herniated disc

Went to the hospital this morning. It was a thoroughly frustrating experience in some ways -- they told me to come in at 10am for a 10:30 appt with a doctor who apparently doesn't come in until 11am. He saw me at 11:15, and pretty quickly said "You have a herniated disc in your neck, I'm betting C4-5" and did some muscle tests and explanations, and then sent me downstairs to get an MRI. The MRI was really somewhat scary of an experience (you're in a tube for 15 minutes and there are all these loud noises), and then I came back upstairs and had to wait another half hour, and then the doctor saw me again, and showed me the pictures like "See this? This is your spine. See this thing poking at it? That is fluid from the herniated disc. I was wrong, it's actually C5-6." And sure enough he showed me the thing and the rupture and the fluid and it was FUCKING SCARY.

The upshot is that with luck, my body will actually heal itself in the next month or two, the fluid will get absorbed, and then it may take some physical therapy to restore movement and strength to my left arm.

There's a slight chance that it won't heal itself and I'll end up having surgery. That would SUCK a LOT.

But, I'm okay for going to Japan and Carnival and all. It's just that I can't bear much weight on my left side. This would suck so much less if I were right-handed.

bleh.

So, that is what is going on. I guess it's good to know, but at the same time, knowing that I have a ruptured disc in my neck that may or may not decide to heal itself, that I don't know how to do anything for, is FUCKING SCARY.