JustGotDiagnosed.com: Founded by Gary McClain -- Patient Success Story

An important quality of being a Fighter is to know when to put down your fists and ask for help. Sandra learned this early on in her treatment, but it wasn’t an easy lesson.

A thirty-five year old marketing consultant with a demanding job and an active life, Sandra developed lower back pain. When she went to have the problem checked out, she was shocked at her diagnosis of a herniated disc.

When she received the news that her back pain was more than just strain from lifting too much when she cleaned out the garage, she immediately called upon all her own inner resources. She would fight this! It wouldn’t take her down!

Sandra got to work by diving into research to learn as much about her condition as possible, gathering information on the Web, talking to physicians, and even interviewing other people who had the same condition. When she decided she was fully informed and ready to choose a treatment path – surgery – she felt like her problems would soon be behind her, so to speak. She would have won, and she could quickly return to ‘normal.’

Unfortunately, Sandra’s doctor didn’t see it quite the same way. He explained that while she would be back on her feet a few days after the surgery, this did not mean she was going to be able to return to her usual activity level. She wouldn’t be able to do housework, even cooking, for at least a few days, or even longer. Forget yardwork, or carrying anything heavy, even a basked of laundry. Sandra lived alone.

“Don’t even think about doing this on your own for awhile if you want your back to heal,” her doctor warned her. “You’ll just prolong your recovery time if you aggravate your back after surgery.”

“But I read that one of the worst things you can do after surgery is to lie around," she responded.

Sandra wasn’t quite ready to give up. After all she’s a Fighter. “I have a lot of spring cleaning to do in preparation for a family reunion I’m hosting. And I want to get the flower beds ready. And I’ve only got weekends.”

“What am I going to do with you?” her doctor said. “Do you want to end up here again in a couple of months? Your next step would be for me to fuse a couple of your vertebrae. I don’t think you want that.”

Sandra thought about this. “Where can we compromise?” Sandra’s physician suggested that she go back to work after a week at home, on an abbreviated schedule with no travel for at least a month. But he would not compromise on the housework or the yardwork. Instead he offered a suggestion.

“I suspect there are any number of teen-agers in your neighborhood who would be willing to let you supervise them in exchange for a few bucks an hour. And the kids from band at my daughter’s school will do work on Saturdays to help raise money for a trip to Europe this summer. How about that?”

Sandra thought for a few moments. “I guess I could bring somebody in to do that if I have to,” she admitted, “although I have to say I’ve never had a housekeeper before so this is all going to be new to me.” Her doctor smiled at this. “I bet you can find a Website that will tell you all the ins and outs of how to be lord of the manor.” “If I do, I’ll print it out for you.”