January 31 - “Stabbed in the back”

I guess yesterday was my doc day. I started out with a physical therapy check-in appointment. She did her assessment, said my flexibility and strength quotients were off the charts better, cut me loose, and said, “I hope the pain shot works for you.”  PT … Out.

 

After some lunch we headed out to my appointment for a pain relief shot in my back. That was one I have been waiting for for a very long time. Years, even. And for a pain relief shot … it sure hurt. Not sure how much of it I was supposed to feel, but there was no doubt someone was poking around in my back. But I get ahead of myself.

 

They parked us in the holding tank so I could take off my clothes and put on the fabled hospital gown. They did let me keep my underwear. And apparently that gown didn’t completely do its job. As I left to walk into the procedure room, Chris yelled for me to cover up in the rear. I replied, “Aw, it’s nothing they haven’t seen before.”  The nods and chuckles of the two nurses behind me seemed to indicate that it was indeed a true statement.

 

Oh, ahead of myself again. While we waited for my turn, we were blessed to experience a mini-birthday celebration at the nurse’s desk. We heard them sing “Happy Birthday to You,” “Feliz Cumpleanos,” and even “Feliz Navidad.”  It took them numerous tries, but they finally all got together for one good “Happy Birthday to You.” And when they finished, I did what any self-respecting patient desiring quality service would do. I gave them a rousing round of applause. Guess they heard me.  Lots of laughter followed.

 

And then to the procedure. It started out difficult. I had to lay on my stomach with my head to the side. I haven’t been able to do that in years. A pillow under my stomach helped a fraction. And then they told me to relax. Right.

 

I could tell when they were sticking on the drape things, and of course when they touched the places they wanted the x-ray machine to center on. That thing was humming the whole time. Didn’t mind it, though. That just assured me they would stay on track.

 

The next move was the numbing shots. Like getting stabbed with a needle over and over. I did understand, though, that they were numbing for shots into two separate vertebrae.

 

The first one went fairly smoothly. It was that second one, lower down, that gave them some trouble. We found out later that it was a really tight spot they had to get to. Whatever they were doing … it hurt. Felt like I was getting stabbed in the back again, but this time with a large knife. I even involuntarily jumped three or four times. Once I jumped and the doc asked, “Are you OK?” I said, “OK. It just hurts.” He then made the query of the millennium. “Where does it hurt?” I answered, perhaps a bit too quickly, “Umm. My back.”  After the third such interchange, he did explain that he just wanted to make sure the pain wasn’t going down my leg.” 

 

Finally, he said, “The medicine is about to go in, so you might feel some pressure.  Let me know if it is too painful.” Wait. What?  We’ve been in here at least half an hour. What have you been doing back there?  I did feel some pretty intense pressure on my spine, but after what I had just been through, that was a piece of cake.

 

Finally, they declared the procedure complete. I didn’t believe them, though, until I saw the cute little nurse at my head. She was pretty concerned that I was white as the sheet, so she told me to take it easy. She asked if the pain was from the procedure or from the position I had been in the whole time. At this point it was position, all the way. I had been clenching the table so tight that it took me a long time to relax again. I must have looked bad, because Cute Nurse asked me a few times if I wanted a wheelchair. I finally said I would be OK if I could just have a few minutes. When the doc asked, though, I felt like I might be imposing on their table time, so I said, “Let’s go.”  That sweet nurse wasn’t completely convinced, though. She had me return to the holding tank bed and rest a while longer.

 

The doc was well-pleased with the procedure. A different nurse came in and said to give it a good week to decide if it worked or not. She said it might feel good for a day or two, then hurt again for a day or two, but after a week, I should be able to notice a difference. Take it easy for a day or two.  No lifting. Come see the nurse practitioner in a month to follow up.

 

Oh, and she also read a list of possible reactions that may occur: trouble sleeping, hot flashes, flushed skin, elevated blood pressure. I immediately blurted out, “But I already had all those things!”  And … again with the laughter from the birthday party crowd.

 

On our way out of that ward, I slowed down just enough at the nurses’ station to sing them a rousing rendition of my own … “Happy Birthday to You,” of course. The birthday girl was on the phone, but as the others laughed and pointed her out, she acknowledged my verbal gift to her with an embarrassed wave. Way better day than she expected, I’m certain of that.

 

So … Chris’ turn again today. She’s having her second cataract surgery (The other eye, of course).  Hey, look at it this way, Babe. You only have two of those things, so you’re almost done.

 

Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

 

Father, thank you for being in that room with me. Don’t think I could have lasted without you. And my prayer for Chris today? The same one I lifted yesterday. Please be with the doc. Steady hands and good aim would be really nice. Amen.

 

January 30 - “Steady hands and good aim, please”

Yesterday greeted us with some pretty significant rainstorms. Didn’t stop us from making our way to church, though. Guess we were rewarded for going.  The rain stopped long enough for us to get there and get inside. Sam even made the walk up the ramp instead of riding the wheelchair. Woohoo!  And the sun was shining by the time church let out.

 

Afterwards, we headed with a group over to Salsa’s for some Mexican food lunch. The food was ok, but the fellowship, as always, was way better.

 

Chris napped when we got home, in between eye drops. We are getter her ready for her second cataract surgery on Tuesday. Drops all throughout the day for three days leading up to it, then for a month afterwards. I actually watched some football games. Well, in between working on the jigsaw puzzle.  I wanted to at least know which teams were in the Super Bowl when we host the Commercial Party here that night. By the way, consider this your invitation. Come join us. The game will be on, but when those commercials show up … shhhhhhhh!

 

Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

 

Father, please be with this doc today who will be doing the shot in my back. Steady hands and good aim would be really nice. Amen.

January 29 - “Manual Labor”

I did some manual labor yesterday. At least it was labor for me. Remember the incident when the basketball goal I got for Christmas broke and fell on Nathan’s head? Well, to return it, we gad to take it apart again and stuff it back in the box the best we could. That was my task for the morning. I started it while Chris was walking so she wouldn’t see me lift anything. I definitely felt it, but hey. I’m getting a shot in the back Monday, right?  With some help from Chris here and there, I got all but one section apart. That one is stuck. I’ll need some strong arm assistance for that one.

 

We started a new jigsaw puzzle. Lauren gave us one. It is a patchwork of “Things We Say.”  Very colorful.

 

Chris took off into Texas in the afternoon. She went to the quilt shop to get some material to get started on the three or nine quilts she wants to get done.

 

We watched some really exciting basketball games. A&M. Baylor. Houston. All won really close games. Texas? Not so much. They lost by about ten. Lots of fun.

 

Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

 

Father, please be with Chris as she starts on those quilts. Working on those things really seems to make her happy. Amen.

January 28 - “Queen Bee”

Early start again. But this time it wasn’t a human that had the appointment. Wasn’t a canine, either. We had to take our car in for an oil change and a checkup. Dennis was waiting for us. Oh, and it was good to have him at home group the night before, too.

 

Phase two of the Hawaii flights. We selected our seats. Not used to doing that. The planes we have been on are usually just first come, first served. At least we know where to go now.

 

Sam had her first water therapy session. I wasn’t there, but Chris told me she took over the pool. She was the only one in there, and even had three staffers taking care of her. Absolute Queen Bee.

 

Last night we hosted a group of folks, pretty much our home group, for a fish fry. Ed and Lauren provided the fish and did the cooking. In fact, now that I think about it, it was pretty much their party, just at our house. Glad we were invited. The catfish was really good. Some baked, some fried. Way to go, Ed.

 

Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

 

Father, thank you for the group we got to spend time with last night. Amen.

January 27 - “Watch out, friendly skies”

This Hawaii thing is getting real (Not that it wasn’t real after we sent in that hefty payment!). We finally received our airline confirmations for the journey there and back. Now we just have to figure out how to navigate two more websites and phone apps (Takes two different airlines to get us there and back).  I heard back from the Winkles and the Huntleys, and they, too, received their confirmations.  We will all be on the same plane, so watch out, friendly skies …

 

Sick Nick finally cut Chris loose from eyeball physical therapy. Remember him? He’s the physical therapist who led her in the exercises that pretty regularly made her sick. Hence the nickname. However … he left a door open. Seems like he had the power to offer her a tune-up in a few months, “if you feel like you need it.” Yeah, right. Don’t see Chris going for that one, Sick Nick.

 

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

 

Father, thank you for those airline confirmations. One less thing to think about leading up to the trip.  Now, please help us figure out their proper procedures.  Amen.

January 26 - “Missing … sort of”

Well, here’s one I have never had before. We just finished the National Parks Patches jigsaw puzzle. To our consternation, there were two missing pieces. Sort of. There were 1000 pieces in the box all right. But … two of them were exact duplicates. Even found the pieces they were duplicates of. Not helpful at all. Chris looked up their website, and we sent in a complaint. They responded almost immediately. I had to fill out their form, and they will send a replacement in 2 to 4 weeks. Meanwhile, I guess we’ll stay away from the place the pieces are missing from - Olympic National Park (wherever that is) - until they iron out the holes in their program.

 

I did venture out into the frigid morning air for a brief constitutional. 41 degrees with a windchill of 35. Actually, I went out to see if we had any tree limbs down after the storm. There were a few, all small ones. Made a short stack to be picked up and placed by the street. Hmm. Short stack. Sounds yummy.

 

Psalms 19:14 says, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

 

Father, thanks again for your protection through the storms … of all kinds.  Amen.

 

January 25 - “Storms”

Well, I had an early morning. No, really early. My back decided to awaken me with a desire to have a chat. At 2:30 a.m.  Now, I like mornings, but that was not my favorite time to wake up. I finally managed to doze fitfully in the recliner for the rest of the night, right up until Chris showed up around 7. I’m anxious to try out that shot on Monday.

 

The weather arrived. With a vengeance. I don’t mean it just rained, although it did that. In fact, it rained sideways for a while. Yep. Bad thunderstorms and even a tornado watch all day. At one point I was at the front door watching it come down sideways and blow an absolute gale when I heard a thud. And shortly after, what should blow by the front door, but our trash can. Two cars had to swerve to avoid it as it blew past. I took off my glasses and hearing aids. Chris got me a poncho and I took off. It was already filling with water, but I hurried to grab it and started the drag home as fast as I could run. An extremely loud clap of thunder scared the wee-waddlings out of me, and I almost gave up. I kept to the task, though, and managed to get the can back to the house. Whew.

 

Other than the little tornado affair, there was one huge accomplishment around here. After 40 plus years, Chris finally got her wedding ring off. Every time she goes in for a medical procedure, they give her a hard time about having it on. She has tried numerous times over the years and never could remove it. So … victory.

 

1 Chronicles 29:11 says, “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”

 

Father, thank you for getting us through this storm safely. Amen.

January 24 - “30 to 70%”

Yesterday Chris once again solemnly announced, “Well, I have to get my eye drops started.” I knew the drill by this time. I slowly creaked forward in my office chair. I reached out to pick up my phone on the desk to open the timer. As it opens, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a message from Siri. It was suggestion. “How about starting a 3-minute timer.” Now how did Siri know?

 

Chris had an appointment. ENT doc up in Texas. They’re the ones that made her do the big all-day test that made her sick, followed by the eye physical therapy that made her sick - remember Sick with Nick?  The newest prescription? Take Vitamin B Complex in exchange for the Sick with Nick rendezvous. Come back in two months. Good time for checkup just before we get on a long plane ride.

 

On the way home we stopped at Target. The item we wanted was hanging in the clearance rack. 39-70% off. Done. We took our purchase to check out. Eagle-eye Chris was watching. It came up regular price.

 

Chris: “Umm. That was supposed to be 30-70% off”

Checker: “How much?”

Me: “30-70% off.”

Checker: “So 30%”

Me: “It said 30-70%off”

Checker: “Oh, clearance. How about 35%?”

Me: “Well, if we get to barter, it did say 30-70%”

Me and Chris: “How about 70%?”

Checker: “We can do that.”

 

Score one for Target customer satisfaction.

 

Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”

 

Father, thank you for small victories in retail establishments. Amen.

January 23 - “Right One”

Great start to our day. Kel stopped by on his way to church and dropped off a crockpot full of roast for lunch after church. Made for a promising morning.

 

Church went well again, of course. As long as the right one is in charge, that should be the case. “Right One” is of course, God.

 

Back to the food situation, the roast was, indeed, very good. Roast and new potatoes and carrots. By the way, why do they call them “new” potatoes?  Does that mean the big ones are “old potatoes”?

 

I had plans to watch the University of Houston basketball game. They are ranked number one in the nation, and I haven’t seen them play yet. But I ran into a snag. The playoff football game that was on at the same time was happening in Buffalo.  It’s not that I particularly cared about that game. But at game time it was pouring down … snow! And I like a good snow game. I flipped back and forth until it became apparent that U of H was in real danger. Sure enough, they ended up losing by just a point when their last shot didn’t fall. No idea what happened in the snow game. It was just fun to watch.

 

Noa and Ezra made some real progress on the jigsaw puzzle. That helped when Chris and I joined the effort last night. Long way to go.

 

Matthew 16:24 says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

 

Father, thank you for the wildly different ways you reveal yourself through the weather. Snow. Sunshine. Awesome. Just awesome. Amen.

January 22 - “I figured it out”

Was that ever an odd, backwards kind of day. I was up around 4:30. Happens a lot lately. But for some reason I was able to get into a flow. I got quite a bit of desk work done (Been working on revising our wills since the last time we did that we were living in Mansfield and had to assign someone to raise our kids in the event of our deaths) before I even attempted my usual early morning nap at my desk. The nap finally materialized as I found a somewhat comfortable position in my chair. But before long Chris woke up and came in.

 

The rest of the day was very lazy all around. It was cold and rainy outside, perfect weather for the very tasty homemade potato soup Chris put together. And even more perfect weather for watching basketball and working on a new jigsaw puzzle. Lazy day.

 

Oh, and I figured out the perfect medical diagnosis for what Chris has been going through (other than the obvious heart stuff).  Still not sure I should reveal it to her, though.  It’s just so simple, after all she has gone through. The terminology has been around for years and years. I just never had occasion to look it up until now. Are you ready? I am convinced she has … “fits of the vapors.”  Look it up.

 

Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

 

Father, thank you for giving Sam a post-infusion night without the really bad side effects. It sure made her happy. Amen.

January 21 - “Chasing some squirrels"

Sam was back in the spotlight again this time. She had another infusion up in League City at the Deke Slayton Cancer Center. The doc kind of cut back on the dose this time to see if she could tolerate it a little better. He also made sure she had some nausea medicine included.

 

I stayed in the waiting area while Chris went back with Sam. My intention was to read some in my latest book. And maybe catch a few winks.  Didn’t get a fast start though. Instead, I spent a few minutes texting back and forth with my friend Gary up in Minnesota. And for anyone who might stumble across our text stream, it would appear we both were “chasing some squirrels,” as they say. We went from Chris’ favorite song (Gary had several possibilities starring eyes in honor of Chris’ eye surgeries - you know, “I can see clearly now,” or “I only have eyes for you”), to Gary having afib, to me scolding him for lying (get it? A Fib?), to the rat poison he takes to thin his blood (his words, not mine), to Son of Flubber (don’t ask me!), to model T, to the model T running on rat poison. Whew!  And all in one stream.

 

I also had a chance to chat briefly with Dale from church. He was there for his treatment as well. And mixed all in between those conversations was the text stream I had going with Chris. She was keeping me updated on the progress behind the infusion walls. Hard to get in a nap this time around.

 

Just before Chris and Sam emerged, I tried once again to read a little in the novel I brought. To no avail. The cleaning lady saw me and, never slowing down from accomplishing her task, asked, “Do you like to read?”  I answered in the affirmative, expecting that to be the end of it. But she had one more thought to share with me. In her thick accent and behind the confines of her mask, she commented, “I like to read, too. I like to read the Bible.”  I grinned my best no-mask grin and assured her that I enjoyed reading that book as well. She simply nodded and hurried on her way.

 

James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

 

Father, please be with that cleaning lady as she goes about her duties. Thank you for her commitment to your word. Amen.

January 20 - “Sick Nick”

Chris was first up yesterday. She had another physical therapy appointment for her eyes. Before she left, she expressed rather strongly her intention to make this her very last one. In her words, “I’m sick of Nick making me sick.”  OK. To Nick’s credit, it was his job to make her do things to challenge her body to get through the times when she feels like she is going to pass out. How else can you do that except to put those eyes through their paces?  Well, let’s just say he once again lived up to his nickname, Sick Nick. Oh, and what happened with the cutting him loose? Nope. One more visit. Training is hard.

 

It’s been fascinating to hear from quite a few people who had actually heard of that kitchen syndrome and the table launch pad test (OK.  Yes, I’m talking about P.O.T.S.). Thanks for the info and encouragement, everyone.

 

I did get to leave the house for a while. I had a different kind of appointment. Well, actually, it was my hair that had the appointment. I went along to meet with my phenomenal barber (er, hair stylist?) named Suzanne. She did her usual great job. No hair tickling my ears anymore.

 

Home group was on again, being Thursday night and all. We are well into the life of Samuel now. Well, by “well” I mean he’s at least in his 20’s. And he’s well-respected as a judge. We even did some geography of a battle. Great fun.

 

Psalms 18:2 says, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

 

Father, I guess Chris getting sick is part of her road to eye health. Please give her quick relief.  Amen.

January 19 - “Back to back”

I trudged through my back exercises once again in the morning. So far every time I have done them (3 times a week) I have ended up feeling some degree of miserable by day’s end. Last time my bionic knee started crackling when I moved it. Whatever its issue was, it caused a lot of hurt for the non-bionic parts. Very weird.

 

Good news on the street front. The city crews were on the job by 8:30. Our street is officially repaved and open for business.

 

Chris led off the afternoon with an appointment to see her PCP. It was just a check-in deal. Nothing in particular. She ended up with a Covid booster and a full-blown teaching encounter with a medical student (guess who was doing the teaching!).

 

I followed up with a stint at my newest doc. He’s the pain guy. You know.  The one they call on to give those magic shots in your spine. My appointment was for four. I could have gotten in much earlier, but had to wait on Chris’ aforementioned med student.

 

We finally arrived around 3:30. They called us back fairly quickly. Come to find out, he had had one appointment at 8 a.m.  Mine was scheduled at 4 p.m.  That’s it. Nothing else. Strange scheduling. He pored over my x-rays and MRI’s, and asked a lot of questions. Some of the questions were even directed toward us. He likes to chat things out with himself, too. The bottom line as far as the next step is concerned? He will do two injections to see if that helps at all. If not, then there is some kind of strange new thing where they go in and cauterize the nerve. The theory is, a dead nerve won’t hurt. Yeah. Nope. I guess beyond that we’re back to the neurosurgeon for the three individualized surgeries or the mega-rod implant. Here we go. “Fortunately,” the procedure will take place on January 30th. Ah, January. Yet another large copay. I haven’t totaled them all up yet, but I’m pretty sure we will be passing $2,000 in medical stuff (copays and medication) on the 30th. And it’s just January. What a ride. Wheee!

 

1 Timothy 6:12 says, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

 

Father, thank you that there was an opening for the procedure so quickly. Amen.

January 18 - “Tilt Test”

I woke Chris up at 5 a.m.  She had to be at the hospital by 6:15 to get checked in for the infamous “Tilt Test.”  In a nutshell, they strap her to a bed, hook up leads to monitor her heart, and literally tilt the table to where she is standing (but still strapped in).  The Doc was great with his questions and instructions. My favorite? “If you pass out, let us know.”  Wait … what?

 

She seemed to be doing really well. Except she wasn’t passing out or anything. And then … it struck. Oh, she still didn’t pass out, but she came really close. Nausea. Dizziness. Darkness. Just what they’d hoped for, I guess. The doc stood staring at the screen. The nurse was frantically typing away. Finally, after what seemed like a few very long minutes, the doc said to lower her back down. All done. He didn’t need to see any more.

 

From what he saw during the test, and what he expected from any further tests he could think up, he came to the tentative conclusion that she probably suffers from Kitchen Krash Syndrome. No, really. Something technically called P.O.T.S.  No idea what those letters stand for, or why they didn’t figure out an acronym using P.A.N.S. as well. Basically, she has to drink more water, eat more salt, drink no alcohol, don’t eat heavy meals, and exercise sitting down or swimming. Yeah. Sounded kind of strange to me, too. She said she can’t have salt for blood pressure reasons, so that’s strike one. And she doesn’t intend to stop walking. Strike two. No problem staying away from the booze though. Home run! 

 

1 John 5:14 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

 

Father, give these docs the wisdom to wade through tests and results and hospital craziness to figure out what to do with us. Amen.

January 17 - “Testing … Testing”

I’m still working hard on the big Texas jigsaw puzzle. I had to shift it around so the whole thing would fit on the table. I started from the inside out, but I almost have the entire edge done now.

 

Did the Cowboys actually do that? Knocked Tom Brady out of the playoffs in the first round? Wow.

 

That’s all for now. Chris has another big test at 6:15 this morning. Leaving soon.

 

Hebrews 12:14 says, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

 

Father, please be with Chris through this test today. Amen.

January 16 - “Off and on”

There was a great crowd at church. Pastor Kel started a teaching series on the book of Micah. Worship pastor Jim sang a Casting Crowns song, my favorite current musical group. And to top it off, we had tamales among the myriad of other offerings at dinner on the grounds. That’s a good day right there.

 

In the afternoon, I worked on my jigsaw puzzle off and on, watched football playoffs (again, off and on … mostly off), and listened in as Chris and Sam had a big powwow on quilting. Not that I understood what they were talking about. The three of us watched a new movie starring Reba McIntyre where she is the new judge in her small Nevada hometown. Felt like one of those two hour pilot episodes for a new series.

 

Later, Chris and I managed to sneak in another movie that we had taped. Hallmark RomCom, of course. Then I ended up watching the end of the football game before I went to bed. Chris had already crashed before me. So had Freddy. In our bed. About two inches from Chris’ face. I helped her to her own bed so we could all get a little sleep.

 

Psalms 143:8 says, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”

 

Father, thank you for one more day. Amen.

 

January 15 - “Pssst. It’s her birthday”

I dove into working on my newest jigsaw puzzle yesterday. This one is in the shape of the state of Texas. Inside the state boundaries are all kinds of images of things that I guess define Texas. A few of the Galveston statutes made the cut.

 

Last night we joined some other friends at Salsas for a little birthday celebration dinner for Cailyn. We had to wait in line for over an hour, but finally got a table for the ten of us. The food was good. Everyone seemed to have a great time. Cailyn was especially blessed when the guy next to me caught the attention of the waitress and did the whole “Pssst.  It’s her birthday” thing.  It wasn’t long before the whole server team showed up and plopped a huge sombrero on Cailyn’s head and sang a terribly off-key rendition of “Happy birthday to you.”  It was … wonderful?

 

Isaiah 43:18-19 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

 

Father, thank you for Cailyn. Keep her close to you. Amen.

 

January 14 - “Suddenly, there came a crash”

We were reveling in our day off from doctors’ appointments.

 

Suddenly, there came a crash at the front floor. Well, more like a knock. But it was loud. Chris approached the offending racket, only to find a very large gentleman standing there, wrapped head to toe in very warm clothing. And his top layer was bright yellow and black. Yep. It was a City of Galveston worker. He was bearing the notification that they were about to begin laying asphalt on our street. Finally. But it meant I had to move the truck out of the way. So I moved the car as well, just in case. As it turned out, they ran out of asphalt before they ever reached our house. Now there is one strip of asphalt down the very center of about half our street. And it’s a holiday weekend, so guess it’ll be Tuesday before they resume. Unless they get a better offer …

 

Josh called us for his regular Friday check-in. He was out running with MaddieBelle. Well, she was running, anyway. He expressed concern for our respective ailments, both for the pain involved as well as the financial strain of the myriad of co-pays involved in the multiple procedures. We, in turn, queried as to the outcomes of the multiple sporting events accumulating in their lives. It is basketball season, after all.

 

Jachin came over to finish up the yard work he started a few days ago. He brought along a helper this time. Six-year-old Ezra. He more than earned his keep, too. He kept us hilariously entertained. I especially loved the way he would preface some story he had to tell with the words, “Did you know?” Great opening there, Ezra. Keep that one ever in your back pocket.

 

Last night we had a chance to break in the new grill I got for Christmas. Boneless pork chops. I know. Interesting first go at a new cooker. But we figured they wouldn’t take as long as chicken, and Sam doesn’t really eat beef. It lit up quickly. Great auto-start mechanism. They cooked evenly and tasted great. Thanks to my boys and their families for a great gift.

 

Proverbs 21:21 says, “Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.”

 

Father, thank you for the fun we had with Ezra today. And thanks for the work Jachin put in. It’s hard to admit when we need help. Amen.

January 13 - “Bendin’, Stoopin’, and Liftin’”

Back at it with Chris for an early morning appointment. Well, 9 am. Not that early. It was her one week recheck after her eye surgery.

 

After we checked in, they put us in a little waiting room. We declared it to be the party room. One guy was already there, but he left soon after. Before long an older couple made their way in. We struck up a conversation with them. They arrived for their appointment by taxi from a residential center on 61^st street, across the street from the Randall’s we use. (We later offered them a ride home, but their daughter was on her way to pick them up). 

 

Another lady joined us as well. I mentioned that she must be the representative of the younger set.  She chuckled and said, “Well, I don’t know about that. I’m 77 years old.”  Not to be outdone, the first lady retorted, “Well, I’m 83 and my husband here is 93.”  We sat in quiet awe. Welcome to “The Younger Set,” Chris and Kelley. 

 

All went well with the appointment. Chris is seeing through that eye at 20-40, because she has a touch of astigmatism (kind of like rheumatism of the eyeball, I guess).  Easily corrected to 20-20 with glasses. She also signed up to have the other eye done in a few weeks. Goal is to have them both done and in glasses before Hawaii. In the meantime, she has been cleared for Dippin’, Dancin’, and Drivin’.  Wait. That’s not right. Oh, here it is, Bendin’, Stoopin’, and Liftin’.  I knew I had at least one right …

 

Oh wait. An hour or so after we got home Chris checked out the doctor’s notes on her My Chart page. Apparently, in her mind somewhere, the doc thought she had said “NO bending or stooping or heavy lifting for another week.”  Good thing we didn’t hear that.

 

Actually, Chris did double check to clarify. Bending is OK. Just be careful.  Stooping is OK. Just be careful. And hold off on the heavy lifting for another week. Got it.

 

Matthew 5:43-44 says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”

 

Father, thank you for the good report on Chris’ eyes. Oh, and please be with those folks we met in the “Party Room.”  Amen.

January 12 - “Gives us an edge”

I have officially started a new jigsaw puzzle. When Jachin was here doing yardwork, Chris asked him to move our table back inside. I started out easy. Easy on three fronts, actually. First, it only has 500 pieces. Second, we have done this one before, although it has been a long time ago. Finally, it’s all about Galveston. I figure that gives us an edge.

 

Chris had the doc appointment of the day. This one was with her sleep doc. Seems she had an extremely mild case of sleep apnea (Her number was 8.1, when normal is 5 and under).  The C-pap has been taking care of that number easily. Down to a 1 when she uses it. He showed her how to adjust the hydrating part of the machine, but he didn’t think it would make a difference for her dry mouth. Now it’s up to the heart doc whether she continues to use it or not.

 

From there we took Sam over to her appointment. She was scheduled for an MRI on her knee. Not far down the road. Now she has to wait and see what her doc says as well.

 

We stopped at Olive Garden for dinner. We just missed the lunch-sized portions, so we now have some pretty good-looking leftovers to chow down on.

 

Habakkuk 2:14 says, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

 

Father, thank you that Sam was able to get the MRI on her knee that she wanted. And thanks for the positive report for Chris from the sleep doc. Amen.

 

January 11 - “Approaching the Big One”

I win again! Two days in a row. Not that it’s such a wonderful accomplishment. I just mean I had the earliest doctor’s appointment.

 

In a nutshell, this new neurosurgeon verified the diagnosis I had from the guy who just retired: “your back is really messed up.”  Sam loved that one. It’s comparable to her knee diagnosis.

 

Oh. You want me to be a little more specific? Three main places on my spinal column have bulging discs. He seemed most worried about the thoracic one, because it was pinching into the spinal cord itself. If that one gets worse it would cause me to spontaneously fall on my face, which would be quite entertaining and probably hilarious. Just painful as well, but in a different way.

 

But that’s not really where my pain is right now. Right now it hurts down in the lumbar region. He did say that I am approaching the final stages before the “big surgery.”  That’s the one where they stick a rod in there, top to bottom, to hold the whole thing in place and remove pressure from the discs altogether. But not just yet. One option is surgery like I have had before to remove the three offending discs. The preferred starting point, though, is to go to a pain doctor for a shot or two. And continue the physical therapy. So that’s the next step. But to make early preparations, he did send me for some x-rays to determine what degree of scoliosis I have so that they can figure out what size rod to implant when the time comes.

 

Romans 3:25 says, “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished”

 

Father, thank you for a neuro doc that I like and feel like I can trust. Amen.

January 10 - “Discs in disarray”

Early morning was my turn again. I had a new physical therapy appointment. This time it was for my back. Seemed kind of ahead of the game to go before I see the neurosurgeon, but I guess it is a good idea to go ahead and get the initial observations done. And she “found it.” It didn’t take long for the manipulations to trigger the pain. And that was before she asked me to lie flat on my back. At that point it was “all she wrote,” so to speak. She was confused as to why moving the opposite side leg caused such pain. She did her best to uncover some exercises to help out, but she really felt like the neurosurgeon was gonna order a shot in my back. My discs are all in a state of disarray. We’ll see what the big doc says today.

 

When I got home Jachin, the Yard Guy was here. He had piles of leaves raked all over the front yard, and he told me when he picked up the leaf scoops Janell lent us that he felt like some kind of superhero. Rakeman. Bad leaves, beware. Rakeman is coming for you. He did a really good job. Coming back Friday to finish up.

 

Chris made homemade chicken and dumplings for dinner. One of her specialties. It’s a big pot, but I don’t think it’ll last long. Good stuff.

 

Last night I kind of plopped down in front of the TV to watch the national championship football game. It became evident early that the announcers were all for Georgia. Great example. TCU connects on a long, uncovered pass. Announcers’ take? Georgia’s defense broke down or that never would have happened. Later, Georgia connects on an almost identical long uncovered pass. Announcers’ take this time? What a clever offensive play call. If I wasn’t already rooting for TCU (just because they are from Texas), I definitely would have switched allegiance to them after that little disparity. Don’t get me wrong. Georgia was clearly a better team on the field in that game. Kudos to them on the championship.

 

Acts 3:19 says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”

 

Father, thank you for chicken soup and college excitement and a physical therapist committed to doing the best she can with what she’s got to deal with. Amen.

January 9 - “North to Alaska??”

Great crowd at church yesterday. 60+ brave souls were to here to hear Pastor Kel’s state of the church address. After church we went to a meeting of those interested in going on the mission trip to Alaska in May. We will be preparing meals for missionaries in a week of training, as well as helping with a Vacation Bible School for the kiddos. Cost will be in the neighborhood of $2,000 per person, but there will be fundraisers to help defray that cost as much as possible. Looks like at least 15 people were pretty seriously interested. Even most of our youth group was getting the information. Deposits are due February 5th.

 

Guess I should back up a bit and share what I know about my back MRI. The results were posted on My Chart this afternoon, so Chris started trying to decipher the lingo. Once she got a handle on it, she translated to me. Her storied medical evaluation? “Your back is really messed up.”  Well, yeah. Guess I’ll find out from the neurosurgeon on Tuesday if there is anything I can get done to get some relief.

 

After church Chris, Cailyn, Sam and I went to lunch at Pit Stop Barbecue. We then took Sam home so she could get some rest. Cailyn and Chris and I sat in the office for about an hour, chatting and planning which tic tok we were gonna play at Nana’s funeral. Just kidding. Chris despises TicTok. She warned us that she would rise from the coffin …

 

Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

Father, thank you for a great day at church. And thanks for the ones who expressed interest in going to Alaska. Please help us as we work to raise the $30,000 or so to get us there. Amen.

 

January 8 - “Back in”

We started our day at the first Saturday breakfast fundraiser at church. All proceeds go to our mission partners in Alaska. This time the money will help to pay the expenses of the team traveling to Alaska in May to assist the Humphries family at a missionary training event they are hosting.

 

The breakfast this time was pancakes and bacon. There were also some sausage biscuits. Goooood stuff. Brennan and Josiah and Ezra were the rock stars this time. They stood out by the street with a poster they made and, if all things, to-go boxes. They held up the poster and waved the boxes to get cars’ attention. It worked on more than a few occasions. I chatted with two guys who were on their way fishing. They stopped because of the kids. And after we talked about the Humphries and their ministry, one guy quietly slipped me a $100 bill to add to the pot. That’s some pretty valuable pancakes!  Another young lady from Chicago was in Galveston with a friend just to walk on the beach. They also added a little more to their original contribution once they found out some details about the ministry. We raised well over $500 on the day. Way to go, kids and cooks and those who just took some time to chat.

 

Oh, here’s another cool ministry event that happened while we were there. Cathy brought Sam’s cat up to see her. Sam has been missing that kitty. As for whether Kitty has been missing Sam? Well … it’s a cat. Who knows?

 

Last night we headed up to League City for me to have not one, but two MRI’s on my back - one thoracic and one lumbar. Gotta throw another kink in our process, or in Chris’ words, open another can of worms. This is an old one, though. Now, I have had MRI’s before.  Lots of them. But this back-to-back, thoracic/lumbar action nearly got me. For the first time in my career I pushed the panic button. Not because I was getting claustrophobic. Nope. This was out and out pain. My lower back seized up, and I couldn’t get it to settle down. I tried all the tricks. Counting. Deep breathing and slow exhaling. Discreetly shifting my legs. Nothing helped. She pulled me out, but she was almost done with the thoracic scan, so she said don’t move your upper back. She added a pillow or two under my legs and said if I moved then, she would have to redo a large portion. I told her to finish it out, so back in I went for five more minutes. Fortunately, she pulled me out again and let me stretch before beginning the lumbar one. I sat up and stretched until the spasm eased.  She offered to reschedule, but I was determined to get it done. Back in. And before long … yep. The spasm was back. I endured, though. Made it. Though apparently, barely. When I came into the waiting room, Chris said I looked, in her professional opinion, “all pale and all hunched over.” Sure hope this ordeal shows something.

 

1 John 4:9 says, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”

 

Father, please give my docs the wisdom to find out what can be done for my back. Amen.