Happiness is Quilting, Knitting, and No Back Surgeries! Hurry Up 2017!

I will be the happiest person to see 2017 arrive!!!  I remember in 1992 I felt the same way and 1993 and beyond has been great (OK, there have been some hiccups).  I love New Year’s Eve because I know the next day is will be the beginning of a new year with a clean slate and going forward!  I do pray that 2017 is going to be a banner year for traveling, quilting, and just having fun!

There are a lot of movies that start off with the ending and then fill you in on the story.  So without having to go into the wonderful details of where I have been since the 3rd and 20th of November – here is the story in a nutshell.  I had my RF treatment on my back (they cauterised the nerves from the waist down – easy procedure and this was my 3rd one) on 3 Nov.  After the procedure I began to experience problems with walking in the morning, more pain, and overall muscle weakness.  My walking finally ceased because I could not walk without pain. Because I have had 4 fusions in previous years, I figured I had some herniated discs and would be headed for surgery.  A new MRI which showed only 2 bulging discs and they are the ones that connect the Lumbar and the upper torso (not good).  I made an appointment with Clay’s  surgeon and he advised me about a surgery that would fuse my entire back by redoing some of the old surgery (ouch) fusing 6 discs, adding a rod to put a “curve” in my spine and those love screws (8 sets).  OH BOY – sign me up! He told me that he did not do that type of surgery and did not recommend it but referred me to the surgeon who would if I was interested!  Based on that information I contacted my original surgeon (retired now) scheduled a visit with him for guidance and he agreed that an intensive surgery like that would be the final choice and that my situation was not at a point where I needed that extensive surgery!  WHEW!

By the time I was able to see the doctors, I was beginning to function again except for the shooting pains at the base of my skull.  I made an appointment with my pain management doctor yesterday who did the RF treatment.  I told him what I had experienced, and he looked at me and said, “out of the 500 or so RF treatments I have done ONLY TWO PEOPLE have had this reaction!!!!!  Well, hello to lucky me – where is that darn Black Cat?   I was relieved because after a while I began to think I was nuts and all of the pain was in my head!  I am grateful to the 3 doctors because they are all conservative in treatment choices and told me only as a last resort.  I now have a plan of action to prevent things from getting worse.  I am now going to have a brace to wear when I do my morning walk which will help hold my back straight, and am going to use a TENS unit (already noticing some good from that), continue stretching each morning, and continue in 5 months with another RF treatment and of course more and more walking!  I am truly blessed!

So now you can understand why I am so ready for 2017.  I look forward to feeling better with my old energy level back and knowing that I will turn over the house cleaning to my new housekeeper.  Shucks!!!  I do hope I find my creative juices flowing again and begin to enjoy quilting again.  While I was “resting” I did finish knitting a scarf that I had started a few years back.  But after taking Circa 2016 apart I have not touched anything that had to do with the word Quilt!

Two weeks ago I listed our Rig (truck and trailer) for sale on Craigslist, and within 2 days we sold it!  Monday morning Clay and I decided to look for a new vehicle – just to LOOK! HA!  Choices were an SUV or Truck so we would have a vehicle large enough for our future trips (and staying in hotels).  We headed to the Lincoln dealership first and then to the Toyota dealership to look at trucks.  We never made it past the Lincoln dealership as we purchased a Lincoln Navigator!  It will be the perfect vehicle for us when we want to take a trip.  Now I just have to learn the Navigation System since we have not had a vehicle with that capability.  It has been a very busy two weeks and we are both glad that it is over.  Clay and I are so blessed that we made the decision to sell the rig because those trips did affect my back issues and it was getting more and more of a chore rather than enjoyment to go on a trip.  A new phase in our lives!

I want to wish each and every one who reads my Blog a Merry Christmas and a very Blessed New Year.  I plan on getting back to quilting in a few days and line up my projects for 2017, most of which will be to finish up 2016 projects and prepare a couple of quilts to enter in the San Antonio show.  I also have a lot of new fabrics that need washing, pressing, folding, and then I will have to re-arrange fabric drawers.  I feel that I have more control over things now and hopefully I will be able to finish the UFOs.

Until the next time, have a great week and week-end and enjoy Christmas shopping.  I am looking forward for more cold weather (at least Texas cold).

PS – I think I have learned something about WordPress, or maybe any blog.  If I delete media from my files affects previous posts – won’t do that anymore!  Live and Learn!