Well, it was bound to happen.
I just wish it was a broken toe or a runny nose… but it’s not. It’s a slipped disc.
Shit.
Ok, we’ve been living in China for under a year and I have a herniated disc at L5/S1. This is not ideal, but it’s also not the end of the world. What should I do?
(That was me, 7-months ago.)
So here’s how it all shook down:
I looked into my insurance coverage which, thank god, I possessed.
I then found a local doctor who could speak English and who had a great reputation. Not difficult.
Being in China, I opted for a blend of Western AND traditional Chinese medicine. I rested, stretched, had weekly chiropractor treatments, physiotherapy sessions, doctor’s appointments, and acupuncture. Nothing seemed to work. The disc was not sliding back into place and the nerve pain was getting worse.
I was getting frustrated.
Fast-forward through 7-months of excruciating sciatic nerve pain… I opted for surgery. Not the little one, either—the full-on, four titanium screws and two rods fastened to two vertebrae while one’s disc is completely scraped out and packed with bone material for the purpose of fusing together, surgery. That one.
So, into Shanghai I went (with Shaunna, of course—who never left my side through the whole ordeal).
And I’m happy to say, it was a success!
No more nerve pain. No more disc. A little more time at airport metal detectors. All good.
What an ordeal!
I guess my point to all this, is: Medical stuff can go wrong in foreign countries, but it’s manageable with insurance. Healthcare is important at any age, so don’t leave it to chance; make sure you have adequate coverage if you are choosing to live abroad.
Also, try not to panic or get really down. Some roads are slow and some feel never-ending; but they end. And at their end is appreciation, growth, and story to tell.