Thirty

I’ve been 30 for 3 months now – to be honest, I’m not loving it. A couple weeks before my birthday, some mild back soreness suddenly morphed into severe sciatic pain down my right leg. Friends, family, WebMD, and a family medicine doctor all said that my pinched nerve would right itself in a few weeks. When the pain didn’t go away, I went to see Dr. Eliot Young in San Antonio, thinking that if his team could keep David Robinson’s back functional for two late-career championships with the Spurs, mine would be an easy and quick fix. I got an MRI, which revealed a 7mm-by-10mm hernia in my lowest disc, impinging directly on the sciatic nerve. I had two steroid injections, wherein an x-ray helped to guide where the doctor should ram a massive needle into my upper buttock (ouch). Without any improvement after those treatments, I am scheduled for a microdiscectomy this upcoming Tuesday, a minimally-invasive surgery that aims to shave away this bulge and return the problematic disc to its original shape. If all goes well, I will be cleared to walk around and go home that same day, hopefully healing within 4-6 weeks.

In the meantime, the pain has been ever-present, distracting, and frustratingly limiting. My favorite recreational activities – hiking, canoeing, camping, mountain biking, disc golf, basketball – have all been completely out of the question. I can’t even sit properly, as that puts a torso-load of pressure squarely on that pinched nerve. Driving requires mental and physical preparation, choosing routes where cruise control can take over if pain or numbness impairs my right leg – even getting in and out of the car can be a painful ordeal. I jolt awake when I change positions at night, resulting in restlessness and more pain in the morning. I never fully sympathized with those who deal with chronic pain before this, but now I completely understand the urge to depend on medication for momentary relief, even at the risk of addiction. If my doctors had been willing to prescribe an opioid, for example, I likely would have accepted it over the unreliable pain mitigation provided by over-the-counter pills.

Back issue aside, I do have a lot going in my favor. My girlfriend’s family, as well as my own family and friends, have given me loads of support through this hardship and recovery. At work, I persevered through a few months of setbacks and professional stagnation, and we are weeks away from completing a major phase of plant construction under my leadership. With that feather for my cap pending, I have started looking for new jobs in other states and across a few different fields. This happens to be my 100th blogpost, which feels like an accomplishment – thanks for your continued support and interest in my wide-ranging thoughts. I have a few exciting posts in the pipeline, finding inspiration to write about my trip to China in 2013, my formative experience after the Joplin tornado, and my nearly two years embedded in a rural Texas community. With only the surgery, a recovery period, and a few conclusive weeks at work left in front of me, I am looking forward to a fresh start to my 30s, which promise to be a decade of growth, adventure, and giving back, wherever my path may lead.