BACK TO WORK --- SORT OF

A Recovery Still In Progress

The last time that I actually sat down to write was some time ago but that never made it off of the cutting floor. The last time I published I wrote:

I have been a bit missing in action due to a worsening of a prior back injury which will be addressed beginning tomorrow morning in what my surgeon calls “A big surgery.” “big” is defined as two day’s beginning tomorrow morning with a vascular surgeon to clear the way for the orthopedic surgeon who will open from the front to allow the orthopedic surgeon to weave his magic and do some extensive repair work of my lumbar spine. That will be followed the next morning when the orthopedic surgeon opens from the back to stabilize what he did from the front.

This is what my lumbar spine looked on that day, April 28, 2925:

And this is what it looked like on the afternoon of April 29,2025:

AND on the afternoon of April 30th this was added from the back:

It has not been nor does it continue to be a “fun” recovery. It was in fact most likely as difficult for my dear wife to endure as it has been for me to experience. The great salvation of this period has been three marvelous and gifted Medical Massage Therapists one of whom specializes in Manual Lymphatic Drainage. There is, of course, the skill of the physical therapists without whom recovery would not be possible.

Thank you all, Fran, Laura, Ashley and the crew at Oxford PT; Robbie, Mike, and Dhillon. I made a terrible omission. Stacie who volunteered her time, knowledge, and skill was the first among all therapists to get me on the road to recovery. Most of all, thank you Phyll. Now, I just need to be able to sleep like a normal person.

Union, Kentucky

5 July 2025