The procedure involved a series of lidocaine injections to numb my lower back, followed by four injections of steroids and an anesthetic into the right and left canals above and below my bulging disk. Twenty minutes later, I was without pain for the first time in three years. That's the upside.
The downside is that this initial procedure was a fact-finding mission. It was designed to determine if this was the most effective spot for the injections and to see what the results would be. And, as good as they were, it may only last for 48 hours. I have another appointment in two weeks to review the results and go after a more aggressive set of injections that should buy me a longer period relief. Some folk, according to the doctor, get a few days' relief from the initial injections. Some get less that 48 hours.
At present, I'm still relatively comfortable, although my mid-back continues to feel tight and strained. For the first time, I'm realizing that my lower and mid-back problems may not be directly related. Since the MRI only showed my lower back, there may be another problem a bit higher up. But, one thing at a time. I can live with an achy back. Pain is another thing.
Anyway, as Megan and I were sitting in the car together outside the doctor's office yesterday, I was confessing to her that I was a bit scared and hopeful. Hopeful for a good result and scared that there would be no real cure. But, I also reminded her that the only good answer to the question "why me?" is "why not you?" I'm no different than anyone else and plenty of people suffer. In the end, you play the hand you're dealt. So, I walked into the waiting room, was ushered into an exam room, and sat waiting for the doctor while flipping through the April 2010 edition of the New Yorker magazine. And there I came across the following cartoon.
The irony was thick. Or perhaps it was just a bit of providence, reminding me of what I had just told my daughter. By the way, if you go to that particular pain clinic and sit in that particular exam room and pick up that particular magazine, you'll find that that particular cartoon was torn from the page so I could scan it and share it with you. :-)
So, all in all, things are okay. The kids and I are packing our bags and loading the car, preparing for our trip down to Tuscaloosa to spend Thanksgiving with my mom. I used to really enjoy car trips. Hopefully, the comfort I bought yesterday will last through the next few days. If not, I'm thankful that my daughter is a good driver.
Finally, at this time of year it's good to slow down, take a deep breath, look around at how blessed we've been this year, and give God His proper thanks and praise. Once again we'll eat good food, laugh alot, enjoy our families, and remember that life is a gift -- each and every second of it. The good, the bad, the joy, the pain, the gains, the losses. They are all designed to make us into the people we are.
So have a good time. Be thankful. And enjoy. Real life will intrude again very soon. And I'll be sitting here at this computer, doing my part to remind us all that God is on His throne doing whatever seems good Him when it does.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. And thank you for being you.
Grace, peace, and all good things,
Pastor Jim
