I have been getting asked how I am holding out and thought it would be nice to once again send this to everyone, and from now on, updates will show up in my blog, an extension of Adele and my life journey. Go to http://rstauffer43.blogspot.com/ for the blog and http://rick1lap.blogspot.com/2013/03/it-time-to-start-posting-again-for-this.html if you want to see some great cars and what I did last spring. Many miles and acetracks over an 11 day period and once we got home, to bed for a day and good food. 

Everything is recorded there, yes, a big OH NO just escaped from Adeles’s lips.  For those in our new church (“LCBC Style” as my granddaughter calls it, swaying down the walk), this could also be an interesting read into our past and imperfect lives.  I am sure I have some of you who will now read the blog all the way from Sept 2007 through what is now there.

Anyway, the blog does contain everything I went through with a 3 disc fusion in 2012, and It will let me know what to avoid this time. I am in better shape but will be unable to do much exercise.

This past July and August I participated in the Ephrata Rec’s Biggest Loser Contest and came out of that 6 weeks being very stoked on getting fit. New clothes, sweat just gets sucked up and evaporates better with these, new kitchen scale to weigh ingredients, new blender (a good one) to make smoothies, and a few more items, heart rate monitor, computer programs to track my progress, etc.  Stoked! I meant to look like those guys with the big muscled necks and  a six or ten pack of abs. No turning back.

 

I have had a wonderful time working on our tech team on a soundboard that would make even Captain Kirk quiver with joy!  In September I offered my service to the 5th Sunday for the satelite duty, never knowing I would be held back by then.

Now God has a way of ‘poking’ into me and my ‘over the top’ goals.  First I started noticing a slight muscle (so I thought) pain in my leg, top of leg, at the back and right at the top of the..  Wait a second, do I have a hip problem, is my infant polio coming back to haunt me with PPS, what is goin on?  After a few pokes of her own, Adele got me to see the family doctor.  

He listened and looked at few things, and we talked about what it could be, then he sent me in for an MRI.  NO Doc NO - I hate that tube. But go I did, and in a few quick days he called to let me know I need to get to my back doctor with the MRI results immediately. My family doctor called it a “severely herniated disc”.  After a week or so, I had an appointment with Dr Monachi in Lancaster and in 5 minutes, he knew what he needed to do – OPERATE. 

I am now so doped up with pain killers (every 4 hours), there will be no more driving until long after surgery.

Any way – testing – blood work – EKG – surgery – back brace – and recovery are the moments I will cherish for this winter.  If we get snow, I wonder if Adele will try to start the blower, or hire a kid to do the walk and drive for us. I mean, I am already a bit upset about the grass height.

·         Tomorrow the 8^th of October, is blood work and EKG (all of 3 minutes from our house).

·         Oct 9^th will bring  an phone interview with a nurse.

·         Thursday the Oct 17^th is surgery at Lancaster General Hospital.

·         Should get out by the next day, Friday the 18^th and home wearing a back brace.

·         Sometime before the staple removal I should be able to ditch the back brace

·         October 29^th is Wound care and staples removal, always fun.

·         Nov 10 – 17^th is a Cruise on the Atlantic to Fl on Norweigian Cruise Lines with LCBC as our guides

·         Nov 19 is X-Ray of surgery site and doctor review of how things look

·         I might be able to drive around the end of November

Sounds like fun – NO?