Would you like some whine with that?

The Valium must have hung around in my system yesterday. I slept straight through from 11:45 to 6:15 - without even a potty break. I can't remember the last time THAT happened.

The cleaning lady came today. We've turned the mattress, and she put clean sheets on the bed, so that's a once-every-so-often chore done. I got to Aldi, too.

I saw the spine surgeon’s PA this afternoon. She showed me the MRI and explained the problems with the various cervical vertebrae, and what was likely causing the pain I’m having in my neck/shoulder/back. She told me that I didn’t have the severity of symptoms of nerve compression that would cause them to recommend immediate surgery (WHEW!!). But this did not rule out surgery at some point in the future. As long as the pain I have isn’t worse (usually around a “2-3”, at times up to a “7+”) or remain at a high level, I’ll control it with medication. When that doesn’t work any more, I’ll go back and we’ll talk surgery. In the meantime, she gave me a steroid injection in the neck/shoulder angle. I hope that helps over the trip.

But wait, there’s more. You know how I say, “ if it ain’t roaches, it’s piss-ants”. Well… Tuesday afternoon, my right ankle started hurting. I didn’t fall or twist it or do anything that I know of, but it has been killing me. So now I’m going with the compression and elevation and ice. Phooey! So much for the whining.