A sigh of relief

Well here is the much anticipated news we've been looking for for nearly 3 years......Leroy is having surgery! Here's how it all accumulated to this point.

Back in Fresno on December 15, 2006 we were driving down Christmas tree lane and all of a sudden Leroy feels this sharp pain radiating down both legs and the next day he can't even walk. We make an appt. with his dr and the dr sends him in for an MRI. MRI results say his back is rittled with arthritis. Dr sends him to a pain management dr.

Within 2 years of seeing this horrible man Leroy had injections in his back and knees. In that 2 years I don't think the doctor even believed he was in any pain. The only medication he gave him was 800 mg of ibuprofen and some gout medicine. The doctor thought he had gout! I even looked up a diagnosis I thought Leroy had and the doctor just laughed at me. (Turns out he had it all along)

We get relocated to Fillmore. Make an appt w/new dr and dr orders new MRI along with putting him on vicodin. Diagnosis is spinal stenosis (what I thought he had all along) wants him to see a neurosurgeon. Our HMO denies neurosurgeon and wants him to go to physical therapy. Physical therapy puts Leroy in extreme pain and starts to cause more numbness over body. Physical therapist tells HMO it's doing no good now he can see a neurosurgeon.

On October 14 he sees neurosurgeon for first time. Dr says the spinal stenosis shouldn't be causing this much pain (oh great here we go again!) but thinks something higher in his neck, maybe a tumor is causing it. Orders an MRI on neck. On November 3 neurosurgeon said he found the problem and is doing surgery on November 23 (our 7th wedding anniversary)!

I wasn't there but from what Leroy says there is no spinal fluid on his neck. I guess there's white everywhere else but completely black where the problem is. The doctor has done 3 in the last week so it's not a rare surgery. If he doesn't get the surgery then he could be paralyzed. Needless to say it's a bit nerve racking. Leroy is extremely nervous and I'm glad the doctor has found something.

Hopefully the surgery is a complete success and Leroy is going to be pain free and living a normal pain-free life again. We go in on Monday afternoon for a pre-op appointment and I already have a nice long list of questions. (I always have a million & 1 questions.) To get Leroy out of pain is going to be the best anniversary gift ever.

For anyone reading this just keep us in your thoughts over the next 17 days until the surgery is a success!