[Eddie G]

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope Santa gave everyone happy backs for a day.
I finally got a physical therapist to come to my home after 3 weeks of nothing, nada, zilch, zero, goose egg, zippo. I had an evaluation last Thursday and someone was supposed to come Friday or Monday. Nobody showed up so I called on Monday and they said someone would come on Christmas Eve which he finally did. (I am like a month behind schedule and I wonder if that's the reason why I have such severe pain) So my therapist "Fausto" did some minor stretching with me in the bed, stretched my hamstring with my cane, showed me how to correctly get out of bed, reminded me to keep pillows under my knees, and we also did some walking. He was happy with my walking. We also exchanged tomato sauce recipes since he was Italian and I had some secrets too. Stuff like infusing garlic and frying the wine. (yum) Everybody that came to dinner loved the sauce BTW.

I always walked throughout this whole ordeal but since the fusion surgery, my vertical time is VERY limited to about 30-40 minutes on my feet before I have to lay down. I'm totally unable to drive or go to a restaurant. I tried going to a restaurant and I was unable to squat/stand at the dinner table so I went to lie down in the car while Sweety ate by herself for a minute before she got up and left early too. I didn't like all the people staring at me either. People were wondering why I'm standing for dinner. Then when I'm squatting at the dinner table I can only imagine what people think.

Mertle: "Hey Harriet, look at that young whippersnapper, he's under the table over there! What do you suppose he's doing?"

Harriet: "I dunno Mertle, we didn't do things like that when we were young! We respected our eating establishments!"

Mertle: "I can't see his head anymore, I think we should call the police."

Hortense: "Damn kids today! We could use a man like Herbert Hoover again!"

Mertle: "Didn't need no welfare state."

Harriet: "Everybody pulled his weight"

Mertle/Harriet/Hortense: "Gee our old LaSalle ran great" *PTUI!* "Ohhh Myyyy" (as Harriet's teeth fly out and hit me in the head)

Yeah, I'm sure this is happening to spineys all over the country who are squatting at tables. If this happens to you, keep the teeth as they can be traded in at a pawn shop for even nicer stuff.

So it's Christmas Eve's Eve and I needed to go Christmas shopping, so Sweety dropped me off at the mall. I recently found that walking with two canes is more comfortable for me, so I go off walking with my two fancy wooden looped canes with the zig zagged bottoms. Well that prompts even MORE looks from the Lookey-Loos. I just wore my cool shades and stared right back! Well anyway, after 40 minutes of staring back at the Lookey-Loos at the mall, I was calling for my ride. The pain was just unbearable. I was only able to carry 2 gifts so Christmas was light this year at my house. I had to lay down the rest of the night.

I'm glad Dr. Goldstein renovated his waiting room so when I lay on his floor, it's not too gross.

I sure hope the pain gets better because it's worse than ever. I feel very compressed with very sharp pains in my back, hips and legs. Horrible, hideous pain that just makes me flat out MAD! I dont regret any decision I made because I cant look back in a few years and say I didn't try everything. I tried every injection, every test, every procedure, got the best doctors, the best hardware, etc... so if I am stuck living like this the rest of my life, I can say "I tried"
I am nervous about these new issues that have popped up with my hands & feet being in pain when I get up. They are always falling asleep and I can't close my hands all the way. I am also very dehydrated. I need to see a rheumatologist because the foot doctor says I have plantar faschitis and the dermatologist doesnt know what the symetric legions on my feet are. I hope I dont have psioriac arthritis. I have enough issues to worry about but I hear psoriaic arthritis can be triggered by spine trauma or inflammation. Interesting huh? Never heard that one before! My foot doctor is going to take molds of my tootsies so I will have plates to wear in my feet. That may even help my back....

Happy Holidays All!!!!!!