SPONDYLOLISTHESIS OR 'SPONDY' ...AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Spondylolisthesis  - so, that is a new word in my vocabulary and a word which has changed my life. Basically it is a condition in which two discs run out of alignment with each other. In my case L4 and L5 were out 1 inch when ever I stood up causing back and leg issues. Little wonder that I had so many leg/foot issues on my trip to Canada!

After a CAT scan and an MRI and much prayerful consideration I decided to follow the surgeons recommendation and have surgery to fuse those two offending discs. Now it has been 1 week since I have 'gone under the knife'.  Amazingly the pain in my right leg was gone immediately after the surgery and I am optimistic that my other  back and leg pains will diminish and allow me to have an active life again.

My family and friends have been so helpful and I have survived this far. Last night I was able to roll over in my bed without agony which was huge. The brace is uncomfortable but reminds me that I must not bend, twist or lift - for the next 3 months. The surgery pain is diminishing but is still definitely there. I am optimistic that I will be up for a cruise on Jan 25 with my daughter.

By necessity holiday celebrations will be minimal but 2 of my sons decided I should not be alone, so on Christmas Eve a family will visit and on Christmas Day another family will visit. Phone calls, texts  cards, and other visits have been most welcome. And we have scheduled a Family Game Night for December 27 when those who can will gather for a time together.

Today is the birthday of one of my sons who is a remarkable human and I am grateful to be his mother. I am grateful to be the mother for my other 3 sons and my 6 daughters. They are ALL remarkable humans as are those they have married who treat me as their own. I am grateful for 38 plus grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and the 2 who are on the horizon. And there are bonus grandchildren so our 'clan', if you will, numbers well over 70 people. Steve and I would have been married 55 years this coming January 2023 if he had not died in June 2021. We could not have imagined all these wonderful additions to our families.

My gratitude is overflowing. I am at peace with my life. 

I am grateful for my marriage of 54 years, 4 months and 19 days to a remarkable man who loved me despite my weaknesses and  provided me with all I needed in the way of physical comforts.  I love my house and feel good being here. I am grateful for a car which takes care of my needs. We struggled financially earlier in our marriage but somehow we were blessed with all we needed and all that I now need. But of course I miss him.

I am grateful for a few fun January days in New York with a grandson. I enjoyed his company. It was wonderful to have a son and his family stay with me while they waited to move back to Tokyo. I enjoyed a few days in San Diego and Yuma with a daughter's family - for a grandson's  performance on the Battleship. And then a couple of days in Star Valley to visit Steve's grave and his brother's family.

The long awaited and heavy planned trip to Canada and our 45 days of "sister" time. And then the San Diego trip with some of the other widows from the Villas. Not so excited for my subsequent bout of Covid but grateful I survived. Glad for my sister's October visit and her help in my getting more organized; and we got to see Southern Utah. Glad for my creative writing class which has given me some writing skills. Looking forward to more writing in the future. Glad for our daughter and family to be here for Thanksgiving!

Grateful to have my house decorated to Christmas. My sweet daughter-in-law insisted she could put up my tree when I had decided it was too much work and she just did it. 

This has been a very busy year. I have not had time to be bored and in fact still have things that need to be organized to be fully moved into this house.

Next year marks the beginning of the "Grandma trips" when I will hopefully take all of my grandchildren on trips. Paris in April with a grandson will be the inaugural trip and then a Safari in June with 2 more grandsons. Also a cruise with my daughter the end of January and a cruise with the villa ladies the end of April. There will not be time to be bored.

So, this year ends with gratitude and hope for the future; with my testimony that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is Real. It is a simple testimony that I know the Plan of Salvation is Real and that a loving Heavenly Father watches over all of us and will make everything right in the end.

May your lives be richly blessed!