Back Epidural-One Year Later

On December 21st last year, after a 2 1/2 month battle with severe spinal stenosis, I finally got my Epidural Injection at Fort Wayne(Indiana) Orthopedics. Another 3 months that followed saw my back and my blood pressure return to normal, or whatever can be considered normal for a 59 year old semi-fat man(5'11" 205). Since last March, I have umpired and officiated about 130 sporting events, the blood pressure has bounced back and forth between normal and high normal, and the back pain has eased to allow me to live life close to normal.

Now, normal back condition for me always involves some degree of pain, and a little lack of mobility...however 1/4 into my first basketball officiating campaign, I can't complain.....and will continue to plug along. I still have some issues with a little numbness in the finger tips, which is probably a result of the stenosis, and most days I do have some minor to moderate back pain, as well as elevated BP on occasion. If the back issues flare back up, I am not opposed to getting another injection, the fact that this one has eased the condition for a full year now, is better than I could have hoped.

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The weather is on the verge of turning Artic-Like. Right now it's windy and about 5 above zero...temps are forecasted to drop the rest the day, with chill factors approaching 20 below zero by tonight. The good news is, the ice and snow have melted in west Ohio, so we will not have the blizzard conditions that Patricia's family is going to get in southeast Wisconsin and elsewhere in the middle west and north east.

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That's the short news for today....will take some time this afternoon and visit the blogs that I have not gotten around to much of late.....then maybe take a nap....with the recent cold and major coughing I have been doing(especially at night) a few hours extra sleep may be on the agenda.

back later>>>>>>>>>