Back to the Blog: Or Am I?

Back being the operative word.

Long time readers, all three of you, will note that I abruptly stopped blogging in September of last year. I was in the middle of my show, and making plans for the fall. It was also a time when I was starting to reflect on what my writing “career” would be like in retirement.

Those of you who popped over here from socia media for the first time know the story. But allow me to share the brief version.

I retired from my day job on September 1, 2024. I had plans. Lots of plans.

First it was to finish the show. I was Al in The Sunshine Boys with River City Community Players.

Around that time, I made a decision concerning my Santa season for 2024. Rather than return to Kings Dominion for a sixth season of Winterfest, I accepted a job in Connecticut that would not only pay more, but would have me home and finished with the season work by Christmas Eve.

In the meantime, my mother fell and broke her leg and shoulder. This remarkable woman had a similar fall four years prior and made an amazing recovery. I was able to go visit her a couple of times, including a trip I made with my son and his girlfriend to see a Virginia Tech football game (Tech won. Go HOKIES!). We left the following morning knowing my brother would visit the next week and then I’d be back.

The following Friday, my mother passed away at the age of 94. My brother was there holding her hand.

We began making the arrangements for her funeral and family began planning to travel to our home town.

She passed on Friday and we scheduled the service for Monday a week later. In the week between, my intentions were to get the Christmas decorations up before I left for Connecticut.

It didn’t happen. I just wasn’t in the mood.

But more than that I got sick and was ill for three days. At the end of the three days, my back began to bother me.

I managed to get two trees up with lights, but that was it.

I went to the funeral in a back brace and on a cane,

We returned home on Tuesday. That Friday, I drove to Connecticut to begin the job.

I worked there for two weeks. At night I would put heat on my back and suffer through. I saw a masseur and a chiropractor but got no relief.

At the end of two weeks, I cried uncle. That was it. I quit the job and came home. I’ve never walked out on a job like that before, but I could not go on.

Let me stop here and insert my apologies because this is taking longer than I thought…sort of a theme.

At home, I continued to treat my back. But in the middle of the night a few days later, I was beyond help and took myself to the ER.

I was admitted where they found that not only did I have an infection in my back, I had degeneration in some of my discs. After ten days in the hospital I was put on heavy IV antibiotics and sent home.

Not to be ignored, a few days later my heart went into atrial fibrillation and I ended back in the hospital for three days I came home to continue the antibiotics, but I could do little more..

Christmas was subdued, but shared with family, which is the important part.

I finished up the antibiotics and had hopes that the pain would be gone.

Instead, my spine continued to degenerate and in mid-January, I had to call the paramedics again because of excruciating back pain.

Eventually, I had two surgeries. One to install two titanium rods and a spacer and one to fuse some vertebrae.

Amazingly, the excruciating pain was gone after the first surgery. But there was a new development.

I could no longer stand and, obviously, no longer walk.

As I write this, I am approaching almost 30 days of therapy. While I have made progress, I still can’t stand on my own.

Telling this story has taken longer than I anticipated.

For that matter, the story itself has taken longer than anticipated.

If you’ve followed me on social media, you know much of the rest of the story. I may tell more of it here.

At this point, I’m looking at another six to ten months before I’m able to walk freely without the use of the chair. I may still require a walker or cane.

Saturday, I had a conversation with myself.

I am a writer. I am an artist.

I don’t need my legs to do either. I’ve neglected both for far too long.

While my goal is to prove them wrong and walk before six months, I’ve realized I need to be working on the things I’m called to do, and that’s create.

All that to say that I’m back to the blog.

For now, at least.

More to come. I think.

Back to the Blog: Or Am I?

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