Well there is much to catch everyone up on so I’ll go back to the week prior to surgery. On the 17th I was scheduled for my third iron infusion but after 2 1/2 hours they decided that I could get an iron boosting shot instead. Part of this decision was based on the fact that my surgical team planned to give me a unit of blood right before and during surgery, the other part was based on my hemoglobin had come up to 7.5 which is way below normal, normal being 12-14 but platelets looked better. It was a very long day for me as I needed to get a lot of things done that I wouldn’t be able to do for at least 2 weeks after surgery so by the time I got home and Marty and I went to dinner I wasn’t able to walk out of the restaurant without someone holding me on the left, my cane on the right and staff helping me to the car. It was at that moment I was so aware of how much trouble I was in and I knew that surgery could only help. On Friday I had my last pre-op appointment at Ortho-Wilmington and they took another set of x-rays and went over everything they planned to do. Monday I arrived at 11:30 and by 12:30 they had me in pre-op to start IV lines and my first unit of blood, my parents and two sisters were there for moral support although Sheila had no guilt whatsoever enjoying a cup of coffee knowing I was craving a cup! Now here is where we start seeing God at work, first the anesthesiologist wanted my something that I cant remember higher than the 751 that it was, well when my labs came back it was 1600!!! He was grinning from ear to ear. The next God in action event was that one of the nurses prepping me happened to notice my Christian fish tattoo and asked if I was a Christian at which I said YES and she asked if she could pray with me! By the time she was done and we had talked I had given my testimony and we were both crying. She was going to send my parents back but I told her I needed to wash my face first or my mom would think something terrible had happened. Within an hour or so they were ready to take me back for surgery and instead of being out cold when I went thru the operating doors like I was last time I was wide awake and introduced to everyone involved in the surgery. There is a lot to be said for blind ignorance! But the next thing I remember is waking up in my room and realizing that the pain was not as intense as the last time. Still, I had to stand for the first time and I was scared but as it turned out I was able to put full weight on my leg with minimal discomfort. God is always listening to our prayers and I believe he feels our fears and our pain and there is no greater comforter. I have had so many people praying for me, calling and texting to ask if I need anything and the love and gratitude I feel can not be measured. I had the opportunity to witness to nurses, housekeeping, aids and doctors, really anyone that walked into my room and stayed long enough for me to talk got to hear how awesome our God is. The last time I had a hip replaced I got the doctor to let me stay an extra day, this time around I wanted to be sprung Tuesday evening but he made me stay til Wednesday. I guess the doc knows best! Because of the cancer infiltrating my bones the surgery was challenging but God also made sure I had the best surgeons around so it all went off without a hiccup. I am so glad that I only have 2 hips!!! During all of this on Monday while I was still out of it my grandma Morris (daddy’s mom) passed away. She had fallen and broken her hip and wrist, had surgery and moved to a rehab center in Shippensburg, PA where all of the family lives but they soon discovered that she had a stroke and heart attack. This left her unable to swallow and not wanting to eat. My brother Rick was raised my her and Pap Morris and I as well as Rick will always be thankful that Rick was there looking into her eyes, holding her hand when she passed. Please pray for my brother because he not only lost a grandmother, he lost a mother that he admired and loved very much. This was a woman that never complained, was very funny, she was strong and believed in God. I like to think that I inherited a lot of her traits and her spirit and if I did I am very proud to have done so but either way I am proud to be her granddaughter. Now I’m pretty good at getting what I want but in spite of begging my doctor he refused to let me travel to PA for her funeral (fear of blood clots or worse) and even though I know it’s the right decision it is breaking my heart not to be able to see her one last time and say a proper good bye. I am thankful that I pushed to make the trip up there in January and got see her one last time with a smile on her face and happy as ever. Well I need to stop for now and do another round of PT which is a lot easier this time around but still not for sissy’s but manageable when you lean on God for strength. Oh yeah did I mention that I have to give myself injections for the next 8 days?!!!
Psalm 18:30
“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.”
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