Just stuff #2...

In geography, the antipodes of any place on Earth is its antipodal point; that is, the region on the Earth's surface which is diametrically opposite to it. Two points which are antipodal to one another are connected by a straight line through the centre of the Earth. Full article at Wikipedia. Check out Google Maps antipode map

Name that Candy Bar game.

Check out wikipedia's Unusual Articles including a picture of a cow on a pole with horns taken in Seattle in 1970...

Do you love popping bubble wrap? Pop to your heart's content here. Be sure to try out Maniac Mode!

Update #5 on Cheryl

Cheryl has been able to be out of bed more yesterday and today. And she has been able to sit at the dining room table or on the couch for longer periods of time. She started taking 2 painkillers every four hours along with 1 muscle relaxer 3x a day. She's down to one painkiller every three hours now. The incision is looking good. Muscle/nerve spasms that were occurring at night seem to have decreased. And she's just right now taking her 2nd shower! Thanks for the prayers!

Update #4 on Cheryl

The hospital released Cheryl this morning at about 10:00. I carefully drove her home and helped her settle in to bed. Then I ran down to the drugstore to get her meds for her, which she consumed with a yummy PB&J sandwich and Citrucel... haha

Getting in and out of bed is difficult, as well as rolling over. Once she is up she can slowly walk around the house...and even is getting her sense of humor back (not drug induced either! haha).

Here are some pictures from a booklet the hospital provided us. I like it - comic book style - something at my level... LOL

Here are some views of a healthy lumbar spine from three different angles.



Here is a shot of what spinal stenosis looks like. They are showing a bone spur pressing against the spinal cord.



And lastly, here is an image of what they did - a laminectomy. Rather than removing the entire lamina as shown in the picture, the surgeon made holes in each lamina and was able to reach and remove (rotor-rooter) the bones spurs.

Update #3 on Cheryl

OK...late night update before I turn in...

Cheryl is doing great. No side affects (or effects) from the anesthesia nor the pain meds. They added something to the anesthesia to help her not get sick and they are using a narcotic other than morphine.

She's been up out of bed twice. Has eaten a bit. And we even got to watch Dancing with the Stars together!

Incision drainage is good. Vitals are good. And when she asked for her Blistex, I knew she was gonna be all right! haha

It's a big scar, maybe seven inches, but he had to get to 4 vertebrae! Cheryl is already noticing relief in her leg! Thanks be to God.

Hopefully she'll get released in the morning.

More later.

Update #2 on Cheryl

A little more information...

90 minutes. Amazing. They drilled holes in the lamina of four vertebrae so they could clean bone spurs out of the spinal cord canal. Doctor said no disc damage and that surgery is being counted as a success (right diagnosis – right treatment). Now we have to wait and see how long it takes for the spinal cord to decompress - or how much relief Cheryl actually gets from the pain, numbness and aching.

Currently she is more uncomfortable than anything else. One quickly gets tired of laying on their back! But the morphine on demand helps. Haha. Anyway, hopefully she can go home tomorrow!

Update on Cheryl

Doctor came by at 3:02... Amazing - less than 90 minutes. He cut through the lamina of 4 vertebrae to clean out bone spurs. No disc problems noted. He said the diagnosis was spot on and that the surgery should definitely bring relief. She'll be in recovery until about 4:00. More later...

Cheryl's Surgery

Thought I'd invite you to support Cheryl through her upcoming surgery and recovery...

On Monday, November 3rd, she goes in for fairly major back surgery - Decompressive Laminectomy (non-laparoscopic) - to treat a condition called Spinal Stenosis, a condition due to narrowing of the spinal cord causing nerve pinching which leads to persistent pain in the buttocks, limping, lack of feeling in the lower extremities, and decreased physical activity.

Surgery time is 1:00 PM and they expect that unless there are any complications she'll be released from the hospital on Tuesday the 4th. Doctors are suggesting a two to three week stay-at-home recovery period with eight weeks to fully recover and get back to full physical activity.

So, would you pray through this with us? And here are some other ways you can support and show your love for her...

• Send her an email at the hospital (after 1:00 on the 3rd)
• Call her at the hospital - 425-688-5000 (main number)
• Send card or flowers to her at home - 11706 SE 259th Pl, Kent WA 98030

I'll put an update on our blog and the MyFamily site Monday afternoon or evening and another one when we get home Tuesday afternoon/evening.

Thanks,
Doug
caretaker of his bride, his princess...