As I sit here at 3am on Christmas Eve, I’ve been reflecting on another year that has come and gone. I’ve had my share of ups and downs, the same as everyone else, I suppose. My biggest up was finally publishing my sci-fi novel after starting it eight years ago. I put a lot of effort into this novel, and I’m happy it’s finally out in the world and (I hope) being enjoyed by others. It’s definitely one of my proudest accomplishments..

Unfortunately, I’ve also had my share of downs, mostly medical. Strap yourselves in folks, because this is quite the rollercoaster ride.

My year began with having minor surgery on my arm to remove a benign lipoma that was showing signs of becoming not-so-benign. I was still recovering from that when I began having severe neck and shoulder pain. After seeing a couple of different doctors, they finally scheduled me to have an MRI. Then, as luck would have it, two days before the MRI, I tripped and fell down the stairs, whacking my head against the wall. Surprisingly, it fixed my neck pain.

The MRI showed I have some pretty severe arthritis (a combination of stenosis and osteophytes) that are putting pressure on my spinal cord. My primary doctor was worried enough about the results to refer me to a specialist. Unfortunately, the specialist I was referred to is also the best in town, and there is a two-month-long waiting list to get in to see someone.

While I was waiting to see that specialist, I woke up one morning with severe lower back pain that radiated over my hip and down the front of my leg. It was so bad that I had to slide out of bed onto the floor and crawl in order to get to the bathroom. For a few weeks, it looked like I might end up severely disabled as I struggled to sit or sleep without pain, much less walk. Also, since I only just had an MRI, my insurance wasn’t eager to approve another one. Instead, I had to go through six weeks of physical therapy first.

The physical therapist did his best, but nothing he tried relieved the pain. However, he was able to confirm that it was nerve pain, not muscular or skeletal. That led my doctor to prescribe me nerve pain medication (Gabapentin), which finally helped to relieve the pain. Thankfully, since neither the physical therapy nor the medication helped answer what the root cause of the pain was, my insurance approved another MRI.

The second MRI on my lumbar spine (lower back) showed I have much of the same going on there as I do in my cervical spine (neck). More arthritic stenosis and osteophytes. One of them is irritating my L2 and L3 nerves, which is what’s been causing all that pain.

When I finally saw the specialist my doctor referred me to, they said that it might resolve itself within a year. If it hasn’t by then, they would explore other options. However, they were much more concerned about what was going on in my neck, especially between the C2, C3, and C4 vertebrae.

The pressure on my spinal column is severe, and they suggested that surgery may be the only option to relieve it. In the meantime, they referred me to a neurologist, who conducted a nerve conductivity test, which uncovered that I also have mild carpal tunnel in both wrists. Just great.

The funniest part of that evaluation was meeting the neurologist, who was taken aback by my appearance. I look quite young for my age (I’m 52), but with everything going on in my back, they were expecting to meet someone much more grizzled in appearance. She even asked me, “how did someone like you end up with the back of an eighty-year-old?” Ouch.

Now, if all that wasn’t bad enough, I’ve also started having severe bouts of nausea over the past couple of months. I mentioned it to my doctor in October and they prescribed me Zofran to relieve the symptom. It helps sometimes, but not always, so I am seeing my doctor again after Christmas. That will probably lead to a referral to my gastroenterologist.

I’m barely into my fifties, and already I’m completely falling apart. I swear, my uncles who are in their 70s and 80s are in better shape than I am! Here is hoping that 2024 is a better year.

Thanks for letting me vent about all this. For everyone who made it this far, Happy Holidays!