Under The Knife, Friday

I am scheduled at the former Hospital of St. Raphael Friday morning at 7am. The means ‘in-the-hospital’ at 5:30 am.

“That’s when I usually go to bed,” I told the surgeon, a triathelete who looks like one! This is going to be on his schedule.

Here’s today’s revelation: My next step is surgery.

That’s the decision we came to this morning at the doctor’s office. It’s the decision Helaine and I anticipated last night.

Over the last month and a half my life has been dominated by pain and pain avoidance. It’s a crappy way-of-life.

I am scheduled at the former Hospital of St. Raphael Friday morning at 7am. The means ‘in-the-hospital’ at 5:30 am.

“That’s when I usually go to bed,” I told the surgeon, a triathelete who looks like one! This is going to be on his schedule.

My surgery has come together quickly. Once the decision was made the world shifted into high gear. Blood work, urine, x-ray and a rapid fire boatload of questions and warnings.

The plan is a small incision in my back to allow trimming the herniated disk currently squeezing my S1 nerve. Very straightforward.

If all goes well my leg pain will be gone. The wound from the incision will be a bigger short term problem. Within a few weeks I should be ready to go back to work.

A Lumbar Discectomy is routine surgery performed every day… but it is surgery. I have asked lots of questions and am happy the right team will be in place.

I asked the surgeon if he’d save some images for me to put in the blog.

“You want a picture of the disk,” he asked with more than a little pride in his ability to take one?

Hell yeah.

46 thoughts on “Under The Knife, Friday”

  1. Congratulations on a course of action. I’m just sorry that surgery is the course. It will take care of what is ailing you and You WILL be back at ’em in no time!! Miss your smiling face!! Be well…. heal fast! Be looking for your first post surgery blog! Bet it’s a doozey! 🙂 xo Godspeed!

  2. Wishing you well and hoping your relief from the pain will be immediate. You’ll be up and walking in no time! You’ll have lots to write about!

  3. Geoff, who is your surgeon? I wish you all the luck in the world. I worked at Yale’s pain center and I know how people suffer with you problem. god bless and watch over you.

  4. Thankful for a definitive plan of action! Well wishes to you as you undergo the knife. After my surgery,I knew in the recovery room that “THE” pain was gone! Of course, there is post-surgical pain, which was NOTHING compared to the pain from the L-5,S-1 herniation. Prayers for your complete and quick recovery! Will be looking forward to your post-surgical post ~

  5. I had an unusual surgery last October which I won’t get into. Because I’d been in such pain, I actually looked forward to it. I wasn’t one bit afraid and bore the recovery period perfectly well. It was a lot lengthier than yours will be. I wish you every luck and a surgeon every bit as talented as mine.

  6. Wishing you the best Geoff hope this puts an end to all the difficulties you have been facing. Will send good vibes and prayers all day for you on Friday.

  7. wishing you well…may god guide the hands of the surgeons to heal you and get you up and running before long…..i miss fox on fox

  8. Wishin’ you the best with the surgery. Like many who have written in have some experience with back pain and surgery myself… best is to take your recovery and rehab slowly… don’t assume that you can go back to what you were doing just before the injury. Will look forward to seeing you back on the weather on TV, it just ain’t the same without you… Jill

  9. Geoff, You are so right. Pain is a way of life. It consumes every aspect of one’s life from morning to night. I am glad that a decision has been made for treating your condition, and I am sure you will come thru the surgery with flying colors! I, along with so many other’s, wish you a speedy recovery. But pictures, really? LOL!
    Remember…. September is Pain Awareness Month! Thoughts & prayers are with the millions of people living with pain!
    (((Hugs)))
    Stacie

  10. Best of luck with the surgery, Geoff. My husband had the same procedure last November, and it was truly life-changing. I hope you have a speedy recovery.

  11. I know just the word “surgery” sends chills up your spine, but chills are better than pain! And hopefully this surgery will do the trick. They’ve got some excellent surgeons demonstrating their talents at St. Raphael. You will be in good hands, I am sure. Waiting with anticipation for your first blog message p.s. (post surgery.)

  12. You’re going to do just fine. St. Raph’s has some of the best and the success rates with this procedure are great. You have our love and prayers for the speediest of recoveries!

  13. Good luck! My father-in-law, who is much older than you had even more involved back surgery earlier this year. He immediately noticed a difference, and it’s just been a matter of recovering from the procedure itself. He’s pretty much good as new now. I’m sure you’ll be able to say the same thing in a relatively short period of time.

  14. Geoff, Best wishes for an uneventful surgery and rapid recovery. You are going to do just fine and be back to normal in no time! Prayers for you and Helaine during this journey you have traveled. It will be great to see you back in the saddle!

  15. My herniated disc and associated physical therapy occupied 5-6 months of my life. When I woke up from the surgery I had surgical pain but no more disc/back/leg pain!! It did take about 6 weeks before I could go back to work, though. I was amazed at how long it was before I was strong enough to get through a day. However, this was in those days before they could do such little incisions. I have an 8″ scar in my back, so no wonder the recovery time was so long!

    You will be fine and be so happy you went through this. And WE will be happy to see your smiley face back on the air again!

    Good Luck, and see you soon!

  16. You’re a braver man than I am Geoff! I have five herniated discs, they want to do a double fusion, but I’m having no part of that.

    My best wishes to you, and I hope you enjoy a speedy recovery. What would we do without you on the tube??

  17. Well, I’m glad you’ve found a resolution to your back pain. Post surgical pain will be a whole lot easier than what you’ve been through these past weeks. Before you know it, you’ll be back to work and we will all be very happy for that. I will keep you in my prayers. Good luck with the surgery. I’ll be looking forward to reading your post surgical blog complete with pictures (seriously??).

  18. Good luck – my husband had that surgery and said it was the best thing he ever did – scared at the time but healed quickly and is back to his normal ways. Prayers for you.

  19. Geoff, so glad you finally have a plan to help you. I believe after you have it done you will wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. That’s how I felt. I was nerve-pain free when I woke up from surgery. We can’t wait for your post surgery blog! Good thoughts and prayers are still coming and try not to worry! We will be thinking of you the whole time! Big Hug!

  20. St. Raph’s is “aces” in my book. You’ll get the best of care therd AND you will have lots of thoughts, prayers and good wishes with you every step of the way (including mine).

  21. Geoff, you are going to be fine. I had neurosurgery at St. Rae’s 3 years ago to remove a benign nerve sheath tumor from my neck that had destroyed the C2 vertebrae and was pressing on my spinal cord. If you have Patrick Tomack or one of his colleagues you are in the very best of hands. I found the care at St. Raes to be ECELLENT – I was there for 16 days. And I enjoyed a complete recovery. Dr Tomack loves to share images – I have bunch of pics from MRI’s etc. You are on the road to recovery!!!

  22. Geoff,
    Mazel tov and Godspeed. Prayers to you that it will only get better with time. Yes, go to sleep now and wake with NO pain 🙂

  23. Geoff, Praying you will have no more pain after surgery. Please try to keep your spirits high as this helps in healing. You are loved very much by all of us and I wish you a speedy recovery.

  24. Geoff,

    My sister had the same surgery over two years ago in about the same area of the back and has been pain free since. Wishing you the same positive outcome 🙂

  25. Geoff~Posted on Facebook by Mark Gould
    For those in Connecticut who know, and perhaps those outside who don’t, Geoff Fox is, basically, “Connecticut’s Weatherman.” He’s undergoing back surgery Friday, and we wish him all the best. Get well soon, Geoff, we need you with winter coming up!!

  26. It’s nothing short of amazing what strides they’ve made in this type of surgery over the last couple of decades. I remember my brother having a big incision when he had it in the early 80s, and having to endure a myelogram (sp?) beforehand was worse than the actual surgery, according to him! By the way, when my aunt had it in the mid 1950s, she brought home the disks that were removed floating in a glass jar. I was just a toddler but the gruesome sight never left me…ewwww!!!! At any rate, nothing worse than nerve pain. You’ll be so much better.

  27. Geoff, by the time you get this, you will no longer have to put up with pain or spend your days trying to avoid it – what a gift, yippee! I wish you a speedy recovery from what I know is (was) a truly successful procedure. Go Geoff!!

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