Cervical Radiculopathy

 For the last several months, I've been dealing with cervical radiculopathy.  A little in my right hand and my entire left arm and up into the left side of my neck feels like the nerves are firing constantly. It's terribly painful! The neurosurgeon believes my posture from dental assisting  has caused an old neck injury to worsen. That accident happened at a trampoline park four years ago where I herniated two discs but it wasn't pinching my nerves then. 

Since I've been crouching over patients in the dental office for the past 18 months, my discs have begun to degenerate more. I now have four herniated discs and this time, they are smashing my nerves. I'm going to have to limit dental assisting to one day a week and maybe even not at all (which makes me very sad.).. Thankfully, my office is going to give me work in the lab and in the front office... but I am really going to miss assisting. 

Even though I'm in constant pain, I absolutely refuse to take pain meds because it would be all day every day. I refuse to have surgery. I also refuse to let it drag me down emotionally. Of course, I have moments where I can't fight back the tears from the pain but even when I cry, I don't feel hopeless. I know God is with me and I'll get through this!! I see the physical therapist a couple times  a week. I've been surrounding myself with stories of those in the scriptures or in our modern day who have endured great suffering and maintained hope and gratitude through it all. I've made myself a challenge that whenever the pain surges the hardest, to have that be the time I list all the blessings in my life, every good thing, every privilege and to “Find someone who is having a hard time, … and do something for them.”**

I had a little miracle that happened after work last week. I was still in my scrubs and had been home for just a few minutes when the impression came to take a plate of cookies down to our new neighbors a block away. I knocked on their door and a friendly young couple with a 3yr. old little boy came out and visited with me on their porch. They noticed my scrubs and asked what I did for work. I told them about my job but how things are changing because of my cervical radiculopathy. 

The husband, Josh, seemed surprised. He told me that he has suffered from that too. He's been doing bouldering for years and herniated his discs that way. He dealt with intense constant nerve pain for two straight years. And then... for some reason, it went away on its own, no surgery, nothing. Albeit, he said it was the most depressing time of his life. But, I was encouraged that his pain eventually did go away without surgery. That was the message of hope I needed to hear. If he could make it through, so could I.