Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Tuesday 12 December 2006: When Yma looks at Heidi and Sarah, this might be what she sees - the poor little girl!

Sarah says:
Poor, poor YMA! That little cutie-pie sees Heidi and me like this as webend over talking in high voices to her! What a view! I look rough. If I were a baby, I'd be afraid of me!
I have a million things to take care of tonight and the anxiety is starting for sure! My heart is racing. I'm sure I will be fine. Really sure. But even when you know that you can't help but think about the what ifs! I'm sorry - i know that doesn't help and sounds like drama - but that's where my head is at. If anyone is wondering what this surgery is all about, here is a link with simple information ad here is a little bit of that information:

The surgery
The goal of the procedure is to restore the intervertebral disc height and neuroforaminal height while restoring physiologic motion (similar to that of a healthy disc).
The surgery is approached from the front, with a small incision in the abdomen below the belly button.
Organs are gently moved to the side so that the surgeon can visualize the spine while protecting important anatomic structures.
The collapsed degenerated disc is removed.
The SB Charite disc (or whichever brand of disc) is implanted – first the two endplates, and then the core in the middle, using specialized instruments. The two endplates (made of a cobalt chromium alloy) are pressed into the vertebrae above and below the disc space, and teeth along the border of the endplate grip the bone. A polyethylene core is then placed between the endplates.
The artificial disc stays in place by the spinal ligaments and remaining part of the annulus of the disc as well as the compressive force of the spine. Bending X-rays of patients after the surgery show that the motion of the artificial disc (flexion, extension, side bending and rotation) can closely approximate the normal motion of a healthy disc.

Here's a funny card a very sweet friend sent me! Let's hope my doctors are a little more on the ball than these ones!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The gentle displacement of the organs sounds so pleasant! I mean who doesn't want something gentle done to them? IRSHFY.