Today I got ahead of the pain

First I need to explain what happened late last night. Since it had been my experience that morphine-based drugs make it hard to sleep, and I'd had a restless night on Sunday night, I avoided taking any more pain medication after dinner last night. When I was trying to go to sleep I was very successful at visualizing the pain disappearing, but right at the last moment before I fell asleep, just as I was letting go, the visualization stopped and the pain reappeared. I fought hard to go to sleep for over an hour (and understand I take quite a bedtime 'cocktail' of pills just so I can go to sleep).

But I gave in and took the pain medicine and when it kicked in I fell asleep for the night, very restful, thank goodness.

So today I took the necessary dose of the medicine just as the pain was kicking in, about 10 minutes after I woke up. And I keep taking the correct amount in order to keep the pain away, and it's working fairly well. There seems to be no real reason for me to suffer if the medicine is here and available for my use.

It has been a couple of days since I've had dinner with the family, so today I will try. If the pain is too bad I will 'hold court' in my room after dinner for the boys. They love to have my undivided attention; they take turns hanging out with me.

I have to admit that snuggling in my bed in the afternoon by myself, drifting in and out of sleep, was delicious. Just the right temperature, just the right pillow . . . no worries, no pain (at that time, anyway).

Pray for my renewed health for the shul (synagogue) retreat in late March.