Warranty Expiring Soon

So... the big 3-0 is looming in the not so distant future. 27 business days to be exact... I know I know, its "only 30" but as Christie and I were talking about the other day... we shouldn't be having these major health problems at "only 30".

I've been having shoulder/neck pain for quite a few months now, and have been seeing the chiropractor and getting regular massages, but nothing short of od'ing on vicodin numbs the pain, and I'm not really trying to get hooked on the pain killers. Sometimes its even so bad at night that I wake up crying.

So, I go back to the doctor on Monday to talk to him about my shoulder and how the anti-inflammatories he gave me didn't help, he referred me to an orthopedic doctor who should have taken 6 weeks to get an appointment with. I called on Monday and I lucked out and was able to get an appointment today Tuesday (although I realize I am now writing this on Wednesday, but you get the point). Extremely lucky and a blessing to get in much sooner than 6 weeks from now.

He did a bunch of tests poking and prodding and then ordered a ton of x-rays. They couldn't get the x-rays right so they had to retake most of them, which was annoying and tiresome as well. So, they take me back to the room, the doctor comes in and puts the first one up on the board, says that the shoulder joint looks good, intact no sign of calcification. Second, there is a small bone spur on the collar bone but not much to worry about at this point. Then he puts up the x-ray of my neck, to which he quickly proclaims "your neck sucks". My heart sinks into my stomach thinking what the heck does that mean. He points out all the osteophytes and that my neck is in serious stages of deterioration. Which is way strange, since I saw the x-rays 2 years ago when I had all the face numbness problems and there were no signs of any of these things. How could I have deteriorated that quickly in 2 years???

He wants me to try c-spine traction therapy and exercises but the outlook isn't that great. Most likely I'll have to see a neck specialist and eventually end up having surgery (I believe a similar surgery to the one Christie had.) UGH.

I had similar narrowing of my lumbar spine but as of yet hadn't had osteophytes there, dang, I'm thinking I should have that rechecked since those x-rays were done 2 years ago as well.

Doctor said I have a much older neck than I should have, he estimated it to be a 45-55 year old neck. How the heck did it get in my 29 year old body is what I want to know... Did I get abducted by aliens and have my spine swapped out? What the heck???

So yea, that's why I say my warranty is expiring soon... Because it feels that way... and I'm only going to be 30!!!

On a cool note, I might be getting to work on STP when they come to Tucson in June. I've got 1 person ahead of me on the list, so here's to hoping something comes up and they can't make it. :)

Wife Swap - A Look at Perspective

Watching the show "Wife Swap" today I was saddened by the "Christians" they were showing. Super uber-religious Bible thumping Christian family swapped with a very New Age hippy family.

The hippy wife was very accommodating with the new family and was open to all that they had to offer. I was appalled at the way the religious woman's friends who came over to visit and meet the hippy wife. They bombarded her and didn't let her answer when they started along the religious questions, they mocked her when hippy wife said she believed in God, she had grown up catholic etc... Attacking her, rather than getting to know her and finding out where she was coming from. Ugh, I probably can't explain it as well as I would like here, but to put it plain and simple I can see why the world thinks Christains are judgemental jerks that don't care about anything but their way of life.

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe in astrology, or that its ok to worship spirits and having solstice parties etc. But I also don't think we should completely reject the people that practice those things because I don't agree with their lifestyle.

And on the other side, the uber-religious lady was in the hippy home and the whole time she only wanted to preach and share her views, but would not allow the family to share their life, their views. She said she was being tested and very uncomfortable, but would not acknowledge that the family was bending over backwards to accommodate her. How can one only want to share views but be completely and totally close-minded as to not even listen to another viewpoint.

How is that approachable? Why on EARTH would someone want to know about Jesus and the relationship that one can have with Him, if those representing Him don't care about others. I remember Josh talking awhile back about being too pagan for Christians, and too Christian for pagans, and I hope I'm in that balance. Never would I want to be seen as a close-minded Christian.

I know its cliche, but people don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care. That rings extremely true after that show.