how are
you walking?
Like you shouldn't evenfunctioning right now, like they
(07:02):
were all just so taken aback.
And he did tell me, which youknow said well, thankfully you
didn't get the MRI that day,because you would have had
emergency surgery that day andnot been prepared for you know,
the what to expect after right.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
So did you try?
Did they put you in physicaltherapy at all?
Or they like nope this surgery?
Speaker 3 (07:21):
surprisingly they didn't, which I was nervous
because I had already at thispoint waited three or four
months before my surgery date,just with the normal hoops and
everything.
They did make me do a likeepidural back injection, which I
didn't want to do, but theymade me do that for insurance
purposes, to approve the surgery.
And they said they may have tohave me do physical therapy.
(07:43):
But I think they ended upwriting off my chiropractor
visits because I had been goingfor months as like a form of
physical therapy and I don'tknow.
Somehow they ended up saying Ididn't need it.
And then I asked if I needed itafter surgery and he said no, I
was healing fine, symptoms weregood, so they didn't have me do
it.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Okay, had to cancel patients at this point Like
completely no.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
So are you still trying to work?
Surprisingly, I was stillworking, but it was bad.
I had to lay down on the floorin between patients and I had
ice packs.
I had heating pads on me, I wastaking my medicine, the
duloxetine and gabapentin, justtrying to get through because
between the doctor'sappointments I was having to go
(08:24):
to and I had to leave work twicewith the pain to go to those
ERs.
I didn't want to lose all my PTO, so I'm just like try it by and
miraculously I looking back atit now I don't know how I did it
because that pain was sointense, but somehow I got
through it, because you're awoman.
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
So how did you?
Did you get recommended to aneurosurgeon or did you have to
decide neuro versus ortho?
Speaker 3 (08:54):
So, yes, the day I went to that second ER visit,
they like put a referralneurosurgeon on that paper for
me and I actually had calledthem like that next day to try
and get in with them.
And then when the painmanagement place that visit came
, I ended up.
The neurosurgeon visit ended upgetting scheduled like two
weeks after the pain managementvisit, which worked out because
(09:16):
then I had my MRI to take tothat neurosurgeon's office.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Right, right.
So how long was it in betweenhurting yourself and then
actually going in for surgery?
Speaker 3 (09:26):
I hurt myself in March.
My surgery was the beginning ofAugust.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Oh, wow, okay yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Several was five months I think yeah, it was yeah
, I just basically lived in aback brace with the gabapentin
and the duloxetine and gotthrough.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Did you find a comfortable position to sleep in
?
It's always, though it's alwaysthe biggest question how do I?
Speaker 3 (09:49):
sleep.
No, and I tried all the things.
I tried the lifting your legsup, like your knees having a
bent.
I honestly, I slept well, quoteunquote slept on the couch for
a good probably month.
My, my mattress was too softand I didn't know that at the
time, which, learning all thethings I've learned since going
through this, all the things youhave to change in your life for
(10:10):
like better back health, thatwas one thing.
I bought a brand new mattressthat was like firm and hard and
that ended up being great.
But now I slept on the couchfor a little bit.
I laid on the floor for a fewnights.
We have these nugget couchesthat are like my kids play
couches.
I tried those.
Slept in my son's bunk bed onenight.
I mean, it was just anyposition I could try to get into
(10:31):
was what I did to get somesleep.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
And were you in and out of the surgery in the
hospital one day, or did youhave to stay the night?
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Yeah, it was same day surgery.
I went home a few hours afterwaking up from anesthesia, so it
was really nice.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
No, that's great.
I got stuck there.
I had to stay there threenights.
I had a.
Yeah, my herniated disc wasglued to the Dora around my
spinal cord and so they tore theDora, and so they, I think they
did a blood patch.
So I had to stay in thehospital flat on my back for
three nights.
Did you have a drain as?
Speaker 3 (11:06):
well, did I have a what?
I'm sorry?
Did you have a drain?
No, oh, that's good, that'sgood.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Yeah, yeah, and thankfully I don't have children
, so I didn't have that concern.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
On top of all of that , yeah, that was another added
thing, and that's what I wasmost nervous about was the
surgery.
Like you know, it's your back,it's your spine.
Anything could go wrong.
Like the doctor could sneezeand there goes your mobility.
Like I was just more worriedabout that part of it and he
kept telling me you'll be out ofhere same day as long as
(11:37):
nothing goes wrong, we don'thave to place a drain.
I kept thinking, oh my goodness, I'm going to be the one that
has to end up having a drain.
Like I was so worried about it.
But it worked out, thankfully.
And how young are your kids?
So they range in ages from 13to one and a half.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Oh, my goodness yeah they're four.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Were you dealing with mom guilt at all?
Were you able to?
It was hard because the baby Icouldn't pick her up Like.
My neurosurgeon told me flatout like you're not going to be
picking her up anymore, I had tostop basically doing a lot of
the two little ones' care, whichwas really really hard.
And even after the recovery hewas like you know, you can't
lift over 10 pounds for so manyweeks and then 15 pounds, so
that was really hard, like notbeing able to pick up my baby
like that.
(12:25):
It like killed me.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Yeah, yeah, I see that a lot on the threads just
moms like, yeah, with my baby,forgive me, like this.
I try to say this is just abrief moment in time.
A year will pass in no time.
Yeah, that's what.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
I have myself.
I'm just like she's not gonnaremember it.
I mean, you know it's.
It's that's what I kept tellingmyself.
I'm just like she's not gonnaremember it.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
I mean, you know it's it's me that's remember, it's
not her.
She won't remember that.
Did you struggle emotionally atall afterwards with like the
anxiety of re herniating, or doyou feel like your medical
background helped?
Speaker 3 (12:58):
protect you a little bit.
It's a double edged sword.
Honestly.
It helps that I know somethings and know what to do and
what not to do, but I also knowsome things that also make it to
where I'm nervous constantly,like I still have anxiety about
reherniating and I keep tellingmyself if I can get to the one
year post you know, post op markthat'll be even more like solid
(13:22):
rebuilding in my back and stuff, you know, just healing but I
still have that constant fearbecause I don't know what it was
that caused my herniation andthat was my biggest thing.
I kept asking you know everyonewell, what caused this?
What?
What did I do?
And he just, basically myneurosurgeon told me it could be
genetics, it could be the factI'm five foot tall and I've had
(13:43):
four babies and that's a lot ofweight on your back.
Also, working as a nurse in thehospital, you are doing a lot
of patient lifting, just properbody mechanics, not drinking
enough water, I mean there's somany things that could go into
causing it and that's my biggestfear.
I don't know what I did or whatexactly caused it and I don't
want that to happen again ever.
(14:03):
So yeah, I definitely have thatanxiety.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Have you made plans on what you're going to do as
far as spine health goes, anykind of exercise programs you're
looking into?
Speaker 3 (14:13):
So I've been.
I want to get back in the gym.
Big, that's my big thing.
Honestly, I'm still trying tofigure that out Because I'm
scared to do a whole lot ofanything.
And you know, you read thatwalking and running is good for
you in some senses, but thenit's not good for your discs to
some sense.
So I'm like in the middle rightnow of trying to navigate what
(14:35):
I should do, um, to juststrengthen those muscles in my
back and just keep remembering,you know, proper bending,
lifting, all that stuff, um, butI'm still trying to figure that
part out.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah, you said you weren't required to do physical
therapy after surgery, right?
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Wasn't.
And again I'm like, oh, thatmight have helped some more
honestly after surgery obviously.
But they said I didn't need it,so I'm like, okay.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I found physical therapy so helpful in the realm
of getting over the fear ofmoving again.
You know they are telling youhow, to teaching you how to bend
and how to lift and helping youto twist again, because you
know they said no twisting forsix weeks but it was like three
months and I'm still, you know,moving in a stiff way and
(15:21):
physical therapy was a greatemotional support, I feel like,
for me.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
How long did you do it for?
Speaker 2 (15:27):
The physical therapy.
I think it was gosh.
My surgery was 2019.
I'm trying to remember.
I want to say eight weeks, butI'm not positive.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Okay, and do you ever still have that fear of
re-herniating or you feel like abrand new person?
Speaker 2 (15:46):
The first year after my surgery I was an emotional
wreck.
It felt like PTSD and anylittle twinge I would just break
down and sob.
So like it took me six monthsto feel normal physically and I
think it took me a year to startto recover emotionally from it.
I still I do still get flareups where if I had a really hard
(16:07):
day at work or something, I'llhave to heat my back and just
relax, but the next day I'm I'mback to being pain-free, so I'm
not worried about reherniatingLike I was that first year after
the surgery.
Yeah, in fact it's other peoplethat drive me crazy now that
are like Christine, youshouldn't be doing that.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
I'm like, I'm okay, yeah that that is so true though
, like I think so many peopledon't understand that just how
much emotionally that messeswith you.
Like I've had people reach outto me and you know, tell me they
were like depressed and hadthoughts of suicide because they
were in so much pain with theirback and they didn't know where
to go.
There was nothing that wastouching it, helping, and it
(16:49):
really is a dark place to be inand you're through that, you
don't want to go back to thatand I think that's where that
fear comes from for a lot ofpeople.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Yeah, now, how was your recovery process?
Was it pretty smooth or did youhave a lot of flares during it?
Yeah, now, how was yourrecovery process, was it?
Speaker 3 (17:03):
pretty smooth or did you have a lot of flares during
it?
Honestly, it's been amazing andI was really worried about that
.
But no, I just really stuck towhat the neurosurgeon told me.
As far as restrictions, everyonce in a while I still get my
right calf will spasm and likealmost like a Charlie horse and
cramp up, and my right butt likespasms as well.
(17:23):
Um, and, like you said, I thinkit's all dependent on what I've
did that day, um, and justthings like that, because the
next day it's gone and it'snever pain.
It's just that like tightening,I can feel it like jumping
almost yeah, and are you back tolifting and everything at work?
Speaker 2 (17:39):
are you still a little bit on restrictions?
Speaker 3 (17:40):
yeah, he told me life as normal.
Basically, just, you know,don't do anything that wouldn't
make sense to do, like hisexample was, don't, if you're
gardening, don't be the one topick up the bag of mulch, like
let your husband do it, andthings like that.
So yeah, I pick up my baby now.
She's like 22, 23 pounds, so Ido hold her now but I lift
correctly now Like I bend downwith my knees, pick her up and
(18:02):
then stand straight up and keepher close to me, not you know,
out swinging or anything with myarms with her, like that.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Wow, that's great.
Is there anything you wouldlike people who are currently in
this situation to know?
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Um, honestly, just to keep advocating for yourself.
Don't let anyone tell you ordiminish your pain.
I don't know how many times Iheard when my MRI was read that,
oh, I thought it was just goingto be three or four millimeters
.
I didn't think it was anythingbig.
I just you know your body andadvocate for yourself, Like if
something's not right, you haveto speak up and keep trying to
(18:37):
find, navigate a way to get ananswer.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Basically, yeah, that's great, Chelsea.
Thank you so much for agreeingto be on the show and share your
journey with us.
I'm so glad to see that you'refeeling better and back to work.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Yeah, thank you.
I appreciate it and I likehearing your story as well.
It really is helpful to knowsomeone went through this and
they came out on the right sideof things.
So it's great, because a lot oftimes it's always a negative.
We hear and I'm just happy tohear that you've been through
this and you're doing good.
Yeah, doing great.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
If you are a listener and you have a positive story
of recovery from a serious neckor back injury, head over to
bedbackbeyondcom and click shareyour story.
I would love to include yourvoice on the show.
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