5 weeks ago me…the indestructible titan of pain tolerance was felled to his knees by a tiny pinched nerve in my back. I have suffered contusions, broken bones, and stitches all over my person, but nothing compares to the helplessness I felt when every task in my normal daily routine became heuristic. All of a sudden I went from being the workhorse, go-to man, Big Nate----to being waited on hand and foot (literally Emily had to put my socks on for me) by Emily. Turns out I had re-injured an old high school injury and taken it to the Nth degree by totally blowing out a disc in my back, leaving a prune sized section of disc compressing my L5 S1 Sciatic nerve. After three weeks of pain, percocet, and boredom, I finally went to surgery. Today, exactly 2 weeks after surgery I am back at work full time (usually after this particular surgery a patient is off an additional 4-6 weeks before returning to work). Granted I am taking it easy and doing only sedentary work, but that is no different from my workload before the surgery….what can I say, I am a research scientist, we do a lot of butt sitting in my business!!! If the surgery had to happen (which it obviously did) there could not have been a better time. We were in a lull at work so I really did not miss anything (besides the paycheck of course), Emily was able to take care of me even though she is pregnant, she is just now beginning to get the baby bump, and she has yet to gain a pound. If the situation would have waited even another month to present itself things may not have worked out as peachie keen as they have. Emily thinks I am crazy to be so happy to be going back to work, but 5 long weeks of daytime television can do serious things to the gray matter. Long story long I am officially Back in Action.
Today was the biggest day of the pregnancy yet in my opinion. As can be seen above…. gut feelings and old wives tales, have got nothing on Mother Nature, IT’S A BOY! Emily said from the second she saw the first images of the anatomical ultrasound she knew. She put on a big smile, like a trooper….but it is no secret that she wanted a little girl to play tea party with!! Sex of the baby aside, we really did get exactly what we both wanted, a healthy little baby who is in the 68th percentile in anatomical dimensions and weight. Below the little man is just not ready to show his face yet. The doctor did mention that the ultrasound tech noted that there was a amniotic fold in the sac, but it was not endangering the baby and they are going to take another look at it in 4 weeks....meaning that Em and I get another look at the little mister in less than a month!! :)
