Spinal stenosis

Around a year after living in our new home, I had a lot of back pain. It wasn’t the same pain that I usually have with my fibromyalgia. I was having difficulty going up the hill on which we live. Driving would cause me more pain. It got so bad with time that I needed to see the doctor. I was sent for an MRI and referred to a specialist. It turned out that I had spinal stenosis and would need surgery on my lumbar L3, L4 & L5.

What is spinal stenosis? Spinal stenosis happens when the space inside the backbone is too small. This can put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves that travel through the spine. Spinal stenosis occurs most often in the lower back and the neck.

Surgery in your spine is scary, but I could no longer endure the pain. It took nearly a year for me to get the surgery done. The surgery was postponed 6 times, and it was finally done on the 7th appointment in July 2019. It was a slow recovery, but the surgery was successful because it removed about 80% of that pain.

Unfortunately, 5 years later, my back pain is getting to the point that I will need to consult the doctor again. I think it is probably related to the degenerative disk disease (DDD) that I already had. Any bending, lifting, or daily activity is becoming very painful. I try not to let it discourage me, but some days are harder than others.

Update: I have gone for a MRI and the results show that I have 2 herniated disks, some bulging disks, osteoarthritis and some of the stenosis has come back. I have been trying to do some exercise to strengthen my back muscles but not much is helping. I am waiting for an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon but that can take years. 

No one ever said life was going to be easy. Obstacles are presented to you so that you may overcome them. Believe that you will, because if you don’t believe in yourself, no on else will.