Bragg Family South

Last week marked my return to a full week work schedule. It has been one month since I had back surgery, and judging from how I was able to climb through the woods last week, I feel almost completely healed, and no longer limited by the bulging disk that had slowed me over the last couple of years. I had a good week of field work remeasuring an inventory of a small old-growth pine-hardwood remnant south of Monticello. The picture is taken of pines near the parking area of this stand, which is known as the "Levi Wilcoxon Demonstration Forest", named after the Crossett Lumber Company forester who had enough vision in the 1930s to convince the company to set-aside this stand as an example of the pre-logging virgin forests. Time, of course, has taken its toll, and many of the big pines have started to succumb to insects, lightning, windthrow, and other sources of mortality. There are some big pines out here, for sure, including what I think will be the National Champion shortleaf...

Yesterday (Friday) the family and I traveled to Pine Bluff to meet with my back surgeon, Dr. P.B. Simpson, to get my 3 week follow-up examination. There are usually long waits at his office, so while I waited, Hope and the kids went to Sears to look at a new kitchen stove we're going to order. Dr. Simpson gave me a clean bill of health, and released me from virtually all of the restrictions I had been on since the surgery (the only one I need to keep is to not lift heavy items for another 4 to 6 weeks). Thus, I will return to work full-time next week, and resume driving and riding in vehicles. Dr. Simpson explained that the procedure he performed, a modified lumbar laminectomy, was less invasive that traditional laminectomies, and this helps the patient recover faster. I have no doubts about that--prior to my appointment that morning, I walked for 2 miles with no pain or discomfort, and have not had any noticeable problem with my back for a while. I still have a little stiffne...

Just a quick note on my recovery from back surgery...Hope kindly announced the success of the procedure immediately after my surgery, and I would like to tell everyone that things are still going great. I have very little discomfort or stiffness remaining, and my activities are becoming more and more normal. I walked for 1.5 miles this morning, and I have been coming in to my office for a couple hours per day this week (I hope to do even more next week). I have a follow-up meeting with my surgeon next week Thursday, and I hope at that point I will be released to begin a "normal" schedule. We would like to thank everybody for their thoughts and prayers, and especially thank Mom and Dad for their help with the kids during my recovery!!