Health update

 

The good news first:  thanks to a very competent and experienced pain management specialist, it looks as if the specific problem(s) with (or, rather, near) my lower spine have been nailed down at last, and a treatment path is opening up.

The bad news:  it's taken three years of visits to successive specialists such as neurosurgeons, neurologists, etc. to get here - and not one of those specialists identified, or even hinted at, the actual problem!

(Pause here while I spit in disgust, rinse my mouth out to get rid of the bitter taste, and catch my breath.)

OK.  As most readers will know, three years ago I began experiencing much worse pain than usual in my lower spine.  It had been painful since a severe injury back in 2004, followed by spinal fusion surgery, but it had settled down into a dull roar, with periodic episodes of greater pain.  The increased pain led me to ask for a referral to a neurosurgeon to figure out what was going on.  Over the next couple of years I saw two neurosurgical practices, one neurosurgeon, several radiologists, and some physical terrorists therapists.  They would all mutter about spinal deterioration above the site of the original fusion, but none would commit to what, precisely, needed to be done.  Instead, they kept referring me for additional CT scans and other investigations.  I came to the conclusion that they were reluctant to commit to surgical intervention because they couldn't precisely identify which vertebrae needed work.  If they operated, and I had to pay a great deal of money, but no improvement resulted, this would be problematic for them.

Earlier this year I asked my local physician to refer me to a pain management specialist.  I was popping Tramadol in multiples every day, and that's not sustainable in the long term.  She put me in touch with a fellow former South African, Dr. Theodoor Hancke, at Genesis Wellness and Pain in Wichita Falls.  I'm providing his name because he's a darned good doctor, and if you have severe pain problems and live within travel distance of Wichita Falls, I hope you'll contact him.  Tell him I said to call.

Dr. Hancke referred my CT scans to a top neurosurgeon in Dallas, who responded that in the absence of any certainty as to the precise location of the problem, he could not recommend spinal surgery at present.  Fair enough, I guess.  In the meanwhile, Dr. Hancke administered a Caudal Epidural Steroid Injection to try to reduce pain.  That worked for several weeks until the pain came back, so he repeated the process a second time, with similar results.

It was at this point that we heard from the neurosurgeon in Dallas.  Both Dr. Hancke and I were getting very frustrated at being unable to reduce the level of pain on a longer-term basis.  He suddenly asked me, "What about your sacroiliac?  Any problems there?"  I said that yes, I'd had a few, but...  Before I could go on, he made me take off my back support brace, turned me around, and stuck his fingers into the sacroiliac joints on both sides of my pelvis.  It hurt like hell, and I said so!  He grinned, and said that this opened up a whole new perspective on my problem.

I'm not a doctor, so I'll let Wikipedia summarize the problem:

• Sacroiliac joint
• Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
• Sacroiliitis
• Surgery for the dysfunctional sacroiliac joint

For a more authoritative (but still easy-to-understand) medical perspective, see "What to Know About Sacroiliac Joint Fusion".  It has a useful, informative video as well.

The infuriating thing is that my symptoms are an absolutely 100% fit with those described in the medical literature.  Why the heck couldn't all the so-called "medical professionals" who'd examined me and my CT scans have picked up on that?  I think it must be that they "locked in" on the fact that I'd had a previous fusion, and my current problems were in the same area as that previous site.  They couldn't look beyond the spine to consider other related issues - which makes me even more angry, because the medical literature indicates that well over 30% of those who undergo lumbar spinal fusion (as I did) subsequently experience sacroiliac problems.

Dr. Hancke, being a pain management specialist rather than a neurosurgeon, was able to "think outside the spine" (you should pardon the expression) and find a way forward.  I'm just sorry for three wasted years until I met up with him...  At any rate, last week he administered the first of what should be two, or at most three, steroid injections into both sacroiliac joints.  It's already had a dramatic effect on my pain levels, cutting them in half.  If, after it wears off, another injection has the same effect, that will probably be sufficient evidence to move forward with fusing both sacroiliac joints to provide long-term relief.  Not only will that be a less painful surgery than spinal fusion, but recovery time should be much shorter - and costs will be lower, too, which is a great help!

Anyway, that's how things stand at present.  I'm very pleased to be able to report what I think is significant progress.  God willing, and all other things being equal, by the middle of next year I might be in a much better position as far as my overall health and levels of pain are concerned.  There are, indeed, additional back problems that will probably require surgical attention in a few years, but that can be postponed until it's absolutely necessary.

Thanks again to all of you who've kept me in your prayers over this, and contributed to my fundraiser for related expenses.  I'm deeply grateful to you all.

Peter

A grim warning from Europe about financial security - and what it might mean for the USA

 

In my first post this morning, I mentioned the possibility that Europe might take action against private bank accounts to fund its ever-increasing deficit and ever-growing social programs.  As if to echo that warning, here's what Zero Hedge had to say a few hours ago.

In the view of the EU’s chief Eurocrat, private property as a protective wall shielding citizens from an overreaching state has served its purpose as a pillar of civilization.

Central planning, subsidy madness – this is Brussels under the magnifying glass.

. . .

A ruthless expropriation or the decreed redirection of cash, as the finest bureaucratic German puts it, is supposed to solve the problems Brussels itself has caused through its stubborn climate policy, its overregulation and its continuing insanity of interventionism.

Von der Leyen was explicit before the business leaders: Europe has savings, she said, but unfortunately those savings are sitting on the sidelines. Ten trillion euros are sitting as cash savings in the hands of private households in bank accounts, lectures von der Leyen in the manner of a classic central planner who can no longer take her eyes off citizens’ wealth. The European economy must now put this capital to work for its companies, the chief bureaucrat decreed.

. . .

Von der Leyen is following the path of the German chancellor. Friedrich Merz, too, discovered the cash holdings of Germans as political capital for himself more than a year ago – thoroughly socialist, indeed almost dictatorial, the chancellor also pointed to the possibilities opened up by what he called an activation of this money.

Ursula von der Leyen and Friedrich Merz reveal not merely an ethical and ideological abyss; they are contemplating dictatorial control over the private wealth of citizens who are still sovereign.

There's more at the link, including a video recording of Ursula von der Leyen's address.

Don't think that this is only a European problem.  Look at the size of America's deficit, and then consider that we could wipe out two-thirds to three-quarters of it simply by "nationalizing" the retirement savings of Americans, by confiscating the shares and bonds in which they invest.  That's precisely what some US politicians have been saying for years, and are still saying today.  If they get into power, our private savings and investments are under grave threat.

Peter

Points to ponder

 

Several points of interest today (and all are well worth your time).

1.  DiveMedic discusses the Lindsey Clancy (mis)trial, including the evidence of psychiatric medications and other factors.  I agree entirely with his conclusion.

2.  Remember the Ig Nobel awards?  This year's winners have just been announced.  My favorite category:  Biomechanics.

Citation: Matilda Brindle, Catherine Talbot, and Stuart West for devising a more precise definition of kissing—“non-agonistic interactions involving directed, intraspecific, oral-oral contact with some movement of the lips/mouthparts and no food transfer”—in ants, birds, polar bears, and humans.

"Darling, come here.  I want to practice biomechanics with you!"  

3.  Chiefio warns:  "IF you have Money in the EU – Take It Out Now."

The simple fact is that the EU is flat broke, having squandered €Billions on the Ukraine Folly. They have tried regularly to steal the Russian money entrusted to Euroclear, but that mostly failed. They handed a “loan” to Ukraine that doesn’t need to be repaid until Russia pays “reparations”, that will never happen, so kiss that off ... So [Ursula von der Leyen] has stated that people’s savings accounts are a problem (ignoring that savings accounts are what allow banks to make loans for things like cars and mortgages and business working capital). She has stated that this money must be put “to the service of European Companies” (not realizing it already is as prudent business loans IF appropriately vetted). That she wants to “securitize them” and “supervise them” – which means steal your money for her desired expenses.

Remember what happened during the Cyprus banking crisis of 2012-13?  The EU forced the Cypriot government to close that country's second-largest bank, imposing a one-off levy on all uninsured deposits there, and seize many uninsured deposits in the Bank of Cyprus.  Almost 48% of all bank deposits above €100,000 were seized, without compensation.  If the EU could do it once, during a much smaller financial crisis, I wouldn't bet they won't do it again, and more, in the present circumstances.

4.  If you, like me, are wondering about the vast numbers of data centers under construction, it's worth examining the phenomenon on a worldwide basis.  Statista has compiled the figures for Number of data centers worldwide as of June 2026.  Here are the top ten nations:

For more information, see the Statista link above.  My question:  if the rest of the world isn't frantically building these things by the hundreds, why are we doing so in the United States?  Follow the money, and see who profits... and who pays.

Let us know your reaction(s) in Comments.

Peter

Memes that made me laugh 327

 

Gathered from around the Internet over the past week.  Click any image for a larger view.

Sunday morning music

 

Here's a treat for lovers of baroque music:  the complete harpsichord concertos of Johann Sebastian Bach, played on antique instruments.  It's a three-CD set from Plectra Music.  Keyboardists are David Moroney, Karen Flint, Arthur Hass, JungHae Kim and Adam Pearl.  Tracklist is as follows:

00:00:00  Disc: 1

 1 - Concerto in a Minor for Four Unaccompanied Harpsichords, BWV 1065: [Allegro] - Karen Flint, Arthur Haas, Davitt Moroney,& Junghae Kim
2 - Concerto in a Minor for Four Unaccompanied Harpsichords, BWV 1065: Largo - Karen Flint, Arthur Haas, Davitt Moroney & Junghae Kim
3 - Concerto in a Minor for Four Unaccompanied Harpsichords, BWV 1065: Allegro - Karen Flint, Arthur Haas, Davitt Moroney & Junghae Kim
4 - Concerto in a Major, BWV 1055: Allegro - Davitt Moroney
5 - Concerto in a Major, BWV 1055: Larghetto - Davitt Moroney
6 - Concerto in a Major, BWV 1055: Allegro Ma Non Tanto - Davitt Moroney
7 - Concerto in C Major for Two Harpsichords, BWV 1061: [Allegro] - Karen Flint & Davitt Moroney
8 - Concerto in C Major for Two Harpsichords, BWV 1061: Adagio Ovvero Largo - Karen Flint & Davitt Moroney
9 - Concerto in C Major for Two Harpsichords, BWV 1061: Fuga - Karen Flint & Davitt Moroney
10 - Concerto in D minor for Three Harpsichords, BWV 1063: [Allegro] - Arthur Haas, Davitt Moroney & Adam Pearl
11 - Concerto in D minor for Three Harpsichords, BWV 1063: Alla Siciliana - Arthur Haas, Davitt Moroney & Adam Pearl
12 - Concerto in D minor for Three Harpsichords, BWV 1063: Allegro - Arthur Haas, Davitt Moroney & Adam Pearl
13 - Concerto in a Minor for Four Harpsichords with Strings, BWV 1065: [Allegro] - Karen Flint, Arthur Haas, Davitt Moroney, Junghae Kim & Adam Pearl
14 - Concerto in a Minor for Four Harpsichords with Strings, BWV 1065: Largo - Karen Flint, Arthur Haas, Davitt Moroney, Junghae Kim & Adam Pearl
15 - Concerto in a Minor for Four Harpsichords with Strings, BWV 1065: Allegro - Karen Flint, Arthur Haas, Davitt Moroney, Junghae Kim & Adam Pearl

01:07:20  Disc: 2 

1 - Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052:Allegro
2 - Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052: Adagio
3 - Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052: Allegro
4 - Concerto in D Major, BWV 1054: [Allegro]
5 - Concerto in D Major, BWV 1054: Adagio E Piano Sempre
6 - Concerto in D Major, BWV 1054: Allegro
7 - Concerto in G minor, BWV 1058: [Allegro]
8 - Concerto in G minor, BWV 1058: Andante
9 - Concerto in G minor, BWV 1058: Allegro Assai
10 - Concerto in E Major, BWV 1053: [Allegro]
11 - Concerto in E Major, BWV 1053: Siciliano
12 - Concerto in E Major, BWV 1053: Allegro

02:21:10 Disc: 3 

 1 - Concerto in C minor for Two Harpsichords, BWV 1060: Allegro
2 - Concerto in C minor for Two Harpsichords, BWV 1060: Largo Ovvero Adagio
3 - Concerto in C minor for Two Harpsichords, BWV 1060: Allegro
4 - Concerto in F minor, BWV 1056: Allegro
5 - Concerto in F minor, BWV 1056: Adagio
6 - Concerto in F minor, BWV 1056: Presto
7 - Concerto in F Major for Harpsichord and Two Recorders, BWV 1057: [Allegro]
8 - Concerto in F Major for Harpsichord and Two Recorders, BWV 1057:Andante
9 - Concerto in F Major for Harpsichord and Two Recorders, BWV 1057: Allegro Assai
10 - Concerto in C minor for Two Harpsichords, BWV 1062: [Allegro]
11 - Concerto in C minor for Two Harpsichords, BWV 1062: Andante E Piano
12 - Concerto in C minor for Two Harpsichords, BWV 1062: Allegro Assai
13 Concerto in C Major for Three Harpsichords, BWV 1064: [Allegro]
14 Concerto in C Major for Three Harpsichords, BWV 1064: Adagio
15 Concerto in C Major for Three Harpsichords, BWV 1064: Allegro

Either hit "Play" and let it run in the background, or navigate to your favorite among Bach's many harpsichord concertos and enjoy it.

Peter

No blog today

 

I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row, and the little buggers are busting out all over.  I'll be back as soon as I've wrangled them.

Peter