26 weeks since back surgery and my recovery continues to go well!  However, I did have some discomfort in my back during the last week or so.  I was experiencing a “heat-like” sensation in my mid-back off and on for a couple of days.  I believe that it started when I yawned and stretched too hard one morning.  I am not sure what happened.  Maybe I lifted my laptop bag and turned in an awkward position and put some strain on a muscle in my back that has not been used or stretched out in a long time.  In either case, some nerve in my back was irritated a bit and for that reason it felt like I had a heating pad underneath my brace.  That feeling would last for about 10 minutes at a time and happened on about 4 different occasions for two days in a row.  Then the next day I went on a long car ride that lasted about 5 hours and my hip ached a little bit by the time I arrived at my destination.

I took it easy for a couple of days and the discomfort went away.  It was the first discomfort or aching I have felt since the first couple of weeks following my surgery.  I think my back muscles are getting so accustomed to the support from the brace that they are becoming weak and that the long car ride in conjunction with whatever else was going on with the nerve in my back was just a little bit too much.  In about 3 weeks I am going back to the doctor for my 6 month check up and will finally start physical therapy.  I know that when I begin stretching and slowly getting into a routine of exercising I can expect to have some more discomfort and odd sensations from time to time.

All in all I feel pretty good and none of the pain or discomfort even comes close to the level I felt before my surgery.  I know that the recovery will take a while and that there will be times when there are three steps forward and two steps back.  I must continue to be patient.  The bible says in Ecclesiastes 9:11

“The race is not always to the swift”.

I am going to try my best to pace myself and deal with any discomforts or setbacks that may come my way during this process.  I know that the Lord will give me the patience I need to see it through.  As I have often experienced in my life, anything the Lord asks or wants us to do, He will help us to do.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com