Good News fr. Dr.

We made our 3 pm appt. w/ the neurosurgeon. She said that Deb's two compression fractures are too small for kyphoplasty, especially in light of how much Debbie has improved over the past week and how much her pain has diminished. The Dr. said the fractures should heal and build back the indentations in the vertebra naturally - will probably take about 3 months for them to rebuild. She ordered a back brace to help her do more walking. She said that Deb should try to stand erect until the muscles tire and then lie down and rest them. (If the Dr. told me that, that would be a phrase I would get in writing and I would use from now on, especially when certain chores were due. Fortuantely, Deb didn't think that far ahead.) So God knows best, and He knew that we were impatiently jumping the gun on trying to get her more pain relief and mobility in hoping and praying for a quick fix with the kyphoplasty. I guess we are just impatient Americans who have adapted back into this instantaneous culture. But not everything can be had instantly, not even in Texas. And spiritually, many times, we just need to simmer for a while, like a good pot of chile. So we will put up with the heat while He refines us.

Duane and Deb