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DONANDMARY77's Recent Blog Entries
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Sunday, August 30, 2009
It has been nearly 2 weeks since I had the double knee replacement surgery. The first few days were at the hospital. I was up using the walker the very next day. I am progressing well, but do not have much time to do internet. Most of my day is filled with therapy. At least 6 hours on a machine to help regain my range of motion. I am walking further each day with the walker.
I hard parts have to do with the after effects of the anesthesia. I couldn't taste anything for days afterwards. What I did taste was really not what it was supposed to taste like. I tried to eat a piece of wheat bread the first day and it tasted like aluminumn foil. I still don't have much of an appetite. I guess that is a good thing.
The other issue I am fighting with is sleeping through the night. I am not used to being stuck in bed for most of the day. I don't sleep much during the day, but still fight to sleep at night. I have had 2 nights with panic attack, that I thought were related to the pain medication, but had another one last night on a milder pain medication.
I have never had panic attacks, so the first one had me really scared. Don had to bring me to the emergency room because I thought I was going to die. I only wanted someone else to say I was going to be fine. So, we started having our worship time right before bed and it helps a little, but I am boggled at this. I have never had issues like this before. I think it is partly due to feeling helpless and the pain medication making me a feel sleepy.
I slept pretty good last night, but it took having to leave on a light in the room. I really hope my sleep pattern returns to normal soon. Poor Don can't sleep if I don't sleep.......
Pray for me to have victory in this area. I see the doctor on Tuesday for a post op visit. I am hoping to be on a cane this week.
God bless,
Mary
Monday, August 17, 2009
Wonderful testimony of the goodness of our Father: Don and I are part of a small church here in Hot Springs. It is very old fashioned, but the people are like family. I told Don that we can go to a church with more contemporary worship, but will never find a church with so much of a family love feel.
They proved it yesterday. They took up an offering to help with my surgery. There are fewer than 40 people in the evening service, but they collected over $1800! Plus there were pledges to bring in more. The women's ministry is going to donate as well. The church only has about 100 people in the church at the most, but it is the most generous church we have ever encountered.
I also got a message from our church in Arusha, that they are taking up an offering next Sunday. I am again overwhelmed. They are a small church too. I have no idea what a church full of expats will be able to give, but God is faithful.
We got messages from all over the globe that they are supporting us. One couple from Denmark gave $1000, and another gave over $800. We serve an awesome God.
I go into surgery tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. Please be in prayer for the day. The surgery will take at least 4 hours, so stay on the prayer alert until about 1:00 p.m. I am ready to go.
God's word to me this morning: "Rest in Me, and I will take care of the rest".
He is awesome,
Mary
Saturday, August 15, 2009
I got the preoperative tests done yesterday. The radiologists were all in the back discussing my knee x-rays. I asked what was going on. They asked me if I was ever in an accident, which is NO. They were shocked at how bad my joints looked, especially my left leg. I asked them if they didn't know who the x-rays belonged to, what age would they guess me to be. They said at least 30-40 years older.
It is not easy to do things at this point, because I had to stop all my anti inflammatory drugs before surgery. I have done more cardio this week than have in months. I just have total determination to make the changes I need to support this surgery.
I packed my hospital bag. Don and I feel so blessed with all the connections we have already made at the hospital. Everyone we have spoken with said that we will definately qualify for a large amount of our hospital bill to be forgiven. Please pray for that to happen. We have gotten a few people giving towards the surgery, but not anywhere near 30,000 dollars.
I am asking for specific prayers concerning this surgery. I have a fear in the back of my mind that the surgery will fail and I will be confined to a wheelchair. I am not going to let that keep me from the surgery. It is just too early for me to be stuck without real mobility. I found out that some people are very nice around people in wheelchairs, while others are totally oblivious. I was waiting for an elevator to go see Don's dad a couple of days ago. I pressed the UP botton and sat. A family came shorly after and when the elevator opened they all took it, without leaving me any room. They left me behind. I waited for the next elevator. The lady who was exiting the elevator held the open elevator button until I was on the elevator and was very kind. Two different mindsets that I come up against daily.
It is not easy to go through all these changes in the past 4 years. I used to do so much. Don and I were talking about a hiking trip we took to Petit Jean National Park. We did the most difficult trail that day. It was amazing. Today, I am peddling a stationary bike, because that is all that my knees will take. The change was so fast that I didn't even think it was possible. I am so ready to get my fitness level back. I am so ready to go through the pain that I need to go through now, so that I can do the things I used to enjoy.
I was at 180 pounds only 4 years ago. I am at 245 today. I can't blame all the weight gain on Steroid injections, but it sure didn't help. My knee was bothering me back 4 years ago, but I could bear it. I think there were many connecting pieces that came together that contributed to my weight gain. Dealing with daily pain and losing bits of my mobility even when I was at 180. Changing from a low carb style of eating to a low fat lifestyle also caused some of the gain. It has taken time to learn what carbs I can eat and still control. I am determined to be smart about eating. I realise that it isn't going to happen overnight. It is one day at a time and one choice at a time.
It helps me to have this site to go to for support. I love the friendships I have developed over the last year and a half. I love the nutrition tracker, because I had a habit of undereating. I love the fitness tracker, because I can make smarter choices when I am eating out. I love the ideas I get from different recipes.
Please pray that Dr. Smith has the Hand of God guiding him through this surgery. Pray that the pain is easy to control. That I do not have a bad reaction from the pain medication. I have never used morphine before, so I don't know what will happen. I can't take codeine, so it limits the medications they can give me.
Also, please pray for there to be no complications or setbacks. I believe God wants me to be a testimony of His ability to come alongside and speed up healing.
I am not going to have an internet connection while I am in the hospital, so I will tell Don to update my Facebook status and maybe someone can pass it on to my friends here.
Hugs to all my SP friends,
Mary
This is a photo of my knees:
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