English: MRI of a disc extrusion of 15mm in the left lateral recess, at the L4-L5 level compressing the left central L5 nerve root. Notice the lack of contrast in the herniated disc, indicating a lack of fluid, and the compressed height relative to other discs in the spine. The lack of contrast on the abdomen side of the disc is an imaging artifact and not another herniation. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I knew deep down inside that it was not going to be so easy getting back to work after being off for 4 months while on paid paternity leave and coming back with a very sore back. Not matter how I tried to prepare myself, or my employer, I just knew in my gut that it was not going to go anywhere near what I had imagined.
I decided to go to bed really early, at 10:30pm and right after Stewie’s dream feed because I wanted to maximize my sleep so I could go in somewhat fresh. Since Stewie wakes up each and every night at 1am, 2am, 3am, 4am and 5am he did not disappoint me this night either which meant we were all exhausted come morning.
By 5am, I was so tired that I took him down to the family room, curled up on the couch with him tucked safely behind me, then I turned on the TV and within seconds fell right back asleep. I little later than I had hope, I brought the little guy back into the bedroom to be with Mummy at 7:15 just before I raced out the door to attempt to walk to the subway, but just before I left, Linus was awaken by Stewie’s so I grabbed him and took him into his Mummy’s room too. I hobbled down the stairs ready to get moving which is when I remembered that I had to back the car out of the garage – a task that UrbanMummy is either incapable of, or afraid of. (giggle).
Now much later, I began to dreading the task ahead of me, the walk to the subway, but I was really looking forward to the fresh-air and calm and quiet. My mystery back / piriformis ailment is still bothering me, but I figured I would take it easy and try to walk to the subway in 15-20 minutes and see how I felt during and after. That was a big mistake.
The weather for my first day back was minus 20 degrees with the windchill and the damn walk took me just over 30 minutes! Sigh. Frozen and tired, I arrived at the office to find out that nothing had changed. From the moment I walked in the doors, I knew that I would have to move on from this place sooner rather than later. I don’t agree with the management philosophy, nor the way certain people treat others and their files, I no longer find the work challenging and today I found that the smell in the place makes me stuffed up. I might actually be allergic to the office.
Also not surprising to me considering that I’ve been warning my boss that I would be coming back today for quite a few weeks, I had even given him a list of things that needed to be done before my first day so I can jump right back into the swing of things and not have to wait around wasting time and money - but I got into the office with no access to my terminal, or my desk, and when I managed to get partial access, I no longer had an inventory.
Ugh.
So I turned my focus to my morning coffee break. I wonder how many days it will take them (or me) to get access so I can do some work. I don’t get paid to sit around… Wait… Yes I do.
So the highlight of my day was my coffee break. It was cold, but fun. I certainly love myself a Tim Horton’s large double double.
Thinking that nothing could top this day so far, I returned from coffee break, was able to sit down at my desk, and not only was there a phone but there was also a phone message! How my wife knew I was set up with a phone, I would never know, but when I checked the message it was actually from my Doctor and she had the MRI results on my mystery “back” problems.
The message simply stated that I have a herniated disk in my back, L5 area, which is the lowest disk in the back. The disk has a moderate to large herniation and the disk is pushing outward, not to the side as was expected, hence my numbness in weird areas.
Joy.
Out of all the sports injuries I have had, ranging from stitches, separated shoulders, broken toes, broken and cracked ribs, sprains, strains, torn rotator cuff, tendonitis, cuts, welts, etc., I have never a back problem, until now. I can now look forward to a ton of physiotherapy and hopefully one day being able to do up my own shoe laces.
Great start to my day, and getting even better! A few of us went for lunch to the very close, and newly opened Bombay Bhel Indian restaurant and I have to admit I was a little surprised that the food was sitting in warming trays, being kept warm by candles. Of course, in keeping with the pattern of my day, I noticed after lunch that the food was sitting on my chest, a little like I had overeaten, and a little like I was going to be ill. This feeling stayed with me the rest of the day, and I barely made it through the day – left 20 minutes after the office closed – got home, skipped dinner and went right sleep. I woke up for my Human Resources Management class but fell back asleep during the class.
Then I spent the rest of the night throwing up which really sucks large when you have a herniated disk in your back. I’m not sure what was worse. Repeated trips to the bathroom, or the pain in my back and legs.
I ended up sleeping all day on Wednesday. I vaguely remember a comment from my wife just before bed that night which may have contained this phrase, ” Must be nice to be able to sleep all day”.
Well it was not nice and karma was a bitch to her, because she would be felled by the same virus (I swear she gave it to me in the first place), and she would be sick until early Sunday morning. I started to feel better Friday and great on Saturday, but this illness took the toll on her as she was sick, sick, sick. She couldn’t eat, couldn’t drink or keep anything inside her. Even Stewie got sick, but my wife managed to somehow remain hydrated after 5 days without food or water, to keep herself and him from the hospital.
I carried that 16 pound boy around for the rest of the week and the longer I held him, the more I felt my back hurt and as a result, my foot would go numb and my big toe on the left side was constantly stinging with pain from the pressed nerve. I just wish he would sleep so w could both get some rest!
I’m going to hit the sack and wait for the wailing wake up from the littlest one between 5-5:30am when my day will start all over again.
I’m so glad to be “back” at work!
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