Spinal Rap

Greetings, gentle readers.
It was recently brought to my attention that I don't talk about myself enough.  For example, I managed to put together a solidly semi-coherent ramble about how I was unable to attend the entirety of a concert presented by one of my favourite acts in history HERE.  But what I may have neglected to mention in context is that my spine is a bit crocked.  I mention it in passing every so often, and I misguidedly think that means everyone is already aware of my Facebook posts and other social media channels.
In a nutshell, my spine skewed itself in such a way that it squished the cartilage protecting the bundle of nerves that leaves the central spinal column and branches off to my right side.  Let's deal with this the way my pharmacist did.

What Happened?

There wasn't any "bang" or accident of some sort.  This was the result of years of lousy posture, particularly working in an office environment where I was perpetually hunched over in a very non-ergonomic way, doing a lot of repetitive stress activities.  Namely mouse-wrangling — a sort of wildlife-related hobby peculiar to tier-2 IT specialists.

Did It Hurt?

It sure did.  But it took years of headaches, neckaches, backaches, wrist, elbow, and shoulder problems before we finally nailed it down.  Around a year ago, the upper back and neck pain was so bad that I couldn't sit properly and part of my hand went numb more or less full-time.  The pain was so blinding that I would black out, and I had to abandon driving a vehicle.

How Was The Surgery?

That was the easiest part.  The neurosurgeon and his staff are total pros and had me taken apart and riveted back together as shown below in just a couple of hours.  The procedure is called a C7 radiculopathy. If you take the goofy-looking vertebra at the base of the skull as number one, count down the spine until you reach number seven.

The two little white things to the right of the "L" in the picture are the screws.

Does It Hurt Now?

It didn't.  For about a month or two, I was doing great.  Then I started trying to push the bounds - to get stronger, to do more.  I think that I may have tested those boundaries a little too thoroughly, though, and now I'm in a lot of pain unless I take the analgesic medications on a VERY strict schedule.  Now I can't stand for extended periods, and sitting requires an odd posture.

What Happens Next?

More doctor's appointments.  Just went for a GP appointment and more x-rays yesterday, and am seeing my neurosurgeon on Monday.  We'll see what we shall see.

In the meantime, I'm going to be watching the Alabama senatorial race and the developments of the Mugabe Family, featuring Gucci Grace and her sons.  Apparently, they "keep on rolling" as reported on their Instagram feeds, which were reported HERE on The Citizen.
In the meantime, Goodnight England and the Colonies.
Cheers,
—mARKUS