Ya know? We take what we are able to receive? Nothing more. That is OK. I did not know you were so far from the area.... but then, it is not like as if we have traded locations on here you know.....

We take stock of the grand blessings you have in the recent visit of your son and grandson.
In the recent program control additions which are HELPING you.
In the glory which is represented through the grace by which Barbara supports you, just as my wife has done for me.... even now [she is SO protective!]

Getting together in person? A dream. A mandate? Nope. Just a hope spawned into a "how about it?" Our relationship here is truly the Blessing, you know? Well, hey, if we do not get together in the here and now, we can get together in the "sweet bye and bye" an old hymn my Dad used to love to sing.

Prayin for you and family, my friend,
Yup,
Mark56
P.S. Finished evidence.... Heresay, and jive [well, truthfully, jive was not written into the study outline]. Tomorrow, maybe real property or oil and gas....

Yes my friend and brother in Christ, " in the sweet bye and bye, we shall meet on that beautiful shore".
Ft. Worth is a lot closer than Denver and Barb and I are still going to try and make it. Yuh ain't gittin' off tha hook that easy pardner. You, TK and DFW Andy may have to lower your standards to communicate with this retired oilfield talkin' roughneck but hey, maybe we can arm wrestle or pitch washers bewteen conversations.
Good luck with your continuing studies and I KNOW you are a shoe in to get your license(?) to practice law in Texas.
Larry

Amazing.... something I have lived every day for 33 years in practice seems to present an overwhelming volume of this and that nitpicks. It is incredible anyone ever passed a bar exam attempting to intake every little nibblin of information on which a test question might be divined.

Much the same is true for we who live with and survive relentless pain..... all of the medical terminology we absorb. The procedures we take in and live. The meds which are measured in grams, micrograms, milligrams...... who cares? It is enough to babble anyone. Yet, I find myself awestruck at the level of informed decision making capability so many demonstrate here. One would think we had "gone to medical school" although that school has actually been the school of hard knocks.

If I can meet the challenge of this moment and move one foot before the other, goals will be attained. Victories will be won, although the contestant field is limited to a field of one in the races we run. We are each running the race of life THROUGH that which binds us. The upcoming test I mentioned above is but one of those examples. It seems overwhelming in part, yet feels not so insurmountable as I factor in having, by the grace of God, overcome pain so as to be able to compete in the fast lane of life once again.

Exhilarating is a word which fits well the race run each day. Yes, the pain remains, but is managed well with my Boston Scientific Precision Plus stim. Those feet of mine, although they no longer feel a thing due to nerve damage and peripheral neuropathy I reckon, still manage to move one in front of the other so the next goal may be won. The fight may be herd, but that just makes winning it the richer experience!

I love God and the means to be in this again,
Blessed am I to reach into the void and extract new challenges and goals,
The energizing stuff of life,
Yeah,
Mark56

Have seen my surgeon again this week for the follow up, you know.
Good prognosis. Thrill all around mobility is restored, arms no longer in jeopardy, life giving energy coursing from my cervical spine through the cord into the nerves down my arms.
There is still pain, but then it is unrealistic ever to expect or demand a surgey eradicate all pain, as surgery itself invades, cuts, moves, destroys in the effort to bring wholeness. So, the pain in my arms is manageable. Not with stim, not with prescribed pain meds, but OTC things such as Tylenol.... it helps.

Doc wants me to consider using my stim less. Get this, he speaks of patients who are ultimately five years out who arrive at a point where they no longer use the stim. He sees this possibility in me as I no longer use prescribed meds and rely solely on the stim for the lumbar and legs, the evil peripheral neuropathy.....

I voiced a trepidatious willingness to try stim less. He suggests sleeping at night with the device turned off. OFF. Hard decision, that.

An effort to be made, to see whether one such as I can graduate to no pain management at all.... kinda hard to give it a go right now as travel to another state and BIG test loom to determine my worth as a licensed legal professional in Texas- the Lone Star. Preparations are feeling good. Fear is not part of my lexicon on this.

Other stuff has come to head from early life which impacts me to the core. Lies from parents who were so counselled by the doc way back then. Stonewalling when I so needed information...... I cannot understand why not. They thought it for my own good. In my profession, in my life, in relation with God, with each of you..... I cannot fathom the beneficence of lies. Lies destroy, harm, hurt, rob, and wall people away from one another. So, I have had to seek prayers from other family, from close friends such as you who here post to place a salve on my soul, my spirit.

Blessed by the Lord in all things,
realizing even so, each day is an exercise of one foot in front of the other,
in spite of what others who came before may have done to us,
hurts in the "heart" but gotta try to gain better
perspective,
m

:s mileypray:
Thinking and praying for you my dear friend!!!!!!
zzzzzzzz: Limited by the numbers
;0)
Oh yes remember I have had my buzzer for FAR LONGER then 5 years and both myself and my doc plan to replace the battery in the not so distant future!

It's always good to see you, dear POOH!

Many MANY strong prayers are going out to you, Mark.
You've been thru so much this past year as it is. Now, to have to contend with this very traumatizing realization from far in your past.
God has a way of 'carrying' us, when circumstances render us emotionally torn and unable to stand strong. Allow yourself whatever it takes for you to get tucked safely under His mighty Wings.
I pray that He grants you peace of mind as you face these new revelations. You are never alone, never.

You are loved,

Rae

Feeling Loved

Mark,

I had not realized your adventure was written here. Learned alot and realized my withdrawal journey will be a long one. Thanks for being so honest. It helps me have a better perspective on my pain. Hope you are having a blessed day.

Will be praying for you,

Dean

I am glad you were able to "wade" through the stuff to find what you needed on withdrawal. It takes time, doc's attention, patience on the part of the patient, and a weather eye toward the potential of slipping onto the slippery slope of deperssion.

May you be blessed in achieving your goal. I feel so blessed God helped with the work on this goal I had.

Blessings on you and prayers surround you

Time fllies. The exam approaches. The medical helps to hold pain at bay through my Boston Sci Precision Plus SCS are successful. I feel blessed to have it.

Spent the better part of the day in meeting with a government commission to which I have been appointed to help business flourish. It was rewarding and felt good to be thus recognized once again in my profession. Even got to see some folk I know from around the state whom I have known a long long time. Yes, good, that, and a reason to acknowledge the blessing of medical success which enabled my career resumption.

So, off to Texas soon.... pens in hand and ready to write an exam. Pray for me if you will as this approaches, and I will hopefully succeed.

Feeling tired of the study, so much so, that I am falling asleep at the task. Maybe the body is trying to tell me it is off to bed...

So it is.....

G'night!