March 28 - “Three shots”

We officially got started on our trip to Hawaii planning yesterday. We pulled out the suitcases and measured them to be sure they fit all the airline requirements.  We organized all the paperwork we have to take with us (plane and cruise confirmations, insurance information, etc.). We went online and prepaid for our luggage to get from here to Honolulu. Couldn’t figure out how to get it back yet. May have to just do that at the airport.

 

After a quick lunch we headed into Texas for my appointment to have three shots in my back. It’s the next step by the pain management people, ultimately working toward disc surgery. Actually there are two more steps after this one. If it works, they do the same thing again. If it works again, they want to burn the nerves so they can’t send signals to my brain. Not sure about that one. I meet with my actual neurosurgeon this morning, so I’ll ask him what he thinks about this course of attack. If I am going to need surgery anyway, I would just as soon do it sooner rather than later. Of course, my travails will have to wait until we get Chris situated. And both of us are for sure waiting until after Hawaii. So … first things first.

 

These shots didn’t hurt nearly as bad as that last one did. Of course this time the doctor himself did it, rather than a fellow. It only took him about ten minutes. I’m not really sure that it did a lot of good. My litmus test was whether or not I could roll over in bed without the pain waking me up. It’s really hard to say.

 

I set aside one of my usual two pillows to see if I could sleep “like I used to.” I think the turning over in bed thing was easier last night. Not that it didn’t still wake me up. It did, but there was no sharp pain. And the muscle spasms didn’t seem as severe, although they were present. And my right side perennial soreness is still around. There were still some positions that caused the tingly-zinging and numbness around to the front of my body, too.

 

I guess my overall evaluation would be … mixed reviews. It definitely did help some, but not like what I expected. Would I do it again and then move on to the burning of the nerves? Maybe. But not until I get those long-term questions answered by the neurosurgeon later this morning.

 

John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.“

 

Father, thank you for this weird technology/medical skill that promises pain relief. If nothing else, it inspires a little bit of hope. And hope is a good thing. Amen.