Well after having a spinal fusion done on my lower back, I thought my pain would go away. I know it wouldn't completely go away but I thought it wouldn't be so bad. But I started having a lot of pain in my right hip. Here I thought I wouldn't have to take pain meds anymore, but I was still hurting. So after a year of injections, and burning the nerves in my hip, I was going to be having another back surgery. This time on my hip. On February 21st, I had another surgery. I was out of work for three months the last surgery, this time it looked like I was going to be out for about 8 weeks. Now, this is how the birds come into the picture. Right after the surgery, I was laying in my hospital bed and my husband was reading his texts. He told me a friend of his was selling his Quaker parrot. I made the comment about how I always wanted a parrot. So my sweet husband, who by the way is not an animal person, got me the Quaker. He loves to make me happy. The quaker's name is Harley and he is the cutest. Harley is 2 and was very shy and scared when we got him. The bad thing was that I was home all day by myself with him and he bonded with just me. He didn't like my husband at all. But Joe thought he was so cool and wanted his own. So we got Doc, a green cheek conure, who was 8 weeks old. Doc loves everyone. As my medical leave started counting down, I dreaded going back to work. I was scared the pain was going to come back. I wanted to be able to stand and sit when I wanted to and I couldn't do that at work. So my husband was trying to figure out ways for me to stay home. Now don't get me wrong, I liked my job. I didn't like being in pain. So onto our parrot business.

On to the specialist.....

So after crying like a teenager girl who's first boyfriend just told her he wants to be friends, my doctor sent me off with some happy pills and a visit to a specialist. I was still worried about going to another doctor, especially after I found out it was pain management. I have nothing against pain management, it's just that I don't want to manage my pain, I want to fix it. So when I went to the I was expecting the same as always. But they took an X-ray of my back and right away the nurse told me that she was almost positive that they are going to recommend surgery. When the doctor took a look he said it looks like the disc is pretty much gone and my bone is fusing together. That would explain the excruciating pain. They then sent me for a MRI, which turned out to be exactly what he said. My bones were fusing and yes surgery was needed. So a month after I seen the doctor, I had a spinal fusion done on 1/14/2011. I thought my pain would get better, but little did I know I was going to be having another back surgery a year later.

Back problems part 2

What I figured I would do is do this in parts. Once I get how this all came to be, I'll then post regularly. So now back to my back problems. During this time with my back pain, I found my love of reading. I used to read here and there when I was a teen, but stopped when I started working. Because of not being able to sit for periods of time, I really couldn't watch television. So I picked up a book, because I could walk around and read when I got uncomfortable sitting. I was reading a book a day. I get giddy with excitment when new books would release. I would even deal with being in pain and drive three to four hours away to go to book signings. It's like meeting your favorite celebrity, my palms would sweat. The places these authors would take you with their words are wondrous. I love it! After dealing with severe pain for a few years, my father recommend me to his doctor. I was reluctant to go because I didn't want another doctor telling me to take naproxen for pain and have a injection in my lower back. But I decide to go in the end. Now on the day I scheduled to go see the doctor, I found out my seventeen year old niece was killed in a car crash along with her boyfriend leaving behind a 5 month old baby girl, who will never know her parents. I should have cancelled the appointment but I decided to go because I thought it would help get my mind off things. So when I finally met the doctor and he asked what was going on, I broke out in tears. I told him how bad my pain was and how it has effected my way of living. I also told him how I don't like going to doctors because I feel they just jerk you around, never really fixing the problem. I told him I was exhausted with it to the point I cry in the shower every night. People who deal with pain everyday, it really is a stressful way of life. He told me he understands and will send me to a specialist. He also put me on pain meds, which was a first. Finally!!! Someone who believe I was in pain. Now let's see what this specialist will say and if they would do something or recommend a injection.

Back problems anyone?

Alrighy now, this is the why of everything. When I was 26 I woke up one day feeling fine. I got up and proceeded the day with my normal routine. As the day progress I started having pain in my lower back. I took some aspirin for it and continued my day. But my back just got stiffer until the next day when I couldn't get out of bed at all. I ended staying in bed for two days and then I went to the doctors. Of course they then sent me for a MRI. The results said I had degenetive disc disease. They told me it would not get better but only worse. They also told me there are ways to help with the pain, to make life more managable. Hahaha, yeah ok. I must have cried for hours. I'm not the type to take it easy and I don't like being laid up. My big reason why is because of my greatest fear. You see both of my grandmothers died being laid up in a bed. The last 10 yrs of their lives was confined to a bed. Having people to constantly taking care of them. I don't want to end up like that. It really scares me. So now I got a bad back, plus my right knee has had two surgeries on it. Anyway for about 5 years my back pain was mild. It came and went. Then all the sudden it became constant, always hurting. I started pain management, they gave me injections that never worked. My lifestyle changed, I couldn't sit for more then 10 mins nor stand for more than 20 without pain. Even sleeping became almost impossible. I hated it. I just wanted it to go away. I wanted a doctor that understood my pain and that actually help instead of trying injections that didn't work. I gave up and stopped going to the doctor. Grin and bear it. I started taking ibuprofen to help with the pain and I got up to taking about 16 pills a day. I was almost crawling to the bathroom in the morning. My job was only 2 minutes from my house and I had to get up at least 2 hours before I had to be there because it took my back that long to stretch out. This was my life and how it will be. Then a prayer was answered.

Let's get started!! My Intro.....

Ok..I started to blog a few years ago but found out I obviously didn't have much to say, so I stopped. Now I'm going to give this a go again, so hopefully i have more to say. I decided to name this blog Birds, Books, and Back because one I love books. I try to read a book a day. I would be happy to have a room filled with nothing but books. They are my get away. Two, I also love Birds, in fact I raise and sell parrots in my home for a home. I treat each parrot as if it is my baby. They are beautiful, intelligent pets. Three, the Back stand for my back. I have been having back problems since I was 26. I have had surgeries and multiple injections and have been on a abundance of meds. I'm starting to feel better but I know my back pain will never fully go away. So that is the why of the name and also they are all connected in some way and I will tell more in the next blog of how it all began, which should be a long blog. So I'm off to get some coffee and get settled to tell my story. Hopefully it won't bore you to death.