Countdown

I visited my orthopedic surgeon yesterday. All is going well with my leg. It is healing, the bone density filling in. It is also still a mess, with huge spurs digging into nerves and tendons. We wnt over the knee replacement procedure and what could be expected during and after surgery. We also talked about all the "things" that need to happen before surgery.

I need to have an MRI and x-rays of my entire right leg, hip to foot. I need lab work and an EKG. I need a chest x-ray and a pre-surgical physical with my family doctor. I am supposed to attend classes in living with a knee replacement and in how to manage taking a blood thinner to prevent post-surgical clotting. Then I need to see the orthopedic surgeon again about a week before the surgery.

In addition, Richard and I have appointments with the podiatrist and he has appointments with both our family doctor and a hemotologist with lab work before each. One busy December.

I will also need to put together easy to fix meals enough to get us through the first couple weeks after my surgery. I am getting a bit anxious to get it all over with.

The Lord IS Good

This past month has been eventful in the family. I am just coming off several weeks of intense physical theropy designed to both strengthen my leg and give it more flexability in preparation for a total knee replacement in January. Seems the joint was so destroyed that it has slipped several centimeters, so is limited to what can be done pre-surgery. But I am walking to a degree.

One of our daughters blew out the engine of her car and was feeling stranded for a couple weeks, but now she has wheels again.

One of our granddaughters wa sgiven news that her unborn child might have a serios genetic problem. She underwent several painful tests and while there may be problems, they are not as serious as they might have been and most likely correctable at birth.

Another granddaughter and her husband (as well as our daughter and son-in-law) are mourning the loss of their unborn child who had a very serious genetic problem. He died a previous October but is still loved by so many.

Our son lost his job of 20 years, but has secured a new position with the same employer. He will retain all seniority and benefits.

Another daughter faced having her daughter declared legally disabled and had to take formal action to keep her from becoming a ward of the state.

Richard had a series of tests done that at first allowed him to go completely off oxygen after 6 1/2 years, but indicated a potential heart problem. Yesterday we received word that although there is an abnormal beat, it is not irratic and no serious problem was found.

Praise God for His hand on all we are and all we do. He is definately in control. Glory to His name.

freedom

The Drs office called this afternoon and gave me permission to drive. Now I can only drive short distances for awhile, so won't be making a road trip for awhile yet. But I can drive to the store, to appointments, and to church. Not needing to rely on someone else for transportation is true freedon. I feel more excited than when I got my license at age 16. The Lord is good.

Of course this freedom will only last until January when I go in for a total knee replacement. Then the recovery process will start all over again. Hopefully it will be shorter.

Progress

It has been some time since I BLOGGED. Much has happened in the last few weeks. I am now getting at home physical theropy. It is helping, I can walk without my brace using only one crutch. But I am also really hurting from all the stretching and other exercises. How exiciting to be able to see progress after so long not allowed to put any weight on my leg.

Richard is home and healing. He has spent a short time on several afternoons doing some pruning in the overgrown front yard. It is nice to see him out there again.

Paul and Dianna have been working on our shop. They emptied out all the big stuff and done some repairs to the work bench and lighting. Next step will be to put everything back in an orderly fashion.

Paul is going through a series of medical exams in preparation for returning to the road. He is chomping at the bit and they need a boost in finances. Tomarrow will be the last exam. If all is weel, he is good to go.

Today our new gas fireplace was installed. It is really nice, puts out great heat, and the ambience is nice. Unfortunately the trim is being custom made and will not be available for several weeks. We didn't know that until the crew arrived. What a bummer.

What a week

This past week's events are the making of a novel. It started a week ago Saturday with a visit from my younger brother John, his wife, and two grandsons. We hadn't seen John in over two years. It was a nice time together. The kids are really well behaved and were eager to go camping with their grandpa. They left in an older ATV for the coast around 5:00 pm. All was well at the old homestead. Then on Sunday and Monday Richard just wasn't feeling well and he took a long naps. Tuesday, he was feverish and had an upset stomach. So I gave him something for both and they helped for awhile. But by Wednesday he was miserable and I noticed some discoloring in the area of his hernia. So as soon as Dianna got home from work I asked her to take he dad into the ER. I suspected a strangulated hernia or a bowel obstruction. He actually had both, an obstruction caused by the hernia. They admitted him and did corrective surgery on Thursday afternoon.

That same afternoon, I was given the OK to put weight on my healing leg. According to the Dr. weight at this stage will actually help complete the healing process. How is that for the Lord's timing? Richard had been my legs for the last three months.

On Friday our son-in-law Paul was placed on a surgery schedule for cleaning plaque from his carotid artery, our son Rich injured his back when he stopped at the coast on his way down here from Washington and the clean up at the house began. The huge dumpster was delivered to the driveway and Dianna, Shelley and Eric spent a couple hours loading debris. Then our granddaughter and her husband Chris got a ticket just 20 minutes from the house.

Saturday everyone, including Eric's niece Sarah, got an early start cleaning up a section of the yard that included the shed Rick tore down two weeks ago, a couple large plywood containers and of course the junk that was in them. Lissa, another granddaughter and Nate, her husband arrived a bit later and helped as well. Paul was the official photographer and cook for the group. Even the three great-grandchildren helped out after all the glass and nails had been removed. I'm told the place looks really good. But I'm not quite ready to check it out. I'm on crutches, the terrain is rough, and no one else is here should I fall.

Lots of bad things happened this week, but they are balanced with many good things. Richard is slowly improving, Paul had his surgery and all went well, and we had a mini family reunion. We even may have met a future member of the clan. Never a dull moment at the Moreno household.

Ready for change

I am so ready for change. Sitting here writing this, I can hear the sound of Rick mowing the lawn. It has really needed it for some time now, but no one has been either available or capable to do it.

Yesterday, Rick took me in my wheelchair to the back driveway. It was no small task over the rough unpaved surface. But I needed to see what was going on as far as disposal of items being sorted from an old shed. Rick emptied two sheds and tore down one. He essentially made two piles, to keep and to toss. That up front work will make it a lot easier for the crew of family to load a big dumpster during a cleanup week end after next. The change in the yard is way over due. Rick asked me to say hi for him.

We are actually having company (family) over three week ends in a row. Rick & Preston this week, my brother John, his wife and two grandsons next week, and then three of our kids, their spouses, four grandkids, one of their spouses, and three greatgrandkids the week after. It will be good to see them all, just wish I could get around and at least cook for the. Guess I'll have to settle for what I can do.

I received a call from Dr. Ryan's office today. I made an appointment to see him on September 14. That will be his very first day in Corvallis. Dr. Ryan is the orthopedic surgeon who will be doing my knee replacement. He comes highly recommended as having performed over 700 joint replacement surgeries. He is currently completing a fellowship in San Diego. He is originally from New York. This surgery constitutes a huge change, one that I hope will allow more freedom of movement. Maybe I will be able to walk for exercise again.

Several of our kids are having health issues. I am not at liberty to go into detail, but some big changes are on their horizons as well. These will include, but are not limited to life style changes. This could be a great thing. I would like to see many more decades of good health for all our kids.

One change that we need is in the weather pattern. It has been way too hot and dry here. Not the first hot summer we have experienced, but I don't like it. We need rain. After a similar heat pattern some 25 years ago, all our neighbors spontaneously ran into the street and embraced the rain when it finally came. I am ready, bring it on.

Good new and bad

Good news today. The company that supplies Richard's oxygen and services his C-pap called and apologised. Based on the receipt I supplied they dug a little deeper and have confirmed the old C-pap they accused us of keeping and trying t sell is in their possession. They had gone so far as to bill us for over $1,700. This for something that we did not have. OT for His faithfulness in giving us stress and financial relief on this matter. Now if only insurance or some other source would cover the nursing facility bill.

More good news. I have found someone to do some cleaning. Kristen is a dear friend, the leader of my bible study group. She was looking for a way to earn money to help finance her son's trip to a national music contest in Orlando. She is energetic, does very good work, and has a great attitude. She came on Tuesday and cleaned my kitchen. Next week she will work on the entryway and clean the bathroom. Thanks Amy for this blessing.

Shelley has been working on my kitchen floor (solid vinyl). Yesterday she sanded it down (thank you Shelley) and over the next few nights I will put several coats of verithane on it. The only problem was that the sanding created a lot of dust that covered my clean kitchen. I managed to get most of it with a damp rag, but not all (hard to reach some areas without putting stress on my leg). But I do not want Kristen to spend all her time just on the kitchen.

Bad news. I was doing so well, getting around in the wheelchair and being able to do more in the house. Then my occupational therapist shot me down. She said I was not allowed to balance using my broken leg when standing to reach into the cupboard or refrigerator. She had me call the doctor to verify this. According to the doctor, my type of break can slip very easily and even if there is no pain or sense of pressure, it may still be enough to cause harm. So I can balance only if I am very very careful. So much for progress. Our pastor broke his leg last fall and has just recently been allowed to walk on it. Earlier this week he caught his toe on a restaurant mat and automatically used his bad leg to prevent a fall. He is in such pain that he has had to be in bed and won't know till Monday when he sees the doctor, if any real damage was done. Guess I better take heed to the caution I was given.