Cindy’s Journey  Thud

It happens.  Just when we think it is the end of the crisis journey, the other shoe drops.

Beginning to see the journey from the multiple myeloma treatment begin to fad in the rearview mirror, THUD.  The other shoe dropped.  An ache in my back nagged at me.  Not wanting to be sidelined, I kept up my activities, including tennis and pickleball.  Ice packs, cushions, hard chairs, soft chairs, and an occasional lower back brace didn’t ease the discomfort.  Finally giving in, I stopped my physical activities to see if that helped.  Nope.  No difference.

The pain became almost unbearable.  Tests concluded the cement previously inserted into the space between the fractured vertebrae due to the multiple myeloma “eating my bones” had crumbled.  Through compassion, skill, and talent, Dr. Ali Bydon at Johns Hopkins Hospital scheduled me for surgery to insert rods, screws, and a spacer to keep vertebra apart to prevent paralysis.  The challenge of the surgery and hospital stay were exacerbated by the pandemic and not being able to have any visitors.  I didn’t really want to see anyone but Ben, as the pain was too significant to socialize.

Recovery and rehab during the following eight months were progressing as Dr. Bydon expected and then, THUD, another shoe. Pain surged forward only to find the spacer shifted because of a new crack on the vertebrae it sat on.  The spacer moving caused one of the titanium rods to break.  Back at Hopkins for surgery to replace the rods, insert a different spacer, and remove a left rib required the expertise of three surgeons top in their fields.  This time, Ben was able to come to the hospital and stayed overnight in my room to assist me. A better nurse, I couldn’t find.

My physical activities are limited, but I can walk and it has been a year since the second surgery.

Just when you think there are no shoes left, another one can drop.  I’m embracing my days, believing all will continue to be well, until THUD…

Featured image courtesy of Huyen Nguy on Unsplash.