For the last 6 months my I’ve had shooting pain down my left leg in addition to it going numb all the way down to my toes whenever I stand for more than 3-5 minutes. Strangely, it has been the worst when walking through a grocery store. I’ve taken that as a sign to stop walking through grocery stores. In related news, we’ve spent less money when shopping for food.
Today, I’ve been laying in bed a most of the day recovering from back surgery that I had yesterday. I had spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spine) plus a herniated disk in the L4-L4 vertebrae that my wonderful doctor kindly fixed for me. I am still a bit sore and kinda doped up on percocet so I hereby am not held accountable for anything I write in this blog post that is offensive or rude or doesn’t make sense!
But, there is one thought that I have been reflecting on a ton the last 24 hours. It hit me yesterday that I am blessed and privileged to be able to get this surgery. I have talked to about 10 or more people who had the same injury/problem I had that have chosen to not get the surgery done due to bad insurance and/or financial reasons. And I live in the suburbs where everything has all they ever wanted (sarcasm). I can’t help but think of all the people across the world in places like the ghetto in La Limonada and the slums I visited when i was in Zambia who have much, much worse physical conditions than I do.
I am simply broken that they have to continue to live through pain.
So, I guess as I reflect on my surgery, I am thankful to God that I was able to get this done. Thankful that I have relief from pain. At the same time, I mourn for the millions of people around the world that don’t have that same luxury.
I have a renewed sense of thankfulness and respect for the many doctors and nursers who give up their time to visit the poor in places like Haiti, Zambia, La Limonada, West Africa and other impoverished countries to be the healing touch of Jesus there.
It is my prayer that in their poverty, these suffering men, women and children would find and experience the healing touch of the Jesus, our risen savoir, the great physician when no doctors and surgens are available to them.