Rearranging body parts

For the past six years I have been increasingly suffering from hip and leg pain caused by pressure on the lateral nerves where they pass through my spine at L4-L5.  The condition - spinal stinosis - is fairly common. This was further aggravated by a ruptured disk at the same location. For a guy who would like to fly fish rivers, hunt birds, run dogs, or ride a horse at a field trial, this is a significant limitation.

After attempts at relief, including physical therapy, flexing exercises, steroid injections, and acupuncture, the only relief I could get was from pain killers, which I become increasingly dependent upon for daily functioning. My excursions into the bird field were almost zero this season.

So, on November 12th, I checked into the Stanford Spine Center to undergo surgery - a "bilateral micro decompression" - by Dr. Todd Alamin. Surgery took about an hour and a half. I awoke and immediately realized that the pain in my hips and legs was gone. I am recovering from the small incision in my back and expect to be healed completely by year end. I am walking 5.5 miles every other day and in physical therapy to recover my former level of fitness.

Life is good again.

Cody gets close…but no cigar

Cody has been running in trials here on the West Coast. He was named Runner-Up Champion in the California Quail Championship, which is a National qualifier. He was bested by Hal Meyers fine setter female, Zorra. She qualified a second time for the National Birddog Championship in Grand Junction Tennessee.