October 8- Hip Hip Horray, or is that Decay?

I just don’t know what to say!  I had x-rays of my hips Monday and by Tuesday Dr. McNulty had called to say I have a fracture that requires immediate surgery.  Less than 2 hours later the surgeon’s nurse called with an appointment for a consult for today.  Sooooo…. dad, mom, Marty and I met with Dr. Hannum who decided that a complete hip replacement was my best move.   We had the opportunity to view my skeletal x-ray and discovered that there is far more cancer than we had imagined.  Now I am all for spouses having things in common but Marty and I will both have hip replacement on the right hip, we are both sporting bald heads, we both need hand rails and that’s just to mention a few things!   Surgery doesn’t scare me but it feels as though cancer isn’t trying to kill me but rather destroy my body bone by bone.   My left hip and upper leg pain is coming from a lot of cancer, but at least it’s not another fracture requiring surgery.  More radiation will be needed in order to keep the smaller tumor from growing and to shrink the cancer in the left leg and control the pain.

I will need to be in the hospital a couple of days, be on a blood thinner and of course physical therapy in home and later as an out patient.   When I was about 9 I spent several days in the hospital (over Easter) and it was the loneliest, saddest time that I can remember, but at least this time I will be at Cape Fear close to home, that makes me feel better.   Through all of this today and everything that has come before I have and will continue to trust my savior, but I would not be honest if I didn’t tell you that at times I feel overwhelmed and sometimes find myself thinking about what lies ahead.  It’s one thing to not be afraid of dying, it’s quite another to feel as if it’s happening piece by piece!    The doctor did say that I should be able to get back to normal activities after recovery but what is normal now isn’t what was normal before cancer.  So, we adjust and find new ways to try and do old things!!

I’m going to chill tomorrow because Friday I get to see a sweet friend and do her hair!  I should be back on track in a couple of weeks (after all, the young do tend to heal quicker!!)

Psalm 92:1  It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High