Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Why couldn't he have just told me what to do?

As I've mentioned previously, I've got big problems with my back.

I visited with the neurosurgeon again today, to go over the results of the nerve test and discuss the next step.

Unfortunately, I've reached a fork in the road, and it's time to decide which path to take.

I've got 2 nerves that are not functioning correctly. I've got 3 options. One is to just continue living like this. Two is to try more meds or cortisone injections. Unfortunately, since the oral steroids and meds I've taken haven't offered much relief, he doesn't think I will benefit much from anything further. And my third option.....surgery.

He is very conservative in that he's not all about whipping out his planner and adding me to his surgery schedule. He said it's a decision I need to make, but that he thinks it is very reasonable for me to go ahead with the surgery.

I left there with the choice to pursue whichever option I'd like. And while I'm very thankful that he's not shoving surgery down my throat, I am freaked out to have to make this decision myself. It would have been so much easier for him to just tell me what to do.

1 comment:

kat said...

I am so sorry you have to go through this. The pain and the decisions. The bad thing about making choices is that if you go down one road by choice and it isn't working you got only yourself to blame and you're always left to wonder if the other roads would have been better.

You've got to make a tough decision and I hope you will feel better soon.