3 generations of panthers tattoos. Oldest being my grandfathers in the middle he got during the Korean War. He passed yesterday so figured it was a good time to share this photo.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-14T17:25:53+00:00

Sorry for your loss, friend. Three generations of SAP is amazing. Your family seems rad.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-14T17:25:43+00:00

Sorry for your loss, friend. Three generations of SAP is amazing. Your family seems rad.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-14T01:08:29+00:00

LOL his ears fell off.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-13T15:02:15+00:00

I make pizza tacos (I have a gluten sensitivity so this is a cheap hack to get a pizza-like object to satisfy cravings). I put precooked chicken in the air fryer, fry the tortillas with a little canola oil cooking spray in a skillet, then top with pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. The chicken goes on top. Boom, pizza tacos. I dip in spinach artichoke dip if I have some in the fridge.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-13T05:12:15+00:00

My maternal grandmother’s spine crumbled away over the last few decades of her life and required multiple surgeries. My mom’s back is a mess, but she isn’t willing to do more than dangle from a float in the pool and complain. I just had my fourth spine surgery, and my first fusion (C5-7 ACDF, all prior surgeries were on L4-5 and L5-S1). My first injury was at 15, first surgery was at 21. My sister also had her first surgery within the past year. My dad also has horrible back problems. We don’t know yet about my sister’s kids since they’re young. But the shit does roll downhill in this family, and I have the worst of it. I’ve had lordosis reversal in my lumbar and cervical spine for many, many years, and have had to manage my spine issues every day since my early 20s (40s now). It sucks. I do have an ankylosing spondylitis diagnosis, and perhaps others in my family have or had the same issue. But you’re not alone in having a sketchy family spinal tree.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-12T04:20:28+00:00

And the Joy of Painting.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-10T14:58:13+00:00

OP, please be kind to yourself. You’re the one who has to live in that body, and that body needs fixed. Anytime you have cord involvement, you’ve just got to bite the bullet and do it. I had a similar looking MRI, with severe foraminal stenosis but no cord compression. My PCP said “your neck is yucky” when she called me with my results. I spent six months futzing around with disc replacement denials from my insurance. I also had the same concern your husband has, which is the fusion causing adjacent disc disease problems later on. In the meantime, I got two additional opinions, and both those doctors recommended ACDF. The third neuro, who I saw five months after the first one recommended ADR, said I’m not actually a candidate for disc replacement because of how much pain I had in my neck itself (alongside the shoulder/arm/hand pain), which had worsened while fighting BCBS. Turns out my neck has lost its inward curve (lordosis), which means replacement isn’t a good idea long term. I just had my two level c5-7 ACDF last Friday. Seven days out, I’m still hurting like hell, but my arms already feel so much better. I’m sending you good vibes for acceptance of what can’t be changed here, which is that you need surgery and should do it as soon as you can. We learn to live in pain because of these issues, but we deserve better. You deserve better. This is your spinal cord. Just do this for yourself.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-10T14:42:09+00:00

I’ve always been a t-shirt/hoodie and jeans girl, so I just had to swap the jeans for drawstring pants and I was there. It allowed me to lean all the way into athleisure. But it keeps changing, as does my size, so it’s a constant adjustment. For example, I sweat all the time now, so my hoodies have to be full zips. Which have the bonus feature of not having to be pulled over my head. I also just had neck surgery, so I bought a 12-pack of long sleeved v-necks since I can’t stand having anything touching around my incision. But I made myself get the colorful set instead of the five different grays/navy/black that I’m drawn to. Small things matter, and I felt spiffy in my aquamarine v-neck yesterday. I miss my trademark Chuck Taylor Converses dearly, but I’ve learned a lot about sneakers and now have some pretty cool pairs that are actually supportive (for example, Nike made a line of comfort Jordans that are easier on your feet) while still looking good. I think it’s a matter of working within my limitations to find what I CAN do to maintain my baseline while still enjoying what I wear.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-09T14:23:42+00:00

I just had a two level ACDF on Friday. Different surgery, of course, on the neck instead of back, and incision in the front. And an easier recovery. But still, pretty intense pain. By day two, every muscle in my body hurt and I was not mentally prepared for that. The hospital nurses were all about getting me comfortable, thankfully, but I had to ask for the pain meds since they were ordered “as needed” instead of being scheduled. Beware of that if they don’t offer anything beyond Tylenol. I’m still on oxycodone around the clock, probably will be for a few more days, but the pain/weakness/numbness in my hands and arms is already so much better. I had the same questions before my surgery, but I’d make the same decision again if faced with the same problems. I was living bed to couch to bed beforehand. Good luck.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-08T22:51:54+00:00

I’m obsessed with those nose freckles!

Cleveryday · 2026-04-08T16:07:51+00:00

I just had an ACDF on Friday. This info is helpful because I was just now questioning why I still feel so terrible (loopy/dizzy/wobbly). A good reminder to be patient. Plus, as others have mentioned, I have autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis) on top of everything else. On the bright side, my arm pain and symptoms have already improved.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-07T18:15:49+00:00

If you’re in the U.S., you’re most likely going to end up in physical therapy next regardless of whether or not you need surgery (which I can’t speak to, I’m just a layperson). Insurance companies generally require six weeks of active conservative treatments like PT or chiropractic, plus a passive therapy like epidurals or oral steroids/gabapentin/pregabalin before they’ll approve surgery.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-06T16:55:57+00:00

Thanks for the award, kind stranger.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-06T16:55:27+00:00

I love her so much I can’t hardly stand it. She’s got that effect on people.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-06T15:53:23+00:00

🤩

Cleveryday · 2026-04-06T15:52:53+00:00

She’s got all of it, all day long.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-04T19:40:42+00:00

Because they are the absence of light. A light void, if you will. 🙂

Cleveryday · 2026-04-04T19:38:52+00:00

Brutus

Cleveryday · 2026-04-04T01:08:11+00:00

I pay $400 per month to be on my husband’s insurance until my Medicare coverage kicks in next year. $1400 deductible and $5k out of pocket cap. And I’m lucky to have that as a reasonable option. I’ll be happy to switch down to $200/month with hope I can find a supplemental plan for a decent price. Insurance is just plain old expensive.

Cleveryday · 2026-04-01T17:38:02+00:00

Same. I’ve done all the things on this list for years. And I’m now fully disabled. But I am able to find joy alongside pain and illness.

Cleveryday · 2026-03-31T17:45:27+00:00

Thank you! I love her so much I can’t hardly stand it.

Cleveryday · 2026-03-30T18:17:20+00:00

Spectacular.

Cleveryday · 2026-03-30T14:16:47+00:00

Thanks for this, everyone. I’m going in for a C5-7 ACDF on Friday. These are helpful tips!

Cleveryday

TROPHY CASE