Fly Fish Nevada

The good old days will hopefully come again.

I finally saw a surgeon today, well a surgeon’s assistant anyway.  We reviewed my MRI and took some x-rays.  I took a while to get in to see them but it’s a well respected orthopedic practice and I think it was worth it.  Obviously, the cortisone shot didn’t work.  It felt better for a couple of days, but then went back to the same old pain.  Problem is, a herniated disk isn’t my only problem.

The x-rays clearly showed I have one vertebra, L-4 I think, that is slipping off the one underneath it when I bend forward.  It is offset considerable even when I stand.  That explains the popping in my back.  The assistant wasn’t sure what the surgeon would recommend, but felt fusing those vertebra is likely in addition to shaving the herniated disk.  We’ll see when the surgeon takes a look and make a recommendation.

So, what does that mean?  Well what was a fairly straight forward operation with minimal recovery is now a major surgery that will require 6 weeks of recovery and physical therapy.  I want the damn thing fixed, so either way I’m ready to go under the knife.

Mine is blue!

On the upside, I finally sold my Skykomish Sunrise pontoon and picked up Northfork Outdoors Outlaw Escape.  I couldn’t use the pontoon because I don’t have a truck to carry it around in.  I sold that in June.  The Escape deflates and inflates quickly and with out a frame it’s light and easy to store.  Good because with my back, I probably shouldn’t be moving a 60 lbs pontoon around and the Escape will fit in my Jeep.

I’ve been meaning to try it out, but within days of it arriving I got a bad head cold.  Typical plague the kids bring home every september after they are exposed to all manner of exotic illnesses when school start.  I was planning to hit Heenan today, but I forgot my appointment.  I’m planning next week and if the weather goes south, unlikely, I’ll probably hit Virginia Lakes earlier in the week.

So, I have to go under the knife, but I hope this gets me up and fishing again.  Other stuff too.  Hiking, walking, whatever, pain-free.  I’ve almost forgot what that is like.  The East Walker is calling but i just can’t do it.  Next spring, however, I should be good to go.

Filed under: General, Uncategorized, Updates | Tagged: back surgery, dave scadden, northfork outdoors, outlaw escape, skykomish sunrise | 3 Comments »