Update on Recovery

This is an update after surgery and the prayer request I posted recently regarding the pain at night.

Recovery after surgery has been progressing very well overall. After a few days, the pain that had bothered prior to surgery was gone! Within one week, I was back at work (but mostly office/computer work) and already doing most of my regular exercises-including the core strengthening exercises to support my back. By two weeks, I was doing all regular exercises, including Pilates, swimming laps, all prescribed exercises and T-Tapp. I was able to do all my housework, and I had even put in a long day in the lab on another fatty acid analysis run. I was completely off all the narcotic pain killers-even at night. There is still some residual soreness/tenderness of the abdominal muscles and at the incision sites with some activities, but this is minimal and becoming less with each day. I am still on maximal doses of over-the-counter pain killers, but that is normal state of life for me due to ongoing chronic back/neck pain. This sounds like the perfect recovery…and it is, except for one "small," but significant problem. Ever since surgery, I have been wakened in the night by severe pain in the region that was operated on. This pain never happened prior to surgery. It has not lessened with time since surgery. It does not respond to medication. It does not match with how well things are going otherwise. It completely puzzles the surgeon-she does not know what might be causing this. I ended up having an ultrasound and physical exam to check into things more thoroughly. The good news is everything checks out fine-nothing wrong. The bad news is everything checks out fine-they cannot find anything wrong to focus on to help me.

I was already in process of being referred elsewhere for the chronic pain management, so this new pain is getting added to the list. Originally the plan was to go to Mayo, but Mayo declined to see me. Now, the plan is University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha. Lord-willing the referral process goes smoothly and they are able to get me in without too long of wait.

This has continued to be a learning process far beyond anything I anticipated. I know God is the great Physician. He is in control of all of this. He knows the cause of each of the multiple conditions I currently have. He also knows the solution to each one and whether any are related or not. I am praying for wisdom for the doctors currently working with me and the ones who will be in the future, that God will give them wisdom in how they approach my puzzling health challenges.

I would appreciate prayer that the referral process goes smoothly-getting medical records collected and sent, scheduling, etc. The doctor’s office will take care of most of this, but I need to get all the actual imaging (MRI, CT, x-ray, ultrasound, and potentially endoscopy as well). Also, that I am able to survive until the appointment. The night time pain episodes are intense and the ongoing chronic pain has its ups and downs-this week has not been going so well. Another request would be quality of sleep. Broken sleep negatively impacts back/neck pain control. I have not slept through the night since surgery. I do not anticipate sleeping through the night until these severe post-op pain episodes resolve. I am so grateful that the pain only happens at night and that it only strikes once a night. Other than the tiredness, I am able to function relatively well during the day. There is no way I would be able to keep going during the day if the pain were to occur daytime. It literally leaves me unable to move until it eases. In all, God is good! He gives strength and grace for each moment of each day-and night.

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)