My new year’s resolutions are:

• Heal myself
• Rediscover my voice and passion

I’m three months in to an injury on the neck portion of my spine (herniated disk at C6-7 and some damage also at C5-6) causing pain in the left side of my body, that is, neck, shoulder, chest, forearm, and hand. The pain just came on gradually… there was no specific trauma. The cause may be related to hunching over a laptop, carrying a heavy backpack while biking everywhere, strain from certain yoga poses, or most likely just routine wear and tear on my aging body. Now, it’s mostly just numbness in my left hand. I’ve reduced my dose of naproxen (naprosyn) to half (500 mg/day) of what I started at (1000 mg/day) and I plan to gradually reduce it further. I’m also taking hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg/day) to keep my blood pressure under 140/90, which seems to be working.

Physical therapy seems to have perhaps reduced the pain, but the numbness is still here, so I may have to consider surgery within the next few months. I’ve seen two neurosurgeons who have different opinions about the surgical options and the potential problems. One recommends fusing three vertebras together in a surgery that enters from the front. The other recommends removing the portion of the disk that is protruding into the nerve bundle entering from the back by drilling holes one (or more?) of my vertebras. There is some chance that all could heal naturally, but that usually happens within the first three months following the injury. I’ll have to decide within the next month or so.
I’m trying to exercise more so I get cardiovascular exercise, keep from gaining more weight, and get back in shape.