It has been a little over a week since I last posted to this blog. I apologize but there really hasn’t been anything new or exciting to report. It’s getting old for me to write about my aching back, the numbness in my feet, my lack of mobility and having trouble sleeping. This wasn’t my plans for this blog for sure. But anyway, I did see the specialist this past Tuesday and this coming Tuesday, August 3rd, Barbie will take me to the Mountain Lakes Hospital for my 9:00am appointment. They will take me to the ER where Dr. Long will give me an lumbar epidural steroid injection. In this approach, a steroid is injected directly around the dura, the sac around the nerve roots that contains cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that the nerve roots are bathed in). Prior to the injection, the skin is anesthetized by using a small needle to numb the area in the low back (a local anesthetic). Injecting around the dura sac with steroid can markedly decrease inflammation associated with common conditions such as spinal stenosis, disc herniation or degenerative disc disease. It is thought that there is also a flushing effect from the injection that helps remove or "flush out" inflammatory proteins from around structures that may cause pain. I must take a valium tablet before going to bed the night before and one in the car on the way. I guess that is to relax me. Dr. Long spent 40 minutes with Barbie and I this past Tuesday reviewing my case and explaining the procedure. He seemed confident (70% is the number he used) that this procedure should give me relief from pain and with the reduction of inflamation around the nerve roots, the numbness should start to go away in my feet. He made us feel at ease. So if I could ask each of you to say a little prayer on my behalf, I’d be grateful. I hate asking but I’ll take all the help I can get at this time.
Our Roamin’ Rigs friends, the Gregorys and Wares, stopped by and visited with me since last I wrote. They spent a few days up in Franklin, NC (20 minutes north of us) on their way to Niagra Falls and Canada. It was great seeing them. They also took Barbie out to eat last Sunday at the Dillard House. I had a rough night Saturday so I stayed here in the motorhome but Sandie made sure Barbie brought back plenty of veggies for me to eat.
Barbie continues to be amazing taking care of ALL that needs to be done. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as well. Taking care of me is a pain! Well, ‘til next time……
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