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| Gabriel Metsu, Visit of the Physician Dutch, c. 1660-1667 St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum |
My back surgery has finally happened! And I am doing well. However, the recovery process will take a long time. Indeed, it will be longer than I ever imagined. For one thing I expected to be home just before Christmas. Well, I wasn't. And I wasn't home for New Year's either.
After one week in the hospital, I spent three more weeks in rehab at the wonderful Mary Manning Walsh Nursing Home. I can't thank them enough for the effort the people in the rehabilitation section of the home put in to get people back up and functioning again. They really are a valuable asset to Manhattan. Once they were simply a residential nursing home for well-to-do Catholics. Now they have only six floors of residential patients (of all faiths or none), plus six floors of sub-acute patients for rehabilitation, plus a one floor hospice, which they operate in conjunction with Calvary Hospital (the incredibly caring all hospice hospital, whose Bronx location is very difficult for the typical carless Manhattanite to visit). They also have a fabulous full floor rehabilitation gym, which has every possible assistance to help people recover their mobility and strength and a large staff of physical and occupational therapists to help you. Between the hospital and the rehab center an entire month just flew past, carrying Christmas and New Year's with them.
I've now been home for over two weeks and slowly making some progress. However, I am still in some pain almost all the time. Improvement is very slow, as is movement, or even sitting. I can't sit for too long and this precludes doing research for any new topics. Therefore, for a while longer I am still forced to rely on what has already been written. I will try to continue to call attention to various previously posted ideas and images in the "Featured Posts" section on the right hand column and by occasionally repositioning some especially noteworthy topics as the top article below this notice. Please check frequently to catch things you may have missed or would appreciate seeing once again.
Thank you for your patience during this time. And thank you to all you who have sent me their prayers and good wishes in response to my earlier postings about this problem. I would ask you to continue your prayers on my behalf, but also to remember the many patients who have even more serious pain and for those who are suffering from dementia. There were several such people in the hospital as well as in rehab, primarily seniors with broken hips, a situation made even worse by their inability to understand what has happened to them. Pray also for the nurses and health care aides who do a very tough job with patience and good cheer, often in heroic circumstances. Those that I saw in action really deserve our grateful thanks.
May God reward you a thousandfold for you kindness in remembering me and them in your prayers.
Retired Episcopal priest here. Jealous of your NYC roots and reality. Appreciative of the art you have found and provided; came across your site looking for images of Moses striking the rock to bring forth water. I Had L4-L5 fused 2 yrs ago. Still deal with muscle spasms, some residual neuropathy and balance issues, but recovered much use. The alternative though was much worse. No desire to need wheelchair. Prayers for your ongoing recovery. Ice and Jesus are your friends. You might also try CBD oil, the version of drops under tongue. I found CBD Plus, the brown label, to help significantly. Topical Arnica gel, arnica sublingual pellets.
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