Working my way back to trek across the Brooklyn Bridge for my big 5-0

Good news - walked over a mile today by the lake. Not so good news - shooting pain from spine to hip, and down left leg, but made it home safely. Lotsa Icy Hot applied this afternoon after a hot shower, limping a bit this evening. One step forward, ? back. I know, patience and caution. Heading to bed early.

My goal is to be well enough by my 50th birthday (July 8) to be able to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge again. This pic was taken in September 2007 (the full album is here); on that day Kate, my brother Tim and I walked across to Manhattan and all the way up to Union Square. All that was possible before the fibromyalgia, the rheumatoid arthritis and the spine eruption that I'm dealing with now. 


It seems like a lifetime (and another body) ago. At the present time, post-back surgery, as I mentioned I can walk about a mile now, but it wipes me out and the pain is still unpredictable because I'm still on the mend. 

Before the discectomy I could hardly walk a block, constantly limped and was in almost unbearable pain most of the time - there was no way I could make that walk across the BB in that condition, and it was depressing me, thus I had to take the risk of spine surgery after the failure of 3 epidural injections to give me relief. The herniation at L5-S1 was too massive. So I'm doing my best to battle my way to make the trek - and the big 5-0.

Today's walking music:  Revelation, Journey (2008, Disc 1).


1. "Never Walk Away"
2. "Like a Sunshower"
3. "Change for the Better"
4. "Wildest Dream"
5. "Faith in the Heartland"
6. "After All These Years"
7. "Where Did I Lose Your Love"
8. "What I Needed"
9. "What It Takes to Win"
10. "Turn Down the World Tonight"
11. "The Journey (Revelation)"