Seven Days

Hi this is John, taking dictation from Marty.

Day One:
Date: Wednesday August 6th.
5:45am. Sharp pain down my left shoulder and arm woke me up.
I got up; thinking I had slept on my arm wrong.
By 7:00am, the pain had gotten worse.
7:15, we headed toward an urgent care clinic.
It opened at 8:00 and we saw the doctor at 9:00.
Vitals were fine, EKG was fine, declined pain meds.
Doctor R thought perhaps I "slept on it wrong".
Went home, sat up and read some books;
pain stayed the same.

Day Two:
Night before was horrible.
Now painful to sit up or stand up.
Went back to Doctor R;
who prescribed pain meds,
took (standing) x-rays of neck from six different positions;
I was not a happy camper.
Flat on my back all day Thursday;
hurts rolling to the left or right, sitting or standing.

Day Three:
Thursday night was horrible.
Saw doctor R again, Friday .
Two additional x-rays of my neck,
and received appointment for MRI for that evening.
(I hope that is the only MRI I ever need;
pain; not bad, noise: ear piercing,
claustrophobic? not bad)

Day Four:
Flat on my back.
Ran out of pain meds,
switched to over-the-counter;
no difference.
(MRI report is due Monday).

Day Five
Pretty much like day four.

Day Six:
No call from Doctor R until 4:30,
Asked us to come to the office;
"pinched nerve"... "compressed disc"... "arthritis".
Radiologist used terms "minimal" and "moderate".
Referred me to Neurologist.
Rx for new pain killers.

Day Seven:
Tuesday August 12th.
Last night not too bad:
("Ahhhh, pain killers").
Called neurologist's office;
they will need to receive all reports
before they can schedule appointment.
No call back today.




Tuesday evening:
View from my yoga mat in the living room,
of our unusual ceiling...
M