Finally Answers to Frank' Back Pain

This is where Frank is most comfortable in his lounge chair

Yesterday we went to Las Vegas to Frank's doctor. We have been anxiously waiting for this appointment hoping and praying for answers. When Dr. Duke came in to the exam room he started questioning Frank about how he was feeling and where he was expericing pain. I think he was verifing what he had seen on the X-Ray. He told Frank that the hardware that holds everything in place after surgery had fallen apart. Dr. Duke had operated on Frank July 9 of last year and the horrible nerve pain he was having was gone immediately, but his back never did heal right. Dr. Duke had Frank wear a bone growth stimulator and it hadn't helped at all. There was just signs of a little healing going on. We figure it was because Frank's back was so unstable and there was too much movement for the bone to fuse.

On May 4th or 6th Frank will have surgery again to put in new hardware and Dr. Duke said he was going to put a screw higher and tighten it down. I hate to see Frank have to go through another surgery, but we have hoped and prayed that there would be a solution for the pain he has been in. We are actually happy about the surgery and can't wait until he is on the healing side of it. Doctor Duke said it would take an hour and would be nothing like the first surgery. It will require a two day stay in the hospital and then we can head for home. Hopefully there will be a fast recovery time and by Fall or Christmas Frank can go golf with the Old Farts at the park. He will be a happy camper then. We won't be going any where this summer in our fifth wheel. So another hot summer for us.