Fun and Frolic on the West Coast


WELL! Here is an update of the NEWS from the Icelandic Princess.  My neck is healing (almost to 2 years now) and still of course some face and head pain from the remaining disc issues.  My lumbosacral spine, being jealous of all the attention given to my UPPER spine, cerebellum, and neck, decided to rear its green head by pointing out that the 20 years of epidurals were NOT what it wanted. Therefore the epidurals stopped working and so made it abundantly clear by my butt and leg pain and neurogenic claudication that it needed attention.  Due to my ongoing osteoporosis treatment my bones are getting very badass—but not yet perfect for fusion— and therefore we are trying a procedure that could work for years.   This is going to be done in Marin (UCSF/Marinhealth merged) and should offer some relief.  UCSF neurosurgeon is ready to do the full levels of fusions if necessary but this will be what we hope is a good step in the right direction.   The Vertiflex procedure has been done for decades and it is about 80% effective.   

So on 2/15, given all the body systems are a go, I will have L3-4, L4-5 Vertiflex inserted and then the lower spine will quit being dramatic and pissy.   Sometimes you just have to give proper love  when some part feels left out and is sad.  

I am so thankful that this kind of a procedure is possible b/c as I have often stated: if I had been on a wagon train they would have had to leave me behind a tree somewhere so the buzzards could take over! Even if it seems our world is falling apart there are some real advantages to being able to avail ourselves of medical science in 2024! 


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