Consultant's Objectives

Transform Human Resources

• Diagnostic Review
• Form Centers of Excellence around Areas of Expertise
• Consolidate Shared Services
• Drive for Continuous Improvement
• Business Units will Translate Operational Imperatives into HR Actions
  

Disc problem explaination

Here is a good image depicting the various type of disc problems that can occur. I guess I'm lucky that I only have bulging discs and not herniated ones.

Second epidural

yesterday I had my 2nd of three epidural injections into my spine. I'm still waiting for it to fully kick in, although I was able spend most of the day out of bed until early evening when I started to hurt.

Prior to this weekend I went 4 straight pain-free days, but on Saturday I started to hurt really bad again. It was either sleeping on a different pillow when I was at the cabin, or folding a hammock in half. Either way - I was in major (level 8) pain for most of the weekend.

This evening I've got the ice on my neck and when I'm up I have my neck cocked in a 45 degree, looking down position. Seems that is the only position where it doesn't hurt as much.

Each day is a healing process...

Epidural Update

September 22, 2008 - I had the first of a series of three epidurals today. The pain has subsided considerably, but I still have the aching and numbness in my arm. That's because the pain is being blocked, but the injury is still there and pressing against the nerve. I just have to be patient and stay in bed and let it relax and heal. I get another epidural injection in 2 weeks.

Pushing the Limits

Again I'm learning the hard way NOT to push my limits and to stay out of bed for too long. I'm currently paying the price this afternoon with much more severe pain in my arm than the last few days. But, the prospects of spending another day in bed is depressing and aggravates me. So I get up and try to be a half-way normal Neanderthal, hunched over and pacing around the house, just to irritate my injury and then its back to bed with more pain.

My new Office

Here's my new office and desk. I bet you are jealous you don't have it so good!! :-)

Pain in Neck!!!

As some people know I hurt my neck on Labor Day, September 1st and I have been confined to bed for 22-23 hours a day recuperating. I simply moved a trash can full of plants and heavy Aloe Vera after doing yard work and while pushing it, the can caught on a brick and I felt a little twinge in my neck. I didn't think anything of it at the time. The next morning is when I realized that something had happened. I reached new levels of maximum pain during the next week. When a doctors asks to describe the pain level from 1 to 10, I have a new 10 to relate to.

Here's the side-view of my neck from MRI that shows the damage... The white tube with the dark middle tube going down the image is my spinal cord and should be smooth all the way down. As you can see, it takes a few twists and turns in the middle of the image. These are where the discs are bulging and pressing against my spinal cord.

The bottom-most kink (C-7) in my spinal cord is what is causing most of the discomfort with severe pain in my back and numbness, extreme aching, pain and tingling in my left arm.

It took 4 attempts over a 5 day period to finally get an MRI. I was not able to tilt my head back to lay flat on the MRI table with out experiencing excruciating pain. One Physician gave me the magic formula of pain pills and Valium that allowed me to endure 1/2 hour of reciting my name, rank and serial number to get through the procedure. (Yes, I did recite it to fight off the pain.)

I'm scheduled for an spinal epidural on Monday, the 22nd, which I'm hoping will reduce at least the pain. I'm not sure if it will do much for the numbness. In the meantime, I'm still taking the pain pills and steroids to reduce the inflammation. The pain pills barely touch the pain, but relax me enough so I can sleep at night. The steroids seem to be helping quite a bit. I have better mobility of my head with less pain these last few days.

I won't know until I see a specialist to see what the next step(s) will be. I am absolutely forbidden to see a Chiropractor, because of the irreparable damage that could be inflicted. In the meantime, I have converted my bed into an office and I have been fairly productive. My motivation is coming back and I am feeling much better. I have to remember just because I'm feeling better not to over do it and stay out of bed for too long. The best part of having my office in bed is Liz periodically comes in and lays on my desk. :-)

Laying in bed to 22-23 hours a day really allows you the time to think and reflect on your life. It made me think how fragile life really is and that something so simple as moving a trash can or sneezing the wrong way can effect your life for a long time. Laying in bed for 3 straight weeks with the possibility of add a fourth or fifth week puts new meaning on life and priorities. I cannot express to you how helpful and wonderful Liz has been in taking care of me. Her support has been the best! I feel guilty not being able to do the things that I normally do. I still cannot drive or even sit in a chair for more than just a few minutes at a time. I'm taking things one-day-at-a-time right now and hoping for the best.

Anyway... that's an update of my condition.