The Herniated Disc Blues
Early April.
My husband is complaining of lower back pain.
I thought it was his usual kidney stones, which happen maybe once a year.
It's unfortunate, but it seems he has a genetic predisposition to forming stones.
He says he first developed them when he was in junior high school.
The first time I witnessed it after we got married, the pain was so severe it made me feel nauseous, and not knowing what else to do, I even called an ambulance.
Now that we've passed our silver wedding anniversary, we're both used to it; usually, he drinks plenty of water, and when the pain is bad, he uses a suppository to manage it, and it passes in a few days.
But this time was different.
A week later, he was still in pain. Since suppositories are strong painkillers, I didn't want him to use them too many times.
A few days later, we had plans to visit my husband's parents' home, which we hadn't been able to do for years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It takes about three hours one way to get to his parents' home by Shinkansen and local trains.
My husband is the type who absolutely hates going to the hospital, and even this time, he was trying to go on the trip as planned.
Maybe this stone is large... I had a bad feeling, so I
"If you don't go to the hospital, we aren't going on the trip!" I said firmly.
My husband reluctantly went to the hospital.
At this point, he could still go to the hospital by himself.
First, he had an ultrasound in internal medicine.
They did confirm there was a stone, but it wasn't blocking anything, and it didn't seem to be the cause of his back pain.
He said they told him clearly, "This isn't something for our department."
He went straight to orthopedics.
The MRI results showed:
He had lumbar spondylolysis and a herniated disc.
He said they asked him, "Did you play any sports?"
Later, at the larger hospital, I was also shown the images, and a part of his spine was completely fractured with a gap.
The images also show that this didn't happen in the last few years.
My husband practiced karate when he was a teenager.
His father was an instructor, so it seems he had no choice but to keep doing it.
It is all the more pitiful that such a price would come back to haunt him decades later.
Of course, the trip was canceled.
Phew. It was the right decision to make him go to the hospital!
He would have ended up unable to come back. Or rather, he might not have even made it there.
His regular orthopedic doctor wrote a referral letter to a larger hospital and even made an appointment for him.
However, there were about 10 days until the appointment date.
After that, the pain increased steadily, and he became a "weakest Ultraman" who couldn't sit, could barely make it to the bathroom, and could only stand for three minutes.
When I called the regular orthopedic clinic saying he couldn't endure it for 10 days, they said they would prescribe stronger medication.
Since my husband was in no condition to go pick it up himself, I went to get it for him.
However, I worried whether even taking that would be enough for Ultraman, and if he would be able to make it to the big hospital.
When I called the big hospital to see if they could move up the appointment, they said if I came in first thing tomorrow morning, they would somehow be able to see him.
The next day, we went to the hospital.
We moved from the parking lot by wheelchair.
Since he couldn't even sit in a chair, they let him wait on a bed in the treatment room.
When he was finally examined, it seemed the herniation was protruding worse than we thought; they said there was a 60% chance of recovery with three months of rest, or if he had surgery, he could return to daily life with about a 10-day hospital stay.
And so, an emergency hospitalization and surgery were decided, but they said the earliest would be a week later.
A week, huh...
We returned home for the time being.
Huh? I feel something strange too...
Since he could no longer go up and down the stairs to the bedroom on the second floor, we decided to lay out a futon in the living room for him to rest until his hospitalization.
After that, my husband was as if possessed by Sadako.
Ultraman
Sadako
Ultraman
Sadako
Sadako
Ultraman
Sadako
Sadako
Sadako
The week until hospitalization felt long.
Huh? Maybe it hurts a little?
Finally, the day of hospitalization.
Even though I was crawling on the floor like Sadako inside the house earlier that day, I am now walking around, and for some reason, I feel fine despite wearing a corset.
Where did Ultraman and Sadako go?
We were scheduled to be hospitalized from the day before the surgery, and the two of us were supposed to hear a detailed explanation about the procedure.
Ouch!
My first surgery ever.
I understand that the explanation is important.
It's scary not to have one, but honestly, I felt it was also scary to hear the details...
Anyway, I dropped my husband off.
Ouch!
Will I be okay attending the surgery tomorrow? It looks like it will be a long day, so I need to get to sleep early.
Ping!
At 2:00 AM, I was woken up by a LINE message.
"I'm feeling good, do I really need to have the surgery?"
"Huh?"
I was annoyed at being woken up in the middle of the night.
He must have gotten cold feet after hearing the explanation about the surgery.
The next day, the surgery was canceled.
The doctor and nurses gave bitter smiles.
The doctor said
"Usually, we decide whether to operate after a longer period of rest, so it's natural to feel anxious about the decision to operate so quickly this time. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable with the decision yourself," they said, offering a kind follow-up.
I am truly sorry.
They bowed deeply over and over again.
We decided to wait and see for a month first, and then get another MRI.
My daughter and I, who had headed to the hospital early in the morning to be present for the surgery, let out a massive sigh.
Because of this whole ordeal, I couldn't even see the cherry blossoms, and with the daily one-hour round-trip drive and hours of waiting, I, the herniated disc sufferer, developed sciatica.
My life with a corset has also begun.
I'll do my best with rehabilitation after the break.
My husband after returning home.
Sadako seems to have passed on, but the weakest Ultraman is still lingering... or rather, since he can't sit, he has become a reclining Buddha.
Should I just pray to him for now?
Well, everyone!
What will happen in a month!?
Will there be surgery, or not!?
It would be better if there wasn't, but stay tuned?
Lastly...
What is Golden Week?
