{Stupid Epidural!}

Well...I think we were kinda expecting it because a lot of people told us that this is usually the way it goes; Mike's 1st epidural didn't work. He's in as much pain as ever...so now we have to wait until he sees his spinal doc tomorrow so that Worker's Comp can approve the 2nd shot. And I'll be in Canada, which freaks me out! Thankfully we have a LOT of really good family & friends that have already stepped up to be his ride to/from the surgical center. But we sure were hoping that he'd finally be pain free again. :-(

{Couple of Updates!}

Firstly...no change in Mike's back yet. Though they say it takes 3-5 days to know if the epidural works. Today is 3 days after the injection...so if it doesn't work by Saturday, we'll have to get him scheduled for a 2nd one. The waiting is hard...but we're hopeful. We've heard from MANY people that their 1st one didn't work but the 2nd one does.

Secondly...11 more days before I leave for Canada to rock Halifax with the Band of America's Few! There's been a slight instrumentation change for me...I will no longer be playing the clarinet, but instead will be a percussionist clanging my 'ol favorites...the cymbals! We had 2 snare drummers drop out, so we had to be creative. 2 other musicians jumped over to snare and my friend Shannon's son, Derek, will be joining us on bass drum and then I'm filling a cymbalist spot. I WAS trained by the Corps to do it...and did my fair share of it @ MCRD San Diego, so it's nothing new! It's ALL good because the needs of the band come FIRST...and it's about being with all my brothers and sisters in the Corps again for a wonderful musicial time in Nova Scotia! Can't wait until Megs joins us and we have a wonderful time together!

Thirdly...hoping that all the illnesses that keep on plaguing my lovely Momma will just QUIT! You are in our prayers and we ♥ you!

{Mike's Epidural is TODAY!}

Please say a little prayer for Mike today as he's going in for his epidural steroid/nerve block @ 11am. He's been on temporary disability for a few weeks now and has been in pain since February. We really don't want him to have back surgery again. This time, after the accident, Mike decided to go Worker's Comp on this one. So, unfortunately, things move VERRRRRRRY slowly when you go that route, so he's been in pain for a long time. Hopefully the epidural will work and I will be driving home a pain free husband from the doc today! :-D

{Los Alamitos All District Orchestra Night}

Last night was the Los Alamitos All District Orchestra Night. So we got to hang out with friends and listen to some great music by all the groups. We're biased and think that the McAuliffe Middle School orchestra is the BEST, but the Los Alamitos High School is very good too! Though next year it will improve even more...hee, hee, since Meghann will be there! Here are some pictures from the evening! Look how grown up Meghann is....

{On a side note, thanks for everyone's support and concern over Mike's back surgery! We've really enjoyed talking with everyone and updating them! It's a long story...wanna hear it? Give us a call! We'd love to hear from ya!}

{Mike's Surgery Tomorrow-UPDATED TIME!!}

Mike will be having his back surgery tomorrow @ 7am. Those of you that need to know what hospital will get a call. He has to be there @ 5am. He'll be staying overnight. Mike's VERY excited to have it done so that the pain can stop. Michelle....a little nervous. Anything that involves hospitals/surgeries/anesthesia makes her nervous, especially when it includes her HUSBAND! We have put our faith in God that His hands will heal. Thanks to everyone for their prayers...and continued prayers!

{Today is a UPS Kinda Day!!}

Well....between the new computer monitor and my Valentine's gift from Mike, today will be a UPS kinda day! I will be getting rid of the old computer monitor and getting ready to set up the new one after Janet comes over for a visit this morning.

I'm pretty sure Meghann will go to school today, but we'll see what her temp is when she wakes up. At least there was no coughing last night...that's a good sign!

The other thing the UPS man will be bringing are all my new goodies from PaperTreyInk that Mike bought for me for Valentine's Day! How nice that they had a monthly release ON Valentine's Day! Makes the gift giving easy on Mike...he says, "Go ahead and order!" and I get exactly what I want for V-Day! WooHoo! I love having new stuff to play with! I'm sure I'll make a few sets of cards to give to family...it's always nice to have cards on hand for any occasion! I know that everyone enjoys getting cards in the mail....even if it's not a holiday, just a "thinking of you" or "how's it going" card make all my family and friends happy! Unexpected mail is the best! So start checking your mailbox...you might be getting a card from us soon!

Mike will be going on Tuesday for his pre-op testing and prep. He's really looking forward to his surgery so that he can start getting back to normal. Keep those prayers coming...they are appreciated!

{Mike's Back Surgery}

Okay....we have a date! Mike will be getting his microdiscectomy on the 25th of February. So only 12 more days of pain for Mike. The pain he has after the surgery should be so much less than he has now, that it'll be much better right away! Yeah! We just want Mike to feel better as soon as possible!

{Mike's Pending Back Surgery}

Mike went to his orthopedist (he's a spine specialist) on Tuesday. He will be having the microdiscectomy surgery in 2-3 weeks. They are working on scheduling the date at this time. So that's where we are right now. He's a perfect candidate for the surgery and we're praying that everything works out for the best. We just can't wait for Mike to not be in pain and to be able to get back to doing the job that he loves! We have very good family and friends for support during all of this which helps us all!

{Mike's Back Update for Thursday-UPDATED!}

Mike went in for his EMG today. He really liked the neurologist who took a long time discussing his symptoms and how everything has progressed since the onset. He then underwent the nerve test and the preliminary results are that it is NOT a chronic condition (meaning the nerve is damaged) but an acute one (meaning that it's the herniated disc causing the discomfort to the nerve). So Mike is THRILLED to hear this news! That means that the microdiscectomy is a viable option for him. We're hoping he can see his orthopedist sooner than the 17th since the results of the EMG will be given to him tomorrow. So basically....it's been good news today! Mike's spirits are considerably lifted!

**UPDATE** He's able to get in to see his orthopedist this coming Tuesday! YEAH! That means things are moving more quickly that we'd originally thought. The sooner we can get relief for Mike the better! I think he'll feel like the Million Dollar Man!

{Mike's Back Update for Wednesday}

Good news! A cancellation @ the EMG Dr. means Mike gets to go in tomorrow for that test. So that way we have some "answers" earlier than next week! Thank you for your continued prayers to our Almighty Lord that he be healed!

{Mike's Back Update for Tuesday}

Well, he is not going to have an epidural. He is going to wait until next Tuesday when he has the EMG (nerve test) and gets the results for that. He'll be then seeing the doctor again the Tuesday after that. (2 weeks from today) They will then discuss surgery or what other options they have. At this point, due to our research and talking with many others that have had this same problem, we think that the microdiscectomy is the best way to go at this point. Click here to see a video of what the surgery entails, it's animated, not real surgery. It REALLY explains it well! It's more of a "cure" than a "pain mask". With his job he'll always have to have the heavy belt around his waist and sit for 12 hours in a patrol vehicle. If he gets it "fixed" now he doesn't have as much chance of furthering the injury because he can't feel the pain. So we wait....and Mike's in pain. This sucks!

{Mike's Back-Update}

Well, yesterday Mike went and got a 2nd opinion from a spine specialist. He is on 5 days of oral steroids and will be scheduled for an epidural. We're just kinda playing it by ear to see how these 2 options work for him. He'll also undergo a nerve test to see what nerves are being affected by the herniated discs. He still experiences searing pain when getting up from sitting, when he laughs too hard, when he coughs or sneezes....it's bad, really bad. Thank you for your continued prayers for his well being!

{Mike's Back....}

Okay, here's where we stand right now with Mike's back problem. He has 2 herniated discs. One is 7mm and the other is significantly less. He's been on limited duty for over a month now. He was "getting better" aka, the pain wasn't so bad for awhile there. He still goes for physical therapy twice a week, but it's getting worse now. Now the pain goes all the way past his knee and sometimes into his foot. He went to his GP yesterday because his limited duty doctor's note was that he go back on full-duty tomorrow....which wouldn't be good for anyone. His GP told him that he may be compensating for his pain with other muscles which can then cause OTHER problems. He's going to see another specialist and get a 2nd opinion. When he saw the first one, he was feeling better.....so he had suggested to just keep on with the physical therapy. Herniated discs CAN correct themselves. However, with the history of crappy backs that runs in his family, all the lifting that Mike was required to do as a child, the lifting of things in the Marine Corps, the constant sitting in the patrol car with the weight of the belt, being t-boned in his patrol car @ an intersection in April, physical altercations with suspects, etc. have all contributed to a pretty significant herniation. We'll see what the specialist says, but all we know is that Mike is in constant pain and he needs relief from the pain with something other than drugs. We'll keep you all updated as we learn new info! Thank you for your continued prayers for him!!