I thought it was going to be a wedding from the very start. (BJ actually knew it was going to be a wedding.)

What person throws a party at the Beach Club just to celebrate summer? Nobody, that’s who? After living together for 12 years, Steve Gross and Fran Bodman tried to convince their friends that they were putting together this party for no particular reason except summer’s arrival.

What is going on? Are they breaking up after 12 years? Is one of them running for public office. (Why not, everybody else is!) Steve allowed that after 12 years they wanted to get married before the baby arrived. Frankly, if there was anybody who was surprised on Sunday a week ago somebody needs to check their pulse. So, Fran and Steve put on a great “surprise wedding” and partied with a crowd of friends and family from all over the country.

One of the topics of recent columns is the sciatica I have been wrestling with for the past month. I have been to an orthopedic surgeon, a neurosurgeon, my regular doctor, a pain clinic, a massage therapist, and a physical therapist so far. I am doing exercises, taking painkillers, and enduring a steroid injection in my lower spine. An incredible number of friends have testified about additional treatments such as massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, and rolfing.

Several medications have been suggested including cannabis based creams and a vegetable based painkiller. I have particularly enjoyed one suggestion which required taking codeine pain reducer with a gin and tonic. (Not really a good idea.) Unfortunately one of the most realistic pieces of advice I received was, “be patient, this will pass.” Friends have supplied me with not one but two walkers. One is for regular inside and out side use, the other one to access the master bathroom area since the first one is too big to fit through the door.

As I reflect on this experience I am struck with several conclusions. Firstly there are a lot of people willing to help with good ideas. Their sincerity, sympathy, and empathy are appreciated! Unfortunately it seems as if they have also experienced intense back pain at some point. In addition, I have concluded most of these folks are actually experiencing different versions of back pain and very few of them are exactly the same, thus the effective treatments are just as varied.

The pain is actually starting to subside. I don’t have any trouble driving or sitting and my ability to get from one chair to the next one is improving. When I get up in the morning I hit the pain with a variety of drugs, exercises and sympathy from BJ. So, yes, it will pass. In addition, I have come to realize that lots of us have had this problem over the years. In fact, I submit that if you have read this far in this column you know exactly what I am talking about.

I went to Fran and Steve’s “surprise” wedding and sat in the same place for 3 hours talking with all the nice folks who came and impressed me with their care, understanding and suggestions. Several offered to help any way they could with rides and errands. Unfortunately one of the side effects of the medications is that I am more “edgy”. BJ says that I am actually becoming a curmudgeon. God forbid!

Love a curmudgeon and have a great week.

NedLuce@sbcglobal.net