Doctors and Apples and Pears :O)

Matt's visit with the spine doctor went well yesterday. He was pleased to know that the injection had helped with the pain. He was not so pleased to see that the weakness/numbness in the arm and thumb were no better upon examination. He recommended that since the injection did lessen the pain, now would be a good time to try some physical therapy along with a prescription anti-inflammatory (meloxicam). He started the meds today and will begin therapy on Wednesday morning. He'll go back to the doctor in about 8 weeks (early December). The doctor said that by then, Matt will know if he's going to be able to just "live with it" or if it's time for surgery. Matt's feelings? "I ain't getting cut on until I just can't stand it anymore." :O) I agree. The doctor said that if he does have the surgery, it won't just be a cut and dried procedure where they go in and fix one disc. Because there are "multiple levels of problems, it would be a more complicated procedure." (translated longer recovery time and possible loss of neck movement) So we won't even think about that unless it just has to be. He's still able to work (praise the Lord!) but then again, because half the plant is still shut down, he's just not having to do alot of work at all. Business is so bad that they're even extending the shutdown, unexpectedly, for another week. Yay for Matt...bad for business. Still, we're thankful for a little extra downtime so these discs can hopefully have more time to heal.

We've been blessed with apples again! It's been a wonderfully cool and rainy day here so we've all been inside peeling apples. (and doing a little taste-testing too! They're yummy!) I'm making more cooked apples for the freezer. We were also given some pears, and as I write, I have some pear butter in the making. :O) Between the apples and the pears, my house smells wonderful! :O)

Wish I could post some pictures but the batteries are dead in my camera, so it'll have to wait til next time. So until then, y'all be good! :O)