Pop Pop Epistle #75 – About Kyphoplasty

Dear Grandkids,

So it turns out that I am not as young as I used to be. It also turns out that my body does not handle well some things that I used to take for granted – like running and jumping.

A little more than two weeks ago I tried to prove to myself that I was only 61 years old chronologically. I went out and played Ultimate Frisbee with a bunch of 15-25 year olds. I promise that I was the least active guy out on the field but was more active than I had been in a while. The next day I started having back and abdominal muscle spasms. These kept up for 2 weeks and after they started intensifying I went to see my doctor.

Apparently I have a compression fracture in the T-11 vertebrae of my spinal column. The nerves are sending out a message to the muscles of my core that is causing all the pain. It would seem that these muscles are very angry with me for trying to play Ultimate and are encouraging me to never play again. I just might listen.

So sometime in the next week or so I will go to the hospital and have a procedure known as kyphoplasty. Supposedly it is minimally invasive, but get this – the doctor will inject cement into the fractured bone to strengthen it. Cement. The stuff they make sidewalks with.

So what have I learned through this so far:

• The joy of the Lord is my strength!
• Pain is exhausting.
• The human body is pretty amazing.
• Don’t act 21 when you are 61.

I am also being reminded that when one part of the body of Christ (the church) is hurting that it affects the whole body. I love my church and hope that this will make me a better pastor who is more compassionate and more caring when people are hurting.

Also I would encourage you to remember what 1 Corinthians 6:19 says – “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you.” Take care of your body.

Never forget that you are very loved!

Pop Pop