Rotator Cuff Surgery

Jeff had rotator cuff surgery at the beginning of December and our friend, Dick had the same surgery at the end of the month. We couldn't resist taking this photo of the both of them right after church today.

My Rebuilt Cervical Spine

Today was my 3-month follow-up appointment for my neck surgery. Even though my surgery was really 2 and a half months ago, I figured squeezing it in while my deductible was met seemed smart.

Everything looks good as far as healing is concerned. I wish I could say that I thought it was working but it's a bit too early to tell. Physical therapy continues and I find moving my head awfully painful and the crackling of the scar tissue sure sounds gross.

I can only hope for better things in the new year!

A Visit from my Granddaughters

I love spending time with my granddaughters. I am so very happy when they come to visit. And during this post-surgical time, I really need their uplifting spirits around me. They try to be so careful around my wires from my bone stimulator. I hope they aren't worried about me, I just want them to spend time with me without any worry.

Carpal Tunnel Surgery

During my cervical spine surgery, I had my surgeon do carpal tunnel surgery on my left hand. After all, I was already under general anesthesia so he might as well take care of that as well. Unfortunately, it did not heal well. I think I spent so much time concerned about my neck that I didn't pay close attention to my hand. So now I have extra physical therapy to look forward to. The scar tissue in my hand is so bad, I can't close my hand. I am so disappointed.

Cervical Spine Fusion Surgery

I just had my second surgery of the year. This time it was cervical (neck) fusion. The surgery was not an easy one. The surgeon went in through the front of my neck to fuse the back of my spine. A side effect of the surgery is a sore throat. I was prepared for that but what I wasn't prepared for was the inability to swallow pretty much anything. Even medication. And post-surgery a lot of pain medication is needed. Without the ability to swallow it I was in some trouble.

After a little while, I did find a solution: take the medication with as hot of water as I can possibly tolerate. That way the pills started to melt before they could get stuck in my throat. Not a great solution but a do-able one.

A few weeks in a neck brace was also pretty awful. It was uncomfortable but necessary. It was such a contradiction. I felt comfortable without it but I also felt unsafe. I was afraid I would definitely hurt my surgical site without it. So I wore it. Like it or not.

I really have high hopes for some pain relief after this one. Only time will tell.

New Raspberry Patch

Right after we built our house I started growing raspberries on the south side of the house.  They were in the sun most summer days and out of our view for the most part since our house faces east. It seemed like the perfect place to grow them.

Over the years the raspberries started appearing around the corner and really took over the west side of our house, as they do love to spread out. So as we have had this whole southwest corner full of the bushes, I've had to install some fencing to hold them up and out of the way. Every time the grass would be cut it was easy to brush up against the prickly branches and end up all scratched up. Although there was also the benefit of picking them and eating them as we walked by.

We talked a lot about moving them out to the parkway where they could grow more freely. We would transplant them in the fall. That's what we've told ourselves we would do for at least the last 7 or 8 years.

Finally, the project has hit the top of the to-do list and here is the start to our transplant process. The spot Jeff dug out looks a little small right now, but we plan on starting by transplanting some of the plants from the west side and leaving the ones on the south side where they are.  If the plantings take, we will make the new raspberry patch even bigger next year. We are still picking the berries so as soon as this season's crop is finished, we will start digging!

I love when things get scratched off of the to-do list!