Before I get to the details of that day in August 2016 where my life was forever altered, I need to tell the back story.
I had suffered from chronic back pain for over a year. The pain became more of the acute variety in January of 2016. We were rearranging furniture, moving a recliner off the lanai and in to the house. There's about a four inch step over which I had to lift the recliner's base in order for us to drag it back to the bedroom. When I lifted, I felt something terrible in my back immediately. I always thought that I would have the same back issues as my mother, who had major back surgery July of 2011 at the age of 81 to correct stenosis and bulging disks in her lumbar spine. So, stubborn and doctor shy just like my mama, I tried a lot of home remedies before succumbing to the inevitable appointment.
I remember one evening, probably in the month of April where I sat on the back patio with Connie and cried. I cried because I was in so much pain, and I didn't know if I could go through it much longer. Little did I know that this pain was the tip of the iceberg. I ordered zero drop shoes to see if that would help, and I walked 10-15,000 steps daily. It felt a lot better when I walked, and I kept telling myself the more I walked the better I'd feel. I even bought a treadmill for under my desk. I had been standing at my workstation for a couple of years, so the treadmill under the desk seemed like a good idea. I didn't even have a chair in my cube, because I never sat down. I started standing in meetings. I went to my family doctor first who put me on Meloxicam to see if that might calm it down. I went back several weeks later after not feeling any relief. She sent me to an orthopedic specialist at the UF Orthopedic clinic, which of course took several weeks to get in. I talked at length with the doctor and she felt an MRI was appropriate. So she ordered the procedure and it was scheduled for July 7, 2016.
Enter the insurance company... If I had one word for the insurance industry right now, I think it would likely be a$$#@&{? Anyway, I went to the MRI appointment and was very happy that I would finally get some answers. When I got to the facility, I found out the insurance company had denied the MRI because I had not demonstrated that I had attempted exercise or other methods to manage the pain. My biggest beef is that I didn't find out about the denial until I arrived at the facility. I did get a letter, but it was two days later. It essentially said "complete 10 sessions of physical therapy and we'll reconsider."
So I started PT at the UF Orthopedic facility on 34th Street in Gainesville. They were simple stretching exercises using a rope looped around my foot, contorting my back into many positions. The first session wasn't bad. We always started with the pelvic tilt, where I was on my back with knees pulled up, feet on the ground and raising up a couple of inches so my back was off the table and holding that for 10 seconds. Of the 5 sessions I completed, there was only one session where I was able to do that. Two of the five, I couldn't do anything so the therapist had me just lay on an ice pack while I was there. Cost me $500 to lay on ice. a$$#@&{?.
I had an onsite trip scheduled to New Jersey to conduct a train-the-trainer class for AASHTOWare Project Estimation. The trip was scheduled to occur with travel on August 1, and class the 2nd through the 5th. The flight out of Gainesville to Atlanta was quick and uneventful, but I could not get out of my seat without some considerable effort. From Atlanta to the Philadelphia airport, as soon as we reached cruising altitude, I was on my feet. I stood the whole flight in the aisle next to my seat because sitting was so painful. I stood that night in my hotel room and ate from the vending machine. I had taken a yoga mat so I could do the exercises in my room. I did them once on the floor and almost couldn't get up; I decided not to try again.
The next day I went to the DOT and conducted the class that week almost 100% of the time on my feet. Flight home same deal; I stood in the aisle way. I got home on Thursday evening, because we had completed the training class early. Since I had some follow-up work related to New Jersey processes, I went into the office on Friday. After that, I collapsed for the rest of the weekend.
Monday morning, August 8, 2016 - first thing I did was text my sister in High Springs "Happy Birthday, Nanny Goat." She texted back "Thanks Gingie". I went in to work earlier than usual that day because of a week long training related to Construction. I was in and out of the training that day, trying to follow along but trying to catch up with everything else I was behind on because of the on-site training trip.
I left the office at about 4:35, 25 minutes prior to the end of the first day of the Construction overview. I just felt wiped out and sort of "weird", like a floating out of body experience. I pulled up to the intersection of Williston Road and 34th Street in the far left turn lane. I was first in line.
I remember feeling like I was caught in a downward vortex, things were quickly going black and I was sure I was going to die. I was worried about Connie and how she would handle this. I remember trying to put my truck in park, but I couldn't because by now I was shaking violently. I somehow managed to turn off the key and open the door. That's all I remember until I woke up in the ambulance about 40 minutes later. The EMT told me that there was a nurse somewhere behind me and a woman who was out of her car flagging and waving for people to help. Someone called 911 and the ambulance arrived within minutes of that call.
In the "small world" category, weeks later Connie was out at Micanopy to get her hair cut at Local Color Salon (next to Pearl's). Connie was relating to Laura Jupin, the hairdresser, what had happened to me at that intersection. Laura said that she had already heard that story from Wendy Gales who worked at the Pearl at the time. Wendy was the woman who was directly behind me at the intersection, and who I believe was a key player in saving my life. When I went to see Laura later during treatment for a complementary head shave, Wendy came over and I was able to thank her. I never did know who the nurse was but am incredibly grateful to him as well.
When I woke up in the back of the ambulance, one of the EMT's was asking me if I remembered what happened. It was like being in a daze, I couldn't figure out how to answer. He told me they had pulled my truck into the Nationwide parking lot across the street and locked the keys inside. He asked me to unlock my cell phone and if I could, choose from my contacts and let him call someone. Of course I have Connie on speed dial and he called her. making sure to tell her I was okay and then explaining what had happened. He told her we were going to North Florida emergency room. She called my sister in High Springs and several other people. Nellie came and got her to get the truck and drive to North Florida.
I don't remember a whole lot more about what happened at the intersection, but I remember that was the longest ride of my life in that ambulance wondering if I would ever see my friends and family again. Something that still makes me shiver at night when I'm trying to sleep. This blog post has likely been the most difficult that I will write, because it forced me to go through the onset of my illness. That is why it has taken me so long to post it. It was just very difficult.
Now I get to write about the fun part of cancer, you know, like brain surgery.
Next up: at the hospital.
