MRI on Hip and Back

 I recently underwent two MRI's - one on my right hip and another on my back. On Tuesday I received the results regarding my hip and today I received the results on my back. I will start with the hip first. I have a written copy of the results, but the medical terminology leaves me scratching my head, so I will try to sum it up using some of their terms and some of my own terms. In their words, I have "mild to moderate right hip arthrosis noting degenerative tearing of the anterior superior labrum, hypertrophy of the direct superior labrum and overall mild to moderate chondral loss." In my words, the arthritis in my hip has caused a tear in the labrum and that's what's been causing me so much pain along with narrowing of the space between the joint, but I'm not bone on bone yet so no hip replacement surgery is recommended at this time. I also have mild bilateral hamstring origin tendinosis. My treatment has been and will continue to be a cortisone injection about every 12 months unless that becomes ineffective. At that point, surgery to ream out the arthritis (with a 50-50 chance of it helping) may be an option. The injection I received the same day as my MRI has worked wonderfully. I am walking without much hip pain at all. I feel like a new woman in that regard. My back is another story.

I knew my back was bad, but until today, I didn't know how really bad it was. I will spare you all of the medical terminology on this one since there is so much. My Dr. said my back is a mess. I have to agree with him. Seeing pictures of the MRI brought things into focus for me. Besides the scoliosis, I have much arthritis, bulging discs, & degeneration of the spaces between the discs. I am basically bone on bone in some areas. No wonder I am in so much pain! The pinched nerves are the cause of a big portion of my pain. I also have neuropathy in both of my feet because of the pinched nerves. The Dr. said my treatment could range from doing nothing to undergoing surgery. His suggestion is something in between. My treatment, if the insurance company approves it, will be steroid injections (while sedated) into the spine. He will use an x-ray to direct him to the right spots for the injections. This doesn't sound like much fun, but neither does constant back pain. Hopefully these injections will help as much as the hip injection did. That would be so wonderful to be out of pain. Maybe I could resume mopping and vacuuming so Alan won't always have to do it for me. I'm pathetic!

Anyway, there you have it - the good, the bad, and the ugly. I really appreciate good days when pain is at a minimum. I hate pain pills even though my Dr. recommends that I take them. I don't like how they make me feel and I don't want to get dependent on them. Thankfully, my current pain pills are pretty mild.

I look like this at times!

No Wonder!

It is the beginning of the cold and flu season. Some years I get a pass, but not this year. I started getting sick a week ago...head congestion, then it went into my chest. 

Funny story -  last Saturday, not feeling well, I went to the medicine cabinet to take some Extra- Strength Tylenol for my head pain. Normally, I would take Ibuprofen, but couldn't take that because I was preparing for another endoscopy on Monday and it wasn't allowed. So I grabbed what I thought was the Extra-Strength Tylenol and took one pill. 

During the next few hours, I started feeling even worse. I didn't have any energy at all and my mind seemed like it was in a fog. I felt pretty lethargic. I even ended up falling asleep on the couch, which isn't a normal thing for me to do during the day, but rest is good when you are ill, right? After several hours with no energy, it dawned on me that I had accidentally taken a Tylenol PM pill by mistake. No wonder I was so tired all day!!! Duh! I'm going to be more careful on what I ingest from now on.

Corruption, Evil, and the Fate of America

So much corruption within our government has come to light recently. I am so saddened, angry, and frustrated by it. I've always known that there was corruption, but I think I had blinders on and just didn't want to see it. Admittedly, much of the corruption is being kept hidden from the general public on purpose so that these evil ones can continue in their corrupt ways.

Politically speaking, in our country, I believe that most of the corruption is within the Democratic Party, although Republicans aren't without blemish. I can't say how grateful I am that Hillary Clinton did not win the Presidential election one year ago. She is the most corrupt politician I know of...and frustratingly, she gets away with everything she does. The liberal media helps her out by hiding the truth and shielding her from being indicted and prosecuted. She should be behind bars. She and other Democrats feel like they are above the law and should be allowed to do anything they want to as long as it furthers their political cause. I don't believe a single word that comes out of her mouth. I don't think she even knows how to tell the truth.

Liberalism, I'm convinced, will be the downfall of this nation. Our country is already sliding down a slippery slope even though President Trump is doing everything in his power to undo the damage and correct the wrongs done by President Obama and his uber liberal administration during his 8-year presidency. 

I know that God had a hand in founding America. It is the Promised Land spoken of in The Book of Mormon. Columbus was prepared by God to discover this great land. It is the only country where people are protected by a constitution that allows so many freedoms. We are not governed by a dictatorship or a King. We are governed by those we vote into office. Unfortunately, many corrupt people have been voted into office.

There are warnings in the Book of Mormon for those who possess this land, meaning America. In Ether 2:9 it states:

"And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity."

I would say that our country is definitely ripened in iniquity, especially at the core - our government. There is a war against Christianity here and throughout the whole world. So sad to see! Our only hope as a nation is to turn our hearts back to God, but that's not happening!

Many modern-day prophets have prophesied about the volatility of the Constitution in the last days, but that the righteous people will be able to sustain it before it collapses.

Brigham Young (2nd President of the Church) said:

"Will the Constitution be destroyed? No. It will be held inviolate by this people." 

Joseph Smith (1st President of the Church) said:

"The time will come when the destiny of this nation will hang upon a single thread. At that critical juncture, this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction. It will be so."

John Taylor (3rd President of the Church) said:

"When the people shall have torn to shreds the Constitution of the United States, the elders of Israel will be found holding it up to the nations of the earth, and proclaiming liberty and equal rights to all men, and extending the hand of fellowship to the oppressed of all nations."

One final quote from George Q. Cannon (Former member of the First Presidency) said:

"The day will come when the Constitution and free government under it will be sustained and preserved by this people."

Those who are liberals and progressives today would like to do away with the Constitution completely because it holds them back from totally taking over the country. Tyranny would rule without the Constitution and we don't want that.

 Without the Constitution, we would no longer have the freedoms that we enjoy today. The people would be oppressed and only the elite would prosper. Many countries are already living like that today. I don't want that for my country. I like the freedoms that we currently have. I like being able to worship whomever and wherever I want. I like being able to have a voice and a vote and the right to bear arms. Take these away and what do we have? We have nothing to live for.

The gulf between good and evil is getting wider and wider with each passing year. The fight with Satan that began in our pre-earthly existence has continued in this life and will continue until Christ comes again. Satan may have power now, but eventually he will be brought to his knees. The righteous will inherit the earth. I plan to stay on the Lord's side because I know that he is the one who will conquer in the end. I can't wait for the day when all of the unrighteous people will be swept off the earth, Satan will be bound, and Christ will rule and reign on the earth once again. It can't come soon enough for me. I despise corruption and evil!!!

"When He Comes Again"

As a child attending Primary at Church, I fell in love with the song "When He Comes Again." The lyrics are simple, but profound. They question what could (or will) happen when Jesus comes to the earth for a 2nd time. This song is very comforting and gives me hope and something to look forward to in the future, for I KNOW that Christ WILL come again. I just don't know when. However, I do hope that I will be around for that special event.

These are the lyrics:

I wonder, when he comes again,

Will herald angels sing?

Will earth be white with drifted snow,

Or will the world know spring?

I wonder if one star will shine 

Far brighter than the rest;

Will daylight stay the whole night through?

Will songbirds leave their nests?

I'm sure he'll call his little ones

Together 'round his knee,

Because he said in days gone by

"Suffer them to come to me"

I wonder, when he comes again,

Will I be ready there

To look upon his loving face

And join with him in prayer?

Each day I'll try to do his will

And let my light so shine

That others seeing me may seek

For greater light divine.

Then, when that blessed day is here,

He'll love me and he'll say,

"You've served me well, my little child;

Come unto my arms to stay."

© 1952 by Mirla Greenwood Thayne, Provo, Utah. Renewed 1980. 

Whenever I feel stressed or need a song to calm my troubled heart, I sing this song in my head. It was also my go-to song when I would sing to all five of my infant children in the middle of the night when they were having trouble falling asleep.

Four days ago, I had to get an MRI with contrast on my right hip. With the aid of an ultrasound or x-ray machine (not sure which), the radiologist injected the dye through my groin into my hip joint. He also injected a steroid to help ease the pain I have been experiencing for a few weeks. This injection was VERY painful! I had the same injection (minus the contrast) last February, but don't remember it being quite a painful as it was this time.  I couldn't walk or even lift my leg with out excruciating pain afterwards. They had to provide me with a wheelchair to get me from the treatment room to where I was to have the MRI. 

This was my first MRI, so I was quite nervous about it. Fortunately, as I lay there on the table for the 25-minute procedure, I had my calming "go-to-song" at my disposal. I repeatedly sang "I Wonder, When He Comes Again" in my head while the MRI machine noisily thumped and pounded away. 

I had a second MRI the next day on my back and once again used that song to calm myself and to help me endure that 45 min. procedure. It really did the job for me. I was so relaxed that I think I even dozed off a time or two.

At the beginning of the 2nd verse, it says "I wonder, when he comes again, will I be ready there..."  I ask myself that question all of the time. Am I prepared for the day when Christ will come in clouds of glory to once again rule and reign over the earth? I hope I am. I'm trying to do my best so that I can be worthy of that great blessing....and what a great blessing it will be!