kill the messanger

So, I got a phone call today from some guy that I have never talked to before. He was from my doctor's office I guess. My Doctor's office is the most messed up place in the universe. I have no idea why my doctor, who is really good, chooses to reside there. So anyway, some guy told me that I have two bulging discs in my neck. How bad? What does that mean? Is it getting better or worse? ANY FREAKING OTHER QUESTION YOU CAN THINK OF?? No answer. "I can just read to you the note that your doctor left on their report." And, he referred me to a neurosurgeon. The one question he answered is that that doesn't necessarily mean that I am going to have surgery. They just want me to go and talk to a surgeon and he will be nice enough to make that appointment for me at UMass.

So, here is my hope: I go to the man who does operations on spines for a living and he says, I don't want to do my job on you because you don't need me. It would be like going to the gas station and the attendant looking at your car and saying, "Just keep going, you're all set without me." I really do hope this though. I was left hanging by my crappy doctor's office so I did the next best thing... I got on the Internet. It seems, from the 50 or so sites that I perused, that the most common treatment for this is not surgery but traction and stabilization with the purpose of relieving pain, with the addition of some medicines while the pain goes. Once the pain is gone the rest comes with time.

I have had the traction, and it was actually kind of nice, minus the weirdness of have some one put my head in a small padded machine and attempt to pull it out of my body slightly. I had visions of giant machines with wires attached to ropes and pulleys and guys in big casts with legs elevated. But the thing comes in a little cinched bag and is inflated with air. Really, it was kind of nice. I got to lay down for like fifteen minutes while this thing alleviated any sort of pain in my shoulder and arm. The pain in my arm comes and goes now and is very rarely severe. I slept through the night last night and woke this morning to just a little stiffness. All in all, pretty ok. I just want that surgeon to say the same...