[jentop]

(I'm re-posting this here as I'm not sure where I posted it and wanted to be sure Mark knows I'm not in some witness-protection program as I haven't posted much.)
Hello all,
I just read the posts my husband(HappyhubbyDC) made while we were in Germany and those Mark made also. Wow, has it really been two weeks? First, I want to thank everyone who has already posted words of encouragement, even before I've posted a letter. That is just so remarkable to me.
I'm still doing well for the most part. As much as I hate to admit it, going slow seems to be the wisest advice. About two days after getting back home I hit a bit of a bump in the road. Apparently, I must have really done too much around the old homestead, like getting out to the barn at 7am, husband in tow, to brush my horse . The result was a pretty painful neck and day along with ridiculously high blood pressure 151/101! I decided to take it easy and switch off the NSAIDs(which apparently I'm sensitive to regarding their tendency to increase BP) and go with something else. When I checked my BP a day later it was 120/80 or less. So, I'm trying to not overdo.
Now back to the beginning- I am so amazed that my surgery has happened and I am "on the other side" of it as I visualized and talked to Mark about before. I'm one of these people who works at being in the NOW. That can be great if you're not in pain, but when you are it really sucks. So, before deciding to have this surgery I had my options which were all pretty crappy. Keep on living with the nausea, vertigo, pain and uncertainty and hope it doesn't get worse, or do fusion surgery and be pretty certain I'd end up with adjacent levels degenerating and need a subsequent surgery. Then I came across Mark Mintzer, that soft-spoken guy, who gave me all the detailed information I asked for and more. It seems like he and I are a similar breed in that respect. I tend to surprise most doctors I see because I'm generally much better informed than they expect. So, I decided to be proactive and take a chance on ADR and keep the best chance I had for as active a life as I could hope for. Pretty much a no-brainer for me, but still very scary and was I really brave enough?
Apparently I was and the positive visualization, hypnosis beforehand and all the prayers and support I received didn't hurt either. Today, my neck is stiff with a little pain. Enough to make me think, "gee, should I take something for it" but not get up and take anything. I even went to the gym this morning for a little treadmill walking and lower body workout. (Really, I am taking it easy!) I'm hoping things continue to improve as time goes by. Considering all the neuro deficits that were uncovered during my amazing 4 hour exam by Dr. Baumbach in Munich (also facilitated by Mark of GPN), I feel now, as I did even then before surgery, like the luckiest woman alive. Time will tell how much is fixed by this surgery, but the immediate results are good so far.
I'll continue to post updates as I know there are many people out there trying to decide what to do next. I know this has been a bit scattered, but I'm still processing this whole adventure. Hopefully, my next post will be a bit more organized. -Jennifer