Cortisone Shot
Sometime back I mentioned in a newsletter article that I had a bad hip. The doctor suspected a torn labrum and advised me to get 6 weeks of physical therapy. If that didn’t work, he would order an MRI. That MRI was performed a few weeks ago, revealing that I do, indeed, have a torn labrum. Based on previous discussions with this doctor, I knew I had a couple of options. One was arthroscopic surgery to repair the labrum. The other was a full hip replacement. When the doctor told me I was not a candidate for arthroscopic I assumed I was headed for a hip replacement. But during an appointment last week I heard about a third option: a cortisone shot.
So, last Thursday I got the shot. Guided by an ultrasound, I was injected with a needle the size of Ethiopia. I’d heard about these things and how painful they were. I braced myself for excruciating pain. Just before the injection, I said, “Is this where you give me a bullet to bite on and a shot of cheap whiskey? Without missing a beat he said, “Standard Operating Procedure in this office is a shot of 20-year-old Macallan Scotch.” My doctor thinks he’s a comedian.
Apparently, they were out of Macallan that day, and I didn’t get the bullet either. But before I knew it the procedure was over, and I was on the way home. It wasn’t bad at all. The doc made it clear that that the shot was a temporary fix, and that someday I would still need to get the hip replaced. But for now, I’m feeling much better. This whole experience reminded me of the temporary fixes of life. It’s like when a pipe is leaking and we put duct tape over it. Or the roof is leaking, and we put a tarp over it. Or the car window is busted, and we tape a piece of cardboard over it. You can go with a temporary fix, but that’s not a permanent solution to the problem. This Sunday we will be looking at Amos 8:1-12. The passage describes how the Israelites focused on religious practices, worship, and sacrifice to ease their conscience. But their problem went deeper than that. These things were only a temporary fix. To REALLY fix the problem, they needed to root out the sin in their lives. Join us as we explore this passage together. I promise it will be easier than a cortisone shot.
