Update on my Physical Condition
I know I am not out of the woods yet, but I am feeling much better. I am reducing the pain meds gradually and am now at the lowest level. I feel some discomfort but it is barely on the scale of what I endured in early January. Many years ago I suffered a bout of kidney stones, and this pain was at least on that level and worse. It was far worse due to the fact that it lasted almost a week—partly of my own choice because I did not want to enter the emergency room and be subjected to numerous tests (some very expensive). And I knew that it would only result with them finally concluding what I already knew. They would then have sent me to some specialist. He/she would no doubt have suggested surgery—which I desperately wanted to avoid. Thus, I waited through the weekend to have a personal friend refer me to his friend, a doctor who specializes in my type of condition. (Already I am getting too wordy; I had intended to keep this brief because of the huge mountain of backlogged work here at the office. To cut to the core…)
Two weeks ago, my wife began taking me to the office to work a couple hours a day. A week ago, I began driving myself to the office with the intention that I should “take it easy,” by resting for a period each day on the couch in my office. But with the backlog, I succeeded in resting on only two of the six days. So far, though, I have not noticed any drastic setbacks because of it.
One thing is for certain and let me introduce the thought this way. Someone sent me a nice card with some advice: that I should not show up at our Manassas Conference just to surprise everyone. While that might be tempting in other circumstances, I can assure you that is not going to happen. I feel confident from talking with Stephen Jones and others that it is going to be one fabulous conference. And oh, how I want to be there! But I will not. I realize it would be sheer folly for me to attempt to ride or drive the trip to the D. C. area, and flying would be an equally bad option.
My immediate goal is to begin full production of the monthly mailings again, hopefully for the March mailing. Next, to begin writing my Bible lectures so that when the time is right, to begin making the trip to my Stone Kingdom fellowships in eastern Tennessee and Atlanta again on a monthly basis…perhaps in May, for the latter task.
I have so much more I would like to share with you, but I do not want to delay getting at least this much information to you. God bless you all. I am so very grateful for all the prayers you have sent the Father on behalf of my wife and me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!