I realize that I have been MIA on the blogging front lately. It has been frustrating not to be able to comment on the many astounding events that have recently come to pass.

Let me explain what’s happened.

My bride of 55 years and I have been having a few health problems. We feel like a couple of rusted out 1964 Dodge Darts. Every time one of us hits a bump in the road, it seems like a part falls off.

Over the past seven weeks, my wife has been repeatedly admitted to the hospital with intractable nausea. Thankfully she’s on the mend. But, in the middle of that, while I served as her private duty nurse and two-legged therapy animal, I developed extreme pain in my my back and leg.

Now my high school wrestling coach – a complete moron – used to tell us that we had to “play with the pain.” Which makes me an even bigger moron because, even at my advanced age, I followed his advice and toughed it out for two weeks of intense pain and no sleep before going to the doctor.

Yesterday I had an MRI that disclosed “a large left paracentral /subarticular inferior disc extrusion at L2-L3, which impinges on the traversing left nerve root and severely narrows the central canal and left lateral recess.”

With that the MRI docs sent me to the ER for further assessment. There a worried-looking doctor told me that I was at risk of bilateral paralysis of my legs. From there I was transported by ambulance to an ER in one of Philadelphia’s major medical facilities where a group of spine surgeons did an assessment. They decided that, at least for now, it would be appropriate to place me on oral steroids and watch for any signs of deterioration. If I begin to deteriorate, immediate back surgery will be performed.

Happily they gave me a handful of prednisone tablets in the ER, and within 30 minutes, I was pain free for the first time in weeks. It seemed like a miracle as you will see from this video of me exiting the ER.

Okay, so that isn’t me, but that’s how I feel.

I promise to get back to blogging as soon as possible.

Best to all of you!