We Got A Lot of 'Splainin' to Do...

Where have Mike and Gerri been?  Wow!!  That’s a long story so I won’t bore you with all the details but the short version goes something like this.                              

Mike has continued to really suffer with these ruptured discs.  His leg is painful and the top of his foot extremely painful.  He's been doing spinal decompression along with laser and Estem treatments.  He still cannot wear long pants because anything touching his leg gives way to pain and he's been wearing flip flops because nothing can touch the top of his foot...very sensitive to touch.  He had a lumbar epidural two weeks ago and he feels like it helped some.  He can now wiggle his toes and has some feeling in the big toe. He is scheduled for another September 13th.  It has become quite obvious that this will take some time.          

During all of this I have been doing the chores for both of us.  As you all know, we have a young Golden that at this time was learning to walk on the leash and be a "good boy".  Well, he pulled a bit whenever I would walk him and low and behold the back of my knee began to hurt whenever I was walking.  I didn't pay too much attention to it....just kept on going.  Until.... one day I was in a bit of a hurry and got into the truck a little too fast and felt a pop or snap in the back of my knee.  I grabbed it and screamed because the pain was immense.  I couldn't walk...not a bit.  I got home and managed to get out of the truck which wasn't a pretty sight but I got out.  I also had to butt scoot up the RV steps to get inside.  I got in bed where I remained for 6 days....yes, you read that right, 6 days!!  I elevated the leg, iced it on schedule, compressed it from time to time and mainly just rested it.  I couldn't go to the doctor yet because I couldn't get into the truck.  The nurse I talked to felt that what I was doing was good and didn't sound like anything was broken or fractured so I could wait a few days to see the orthopedic doctor.  It turns out that when my appointment day came I still couldn't get into the truck so we rented a car for the occasion.                

The doctor took a few x-rays and did his exam of the knee and then asked me why I felt it was a knee problem?  Oh my!!  Maybe because that's where the pain is and where I heard and felt that awful pop/snap??  He said he felt it was my back, osteoarthritis and a weak hamstring.  I have continued to improve each day and no longer have to use crutches.  It took the longest time to figure out those RV steps.  I googled this...you know you can google anything these days.  It said to use the heaven/hell approach.  The good leg is heaven and it goes UP the steps.  The bad leg is hell and it goes DOWN the steps.  I tried it and it works!!

Today was physical therapy day!!!  The therapist did her own exam of the knee and concurred it was osteoarthritis, a weak hamstring and IT Band Syndrome...which means Iliotibial band.  This is the pain I felt on the right side of the knee and behind the knee each time I would walk and probably what I felt "snap" when I got into the truck.  She saw no evidence of a back problem...Yay!!            

So this is what we have been doing for nearly a month!!   I apologize for not being on the blogs lately.  I (we) have read your blogs but just have both been too tired and hurting to be on line long enough to write comments.  Hopefully, we are getting back in the saddle again.         

We did manage during some of the time before my injury to get to the pier in Fairhope and see some beautiful sunsets and cloud formations.  Since we haven't traveled anywhere except to the hospital, doctor's offices and physical therapy I thought I would spare you that excitement and instead share some of our evenings on the pier at Mobile Bay!!  I hope you enjoy...we sure did. 

            

 

Today on Facebook my friend, Ruth Hiebert wrote this....

"God writes the Gospel, not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in flowers and clouds and stars".                 

Thank you, Ruth for that insight!!!  He sure does!!!