Posterior Microlumbar Left L3 Hemilaminectomy & L3 Vertroplasty

Its been awhile since I have added anything to this blog.  Pain control is at the top of my list for excuses, but mostly I have just been waiting to have all the pieces in front of me so I can present them in some kind of legible form.

Wednesday I got the go ahead from the insurance company for back surgery, or to be more accurate, Posterior Microlumbar Left L3 Hemilaminectomy & L3 Vertroplasty.  What a mouthful huh?  Basically the surgeon will make a small incision and using microsurgery shave away some of the bone of my L3 vertebra and maybe some of the L2 and L4 above and below it.  Then he will inject a cement like substance into my L3 vertebra to stabilize where the tumor has destroyed the bone.  With that vertebra being stronger to hold my spine up and room made for the nerve endings the idea is pain will be a whole lot less!  Yes.  I can go for that! 

Surgery is scheduled for Monday, that’s tomorrow as I sit here typing this.  Whew, I guess as soon as I hear I can do it - I don’t mess around.   Joyce and I saw the anesthesiologist/pre-surgery people on Friday and so far all I can tell they’re worried about was my blood potassium level being low then.  Hopefully that is going to resolve itself over the weekend and not be a problem.  This procedure is usually done on an outpatient basis for most people, but the doctor has told me they will keep me overnight because of my underlying health issues.

Best of all, of course is, my big sister, Stevie, is coming to take care of me!  At this point we don’t know how much care I’m going to need, but it sure is nice to know she’s going to be there to help Joyce and me and all of us (I mean, what are big sisters for, anyways?)  J  Big Smile. It will be so good to see Stevie,  she took such great care of me last summer when I was going through that radiation treatment.  Like Joyce and Sherry, she’s a star. 

What has become my bi-weekly blood transfusion was done on Thursday so I should be strong enough in that area for this procedure.  Let me take this time to, once again, thank all the blood donors out there.  I hope you all know what a difference you make in so many people’s lives. 

I guess that's about it.  Thank you for reading my blog and I will try and update how it all went next week.   After a hospital stay I might have a lot to say!  haaha... This will actually be at the new Scared Heart Medical Center in Springfield and all their stuff even still looks new!