Mortal Bodies-- Part Two

Part One ended with my visit to Dr. Neville the week before our trip.  He ordered a MRI to be done prior to our trip--just to make sure things were stable enough for the trip and that there was no nerve damage.  Obviously he cleared me to go on the trip with instructions to be seen by the Spine Clinic on my return.

I managed the trip and all of the walking--sometimes around 15,000 steps or more a day.  I occasionally passed on climbing up steps if my leg was not feeling up to it and standing still was the most painful.  So I leaned against a lot of buildings or lamp posts when waiting for taxis or buses.  When I got home, I was exhausted as typical after a trip but it was just a bit more intense getting back into the swing of things.

My visit to the Spine Clinic was useful.  I do have herniated disks on the lower end of my spinal column as well as arthritis down my spine.  They had me begin physical therapy twice a week and suggested that I get a shot in my spine to reduce the inflammation in the disk which they believed was causing the most of my symptoms in my hip and leg.  Because of my schedule, I had to wait about two weeks for that shot.  I was very nervous about it--the idea of putting anything in my spine seems a bit scary.  But it was easy and after 3-4 days it made a great difference in my pain in my hip and leg which has continued until now.

When I went back for my follow-up appointment, the doctor told me that if a back surgeon saw my MRI he would schedule surgery.  However, he feels it more important to base it on my daily functioning which is much better. He also said that I can have the shot every 3-6 months if needed for the rest of my life.  Since I am not eager for back surgery and also knowing that the arthritis will have to be managed anyway, I am totally in support of that plan.  The shot only works for about 50%of the people who get it so I feel very grateful that I have relief from the pain and the weakness in my leg.  I still have tingling in my foot and leg, but even that has improved dramatically.  I finished physical therapy a couple of weeks ago as well.

I now know more about the back and spine than I wanted to know, but that is part of what getting older can mean.  And I know that we have been very blessed in our lives to avoid many of the health problems which people we know and love have to manage every day.

Our neighbor who works in the Ogden Temple shared that following comment that she overheard when two men greeted each other in the temple.  "How are you doing?"  The reply:  "Nothing that won't be cured in the Resurrection!"  Yep, these are mortal things, not forever things.