Poor Mr. FixIt. He was a rough and tumble guy all his life and he’s paying the price with back pain. We’ve been jumping through the usual hoops…first, Physical Therapy…then, injections (for the last couple of years)…and now, an ablation. If you don’t know what that is, they find the exact nerves that are sending crazy pain signals and then…well, then they torch them. I know, right? It sure doesn’t sound pleasant to me. But they say it should ease his pain tremendously and last for at least a year. I’m sure hoping so, because he’s been miserable for so long and it affects his ability to do a lot of things he loves.
I sat in the cubicle while he was back in the procedure room. The ablation takes about three times as long as the injections so I was prepared with some knitting. Everything was fine, then I heard something on the overhead.
“Stroke alert, Room 16. Stroke alert, Room 16.”
My heart sank. I felt the all too familiar surge of adrenalin course through my body and thought…”No, no, no! Not again!” I took inventory of what was going on around me.
Did the person calling the alert sound like it was an emergency?
No.
Did the staff in the Spine Center seem on alert?
Not at all. It was as though they didn’t even hear it.
I told myself, if they aren’t worried, I’m not worried. But I’m telling ya…I was sure relieved when I heard Mr. FixIt’s sweet voice as they wheeled him back to me. I whispered a quick, “Thank you, Jesus!” and tears stung my eyes.
So, we live to see another day.
He did well. We need to keep ice on for 20 minutes then off for 20 during the first 24 hours. When the numbing wears off, he’s liable to have quite a bit of pain and wonder if he should have done this. But, after the first week, things start to settle down then improve steadily for the first month. I’m hoping this is a good fix for him so he can enjoy life again. He deserves some relief from this incessant pain.
We stopped on the way home and bought six lavender plants for the pollinator gardens. While Mr. FixIt snoozed the afternoon away, I puttered in the back yard with planting things. I mowed the back yard after supper but it had gotten so thick and deep. Our push mower is a piece of junk, so finally I gave up and brought the riding mower into that confined space. It took a lot of maneuvering but it was SO much quicker…even with the time it took to blow the grass off the sidewalks with the leaf blower.
By the time I got all that done, I was beat. I’m glad we don’t have much to do in the coming week!
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“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Proverbs 17:22 NLT
***Gratitude Journal***
Today, I am grateful for the good doctors that care for us. I am grateful God sent us on this journey together so we could be each other’s helpmates through life.