What's the latest on PJ's back problems?

A number of you have been kind enough to remember my back problems in your prayers.  Thank you for your concerns and care for me. 

As some know, I've been having back and leg pain for the past four years.  The condition has varied from mild to severe, at times making it quite difficult to walk or stand for any length of time.  I had an earlier diagnosis of arthritis in my hip joint, so I attributed my walking problem to an arthritic hip.

But as the pain gradually worsened, I decided after returning from my extended mission stay from June to September of this year, to seek some medical counsel.   X-rays revealed a condition called spinal stenosis, which is a flattening of the discs between the vertebrae, specifically in my lower back, the lumbar vertebrae.  Together with an existing arthritic condition in my vertebra, the sciatic nerve is being pinched and inflamed, creating pain in my lower back and legs. 

On November 19th, on the advice of a back specialist at Kaiser, I underwent a procedure called a spinal epidural.  It sounds like something a woman gets when she is about to deliver, doesn't it?  In this case, there is no injection into the spinal cord itself, but a needle is passed into the epidural space in the vertebral column.  Once the needle is in place, cortisone is injected into the space around the inflamed area of my lumbar vertebra.  

My needles looked like this:

It was not fun.  But I had some hope that the procedure would help alleviate the pain.  So far, I have to say that I've had a modicum of relief.  Pain level has subsided from a 7 to a 5, but I am not yet pain free.  

It's possible that I may have to undergo this procedure again.  Many people repeat the procedure up to three times a year.  The cortisone injections are not without their own risks.  Kaiser advises not doing it more than three times a year because of the risk of developing brittle bone disease.  So yes, I'm not planning to run back anytime soon.  

As it relates to my ministry in South America, I am grateful to the many friends who have been kind enough to offer rides and to help reduce the amount of walking that I have to do in São Paulo.  (Special thanks to Tadashi, André, Kathiuce, Max and Ton.  You guys are a big blessing to me!).

I'm not sure how I appear to people in public, but during my last trip, as I traveled on the São Paulo metro, I've had people offer their seats to me.  Hmm.  Do I look old or something?  :)

Thanks again to those who have asked.  My apologies for not having shared about this sooner.  

Blessings to you,
PJ