Margo's back is home

Margo comes home from back surgery assisted by her favorite son, Scott.  

After back surgery that turned out to be a decompression rather than the more complicated fusion (the surgeon wasn't sure which he would do until he got into the surgery),  Margo is back home and getting around with a walker.  Her leg pain is gone, replaced for now with some surgery pain, but that will go away in a few weeks. She has to be careful for a couple months and then should be back to normal!

Surgery was Tuesday, she came home Thursday.  The surgeon has a followup meeting in 2 weeks to see how she is progressing. 

That wasn't the only good news of the week.  Brother Ev had his checkup to see if leukemia had returned (he had a year of chemo back in 2006 ?).  His tests were normal and he doesn't have to go back for another year.   The tests are to see how many white blood cells are in his bloodstream.  If they get high that is the sign of cancer returning.  

Goal:  Eat and Eliminate--the Retiree's life!

Dad had leukemia in his last few years.  His white bloodcell count never got high enough nor did he have symptoms to need treatment.  Sort of a low level condition, that in his last year actually dropped back into normal.  He joked that the cancer had looked at how badly he had deteriorated at age 88 and decided to give up!  He had Parkinsons that made his last year very difficult--he had to have help with most everything.  Mom and his sons were able to keep him at home, something he appreciated. 

Health issues have been with Margo since being diagnosed with Cancer in July of 2012.  A year of treatment got rid of the cancer but knocked her down pretty much.  She was gradually getting her strength back when her father had a stroke in March of 2014.  She spent several months staying with him and during that time messed up her back.  He would have had to go to a nursing home, but with her help improved so instead went to an assisted care where he is getting along pretty good now.  

Assisted care is your own apartment with meals provided and someone to help with your meds, bath and maybe getting dressed if you need it.  It is very expensive, but leaves you a reasonable amount of independence.  Merlin, Margo's father, can't drive anymore, but calls a taxi when he wants to go somewhere.  Living in a bigger town makes those services available. 

So, we are getting our Christmas cards underway, thinking about some cookie baking and in general getting back to normal.  

I am in pretty darn good health.  Two years ago, I was under the weather with a severe autoimmune illness, myasthenia gravis.  A year of treatment with very high doses of prednisone and it went away and has stayed away now for 20 months without needing any medicine.  I am hopeful it, like Ev's cancer, will stay away!

Mayo Clinic is a pretty great place to go when you have medical problems.  Margo's surgeon only does backs, and he knows what he is doing!