For those of you interested Only in TRAVEL, I (Jack) wrote the blog between MARCH 2010 and October 2010 during our travels west. We saw the most beautiful places and had the best time in our big truck and little trailer. See Blog Archive below.

Nov 29, 2011

MRI Time

Well, I gave the Physical Terrorist and anti-inflamatory a chance and hoped they would do the trick. I was supposed to call the doctor in two weeks (that was October 19th), but held out and finally called him, today.

They'll call me to schedule an MRI. The nurse told me to stop the PT and not to do anything strenuous. I asked if I could go camping and she asked me to hold on while I presume she was asking the doctor. The answer was no so I had to cancel plans to meet friends in south Georgia.

The doctor will call me with the results, and to talk about treatment options. He told me during the visit in October that dependent on the MRI, it might be possible to do a shot in the spine. If, however, he decides to do surgery, I'll be well enough to travel out west by March.

I've had worse pain in my life, and for a much longer period of time before a surgical fix. Still, pain wears one down, mentally, and when it takes away the simple pleasures (and obligations) in life, it starts to get depressing.

This is the last year that Jack and I will be able to travel. He's 10-1/2, now, and thank goodness in very good health. Seems like I picked one end up and dropped the other.

I winterized the trailer, today. Unfortunately, the first year I had it I remembered to bypass the water heater but forgot to drain it. It froze. I need tires before I go and I'd like to have an electric water heater installed, if that's possible.  I managed to blow my eyebrows and eye lashes off and singed my hair trying to light the one that came with the trailer.

Well, here's hoping that whatever the treatment is, I will be able to bail early spring. Maybe even meet two of my best friends out in Yosemite to see the frazil ice!

12 comments:

  1. Sorry the PT didn't work. Hope the next round goes better and you won't need surgery. But if you do then so be it. And you will be back to traveling again.
    Good Luck

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  2. I almost hope he'll skip the shots and go straight to surgery to get this behind me, JoJo

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  3. My son has to get those shots in his spine,,puts off surgery a while. He's had 4 already, and will need another one.
    Wishing you the best, and know how good the surgeries do work.

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  4. Trouble, I had surgery on my cervical spine over 25 years ago. Ended years of horrible pain and haven't had a problem since so, yeah, I'd much rather have the surgery especially if I'm going to be on the road--I want something permanent. Thanks for writing.

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  5. Here's hoping that they can do what it takes to get you feeling better again. Jim sees the doctor again on the 8th and we're hoping he can figure out something to help him.
    We'll keep you in our prayers.

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  6. Sandie, did I miss Jim's MRI results? I was hoping he would get results that would lead to recovery. Pain is NO fun as everyone knows, but you don't really know until you have it long enough to wear you down.

    Thinking of you and Jim. I'm going back to search your blog to see if I missed a post. If I did, I'm very sorry. At one point posts were coming faster than I could read them because I wasn't at the computer as much.

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  7. My son's first words, after the 4th.surgery, was,,NO PAIN... they do miracles now, compared to his first 2.
    Best of luck

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  8. Trouble, I did the exact same thing after my surgery--it's hard for people to believe, but you know, immediately. The pain of surgery is nothing compared to what it was before.

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  9. Well, that's not good. At first I thought you were talking about the dog, which also wouldn't be good, but... I hope everything gets resolved soon and you will be on the road to recovery. Pain that doesn't go away can be such a drain on everything you're doing. :( We need to get You and Jack both well.

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  10. Thanks "ME". Jack, thank goodness is cured. It was a LONG year; my back started in the middle of everything and has gotten progressively worse.

    In the great scheme of things, it's a small thing.

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