Really, there is no reason to be on the verge of a breakdown, so that is a bit of an over exaggeration.  You know though, God just REALLY likes to test patience and faith.  Grrr… shame on Him at such an important time!  jk..

So, J.Tom has been down with his back since July 24.  We’ve been to the doctor, they did XRays.  Then we went in for an MRI-turns out it is a “large herniated disc.”  He has always had some back problems from playing football and stuff in college; they have always been solved by going to the chiropractor- a temorary fix but really the only fix for a young man. The technician says in her experience, this means surgery, that we are passed the physical therapy or steroid injection phase.

I’ve never seen him, or anyone I love, in so much physical pain and it is just driving me crazy.  I want so badly to make it go away, and can’t.  He has to lay flat on his back with very limited movement; can’t sit down to eat, can’t stand up for more than 5min at a time… it is a mess.  I don’t mind waiting on him and helping him (it gives me something to do all day) but I hate that I cannot make the pain go away. Oh, and DOCTORS SUCK.  PERIOD.  If you’re a doctor, I am mad at you.  I won’t go into why, but things could have and SHOULD have been handled a lot differently than they have been (and I’m not saying that just because it is taking time, I know there are office procedures to be followed).

Also, we can’t get into a neurosurgeon for at least a week.  We need his opinion to tell us if we can do physical therapy or if it has to be surgery..  We’re trying to get into one in LR (getting references from some family friends here in town) because I don’t know that you want to have a possible back surgery in a small town in AR.  The thought is a little scary.

Now the obvious problem, the baby is due in 3.5 weeks.  That is pretty self explanatory.  He is my educated coach for this birth and he may be in a hospital bed when the baby is born.  I really don’t want to do this without him-no one can replace him in those hours of labor.  We just need lots of prayers that this thing-surgery or not- will get resolved so he can enjoy his family and the experience of having Lexie.