Back In The Saddle Again

Where did we leave off?

I had my first radial ablation six months and one day ago. It seems Medicare will only pay for this procedure every six months. Yesterday, six months to the day from my initial trip to my personal Disneyland, my back (and the rest of me) was on that doctor's table once again.

I have never been a drug taker but now I can, in the smallest of ways, understand addiction. I counted the days on my fingers and toes until April 11th.

The effect of the first radial ablation (a burning of the nerve endings that would otherwise report to me that I am in pain) lasted not the six months, as hoped, but merely three and a half. Since then I have been carefully considering every move and watching every step. Any change in the angle of the sidewalk a potential enemy. Something falling on the floor, maybe it can just stay there. A soft cushion, or a deep couch. No thanks. Hiking, skiing or golfing. Yeah, right.

This morning, although it is not quite 6 AM, I think I can, I think I can. I think I can get out of bed without doing the pythagorean theorem on the proper angle of ascent. I think I can shower without wonder if I will be twisting too far in reaching for the shampoo.

There are clearly downsides to this. I no longer will have ready excuse to do absolutely nothing to help my beleaguered wife maneuver through the day (although it may be most difficult to distinguish my level of assistance provided now from before). I may no longer have adequate reason not to put my plate in the dishwasher or even, I hesitate to write this down, empty the dishwasher and put the plates and glasses away. I may even be compelled to lift something heavier than a napkin.

But I will take the bad with the good if it means the barking will, at least for the next few months, bark at someone else.

I am a fortunate person. Fortunate to have my health. Fortunate that each day I am still able to wander relatively unimpeded through my myriad mistakes. And fortunate that there is a little magic out there that can quiet the noise that emanates from within.

Mark your calendars for October 11, 2025. Six months after round two. We'll talk then.