Good News! – There really is something wrong according to the MRI. It isn't all in my head!   On Thursday, September 4^th, I went to a pain doctor to which my family doctor had referred me. According to the MRI I have two back problems going on at the same time. The one problem which has been the most excruciating and crippling has been in my right side, and it is a condition called costochondritis.

This coming week on Thursday, the 11^th , I'll be under sedation ... it will take about 15 minutes for him to give injections into the interior border of the right rib cage...He believes that should take care of the pain pretty soon.  

The other problem that I have is spinal stenosis, due to the aging process …narrowing of the spinal column that causes pressure on the spinal cord, or narrowing of the openings (called neural foramina) where spinal nerves leave the spinal column. This is what is causing the pain in the back. Sometime after the first procedure, he will treat that by way of epidural steroid... and then when that is done, I'll have physical therapy.

Thank you to each of you who have been keeping up with me via e-mail, FB, or here on Xanga. Thank you to Dr. Zakiah, who urged me to ask for an MRI. After my doctor returned from his vacation, he was shocked to see how badly I was hurting. (The stenosis was all that was hurting prior to his going.) After the insurance turned me down for the MRI, he went to them a second time and got them to agree to my having the MRI. I'm “hanging in there” and hopeful that there will be much less pain to deal with after next week's procedure.

On another note – a couple of new types of flowers have shown up in my garden! If you compare this picture with the one in the last post, you'll see -- this one is more blurred, but also .... there are three new kinds to the right -- tall light lavender, then another yellow kind, and then a blue, and then more of the white ones (which were there before, but not as many. I don't know names of any of them, but I get so much pleasure from them!

 Also, September is a BIG birthday month for our family. I  mentioned in the last post that Mom has a birthday, but  my husband had a lovely birthday on Sept. 3^rd. He doesn't  like a big deal made about birthdays, but my mom is all  about BIG celebrations. So I told them both to  compromise... and I fixed him a nice meal he liked,I game  him a bag of candy & nuts (notice he acts really thrilled  about the new plastic bag he can now use as a trash liner -  while the contents lie on the table), and Mom enjoyed  giving him a card, and some nice shirts and a pair of pants.  I got to order them on line for her ... such pretty colors...  the pants look black, but are actually navy blue. They both  were happy with the event and the gifts. Oh, and we sang  to him, and he sang along … to himself, then we ate pie  (he prefers that over cake).

 We have two more  birthdays coming up:  our younger son  Shaun's on the 10^th,  and their older  daughter  Tristen's  10^th birthday  on the 24^th. . . plus Shaun &  Melissa's anniversary on the 28^th.  

Any of you have certain months in your family that are especially big birthday (& other celebrations) months?   

The following is a free verse poem I wrote just now, inspired by my gratefulness to God.

               Blessings

Faith in God, Family and Friends

Meaningful things with which to keep occupied -

That help to keep one's mind off of self (& pain).

Fun things to do – word games, books to read, and more -

Bible study, prayer, journalling, and communicating with others

to encourage them – and that comes back as well.

All of these things are blessings … and there are always so many

more that can be counted too!

Thank You Lord, for always being there for me!

 ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!
Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. (Isaiah 26:3-4, NLT)

And where did August go?  I have been pretty much a "shut in" since late July. The last time I was at church (July 20th) it was extremely painful to sit in the pew, standing, walking out, etc. I have had various and sundry treatments for my back/side pain; I finally had an MRI a couple of weeks ago, and I have an appointment with a pain specialist in a couple of days. I really wasn't sure just what to post, but hopefully I'll know something by the end of this week.

Meanwhile, I have kept pretty busy even while spending most of my time working from bed or an easy chair. I have been working diligently on a schedule/calendar of appointments for a dear friend from India who will be visiting with us from September 18th through 23rd. I have also been plotting and planning a surprise for my mom. Her 90th birthday is on September 18, and we are having a family birthday which she knows about -- this will also give my sister - Kailas -from India an opportunity to see our adult children and grandchildren (for the first time to see our younger son, his wife, & kiddos -- last time she saw him ... he was in high school).       

As for the surprise(s)? I am asking Mom's friends to "shower" her with birthday cards...and I am hosting an open house at our home for Mom's birthday, so that some of the family and friends can visit with her in person and enjoy some of her cakes & ice cream with her. Her favorite cake is Texas cake, which we definitely will have! I'm also having a sheet cake made for her that will be decorated to show some of her important life events.

I haven't been to my group Bible study, but have continued with the study here at home, as well as my own personal Bible studies. Mom has been able to continue going, thanks to one of our friends picking her up each week. I have typed up and sent out via email, the prayer requests that the ladies submit in writing each week, so that has allowed me to be able to still contribute some.  Also each week I read the printed material and type out the study questions to email to Mom.

I have continued to post some things to Facebook, and I haven't taken as many pictures. I am going to try to blog again some anyway. I have enough newsy things that I may try an every few days approach with some of the news spread out.

I know that until Mom's surprise open house is over, and also until Kailas leaves us to go back to India I will be pretty busy! I definitely will have some more stories and pictures to post then!  Here are some pictures that I can share with those of you who do not "do" Facebook: (#1&2) Even though I haven't been able to water my gardens, God has sent us lots of rain (as well as the sunshine) -- & my flowers I planted are blooming beautifully, and the few vegetables I planted are starting to produce as well. Picture #3: With my being able to do less, Mom has been pushing her limits more, and has found that she is able to do more than before. Here she is one day when I found out she'd gone outside to the porch, down the stairs, and out for a short walk to the driveway (& since... even a little bit down the sidewalk in front of the house). So there have been (as there always are) things that have worked out well (because/or in spite of) as a result of my time of being less able to do things!  

There are other pictures and news to share, but I'll wait until the next post and come over for a little visit to see what you all have been up to the past month- plus.  I'm pretty tired now, but I'll be visiting you starting Wed.