What? It's CHRISTMAS, and I Still Have Daisies For a Background?!

Have you ever gotten away from something, and the further behind you get the less likely it is you will ever finish that project? Well...that is me with this blog. I have really been considering just shutting it down, but my children will look over my shoulder and say, "Mom, you really need to update your blog!", "Mom, it's Christmas and you still have Daisies on your background!" Then my dad sent a request this morning, so for my beloved Bopps, I will blog.

During the summer while I was going through the valley with my broken leg, I really did not feel like putting my heart out here on the blog. I knew exactly what the Lord was teaching me, and it is personal and I still will not share it. However, I am glad to be on the other side of that lesson!

I am healing well, my last visit there was significant bone growth! I go back February 21st for one last x-ray, and to be released (hopefully) from the Dr. I am now wearing shoes on both feet and only have a slight limp, and swollen, painful ankle in the evenings to show for my summer.

Today, I am up early to cook for Friend Day at church. It is a sentimental day for me. Read here to understand why.

I will strive to blog more, or I will talk my dad into getting on Facebook, one of the two.

Blessings to you all!

Quick Update

For my bloggy friends, I wanted to let you know that God is answering prayers for my leg. Although I do not know if the bone is mending, I am able to walk some without crutches. I started yesterday, and have already gone into the kitchen and "cooked" my first meal in 8.5 weeks today. Yes, it was only putting some beans, onions, & a ham bone in the crock-pot, but still! I had to walk around the kitchen to do it, and have my hands free. A wonderful feeling!

Please continue to pray for bone healing for me!

The Rest of the Story! Double WOW!

If you read the post before this one, you know that the balance on the hospital bill was $500.00. If you look at the date on the check, you will see that this check was written yesterday. Before we or anyone else (other than the hospital) knew the balance, but guess who did? God!

This check was given to me tonight, it comes from a sister church in the area. It is a true showing of Christ-like love for this church to reach out to us. What an awesome God we serve!!

We are so blessed!

WOW! Good News!

JD just came home for lunch with the mail. He said, "I have some really good news, and some not so good news, which do you want?" I said, "the not so good first".

The not so good news is that we were supposed to close on the house tomorrow morning, and it has been moved to next week. Not horrible, but definitely a downer, as we have been dreaming of a big celebration tomorrow.

The really good news is that the hospital where I had the surgery gave us a discount.

Our bill was $25,635.73.

We received a bill today that said we had a credit of $25,135.73. Our new balance is $500.00.

Is God good or what?!

A Renewed Attitfude

"This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24

A Good Cry

I have that feeling, I need a good cry. I don't want it to happen, but it is going to, and I am not going to be able to stop it.

I went to the Dr. today with high hopes of getting a clean bill of health. Instead, I found out that the main break in my leg is not healing as quickly as the Dr. hoped. The fracture is not mending and it was not a happy visit. My ankle break is healed up, so my Dr.'s advice is to put as much weight on it as I can stand without "gritting my teeth in pain". This might cause the fracture to push back together and begin to mend. Please pray with me that this will be the case, the alternative is just plain yucky, and I don't want to talk about it.

I was in the kitchen yesterday, and the calendar has a big VACATION written across this up-coming week. You see we had plans to take our family on vacation to Gatlinburg, TN, which of course has been canceled.

My mama is coming on October 15th, and it is right in the middle of the Craft Fairs which are huge here in this area, and I had hopes of driving, and being able to walk around with her all day.

We're kicking off a new children's program at church and I am the teacher, and I was hoping to stand to teach those sweet little ones.

Okay, so there are some of the reasons I want to just cry.

I know I have many blessings in my life that I can be thankful for, and I know God is in control, and I know He has my best in His plans.

I just think His plans for me include a good cry.

Leg Update

Just a quick update for my blogger buddies. I went to the Dr. yesterday, they removed the cast and the Dr. reassured me that it is perfectly normal that my foot & leg still turn purple (almost black) every time I am up on my crutches. He also informed me that although pain usually means you need to stop what your doing, when in rehab pain means keep on going. In other words he wants me to push my ankle & knee through the pain until I get some flexibility back. I have an appt. in two weeks. He will x-ray everything then and if I have healed to his satisfaction, I will begin to put weight on the leg w/ a walking boot. He gave me the boot yesterday, and let me tell you that thing is a monster, it is huge & heavy! I need to start doing squats so I can haul it around...just kidding...can't do squats if you can't put weight on it silly. So that's the scoop, if you are a praying friend, will you please pray for movement in my ankle & knee? I would appreciate it. If you have anything I can pray for you about, leave me a comment. I have lots of prayer time sitting in this chair!

Have a great weekend!

Go Gators & Wolverines!

Heather

Perspective

So, here's the new cast. The picture doesn't do it justice. It is Florida Gator colors, and I think it's pretty awesome! I had been dreading yesterday's appt. all week. The last one was very painful and this one was guaranteed to be bad also. It's not like you can tell yourself it's not going to hurt when the nurse tells you that each staple will feel similar to having a bee sting and you have 18 staples. Then she informs you that a few will be worse than that!

Well she didn't lie! It was painful, and having the new cast put on was the most pain I have been in to date.

Now for the perspective. As God always does, He showed up yesterday morning.

First, I have to say that dreading & worrying are two different things for me. Yes, I was dreading the appt. but, I did not lose sleep or make my family miserable this last week. (Those for me are sure signs of worry) I constantly asked the Lord to help me through, and relied on Him, knowing that He never asks us to go through more than we can handle.

On the way to the appt., I was sitting in my middle seat listening to the radio. The Jeremy Camp song, This Man, came on. Here is the first verse and chorus.

In only a moment truth
Was seen revealed this mystery
The crown that showed no dignity He wore
And the king was placed for all the world
To show disgrace but only beauty flowed from this place

Would you take the place of this man
Would you take the nails from his hands
Would you take the place of this man
Would you take the nails from his hands

I was overwhelmed with love for my Savior. I thought about how I dreaded the pain of that visit for one week. I knew that I would hurt, but it would only be about 30 minutes tops. I wouldn't be giving my life, suffering agony, humiliation, separation from my Father, and ultimately death.

Wow, put like that a few bee stings are like nothing aren't they?! To further His point, God allowed a man who I am assuming had been in a terrible car accident to be sitting exactly in my spot when J pushed me into the waiting room. He had casts on both legs and one arm. It made me think that although this has been very hard, really it could be so much worse. Then...after my appt. we were walking through W-Mart and a lady walked up to me, she was limping and using a cane, she said that it had been 4 years since her accident. She had broken both of her legs and it was obvious she would never be the same.

I am expected to make a full recovery.

I am grateful!

Blessings!

Sacrifice

I have been down for 3 weeks tomorrow. Today, I lost it for just a little while. I was crying, and feeling useless, sick, stuck in a chair, unable to help J get ready for his dad to come in tomorrow. Just really feeling sorry for myself. I even posted a pitiful "ugh" on Facebook hoping to get some sympathy from my friends. (which I got)

My night, last night, consisted of sleeping from 10-12, waking up miserable, tossing and turning (as much as you can in a recliner) moaning, and asking J to please wake up and move Eli out of our bed and help me try to sleep in it. That move occurred at 1:45. Then I laid there until 2:30 at which time I finally fell asleep. Wide awake and in pain, I had to wake J up at 7, to help me to the restroom. I decided I might as well go back to the recliner and let him sleep awhile. I needed to take some Tylenol, and therefore needed something in my stomach. I asked nicely for some cereal, and I heard him getting it ready for me. He knows that I only like the little spoons when I eat cereal. There were not any clean, and I heard him washing me a little spoon. He didn't say a word about washing the spoon, being exhausted, which he is, he didn't say anything about NEVER getting a whole nights sleep for 3 weeks. About taking care of my potty chair. (I would never do a #2 in there...sorry if that is too much info, but I'm just sayin.) He just gently got me arranged in my chair, got my breakfast, ice water, medicine, the remotes, and asked if he could do anything else for me. He told me he loved me and went back to bed.

This is just one very small example of the sacrifices that J has made over the last 3 weeks. In our almost 14 years of marriage, I have never been down like this. When I had my babies, my mom was there to take care of things until I got back on my feet. He has been down a few times, his stomach ailment, a dirt bike accident, a broken arm, etc. During those times he has been a wonderful patient. Now, he has been a wonderful caretaker, much better than I ever was to him. I hate to admit it, but it has surprised me.

You see, I am a doer, I like to do (almost) all the work around the house. I have never asked him to help out with things like laundry, cooking, etc. Typically, he comes home to a clean house and a warm home cooked meal, and I even make his plate & cut his meat. I don't know why, I just do. And, I love it.

In the last few years many things have changed in our marriage. We have both learned how to love each other better than ever before. One of the things J tells me often is "I love you fervently, and I am going to be by your side taking care of you until the day I die." I have to admit that I have struggled w/ believing that he would really "take care of me". I still have insecurity issues from the past hurts, and often I need to be re-assured. I will look him in the eyes, and ask, "are you sure your in love with me?" Honestly, I can not be told that enough.

One of the lessons God has taught me these last 3 weeks is that J IS going to take care of me. He has spent these weeks hovering over me. Lifting me off the chair, EVERY time I had to get up, bringing my med's and water, making mine & the kids plates before his own, sponge bathing me, doing laundry, dishes, vacuuming, cleaning toilets, putting on my sock & shoe, helping me in and out of the van, emptying my throw-up bowl, caring for/loving our kids, adjusting the pillows under my leg, and many, many more things. He has done all of this patiently, and lovingly. He has not once lost his cool, or made me feel inferior, or like a nuisance. He has told me over and over that he loves me, and right now I am what is most important.

I just want to say, Thank You, J.D., I think you are wonderful!

Mil Besos!

Post Op

Just wanted to check in here, and let you, my blogger buddies know what's up.

Tuesday morning, J's alarm went off at 3:15 and the day started. He got a shower, got me cleaned up, packed the van, it all was going very well. Then, on the way out to the van, my leg got tripped up and I fell into the van, putting pressure on my bad leg. This of course made me cry out in pain and Missi, (our Pomeranian) came to see what was going on, realized she was out the door, and took off.

J spent about 15 minutes trying to catch Missi, before we decided we just had to go, and so at 4:50 we called Gayla who was keeping the kids for us and asked her to wake Karlee up and go find Missi. I felt really bad about doing this, but it couldn't be helped. Worrying about Missi getting run over did take my mind off of some of the stress of getting to the hospital. Before I went into surgery we got a call that they did find her and had her safely in the house. I was very relieved.

We arrived at the hospital at 5:40, and the pre-op work got started. I was in a lot of pain because I had not had any medicine since 11:30 the night before, however, everything went very smoothly, and I was not nearly as nervous as I could have been. I believe this is a direct result of all of the prayers that were being said for me. Because of my veins, I am typically very difficult to get an i.v. started in, and the nurse was able to get it going on the first try! We were just in the waiting game then. I answered all of the usual questions to all of the usual people. Then the anesthesiologist gave me a shot in my i.v. to calm me down, except he shoved it in too fast and it had a very hard shocking sensation instead. J.D. gave me a kiss and I was trying not to show the pain. I had tears running down my face once we walked away from him, and one of the nurses took my hand and said it was going to be okay, and I went off to dream land.

I woke up in tremendous pain, but there was a wonderful nurse right there taking care of me. She immediately got the medicine running and when she had given me the max amount the Dr. had said, she got right on getting more for me until she got it under control. She was very patient and understanding. Also, during the middle of that, she received a call that her elderly father had escaped from his nursing home and had sat out in the heat for too long. She was very calm in caring for me and making arrangements for him. I told her I would be praying for her.

Then I was sent to my room, and reunited with J.D. I know he had to be relieved to see me. Mainly because the night before the surgery I had a "if I don't wake back up" talk with him. I felt like it was necessary for him to know what I would want to be buried in, the songs I would want, his 2nd marriage options, etc. (We really did have the talk but I am smiling at the same time)

The last two days since the surgery have been full of pain, and taking pain medicine. I have not had any really bad complications. My left arm is swollen and sore from the medicine in the i.v. and we have been treating it with ice. I have 5 screws in the ankle area and 1 under the knee. The nail/rod goes from the top of the tibia to the bottom and then there was another fracture that had to be fixed, which is why I have the 5 screws instead of the planned 2. The extra fracture could be the result of a few things, the Dr. could have done it while putting in the nail, I have had some major muscle spasms in my sleep that have caused me to jerk the leg, and the fall on the way to the hospital. I am hoping today is going to be a better day.

Some things I am thankful for

Knowing that God is in control

J.D. loves me so much

The recliner that I am sitting in, it was a gift many years ago and I would not have been nearly as comfortable without it

access to pain medication

good friends all over the globe who are praying for me

sweet friends nearby who have cared for my husband, children, and brought food

the wonderful food and ability to taste it

when J.D. washes my hair

the care I rec'd at the hospital, the Dr's & nurses were very kind

knowing that, this too, shall pass!

Quick Update

I went to the Orthopedic Surgeon and...I'm going to have surgery. I will have a rod put in on Tuesday morning. I will be spending one night in the hospital for pain management, then I will be on the road to recovery. I will actually be much better off after the surgery. I'm nervous about it and would love your prayers.

I have a post rolling around in my head of things God is showing me through all of this, and I will try to get to it soon. For now, know that J.D. is the best caretaker ever, don't take walking to the bathroom all by yourself for granted, when you take a shower today, feel the water, smell the soap, enjoy that clean feeling all over, I could go on but if you are healthy and well today, take the time to recognize all of the little things. I know I will be once I am back up and about.

Have a wonderful weekend!