Pride and Prejudice

Trey Smith

I have spent today talking about pain and so I thought I would send up the day with talking about a word I tend not to like: surgery!

It looks like I will be heading back to see my orthopedic surgeon for some serious discussions about where I am and what we might do next. I'm not simply referring to my left hip either.

I have disc issues in my lower back which cause severe sciatica in my right leg. I have a congenital issue in my right shoulder which leads to intermittent pain and limited movement. And, to top it all off, I have an injury to my left knee which, we think, might entail some ligament or cartilage damage -- we don't know the extent of the damage because my sciatica has caused me to be unable to remain still in the MRI tube.

So, I may be a candidate for more than one surgery to different parts of my body. All I can say to this prospect is Yuk, Yuk and more Yuk!

I entitled this post Pride and Prejudice because those two things have kept me from committing to surgery for some time. I take great pride in doing things for myself and the thought of being dependent on others for a while is not something I relish. I have always been prejudiced about losing body parts and replacing them with prostheses -- even when a prosthesis might mean better mobility and far less pain.

But the immense pain and limited mobility are starting to wear me down. I don't like the fact that getting up from or trying to sit in a chair often becomes a major ordeal. I don't like the fact that I can't stand for more than 2 or 3 minutes without severe pain. I don't like the way the pain makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else. I don't like the fact that I feel like a 54 year old man in an 85 year old body.

So, I think I'm finally ready to give serious consideration to going under the knife.