Listen to your body and your little inner voice

Just wanted to catch you all up. As most of you know, since June when I got an MRI done on my neck I have been going back and forth to doctors to see what my options were in regard to the pain in my neck, back and arm. I had seen a total of 4 doctors who all said I needed surgery. I wasn't comfortable with this option but who was I to question a doctor.

I was still in pain so I decided to try a little alternative medicine. I went to see Sarah Bell (http://tigerheartatlanta.com/) for acupuncture. After two sessions the pain was gone. Literally gone. I could not believe it. Thank you Sarah!!!!

After the 4th doctor told me I needed surgery I decided to go ahead and schedule. The surgery was scheduled for Friday August 22 at 11 AM. I had a sore tooth all week but was just ignoring it. I figured the pain meds from the surgery would take care of the ache and I could deal with it after. I did the pre-op for surgery on Wednesday and was very anxious. I had a strange feeling inside. I was really nervous about the operation. I talked to my doctor and said I wasn't in any pain and felt funny having surgery without any pain. He said it was just nerves and I should proceed as planned.

I decided to see my dentist on Thursday AM for the tooth ache. He agreed that there was a problem with the tooth so he took the crown out and told me to come back after surgery to deal with the tooth. I went to work and continued to struggle with the thought of going in for surgery the next day. I called the doctor, family, friends. Do I go through with this or not?? Something was telling me no but I thought it was just nerves so the surgery was on.

I went to Sheilah's house as planned after work. The nerves and apprehension were undeniable as was the continued tooth ache. By 7 PM my mouth was swollen and I was running a slight fever. After a call to the dentist and a run to CVS for antibiotics, the surgery was cancelled. A trip to the oral surgeon the next day and the severely infected tooth was extracted.

A conversation with my Mom lead to a final meeting with a orthopedic surgeon who happened to be a friend of Fr. Morrow a priest I have known my entire life. I met with Dr. Warner Woods on Wednesday. Dr. Woods who has been a surgeon for over 50 years (yes he is in 80's and does consultation but no longer performs surgery) looked at my films and said there was NO WAY he would perform this surgery. Case upon case that he has seen with similiar displaced disks have healed themselves. Fusion of the spine is not a one time thing ( of course no one ever told me this). If you fuse one disk 9 times out of 10 you will be back in a few years to fuse another disk and so on and so on. He suggested I keep doing what I am doing and he would be surprised if we took another MRI in a year that the disk would have healed itself. I asked why 4 surgeons had told me I needed surgery. He was embarrassed for his profession but feels it was all about money. It is an easy operation for the surgeon (not for me) and the competition forces many surgeons to perform operations that really aren't needed. He reassured me that I was fine, young and healthy. Cut back on my running a little and all would be fine.

So long story short, the surgery is off. I am very relieved and feel blessed. Listen to that inner voice. Hopefully it will not take an horrible tooth ache for you to pay attention.

I am back

Oh boy, Kath decided to give me a blog award so now I guess I have to keep writing. I promise to be better.

Do you remember your fist day on a college campus. The nervous anticipation, the the bubbling excitement, the seemingly unending fear? This campus is swirling with that today. The kids are back to classes for the Fall semester and downtown is a buzz again. They look so young or am I just getting old? Every fall I get that feeling like I want to go back but in reality I would oonly want to go back if I know what I know now.



Welcome back

Blue fingernails

Is there any better way to spend a glorious Wednesday in March. Play hooky from work and head out to piant a Habitat for Humanity house. I think not. I have been a volunteer for several years and I promise there is nothing more rewarding than showing up at 8 AM to an unpainted house and working through the day to transform this blank pallette into someone's HOME. The new homeowner's had no idea that a group of us went outduring the week to catch up due to icky weather last week.I cannot wait to see their faces when they drive up this Saturday and see the entire outside has been painted in the colors they chose. It finally looks like a home.....their home. It does not get any better that that.

So I have done it. I am a blogger. Whatever that means. This is the official site of the "Sweaty Princess" empire. It will all begin here.