When I arrived at the California Rehabilitation Institute in Century City late Sunday afternoon, the first thing I noticed was that I could see pine trees from my third floor room. I found that encouraging. A few years ago I had read that patients recover faster in a room with a view of nature.

My wife had chauffeured me from Cedars-Sinai Hospital after my four day stay following cervical spine surgery, which seemed to go quite well. My surgeon left on vacation but kindly called me Sunday evening to see how I was doing, and to tell me that my post-surgery x-ray looked perfect. All twenty-three screws, two posts, and whatever else he’d brought with him from Ace Hardware were in place.

I still have a royal pain in my neck and I’m not referring to my wife who has been with me the entire time.  I believe that I’m the main attraction for her in this rehab facility, rather than the food.  When not tending to me, she has been sending daily email reports to family and a few close friends to keep everyone updated on my progress. This afternoon a friend texted her best wishes. She also let me know that she has undergone four back surgeries.  Talk about empathy.  Also, talk about one-upmanship.

I should have asked my surgeon to make sure he didn’t cut the nerve to my sense of humor.  But maybe he even added a new one.

My dad, who visited this afternoon, has talked for years about maintaining a positive “mental diet.”  “Your life is as good as you think it is,” he reminded me repeatedly. Thank goodness for the opportunity to practice that fine and useful art – something like Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking.  I don’t believe my dad borrowed Peale’s ideas, I believe he developed his own unique version.  My dad, like me, has no “off” switch for his brain. Both of us are thinking all of the time.

Since my neck hurts, and my fingers are insensitive and prickly, I’m going to finish this blog before the muscle relaxant and pain pills kick in.

I’ll end with a heartfelt “thank you” to everyone who has included me in their prayers and sent me their best wishes.  I am touched and buoyed by your concern and support. I also want to say that Daveen is the best advocate you could ever have with you when facing this kind of ordeal, and I am grateful to have her with me.

I’ll be back to visit with you next Tuesday, when I should be recovering at home.

Love,

Alan

In my last blog I let you know that I was planning to have surgery next month. But last week my surgeon had a cancellation, so my surgery was moved up a bit to Wednesday March 27.  I’m writing this blog the evening before the surgery because I don’t know how well I will be able to write (and type) while I’m recovering.

If you are reading this blog it means that surgery went well and I’m home getting better.  It also means that I’ve written and posted a blog every week since August, 2013 – more than 285 weeks in a row.

I want to say “Thank You” to each of you for your well wishes.  One reader wrote that he’s rooting for a positive outcome because he would like to continue reading my blog for many years.  I’ll take that.  I hope to write it for many, many more years to come.

And I very much appreciate everyone who reached out to me today.  My spirits are high and my outlook is positive.  For years I’ve trained myself not to worry about anything I can’t control.  This is one of those times.

I’ll be back next week with an update to this saga.

Here’s to a happy ending.

Thank you.

Alan

For most of my life I have enjoyed excellent health, and I still do.  However, one morning in mid-December I woke up with what was diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands.  Bummer.  All of my fingers tingle and have lost some sensitivity.  This makes both typing and buttoning my shirt more difficult.  As the song goes, “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.”

With this moment-to-moment reminder that my hands are working less than perfectly, I have designated the months of January, February, and March as Alan Body Appreciation Months.  I appreciate when my hands were working properly.  I fully realize, of course, that like every other human being my appreciation is likely to be transformed into “taking-for granted” once the problem is solved.

As it turns out, the issue with my hands is caused by spinal stenosis in my upper neck, where a bundle of nerves are being squeezed by growth of bone in my spinal tunnel.  The solution is neck surgery to relieve the nerves by opening the tunnel a little wider and putting in spacers.  This is one of the few times in my life that I wish I knew more than I do about the human body, but the next best thing is that my son and his wife are both doctors, and they have offered me the benefit of their advice.

I know two contemporaries who have had successful spinal surgery during the past six months, so why should mine be different? I‘m younger than they are and have a less serious problem.  I also follow the adage, “Expect the best but plan for the worst.”

So in a day or two I’ll be scheduling surgery for early next month.  Before then I’ll make sure my estate plan is entirely up to date, and I’ll write a few extra blogs to continue posting every Tuesday morning as I have for more than five years.

In a few weeks, I’ll let you know how it went.  I have no doubt that everything will work out well.

Alan