Thanks, everybody, for the kind words of support yesterday. It helps to know that so many people really do care. The dinner went well, and any tears that were shed were done so privately. We had a party of nineteen people, and the evening was full of good conversation and lots of laughter.

Here�s a shot of the birthday boy:

In other news, my follow-up appointment with the neurosurgeon (for review of the flexion/extension x-rays) caught me off guard. I was expecting him to refer me to an orthopedic surgeon, as he said he was going to do when I last saw him.

Instead, he told me that the whole disc wasn�t removed when I had the discectomy three years ago, and additional surgery will most likely be required. Apparently, the incident with the student quite possibly caused the remaining disc material to rupture.

Before a decision is made, neurodoc is sending me for one of the few procedures I�ve never had � the dreaded myelogram. This procedure involves a spinal tap and a tilting table.

Swell. The medical Merry-Go-Round isn�t bad enough, but now I get to ride the Tilt-A-Whirl.

Plain Jane�s Paco started a blog to document his back problems and subsequent treatment and recovery. I was especially struck by this entry: Myelograms Suck.

I have no doubt that myelograms do, indeed, suck. As soon as the authorization comes through, I will find out for myself just how much. Yippee.

Song of the Day: Heavy Duty by Spinal Tap