Good News! – There really is something wrong according to the MRI. It isn't all in my head! On Thursday, September 4th, 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 11th , 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. 3rd. 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 10th, and their older daughter Tristen's 10th birthday on the 24th. . . plus Shaun & Melissa's anniversary on the 28th.
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)
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