When is a sneeze not...

just a sneeze?

When you have an unstable disc in your back, apparently. I still think it sounds like some sort of urban legend along the lines of waking up in a tub of ice and missing your kidneys, but lying here wishing for the absence of my sciatic nerve causes me to realize tis not.

Nor is it an elaborate April Fool's. If I could only be so clever instead of just plain medically freakish.

Here's the deal. My degenerative disc had improved through the course of caudal epidural blocks I had over the last few weeks. I was feeling great, needing less time in bed, and very encouraged about the whole thing. I had tentatively scheduled my third and final block for this week. Sort of the seal the deal stamp on this whole episode.

The disc because of its degeneration was still considered unstable but the best case scenario was that the blocks would reduce the swelling and natural scarring would occur. This weekend's allergy attack replete with non-stop sneezing proved the undoing of the disc.

What began as a back spasm progressed to unrelenting sciatic pain to an emergency visit to the neurosurgeon to his assessment that the rupture had enlarged and surgery is the next option. Surgery tomorrow, in fact.

I'm very thankful for the friends I've made through blogging, and many of you have sent encouraging comments and emails to me over this whole course. I will appreciate leaning on you again for prayer support tomorrow. Specifically that the surgery would be clear and uncomplicated, without infection or adverse reactions to anesthesia. I don't know when I'll be back to blogging, but since bedrest is part of my prescribed recovery, the laptop will be ever present as soon as I'm able.

Thanks for trusting God with me that His Hand remains sovereignly upon me. May His full glory be displayed.