I'm not going to call him "Job", but I'm thinking about it

As you all know, Bryan has been through a crazy 2010, and it's not over yet.

His back has bothered him since 1991. YES, he had disc problems when I was pregnant with Darcy and he's never been the same. Before Darcy, Bryan was an addicted athlete, but not in the way athletes are these days. He was always on the golf course, slalom water ski course (with Greg), sand volleyball court, warehouse basketball gym, you name it. Constantly looking for the competitive high. Unfortunately, he's been paying for it since then.

Recently his back has been hurting worse than normal. Last year before we went to Hawaii in July he had steroid injections into his lower back to relieve some pain of the two herniated and one degenerated discs. He had another injection last October. The pain is back. He's been going to chiropractic and physical therapy and nothing is easing the pain.

Today he visited with a neurosurgeon that specializes in back issues. Bryan brought his MRI from 2009 and the doctor said he didn't see anything that needed surgery, but understands that Bryan is in pain. He sent Bryan downstairs for a quick MRI, then read the results immediately:

A blown disc.

Ah...that explains it. Here's the text I received from Bryan right after he left the appointment:

"Great!!! Blown disk in L3/4. It looks like I get to see my neurosurgeon again for back surgery. Procedure after my Utah project." [which is August 9-14]

Oh no. We're supposed to leave Saturday, July 31 and drive to Wyoming to see his mom 'til August 8th, then to Utah for work. That's another thing:

Please pray for Bryan's mom, Judy Baty. She had cancer over six years ago and beat it. Lately she had some pain in her abdomen and went to the doctor. They took a CT scan and found a 19cm mass in her abdomen. She went to Salt Lake City for a biopsy July 26th and will find out the results July 28th. Please pray that it's something treatable and that she will feel God's protection.

I guess what's happening is that God is in love with Bryan and the way he is able to glorify Him through everything. Hence, the temptation to nickname him Job. If you get a chance, read the book of Job in the Bible.
Here's an introduction about Job from The Inspirational Bible:
"It's easy to thank God when he does what we want. But God doesn't always do what we want. Ask Job. His empire collapsed, his children were killed, and what was a healthy body became a rage of boils. From whence came this torrent? From whence will come any help?
Not from his wife, You can't blame her for telling Job to curse God. But to curse God and die?
Then come his friends. They mean well, but they comfort poorly. They tell him he must have been pretty bad to get it so bad.
"With friends like you guys...," Job says and then tells them to take their theology back to the dime store where they bought it. Getting no comfort from family or friends, he goes straight to God and pleads his case. His head hurts. His body hurts. His heart hurts. And he can't tolerate anymore half-baked answers. "Why is this happening to me?" he demands.
And God answers. Now with answers but with questions. An ocean of questions. Space doesn't permit their listing, but one or two will convey the point. "'Can you shout an order to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? Can you send lighting bolts on their way? do they come to you and say, 'Here we are'?'"
After several dozen of these, Job is left on the beach drenched and wide-eyed, knowing he will never argue with the ocean again. He lifts his hands and cries, "Enough." He has gotten the point. What is it?
God owes no one anything. No reasons. No explanations. Nothing. If he gave them, we couldn't understand them.
Which makes the conclusion of the book all the more moving. Even though God owed Job nothing, he gave him everything. New health, new business, new family. And most of all, new insight.
God is God. He knows what he is doing. When you can't trace his hand, trust his heart."


Unlike Job, the big difference is that Bryan has so much support from his friends and family.