Updates and encouragement

Yesterday was my two week follow up appointment with the doctor. He removed the staples, took a look at the incision, and took alot of time to discuss my questions, progress, etc. The physical healing appears to be going very well; the surgical site is closing cleanly and without infection. The real problems has been, and to an extent continues to be, the muscle spasms in my back. The neurosurgeon was very clear prior to the surgery that this would be the case, but I guess it's easy to underestimate how it would feel. At any rate, I have been trying to go about my routine statue-still to prevent any further damage, and at the appointment yesterday, the doctor gave me a green light to start moving around and involving my muscles substantially more. Of course I have to avoid over-doing it, and I have to isolate my back from any exercise, but the mere fact that I can begin being more active in my recovery is incredibly encouraging.

I have been hitching rides to work with Eric Brown, who lives and works within several blocks of where I live and work, which has been great both because it allows me to begin feeling productive again (getting into the office), and gives me good time of fellowship. As many of you know, Eric is my great friend, long time training partner and, along with Tom Norris, was with me at the time of my accident. Rebekah diligently comes and gets me from work after a few hours before I spend too much time at the office, as I always have difficulty feeling like I have tied up enough loose ends to leave, and probably wouldn't be smart enough to go without prompting. It does feel like the psychological portion of my healing is well under way as I begin to slip back into the routine at the office, even on a minimal level.