T12 to L1 to L2

I’m sitting in the recliner in my mom’s living room watching television marathons on a Monday afternoon waiting for her to make my lunch. Luckily I’m a huge Top Chef fan because I just dropped my remote on the floor and there is no way in hell that I’m getting up to get it. 

Though I may seem like a total loser, I’m actually not; I swear. On the morning of Tuesday, October 25, 2011, I received a vertebral fusion surgery of my T12 to my L2 vertebra. So here I am in all my back-braced glory, reliving Top Chef Season 6 and becoming even hungrier. (Hurry up, mom! :))

I’m a student at the University of Oklahoma studying public relations and if this were a normal Monday, I would just now be scurrying around making sure I get to campus on time for my first class. I would have already run a few miles as well as done a leg and lower ab workout at the Huston Huffman Center followed by some last minute Italian homework. I would have devoted this evening to catching up on my Desperate Housewives and my PR Research readings. And I would absolutely be taking the use of my fully functioning back for granted.

In early October, I began a marketing internship with OKC’s hockey team. Nothing too strenuous was involved; I’ve just been learning the ropes of the sports industry and helping in whatever way I could. Before the game on Saturday October 22, we were learning how to do the on-ice slingshot promotion that we would be executing during the first intermission. Needless to say, a human slingshot across the ice just seemed fun so I gladly volunteered. As you can probably imagine, this did not turn out well. I went too fast, did a 180, and slammed my back straight into the wall. 

I’ll save you all the gruesome details about my hair freezing to the ice and the intense fear and pain and just skip to the part where a CT scan revealed to my family and I that I had burst-fractured my L1 vertebra. We were told a back brace was a must and surgery was a most likely. After some x-rays, the surgery also became a must and a soon as possible. 

So from Saturday to Tuesday, I lay on my back and learned how to eat, drink, and brush my teeth without dribbling all over myself. Tuesday was anesthesia-ridden and sleepy but I was glad to get the surgery done and be on my way to recovery. On Wednesday, I worked with both a physical and occupational therapist. I stood up and immediately got a little dizzy and nauseous, so I sat back down. Then I stood again and took a few steps and sat up in a chair. Later I walked with a walker to the nurses’ station then back to my room on my own. I sat up in that chair for at least 4 hours. It doesn’t sound like a lot and it was frustrating to only be able to do that but at the same time I was incredibly thankful. By Thursday I was able to walk completely on my own and I was finally discharged on Saturday.

I’m now staying with my mom until I can completely function on my own. I’ve had to drop one class and instead of graduating from OU in May, I’ll have to return next fall. I have to put a hold on all my running for the time being and my ridiculous struggle with messed up eating is taking a hit. On the other hand, I’ve got a much needed break from my stressful semester and I’ll have another student football season. I’ll eventually be able to run again and this will get me to keep my eating in check. I have so much to be thankful for, it’s pretty ridiculous. 

So I guess this was the motivation I needed to start a blog. I’ll be writing about what it’s like to recover from a spinal surgery and chronicling all the things I’m able to accomplish. In the long run, I hope to start writing about running again as well as the vast amount of other activities I’m going to take up just because I’ll have the ability to. My overall goal is to eventually have a post about surfing lessons in Hawaii. :)

So feel free to stay tuned and see what comes of this!

(Oh, and sorry about the ridiculous name but it had to happen.)