Cheryl, This has been the most difficult decision I've made for quite some time. I've let my situation go for five years because I didn't have confidence in the alternatives offered by US surgeons. I really have very little time left before permanent damage can occur - so I basically am not allowed to do anything around my house so as not exasperate my condition.
I had to look at my life in a completely different way. I've never spent anything on myself, raised my kids, and our date nights are trips to Home Depot (oooooh). People spend more on a car for five years than they would on their body. This was something I had to keep repeating as a mantra to consider myself as an asset.
I have taken out a home equity loan, cashed out my IRA, emptied my savings, and talked to a few relatives about assisting with some travel. It has been a very humbling experience, but I plan on going back to work full-time with my new neck. We've changed the spending attitudes around our home and our kids (adults) have new responsibilities. This situation has had some silver linings too.
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2006 C 5/6 discectomy and fusion
2008 Automobile Accident
C3/4 leftward bulging of intervertebral disc mild narrowing of left lateral recess
C4/5 central and rightward bulging of disc and osteophyte causing mild right neural foramen stenosis narrowing and right lateral recess narrowing
C6/7 Central disc bulging and osteophyte and hypertrophy of ligamentum flavum canal stenosis and narrowing of bilateral neural foramina
Sept 9, 2013 Scheduled with Dr. Bierstedt C4/5 & C6/7 M6
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