Last night was a game changer. Good friends Rusty Scoven and Rick McKnight brought dinner and a movie down to our home and their significant others treated Jill to dinner and a movie in town. By the time Rick and Rusty got down here, I was in raging pain. White knuckling, cold sweating, tooth-grinding pain.
They came in with bags of food, a cooler of beer and a couple of DVDs. Before Jill left for town, she pointed her finger at the bridge of my nose and with her most convincing cradle-Episcopal-come-to-Jesus look, she said, “Take your pain medication!”
I’ll confess that I haven’t taken the pain meds like I should have and as a result, I have spent some blocks of time in more pain that I should have had to endure. So, while the boys were in my kitchen cooking, I took another pill and writhed around while I waited for it to kick in. Since last night, I am now fully onboard with the pain medications. I’m taking them on a schedule, not according to how I feel.
Last night I got nine heavenly hours of sleep. Today I felt well enough to go to the office for an hour or so and we had a follow up visit with my rock star neurosurgeon, Dr. Mike Gorum. We have referred so many friends to Mike and he has taken such good care of them.
One of our dear Eufaula friends had a herniated cervical disc and she is thrilled with the care she received from Dr. Gorum, his physician’s assistant, Henry Aucoin and their exceptionally friendly, professional staff. That office runs like a well oiled machine. And the best thing about all of them is that they’re just so damned nice. Not quite nice enough to make a man forget he’s had spine surgery, but really nice. We’re fortunate to have a team of neurosurgeons like Drs. Gorum, Goldman and Elshihabi in our area.
I got a great report from Dr. Gorum today. They peeled all the steri-strips from my incisions and sufficiently scolded me for trying to be a tough guy and grind through the pain. For the remainder of this week I’ll try to stay on a restful course and do as much walking as I can. My plan is to be back at the office for half days, starting on Monday and we’ll also be seeing Dr. Pippas next week to discuss next steps.
Jill and I appreciate all the kind gestures we’ve received from so many people. Food, cards, phone calls, emails and Facebook messages have sustained us during the scary, scary time. I’ve lost 11 pounds, by the way. Hell of way to diet though.
I hope I’ll sleep tonight.
Jan Venable Davenport says
Sweet Dreams, Cuz !!
Bebe Bahnsen says
For God’s sake, listen to your wife. Maybe you should about all things but you certainly should about pain medications. Take them! Suffering is not noble and it seldom helps you get better faster. If anything, it may make you sicker longer.
I’m also a cradle Episcopalian. We know about these things.
Faye Cook says
u r amazing!
Pat Kelley says
It’s always best to mind your wife and your doctors! Take care and hope you are pain free very soon! (pain free without the meds!)
Denise Brown Owens says
Mike you are such an inspiration. Please stop trying to be superman and take the meds to help you get better. You have so much more to give and you can’t do that if you are not strong. Listen to Jill. She is a wise woman.
Kate Nerone says
When I had a bad bout w/illiotibial band syndrome yrs. ago, my dr. — who also was a runner — explained to me that when a body is in pain, it can’t heal properly. Too much of the energy goes to managing the pain & not enough to the actual healing process. Plus, certain pain meds also treat inflammation, which can impede healing & put the body in more stress. I’ve never fogotten this & have lectured everyone I know about it. As long as you know what is causing your pain, as long as you have a diagnosis & are being treated for a condition, take your pain meds on schedule, as they are prescribed. I could not have survived my herniated disk last year w/out taking this advice. Controlling the pain allowed me to rest & to move, which allowed me to heal & move more. Sending good Karma your way, every day! xo
Margie Ivey says
Glad you and Jill had a fun night and some heavenly sleep!
Carol Ann Kaplan says
So glad to finally see you, Mike. You are looking mighty fine!!
I am happy to hear you are taking your pain medication regularly. Why hurt when you do not have to.
I look forward to seeing you in the office next week. Have a super weekend!!
Grandin Eakle says
I’m pretty sure if I look back on one of my earlier posts I said to , “Follow the doctors orders!!!” Well who are you to not listen to me!!!! LOL!!! All kidding aside…. I am glad you have come over to the lets keep this pain knocked back all the time instead of the I’ll take it when I need it camp. 9 hours of sleep is a gift from heaven!! Glad you got that. Ease back into the workdays…. You might consider a week of One half days every other day to start. I can’t know what is right for you but I do know you can over do it. Praying for continued healing and release from the pain for you! We ahve got to compare x-rays some day!!! – Grandin
Laurie Bozeman says
You men sure to learn the hard way about doctors and the orders they give! I hope the true belief mode continues. You and Jill are ever present in our thoughts and prayers. Laurie & Jerry