It has been a way long time since I have posted. I've lost interest in everything I do and I think it adds up to a little depression.

Today was the "big day". I had my appointment at the the Rehabilitation Institute in Chicago. We got there in the nick of time. It's further to Chicago than I remember. The hospital is downtown Chicago. It had a great view of Lake Michigan...except today it was all fog...no lake. The building appeared very old but it was spotless clean.

I really liked the doctor I saw...he was friendly and down to earth and honest. We started the appointment by giving my history which is no easy task. Wayne is always helpful in that area. The doctor examined me and then left the room while I got dressed and he figured out a game plan.

He came back in and said you (me) have had pain for a long time. It has to have affected your psyche, hasn't it? Holding back tears I said yes, it sure does! He then said something I have never thought of. I had told him that the drip from the pain pump is at T12. He said if you have pain that badly then that pump isn't covering everything. He wants to find out what it is that causes the pain. He will do several lovely tests...an EMG and Facet Injection were 2 tests he mentioned.

My job now is to gather information and mail it to him. He wants the report from when I went to Mayo Clinic last year and the reports from my last 2 MRI's. Then I'm to call him a week after he gets that and he will tell me what he wants to do first.

So, we felt very hopeful all the way home and then when we got home it hit me HARD! I've had those tests done before...what is different? Wayne and I talked about that and ended up sobbing in each others arms. No more to say except to ask for prayer that I will accept this new game plan even though it has evidence of "old solutions".

My Mom has had a really sore foot with a lump. It's been hard for her to even walk. She went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago. He said he thought there might be something inside the lump so had it x-rayed. The x-ray technician didn't see anything so he treated her with anti-biotics. Nothing has changed after a round of antibiotics and the swelling (and pain) was starting to go up her leg. She said he stood back and looked at it and said he still thought there was something inside that initial swelling. So he sliced it open and started looking and found a sliver of glass...the cause of everything. She's now taking anti-biotics again to fight any infection. He told her that he was praying that he'd find whatever it was and she was praying at the same time. They both agreed that it was an answer to prayer.

Becky