Feb 10 2012
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
Yesterday, Megan and Rob made the long trek to Civilization (and back) to see the surgeon who worked on Rob’s neck last summer.
The news was not good. The repair is basically collapsing, partly because they used cadaver bone instead of Rob’s own bone, and partly, the surgeon says, because Rob is such a heavy smoker and apparently this thins the bone along with all the other bad side effects.
The doctor says he can’t operate on Rob until he quits smoking, which will be a difficult endeavor for someone who smokes two packs a day and can’t do much to distract himself from the horrors of quitting. It’s not like he can play video games or go bike riding or something like that to keep his mind occupied.
Also it looks like another vertebra will need to be fixed soon.
On the other hand, I can’t believe that anyone can think that Rob can work at this point. He’s had three surgeries in four years and is facing more. He can’t sit, stand, walk, or even lie down for long periods of time. His left hand doesn’t work too well. He can’t really move his head from side to side or drive more than 5 miles. He walks like Frankenstein’s monster. So hopefully this bad news will help at the disability hearing next week. Maybe something good will come out of something really bad.
I was glad that I reinstated Thursday night dinners last month, since they came home to dinner being ready after a long, stressful day. And Megan was happy to discover that I left her a much-needed cocktail in the refrigerator. Sometimes it really is the little things that count.