Okay so it’s not just me. I had surgery a few weeks ago so I was able to drive to the grocery store for the first time in a month this afternoon and it was a mess. Multiple people walking out into the streets without looking, people using parking lanes to bypass traffic, someone stopped in the entrance of the grocery store with hazards on and the lady behind them wouldn’t go around which backed up traffic, two cyclists pulled out in front of me without looking. I was excited to drive today but the anxiety wasn’t worth it.

Have you been to orthoVA? I’ve had great luck with them every time I’ve been. The last doc I saw was Anup Gangavalli at St. Mary’s and he was great at explaining what is going on with my spine. I also went to Ortho On Call when I was in debilitating pain (it’s kinda like patient first for ortho problems) and the doc there really listened to me, gave good advice, and sent me to Gangavalli.

If you haven’t been to orthoVA I highly recommend; if so, shop around for different doctors until you find someone to give you solutions. I wish you luck on finding solutions!

Thanks for the response! We’ve been doing weekly meal prep but I hadn’t considered freezing meals ahead of time; this is a great tip! Where would you recommend doing pool based PT? I have about 4 weeks until surgery and would be willing to try water exercises

I tried natural recovery and my disc has slipped even further over the years so it’s just going to be an issue until I get the surgery. PT this time around made it worse, which was super disheartening because I loved my therapist. I ended up going to Ortho On Call when I couldn’t take the pain anymore and they set me on the right path to recovery. Steroids helped so much but I’m still not healed.

I’m most frustrated about the recovery process taking longer than I’d like because I do have some weight to lose and it’s difficult when I can’t exercise. Patience is my best ally at the moment!

Thanks for the response and I hope you have a great holiday and happy new year! ☺️

Gangavalli with orthoVA at St Mary’s; and honestly, he’s the third doc I’ve seen with orthoVA and they’re all amazing. Highly recommend

Thanks so much! I’m excited to get rid of this pain, but I’m trying to mentally prepare for recovering. Here’s to 2023 being a less painful year! Merry Christmas to you and have the happiness new year ☺️

I go to river city vet on broad across the street from target and have had a great experience. They’ll give you a quote over the phone; most vets probably will if you ask