“Supermom, I’ve Always Wanted to Meet You…”

I finally met my Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Kabins, who will now be referred to as Dr. K. It has been a long road, several cancellations on his part and hesitation on mine, but I am glad I went and am on a new path with my back.

I was hesitant to schedule with Dr. K. He has pleaded guilty to a federal indictment involving this lawyer and other doctors in the area and they are dubbed "The Medical Mafia". Yikes, I know. Dr. K is involved in one case that I really don't know too much about nor care to summarize the details of what I've read. It seemed from the paper that they are after the one lawyer. But, who really knows? All I know is that I wanted some answers on my back and if I didn't like him I didn't have to keep him. The fitness director at my gym loves him (but said he was odd) and has been going to him for several years and there are a few gals that I work out with that know him/know of him and they all say good things. So, like I said I planned to go and if I didn't like him I'd make a change.

Well, what can I say other than Dr. K and I hit it off?!? When I fill out forms that ask for my occupation, I always write something like Supermom or something like that just to see if anyone looks at it. Dr. K's paperwork was no exception. He walks in the exam room, introduces himself and starts looking through my file. Right off the bat he says, "Well, you're supermom. You know, I have always wanted to meet you and so does my wife!" Need I say more?

He gave me the run down on my back – 2 bad discs and the amount of the degeneration is uncommon for someone as young as me. (I like how he kept calling me young throughout my appt!! Ha!) I am not in need of surgery now, maybe in 10 or 20 years is his guess. I like that. He's going to send me to a good physical therapist off base. I like that. He changed my pain med to something else. Haven't tried it yet, but if I don't like it I can try something else. He does not want me on narcotics and I like that. I am going to do a nerve damage test to see where I am that. Fine with me. And then I am going to try some steroid type shot to see if that helps me any. I am open to that. He said I was going to really like the pain management doctor and the pain management was REALLY going to like me! Ha! In his little tape recorder he reminded himself to personally call the pain doctor to tell him about supermom.

Then we talked a lot about lifestyle changes and exercises that the physical therapist will recommend. He just kept stressing that if I feel pain or more pain in my back after doing something, even if the therapist said to do it, I should stop. Then all the things around the house like mowing the lawn, lifting heavy things, picking up the baby, all kinds of things I have to start readjusting. That will be the hard part. I think that my gardening days are limited and I am disappointed about that b/c I love to garden. That is kind of a bitter pill to swallow at my age, but hopefully I can find ways to do parts of things I enjoy without being in pain. For example, still prune and make a mess but not have to clean up the mess. Show Adam where I want things planted and then supervise! Maybe this isn't so bad after all! Seriously, that will be hard b/c I am so independent and like doing things.

The appt ended on a positive note – I have my youth working for me, I don't smoke (he said most of patients are smokers and how smokers almost always have bad backs), am healthy and in shape/not overweight (I beg to differ, but as he pointed out that all the people in the waiting room are very overweight and smell like smoke; I could see his point). I walked out feeling like it couldn't have gone much better and there really wasn't anything else I wanted to hear from him. Plus I can now legitimately tell Adam what to do b/c the Dr said ;)