For some of you this will be a recap. For others this may be the first you've heard of any of this.
For some time now I've had some ongoing health issues related to my birth friend Spina Bifida. Going back to 1993 it was discovered that I had developed a problem that typically comes with SB. This condition is called Tethered Cord Syndrome. Basically what this means is that scar tissue resulting from the surgery to correct the SB had become attached to several places that it shouldn't. At that time I had no symptoms of there being a problem with this. It was just more or less there and eventually something would need to be done about it. The risks at that time were high and the doctors told me--and I mean literally they said this--"We'll wait until the TCS cuts off a function. Then we'll do it."
For most of this time I've had no real issues so I went on with my life. A few years ago I began having difficulty walking long distances and standing for long periods of time and began to use a wheelchair as necessary. Also had some physical therapy to help me with balance and endurance. In the last year or so I've seen a gradual increase in discomfort in my lower lumbar, which is where the SB and TCS is located on me. This discomfort has slowly but surely developed into pain of a major scale and now travels up from the lower lumbar into the thorasic portion of my spine.
About a month ago I saw my neurosurgeon and we talked about all the above and more. He order an MRI so he could get a new look at the tethers. Nine days later he called and let me know that there was now a definite need for surgical intervention.
The procedure will be tomorrow (May 28) at 8 am and will take approximately 3 hours. I'll immobile for the first 24 hours after surgery and then on Thursday a Physical Therapist will get me up and see how I do walking, standing, etc. If need be I'll have some therapy. All together I should only be in the hospital 4 days so that means I'll get home in time to see the Faber/Pulver fight on Versus Sunday night. Bonus! :-) I'll have 4 to 6 weeks of recovery time where I'll have a bunch of restrictions and my first Post-Op appointment with my surgeon is July 9.
I think this about covers everything. If you have questions or concerns contact me today. I'll be heading off to bed early tonight though since I have to be at the hospital a 5:45 am and I live and hour away.
If you feel so led, pass this info along to anyone who might be interested. Especially any intercessory prayer chains you may be aware off and churches, etc.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
I'm Having Surgery
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
CFBA - Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sigmund Brouwer is the author of eighteen best-selling novels for children and adults. His newest book is Fuse of Armageddon and his novel The Last Disciple was featured in Time magazine and on ABC’s Good Morning America. A champion of literacy, he teaches writing workshops for students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner city Los Angeles. Sigmund is married to Christian recording artist Cindy Morgan, and they and their two daughters divide their time between homes in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and Nashville, Tennessee.ABOUT THE BOOK
Her birth was shrouded in mystery and tragedy.Her destiny is beyond comprehension.
Her pursuers long to see her broken.
She fights to soar.
A father's love for his daughter…a decision that would change both their lives forever. But who is she really─and why must she now run for her life?
Caitlin's body has made her an outcast, a freak, and the target of vicious bounty hunters. As she begins a perilous journey, she is forced to seek answers for her father's betrayal in the only things she can carry with her─a letter he passes her before forcing her to run, and their shared memories together.
Being hunted forces Caitlyn to partner with two equally lonely companions, one longing to escape the horror of factory life in Appalachia and the others, an unexpected fugitive. Together the three will fight to reach a mysterious group that might be friend or foe, where Caitlyn hopes to uncover the secrets of her past...and the destiny she must fulfill.
In the rough, shadowy hills of Appalachia, a nation carved from the United States following years of government infighting, Caitlyn and her companions are the prey in a terrifying hunt. They must outwit the relentless bounty hunters, skirt an oppressive, ever-watchful society, and find passage over the walls of Appalachia to reveal the dark secrets behind Caitlyn’s existence–and understand her father’s betrayal.
Prepare yourself to experience a chilling America of the very near future, as you discover the unforgettable secret of the Broken Angel.
In this engrossing, lightning-paced story with a post-apocalyptic edge, best-selling author Sigmund Brouwer weaves a heroic, harrowing journey through the path of a treacherous culture only one or two steps removed from our own.
If you would like to read the first chapter, go HERE.
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