Mid-Year 2024 Travel Update
Hi all, as you’re probably aware it’s been a few months since I last uploaded a post. I wish I could say it was because we were off having such a great time that I said “forget it” with the blog. However, that is not the case.
I’ve had back problems since I first herniated my L4-5 disc in 2018. Over the years, I managed the pain by picking comfortable seats, standing instead of sitting, and overall paying attention to all the movements of my body and how it would impact my back.
Last summer before we left, I was feeling great and hadn’t had a flare-up in a long time. Off to Yosemite to backpack we went. Our trip started hiking into a valley and through the valley floor for a few days. The 4,000-foot climb out of the valley was originally split into two days. The second to last day rain, thunder, and lightning tormented the valley and steps we were climbing. We were drenched and the idea of spending the night shivering in wet clothes was not appealing. We opted to push through and leave a day early thus climbing all 4,000 feet in one day with a 25-pound pack. My back was hurting.
When we arrived home, I noticed pain down my leg in my buttock area. Perhaps I was going too hard at Pilates class? After all, half the class is spent on glute work. I took it easy the month before we left in hopes it would go away. Rather than consult a doctor, the internet said sciatica usually goes away after a few weeks of rest. Off we went on our big adventure! We hiked, walked, hiked, and did some more hiking. So much for rest…. The pain only worsened and started spreading down my calf and all the way to my foot. I knew it was sciatica, but I thought if I ignored it, it would go away. Who wants to think about back pain when you’re having the best time traveling and have grand plans for the year?!
When my parents met us in Ecuador, I could barely walk more than a few minutes without needing to stop and sit down because the pain was excruciating. I saw a few doctors and physical therapists who thought it could be fixed with physical therapy (PT) or drugs. However, I knew in my body this was a very different and severe pain that I couldn’t PT my way out of. I got an MRI in Colombia, and it showed an extruded disc at L4-5. A doctor described it to me like toothpaste. Once it’s out of the tube, it’s not impossible, just highly difficult to get it back in. My disc was likely not going back to where it came from.
We called a new friend we made on the O-Trek hike who is a neurosurgeon. He advised surgery considering my symptoms, pain level, and impact on my lifestyle. A Colombian doctor we spoke with suggested the same thing. We decided to stay in Colombia a few weeks longer to attend our friend’s wedding. Once the wedding was over, so was our South American travels.
In our first few weeks back, I had a series of doctors appointments and imaging. I had a microdiscectomy on May 15. The surgery went as well as it could have gone. I’ve since been recovering at my brother’s house in Danville, CA.
The shift of plans was a really hard pill to swallow. Instead of traveling, we have been hanging around my hometown. At least we’ve had plenty of time to process how we thought this year was going to go and how it’s actually going. We’ve had some bright spots. Fletch and I got engaged in early May!
The recovery is slow and we’re still hoping to pick back up travel this fall, however it’ll all depend on how I do these next few weeks.
In the meantime, I already grieved the loss of our travels and now have hope for what comes next. I can look back on our South America travels happily. Over the next few weeks, I’ll publish the blogs from the rest of our travels earlier this year.
Getting engaged in Yosemite!
