December Health Update

This has been a month of Doctors appointments, an MRI, X-Rays, the Dentist, the Neurosurgeon, and my general practitioner.  Lots of quacks.

The MRI results show no evidence of regrowth on the tumor!  It looks promising enough, that the next follow up MRI is in 6 months, and probably go to once a year after that.  The tumor was very slow growing - we will need to watch it for years.  The X-rays of my spine show that the metal work is stable in place, nicely aligned, right where they left it. All of the screws holding it in place are firmly in place. He said we will quit looking at the erector set, unless I am injured, it isn't going anyplace. This is all very good news.  The neurosurgeon said it looked like I had lost weight, but his scale and my pants disagreed.  I need to work on that.

The Dentist appointment was a follow up to have "some work done." When I made the appointment the plan was to work on the side of one molar and replace a crown on another one.  I was not looking forward to the crown work, among other things my Dentist does not have the technology in-house to make the replacement so it takes two-weeks.  My sister had one made recently in 35 minutes.  The Dentist looked at the crown and said, "I am using some new material and I can fix it rather than replace it."  He continued that he was concerned that the issue was not significant enough to make the insurance company happy with paying for a replacement and that new materials make it possible to fix is.  A secondary issue is that the technology is so new that the insurance company does not have a billing code for it, so we may have to deal with that.  But the bottom line, was a 10 minute job, for $160 vs $1,050 for the crown (my co-pay would have been half.)  And less trauma for me.  The work on the side of the other molar ended up being more extensive than expected, but I survived and was out of the chair in a little over an hour.

The GP's visit, 12 minutes with the doctor took 75 minutes of my time.  And she wondered why I was so tense and recommended that I relax and laugh more.

Bottom line, I am moving much-much better than anytime in the past 18 months. Muscular control in my feet and legs is near normal. Most of the feeling has returned in my feet.  My balance is good, I can stand on one foot, I can stand with my eyes closed and not topple over.  There is some stiffness in my knees, that will lesson as my legs get stronger. I sleep well most nights.  My back muscles spasm when I overuse them, get stressed or fatigued.  The stronger the muscles get the less they spasm. There is some residual tenderness along the incision, that will lesson with work and time. The dead spot in my abs, I am still getting use to,  it hurts when everything around it moves and it does not.  Not much that can change that. Bottom line, I am very-very fortunate.  I had great doctors and nearly everything went as well as possible.