This entry is for Alice - my little cousin. She is my cousin Nicci's daughter and also blogs. I won't give the address of her blog, since she is keeping it anonymous - a very good idea for a teenager. In one of her entries, she mentioned bringing friends home and having a spat about every aspect of pizza choice. While this is part of the fun for a teen, I thought I would give Alice (and everyone else interested) an idea for easy entertaining. Next time you bring friends home and want to feed them, Alice, try this recipe for chicken salad.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CHICKEN SALAD
You'll need
2 large, plump chicken breasts, skin removed. Keep it on the bone for the initial cooking.
1 can of chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 whole cloves
3 whole black peppercorns
Handful of parsley, leaves for salad and stalks for cooking
1 onion for cooking and 1 small red onion for the salad
2 celery sticks, including leaves, 1 for cooking and 1 for salad
1 cup grapes or ½ cup raisins
1 small apple – I prefer a green apple, or firm red apple
¼ cup walnuts (optional)
1 cup mayonnaise or ½ cup mayo and ½ cup greek yoghurt
1 large pickle
Here's what you do to cook the chicken:
Put the chicken, chicken stock, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns, and parsley stalks in a pot. Chop one onion and one celery stick and the celery leaves roughly and add to the pot. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat down to gently simmer until the chicken is tender and its juices run clear. Be careful to not overcook. You don't want dry, rubbery chicken. Leave the chicken in the pot to cool down in the cooking liquid.
You can see that this part you can do ahead of time. You can also use left over chicken, although I don't suppose there will ever be two to three cups of leftover chicken in your house. Of course, you can also use a rotisserie chicken from the store.
MAKE THE SALAD
To make the salad, take the cold chicken out of the liquid and gently wipe it down with a paper towel. You don't want too much liquid in the salad. Take off the bones and discard. You can use the cooking liquid for a soup base or a gravy base if you want.
Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes and add to a bowl for mixing. Peel the red onion. I like the color of a red onion, but you can use any onion you have on hand. Cut in half and slice very thinly. Add to chicken. Trim the celery stick and slice very thinly. Add to chicken. The onion and celery add good flavor and some crunch.
Rinse the grapes and cut into halves. I rather like to use dark grapes for color, but you can use any grapes you have. If you do not have fresh grapes, just use raisins. Add the sweet, crunchy fruit to chicken.
Don’t peel the apple. The skin adds color and a lot of nutrients. Half and core the apple, and then slice thinly, or cut into 1 inch cubes if preferred. Slice the pickle very thinly. Add to the salad. You will notice we have highly flavorful chicken, and we have added color and crunch with the other ingredients.
Make a dressing according to your taste. I like the tang of mayonnaise, but if you are careful about adding fat, you can mix it with Greek yoghurt. If you like a more complex dressing, you can always add mustard too. I like it simple.
SIDE BAR: MAKING GREEK YOGHURT
For those who can't lay your hands on Greek yoghurt, you can easily make it yourself. It is just plain yoghurt that has been drained of excess liquid, so it is thick and creamy. To make your Greek yoghurt replacement, line a sieve with cheesecloth and pour a container full of plain yoghurt into it. You can control the fat content by using full fat, low fat, or no fat yoghurt. Put in the fridge overnight, or for at least three hours. Squeeze out the excess fluid and you are left with a creamy, cottage cheese like substance. Yummy!
BACK TO THE SALAD
Mix in enough dressing to coat all the ingredients and bind the salad together. Taste the salad and adjust salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until you need it.
This is a very versatile recipe. You can serve it on lettuce leaves on pretty plates for a full meal salad with really good bread and butter.
Or you can make a sandwich. Butter the bread you will use. Layer on a thin slice of onion, a nice thick slice of tomato and a heaping scoop of chicken salad.
Or you can fill little phyllo pastry cups with the chicken salad for appetizers. Other ideas for appetizers are:
- little toast triangles with chicken salad topping
- flapjacks (or dollar size pancakes) with salad topping
- crostini (french bread cut on the bias, rubbed with garlic and olive oil, and toasted in the oven) with salad topping.
I hope this helps, Alice, to impress your friends.
SUGGESTION:
I'm sure your Mom would love an elegant chicken salad lunch as a surprise one day :)
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Short Chris Update
Chris went for physio-therapy these past two weeks.
He says it hurts when they push and pull, but it is alleviating pain somewhat. He faithfully does his exercises at home. That hurts too, but helps overall for pain. He still feels pain in his leg, but at least he could stand right through worship at church yesterday without having to sit down.
At his last therapy visit, the therapist tested strength in his legs and said he would need at least another two weeks of therapy.
One good thing has come from this as far as I am concerned: he does not try to do too much, although he has already started mowing the lawn again. At least, he has asked one of our friends to help with the painting of our entry hall. In fact, Chris did more supervision than painting, to my great joy. The greatest danger is that he overextends himself as his pain level subsides before he is completely healed.
He finds that the big recliner chair helps when he hurts, with the result that he sits downstairs with me more often, especially when he has computer work to do. The downside of this is that I can watch fewer cooking programs, because they bore him hugely. Ah well! I guess his company is better than that of Bobby Flay and Guy Fieri.
(For those who don't know, these two gentlemen are chefs who have cooking shows on FoodTV.)
Perhaps my obsession with cooking shows springs from the fact that I can eat such limited foods at this time. I enjoy watching other people make wonderful food, and I am learning all sorts of great skills by watching. When I am up and about in the kitchen again, watch me!
In the meantime, we thank the Lord for improvement in Chris' back pain.
He says it hurts when they push and pull, but it is alleviating pain somewhat. He faithfully does his exercises at home. That hurts too, but helps overall for pain. He still feels pain in his leg, but at least he could stand right through worship at church yesterday without having to sit down.
At his last therapy visit, the therapist tested strength in his legs and said he would need at least another two weeks of therapy.
One good thing has come from this as far as I am concerned: he does not try to do too much, although he has already started mowing the lawn again. At least, he has asked one of our friends to help with the painting of our entry hall. In fact, Chris did more supervision than painting, to my great joy. The greatest danger is that he overextends himself as his pain level subsides before he is completely healed.
He finds that the big recliner chair helps when he hurts, with the result that he sits downstairs with me more often, especially when he has computer work to do. The downside of this is that I can watch fewer cooking programs, because they bore him hugely. Ah well! I guess his company is better than that of Bobby Flay and Guy Fieri.
(For those who don't know, these two gentlemen are chefs who have cooking shows on FoodTV.)
Perhaps my obsession with cooking shows springs from the fact that I can eat such limited foods at this time. I enjoy watching other people make wonderful food, and I am learning all sorts of great skills by watching. When I am up and about in the kitchen again, watch me!
In the meantime, we thank the Lord for improvement in Chris' back pain.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
One Step Forward, One Step Back
This sore mouth business is not much fun. I have adapted by drinking my meals, since my tongue is so sensitive, even icing sugar feels granular. So all is not lost, and it is forcing us to be creative about what I eat - I mean drink. At left a picture of my Jack LaLanne Juicer.
A friend sent me some information about the benefits of asparagus for cancer patients, and I have since taken asparagus everyday as one of my meals. Apparently the asparagus has to be cooked, so to make things easier for my personal cooks, Chris and Christelle, we are using canned asparagus. They put the contents of the can in the blender and it creates a rather thick fluid. They mix 4 tablespoons of this asparagus juice and chicken stock, heat it up a little, and then I drink it. It is delicious, always provided you like asparagus, of course. I have also discovered I can eat cheese wedges. It is smooth enough that it does not hurt my tongue. Other cheeses do, so I am very thankful for creamy cheese wedges.
So much for the forward steps. Initially, my doctor gave me something they call the miracle mouthwash. It deadens the mouth, but I think I told you before, if I eat right after taking the miracle, I can't taste anything. Then they said perhaps I have a yeast infection, and prescribed a medication designed to heal candidiasis or yeast infection. For a week or so it seemed to help, although it really burned my mouth when I swished and swallowed. Then yesterday, I started throwing up everything I ate, and being the good, informed patient that I am, I read the materials about the medication onnline, and found that this medication can cause nausea as a side effect. A phone call to the doctor, and now I should discontinue this yeast medication.
They also prescribed a third medication to counteract possible ulcers. Usually they use it for patients with stomach ulcers, who are to swish and swallow for ulcer relief. I should just swish and spit, not swish and swallow, because I might have ulcers in my mouth, definitely not in my stomach.
The Mystery of the Sore Mouth is a saga that will no doubt continue, and I will keep the story going. I hope it ends after another episode or two, but there is no denying that it might, just might become a soap opera that carries on and on and on. It seems the doctors don't really know and are making educated guesses.
I sure hope their guesses are educated.
In the meantime, the juicer is running and Chris tells me I am to have peach-carrot-apple juice for lunch, with a triangle of creamy swiss cheese. Yum!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Random Thoughts on Miracles
Several things have happened today that made me think about miracles.
Early this morning I received an email from a dear friend in the Congo - Bishop Ejiba Yamapia. He leads a very large church in Kinshasa. He tells of the Big Campaign of Restoration conference he has been conducting and that in one night over 600 people responded to the sermon and invitation to give their hearts and lives into the rulership of Christ. Among them was a man called Mavoka Martin, who had been bitten by a poisonous snake and could almost not walk for how his swollen foot ached. Bishop Ejiba prayed from him and immediately the swelling dissipated and the pain disappeared. Bishop Ejiba says, "Today like never before, Mister Mavoka Martin put on shoes, walked suitably and started to pray with us in the church. We thank God for his mercy."
Many people, including seminaries and professors of religious studies teach that miracles only happened in the Old Testament and during the life of Christ. Perhaps they'll stretch a point and concede that the disciples also performed miracles - just think of Peter and the lame man.
The story Bishop Ejiba relayed is the kind of thing you might think of as a miracle. This is the kind of miracle we Africans see often. God does spectacular feats of healing and restoration within seconds and everyone can see His power and glory. I can remember when I was a child, my father prayed for a man who had a tumor on his cheek. It was an ugly, black thing, disfiguring him and causing him great distress. Dad put his hand on this man's cheek and prayed. When he took his hand away, the cheek was clean, covered with new skin, and the tumor was lying in Dad's hand.
There are other kinds of miracles, though. Last night I ventured outside and looked at my little herb garden in pots. It is very hot in Tuscaloosa right now, and the basil and peppermint were looking terrible. The pots were dry and the leaves where shriveled. Chris brought me the hosepipe and I sat there for a half hour watering my little garden. Today, those same leaves have perked up and look green and glossy. I will just have to keep watering the poor darlings in the heat. To me, that is a miracle too, that a dry plant will perk up and grow with the addition of life giving water.
Consider also how babies grow. A man and woman come together and nine months later a baby is born. No one has been able to replicate the process from start to finish. (Yes, I know about invitro fertilization and so on, but has anyone been able to make a baby without sperm and eggs harvested from real live people?) I watched Malone and Judah, our two grandchildren while they were here. They are truly little miracles that God has given into our lives.
Other things are happening that seem like miracles to me. We are working on getting seats for my mom and sister to come and visit during the Fall. Mom has been here to visit before, but Riana has not. The trouble is we are using Chris' frequent flyer miles, but the airlines have very few seats available for frequent flyers. We need a miracle there. And then this morning my brother Ben sent an email that he wants to come visit at the same time. We already have a miracle there, since he can buy his own ticket.
And then, I see God doing a series of small miracles in my body everyday. Every time I walk between the living room and my bedroom without having to hold onto the wall, it is evidence of miracle - two weeks ago I could not do that. You may say it is not a miracle at all, just the effects of the fruit juice I'm drinking and the full cream ice cream I'm having for breakfast (did it again this morning), but I tell you it is a miracle. God is at work and working on healing me. If He healed me all at once, I would have one huge miracle to celebrate. This way, I have a whole series of little miracles to sustain me.
I am very glad miracles did not stop when the last disciple died.
Early this morning I received an email from a dear friend in the Congo - Bishop Ejiba Yamapia. He leads a very large church in Kinshasa. He tells of the Big Campaign of Restoration conference he has been conducting and that in one night over 600 people responded to the sermon and invitation to give their hearts and lives into the rulership of Christ. Among them was a man called Mavoka Martin, who had been bitten by a poisonous snake and could almost not walk for how his swollen foot ached. Bishop Ejiba prayed from him and immediately the swelling dissipated and the pain disappeared. Bishop Ejiba says, "Today like never before, Mister Mavoka Martin put on shoes, walked suitably and started to pray with us in the church. We thank God for his mercy."
Many people, including seminaries and professors of religious studies teach that miracles only happened in the Old Testament and during the life of Christ. Perhaps they'll stretch a point and concede that the disciples also performed miracles - just think of Peter and the lame man.
The story Bishop Ejiba relayed is the kind of thing you might think of as a miracle. This is the kind of miracle we Africans see often. God does spectacular feats of healing and restoration within seconds and everyone can see His power and glory. I can remember when I was a child, my father prayed for a man who had a tumor on his cheek. It was an ugly, black thing, disfiguring him and causing him great distress. Dad put his hand on this man's cheek and prayed. When he took his hand away, the cheek was clean, covered with new skin, and the tumor was lying in Dad's hand.
There are other kinds of miracles, though. Last night I ventured outside and looked at my little herb garden in pots. It is very hot in Tuscaloosa right now, and the basil and peppermint were looking terrible. The pots were dry and the leaves where shriveled. Chris brought me the hosepipe and I sat there for a half hour watering my little garden. Today, those same leaves have perked up and look green and glossy. I will just have to keep watering the poor darlings in the heat. To me, that is a miracle too, that a dry plant will perk up and grow with the addition of life giving water.
Consider also how babies grow. A man and woman come together and nine months later a baby is born. No one has been able to replicate the process from start to finish. (Yes, I know about invitro fertilization and so on, but has anyone been able to make a baby without sperm and eggs harvested from real live people?) I watched Malone and Judah, our two grandchildren while they were here. They are truly little miracles that God has given into our lives.
Other things are happening that seem like miracles to me. We are working on getting seats for my mom and sister to come and visit during the Fall. Mom has been here to visit before, but Riana has not. The trouble is we are using Chris' frequent flyer miles, but the airlines have very few seats available for frequent flyers. We need a miracle there. And then this morning my brother Ben sent an email that he wants to come visit at the same time. We already have a miracle there, since he can buy his own ticket.
And then, I see God doing a series of small miracles in my body everyday. Every time I walk between the living room and my bedroom without having to hold onto the wall, it is evidence of miracle - two weeks ago I could not do that. You may say it is not a miracle at all, just the effects of the fruit juice I'm drinking and the full cream ice cream I'm having for breakfast (did it again this morning), but I tell you it is a miracle. God is at work and working on healing me. If He healed me all at once, I would have one huge miracle to celebrate. This way, I have a whole series of little miracles to sustain me.
I am very glad miracles did not stop when the last disciple died.
Another Chris Update
Chris had his first physio therapy session on Monday and is conscientiously doing his exercises everyday. He is walking with more ease and he says the pain has abated somewhat, but I can see he is still in pain on occasion, especially when he has not moved for a while. Getting up in the morning is the hardest.
We are trusting God for a complete intervention. I hate that he is in pain.
We are trusting God for a complete intervention. I hate that he is in pain.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
A Chris Update
Chris' doctor has said he needs to follow a treatment protocol set by the medical insurance company. It works like this:
STEP 1. Someone comes in with severe back pain. Treatment: Doctor prescribes pain medication, muscle relaxants, and anti-inflamatory medicine. If it works, good. Stop treatment (or continue medications as the situation warrants) and keep an eye on it. If it does not work, go to step 2.
STEP 2. Continue medications as needed and send patient for a course in physio-therapy. If it works, great. Keep and eye on it and prescribe medications as needed. If it doesn't work, go on to step 3.
STEP 3. Refer patient to a surgeon who specializes in the appropriate condition. Surgeon orders tests like CT scans or MRI scans and decides on treatment. If needed, perform surgery to correct condition in the back. If it works, everybody is happy, most of all the patient. If it does not work, shoot the patient.
No, I'm kidding. I don't know what comes after Step 3.
So Chris went through step 1, and now has to go on to step 2.
He starts physio-therapy on Monday.
STEP 1. Someone comes in with severe back pain. Treatment: Doctor prescribes pain medication, muscle relaxants, and anti-inflamatory medicine. If it works, good. Stop treatment (or continue medications as the situation warrants) and keep an eye on it. If it does not work, go to step 2.
STEP 2. Continue medications as needed and send patient for a course in physio-therapy. If it works, great. Keep and eye on it and prescribe medications as needed. If it doesn't work, go on to step 3.
STEP 3. Refer patient to a surgeon who specializes in the appropriate condition. Surgeon orders tests like CT scans or MRI scans and decides on treatment. If needed, perform surgery to correct condition in the back. If it works, everybody is happy, most of all the patient. If it does not work, shoot the patient.
No, I'm kidding. I don't know what comes after Step 3.
So Chris went through step 1, and now has to go on to step 2.
He starts physio-therapy on Monday.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
These are a few of my favorite things
News Flash: I'm feeling so much better, I cleaned the microwave door.
thing, when you think about it. But Chris has been the most faithful and loving companion, and h
very generous this summer. Lydia was completing the last semester of her Masters Degree and Joel kept his office going, but came to Tuscaloosa to visit this summer. Lydia was scheduled to be here three weeks, but while everyone was gathered in June, Joel came to tell me that he and Lydia had decidedshe should stay longer. She has been our support during these last weeks while Chris was incapacitated - shopping, cleaning, cooking, laughing, joking,
As soon as they could, they came to Tuscaloosa on an Air Force transport plane, apparently quite an adventure. When Cameron had to go back to work, Marelize and the children stayed another several weeks, enlivening all our lives. She just went back to Tacoma last week, taking Christelle with her to help with the children on the plane. Imaging flying across country with a 5 month old baby and an active 2 1/2 year old little girl. Marelize was up early every morning, baking and making all sorts of goodies for us to eat, cooking with her sisters and cleaning, and doing all the things that a big house needs to have done. Cameron also, showed his loved in this tangible way when he could have legitimately have expected his wife and children home after he had been gone for three weeks.
First, I heated water for my new expensive mouthwash: 8oz warm water, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda. Stir to dissolve and rinse the mouth every hour or two. (That in itself is a
major thing - the first time I have touched the microwave since before Christmas).
Second, I noticed the door was not as clean as I would have liked it, so I got the soap and cleanser and wiped it down. I did not have the strength to clean the inside, but hey, I did the first piece of housework since before Christmas. Happy. Happy.
Now, the things I have learned to love in this time:
During the misery and horrible experiences since I got so sick, I have come to greatly appreciate small things. It has helped me handle the difficult times.
1. My husband.
Not s
o small a
as
shown me (and all of those around us, Christelle included) what servant leadership is all about. He could quite easily have used his work as an excuse and
hired a caregiver, but he
did all his own work, took my care on himself, and took over my hou
sehold duties as well. He did all this with patience and good humor and encouraged me when I'm sure he had his own emotions to d
eal with.
2. Christelle. She finished out the last semester of her junior year with joy and dedication, and processed my illness with grace. She would come lie on my bed with me at times and just cry. Sometimes, she would just come and sit on the bed next to me to do her homework, and at other times we talked about my illness and what it meant for all of us. I have watched her grow spiritually, and at the same time date for the first time - a lovely young man who is caring and protective of her. She cooked for us and did her part in keeping the house clean, while working hard at her schoolwork and music. She has been a joy to me during this time.
3. Our Children and Grandchildren.
Lydia and Joel have been
very generous this summer. Lydia was completing the last semester of her Masters Degree and Joel kept his office going, but came to Tuscaloosa to visit this summer. Lydia was scheduled to be here three weeks, but while everyone was gathered in June, Joel came to tell me that he and Lydia had decidedshe should stay longer. She has been our support during these last weeks while Chris was incapacitated - shopping, cleaning, cooking, laughing, joking, watching the Cooking Channel with me. I so appreciated Joel's generosity in lending us his wife for 6 weeks. It takes a special son to show his love in such a tangible way.
Cameron and Marelize have been no less generous and loving. Cameron has kept busy flying all over the world and then doing training to become flight commander.
As soon as they could, they came to Tuscaloosa on an Air Force transport plane, apparently quite an adventure. When Cameron had to go back to work, Marelize and the children stayed another several weeks, enlivening all our lives. She just went back to Tacoma last week, taking Christelle with her to help with the children on the plane. Imaging flying across country with a 5 month old baby and an active 2 1/2 year old little girl. Marelize was up early every morning, baking and making all sorts of goodies for us to eat, cooking with her sisters and cleaning, and doing all the things that a big house needs to have done. Cameron also, showed his loved in this tangible way when he could have legitimately have expected his wife and children home after he had been gone for three weeks.4. Friends.
During these months I have learned how many good friends I have. Friends have called and written notes and emailed and done small and large acts of service. There are several friends who regularly send a card or a note or a text message to encourage me.
There have been those friends who came to stay for extended periods of time to help. I think of my South African friend Martie who came in January/February from South Africa to take care of me when I was very, very ill. She was helped by Rina and Johan to buy the airplane ticket. I appreciate it. I think of Laura who came twice with her little girl Anna to stay with me and try to find something to tempt my appetite while her husband stayed in Atlanta to work.
There have been those friends who put together a scrapbook to remind me of how they remember me. Thanks for those pages that made me laugh, Uconn friends.
There have been those friends who sent an enormous gift box of food to help during those times when nobody is here to cook for us or we have unexpected guests or not enough time to prepare something nutritious and delicious. Thanks Liz and Adam.
There have been those friends from Tuscaloosa Vineyard Church who called to pray with me and came to visit and sing hymns with us and brought magazines - too many to mention. And Judy who took me to the doctor when Chris could not.
There are my friends from work: My department head who has come to see me every month and who has supported me and prayed with me and served me with good advice in how to navigate the university bureaucracy during this time; the lady colleagues from the dinner club who put money together to buy me pretty pajamas when I was so weak I did not dress to go to the doctor; the colleague who sent a check in lieu of flowers so that I could buy something more lasting to help me during this hard time; the many friends I thought I did not know so very well, who have shown themselves faithful prayer partners and encouragers. I also have some students who have written emails and kept in touch on Facebook and came to see me bearing Cokes and good wishes.
5. Jack LaLane's Power Juicer
We used the money gift mentioned above to buy a power juicer. What a pleasure. You have not really tasted an apple until it has gone whole through the juicer. Breakfast: 3 carrots with a smidgen of orange juice. Lunch: 3 medium tomatoes and 2 celery sticks. Dinner: handful of strawberries and blueberries, apple, peach. Extra snack: pear, cucumber and apple. And on and on.............. It is also Lydia's favorite new toy, so we have the benefit of her experimentations.
6. My Handwork.
I have always loved to knit and crochet and embroider and so on. Not so much time during the busy academic year. During the last month or so, my energy has picked up to the point where I am enjoying the crochet work again. I'll upload pictures when I have a finished product to show.
7. My Teaching.
I am teaching two online classes this summer and I am loving it. The students are wonderfully responsive and are working very hard. I am amazed at their insight and how they ask searching questions and investigate certain concepts of interest to them.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
A Little Realtime News
I have been delving into the past, but today I need to give some real time news.
Chris hurt his back.
He has had trouble with a herniated disk for many years. For long periods of time he has no trouble whatsoever, and then he will turn badly, or make a random move that sets off the pain again. Two weeks ago he was moving boxes in the garage when he hurt his back. He took some pain pills as usual, and the back became much better as it has for so many times. Then one morning, while he was getting dressed, he moved somehow and something in the back snapped and he found himself on the floor, unable to get up. It was of course on the weekend and he had to wait several days to see the doctor, in excruciating pain.
The doctor gave him medication - a muscle relaxant, heavy duty pain medication, and something to counteract inflammation - and recommended waiting another two weeks to see whether the back would pull together like it always does, but so far it has not. He can move (with the help of my walking cane ironically), but he suffers in pain. We are now waiting for the doctor's office to call back. Chris believes the time for waiting is over, and that it is time for surgery. We are waiting for the doctor.
The funny side of all of this, is that I am not quite in as much pain as Chris is. I am not sure which one of us will win a race walking down the hall to the bedroom :) Chris will be shuffling along with the walking stick. I will be holding on to the walls for balance.
Thank God for Lydia who is still with us and is a support (spiritually and physically) for both of us!
Chris hurt his back.
He has had trouble with a herniated disk for many years. For long periods of time he has no trouble whatsoever, and then he will turn badly, or make a random move that sets off the pain again. Two weeks ago he was moving boxes in the garage when he hurt his back. He took some pain pills as usual, and the back became much better as it has for so many times. Then one morning, while he was getting dressed, he moved somehow and something in the back snapped and he found himself on the floor, unable to get up. It was of course on the weekend and he had to wait several days to see the doctor, in excruciating pain.
The doctor gave him medication - a muscle relaxant, heavy duty pain medication, and something to counteract inflammation - and recommended waiting another two weeks to see whether the back would pull together like it always does, but so far it has not. He can move (with the help of my walking cane ironically), but he suffers in pain. We are now waiting for the doctor's office to call back. Chris believes the time for waiting is over, and that it is time for surgery. We are waiting for the doctor.
The funny side of all of this, is that I am not quite in as much pain as Chris is. I am not sure which one of us will win a race walking down the hall to the bedroom :) Chris will be shuffling along with the walking stick. I will be holding on to the walls for balance.
Thank God for Lydia who is still with us and is a support (spiritually and physically) for both of us!
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