Hurdles to Traveling (June 2021)

Included in atheletic games are hurdle race. The runners have to run over hurdles.

Traveling faced a formidable hurdle in 2020: i.e. The COVID-19. It has put the travel industry on hold. Globally, I mean.

On top of this, Kristin and I have faced another hurdle to our traveling. Physical handicap.  

To talk about hurdles to traveling which have emerged, I have to go back to 2019. 

When Kristin and I were staying in Dalat for a month in March 2019, all of sudden I could not walk even on the flat ground due to pain on my left leg. The pinching pain made me stop often. I simply thought my frequent travels and long flights sitting on economy seats have created muscle spasms resulting in a nerve pinch. Fortunately, I was able to climb Yellow Mountain in April without a problem.

Fast forward to March 2020 when we cut our remaining travel schedule due to the COVID-19 risk and returned to our home in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We started walking at Central Festival, the largest department store in Chiang Mai. I felt the same kind of pain on my right leg this time along with lower back pain. I remembered the time in Dalat, and felt compelled to fight through the pain. No improvement and no idea about what was causing the pain.

Fast forward again to November 2020, I made a stop in Korea in October and relocated temporarily to Dallas, Texas. Then, we made a round road trip to Denver in January, a one-way road trip to Greer, SC in February, and a round road trip to New York in April. All along, I just lived with the lingering pain, at times limping, but still with the fighting spirit.   

One day in May, all of sudden, Kristin woke up with a pain that was so severe that she could not put her left foot on the ground. Thanks to Dr. Yoon, she was able to see an orthopedic surgeon, John Vann, immediately. She took an X-ray, an MRI, and was diagnosed with a combination of cartridge wear, torn tendon, and rubbing bones. She has been injected a steroid shot and is slowly recovering. Praise the Lord!

Since we got to know an orthopedic surgeon, I also took an X-ray and an MRI, based on which Dr. Lenehan, a spine specialist, rendered a diagnosis of lumbar stenosis. Spine stenosis is the narrowing of central spinal chamber and/or forminal nerve holes, and my case was the latter due to the combination of degenerate diss, arthritis, thickening ligament flavuum. The stenosis pressured the nerves, thus creating low back pain and, worse, pinching pain in the leg. 

After the diagnosis, I realized that I have made two foolish mistakes. One was continuing to walk despite the pain. I should have rested. Two was the MacKenzie exercise that is useful for the herniated disc but harmful to spine stenosis. How foolish I was?

So, I have taken it easy and am resting whenever the pain attacks. Also, I placed an order for nerve pain medicine. Meanwhile, I am still taking acupuncture, doing exercise, taking the cupping etc. I am trying to avoid the surgery at any cost. Lord willing, I may be healed.

This has become a significant hurdle to our travel plans. We wanted to make a short trip to the neighboring states, but had to return because I could not walk at all. Alas...! Now I have to discern what the Lord has in store before I can even consider the next traveling. Be merciful, Lord, but not my will but Thy will. Amen! - Jeffrey