I’ve had minor and major back aches and leg cramps since February…and they have been increasing both in pain and frequency. Finally, after doing the easy stuff, (1) rest; (2) therapy; and (3) medication, I gave up and had an MRI….hmmmm, a herniated disk in my lower back. Well, that’s interesting, I didn’t think it hurt that much. We tried one more thing, the ole epidural shot…which didn’t work either.
So, on May 1st I was scheduled for a diskectomy at 2:00 in the afternoon at Immanual Hospital here in Omaha. My friends were very sympathetic and wished me luck (that’s always spooky….you don’t WANT to b wished good luck!….you want to be wished quick recovery or something a little more positive).
About noon I picked up my overnight bag and started down the stairs to the basement garage….oh, oh, my semi numb right leg slipped out from under me and I began to lose my
balance. I was holding on to the banister but gravity was winning….I started fall. Oh darn…as I mumbled to myself, I thought “this couldn’t be happening”
I was able to hold on to the banister for a couple of steps, but then tumbled down the rest of the 9 steps to the bottom landing. I laid there for a while trying to access if anything was broken…my right leg hurt the worst, and I actually thought 
“great…its all your fault, so you deserve to hurt!”
My husband had followed me down the stairs and was as white as a ghost and shaking like a leaf…afterwards to told me that he thought I was badly hurt....….cheery thought.
He wanted to take me to Emergency but I said “no, I have to get to the hospital for my operation”….I have fairly high pain tolerance and I had a place to go. I limped a little as we walked into the Procedures section of the hospital, signed in and was taken to the dressing room…I told the nurses that I had fallen and they wanted to take me to have an X-ray of my leg….”no, I’m having surgery at 2:00”….did I mention that I am also a bit bull-headed.
To make this very long story short, I had the diskectomy and am doing very well. My right leg is swollen from the knee to the ankle, my shoulder is sore from holding on for dear life to the banister, I have miscellaneous bruises where I bumped down the 9 stairs, and my glasses need adjusting….I may have landed on them when I hit the landing.
Andrew will still be our little houseguest even though grandma won't be picking him up or carrying him around for a couple of months. Grandpa is a great care giver and will do most of the lifting and carrying....I can easily feed him his veggies and fruits since I can sit down to do it.
He prefers me to feed him anyway....I can get him to eat most anything by holding the spoon up and saying "ooooooopen" -- he opens wide like a little bird waiting for the worm!
Grandma took a fall!
