Back Saga Continued

Yesterday I went to see Dr. Bae in Santa Monica for a second opinion on the condition of my back and possible solutions to the problem. Dr. Bae was recommended to me from a friend at the temple, Sister Charlotte Thompson. Dr. Bae did surgery on her back a few years ago and it wasn't as invasive as the type of surgery that Dr. Misra is recommending for me. I was hoping that Dr. Bae would have a different suggestion than the surgery Dr. Misra recommended. That was not to be! Dr. Bae basically recommended the exact same surgery if I were to have surgery, but he suggests that I not have surgery at all. The reason for this is because if he did the 4 disc fusion, in about 5 years I would need another fusion above those 4 discs. Then, 5 years later I would need another fusion above those other discs and the problem would continue like that all the way up my spine, with each fusion being less effective than the last. Quite the dilemma I'm in. 

In some ways, I feel like this recommendation from Dr. Bae is a life sentence of living with the pain, but I'm determined not to get discouraged or let it get me down. I'm going to try to stay positive and look at this as a learning experience. God doesn't give us more than what we can handle. I know that to be true. I can do this!

Here is my game plan for now: I am not going to have surgery. I am going to continue with the acupuncture treatments along with occasional therapeutic massages to keep my muscles loose. I am going to exercise regularly to strengthen my core, which should help my back. I've been doing that for years and will continue to do so. I will lose weight to relieve stress on my back. Hopefully these actions will benefit me enough that I can have a fairly normal lifestyle. I may have to rely on pain pills, but not the narcotic kind. I definitely don't want to get dependent on those! I HATE pain pills, but I also hate back pain.

With regard to weight loss, I have found out why it has been so difficult to lose weight recently. A week ago, I had a physical at Joshua Medical Center. This was in follow-up to last year's physical when the PA, Kay Roberts, discovered through a blood test that my thyroid levels were quite low. He said they would keep an eye on it and that I was to come back in a year to be tested again. This time the thyroid level was even lower so I am currently taking Levothyroxine, a thyroid pill to bring my numbers up to a normal level. I will return in 6 weeks for a follow-up blood test to see if the pills are working.

One purpose of the thyroid gland is to regulate the metabolism. My hope is that by getting my thyroid back to normal it will improve my chances of losing weight. My fingers are crossed!