So What's Going on NOW?!?!?!

Right now, I'm with my family in a hotel room in Fargo, about four blocks from Sanford South Hospital. Tomorrow I need to be there by 8:30 a.m. to be prepped for surgery...I'm finally getting a total knee replacement. It's hard to explain what the past few months, and especially the past couple weeks have been like. I sympathize much more with those who are in chronic pain. It is so hard to describe....I think of God's promise to us that in Heaven we will have a new body...no pain..no sorrow. And I think that's part of why many of us go thru what we do -- so we don't get used to these broken down, sinful bodies we currently have.

For about the past week, if I stood for more than 5 minutes at a time, I was in agony. And last week, I was put to the test many times. Tuesday afternoon, I discovered our refrigerator stopped refrigerating (is that a word???). With as busy as Tony has been getting everything ready for the pumpkin parties, he realized he wouldn't have time to deal with it, so we called the local appliance shop Wednesday. It only took several calls before someone came out...the next day. It was pretty much shot as were several things inside that we didn't get transferred to his parents' fridge in time. Thursday, I also cleaned about a bushel of tomatoes and stuck 'em in the freezer so I could can spaghetti sauce after I'm back up on my feet. But...being on my feet cleaning them did a number on my knees. Friday I was in such pain my only plan was baking the cookies we needed for our first pumpkin party....after a long, hot soak in the tub to soothe my knees. Instead, I made the mistake of going into the kids' room for the first time in more than a week. YIKES! Two hours later, I headed back down, anticipating that long soak. I literally crawled in...only to hear a knock on the door ten minutes later. The new fridge that Tony picked out was being delivered without the promised call from the store warning us the men were on their way out. Rushed out of the tub, pulled out the condiments and bread that was left in the old refrigerator, cleaned off the top of it and all the kids' artwork hanging all over it...and they hauled it out...and I saw the floor and wall in the open space. So I got that cleaned up just as they brought the new fridge downstairs. After they left, it took about ten minutes to get the things into the fridge...and about 30 minutes to clean up the dirt, mud, and leaves from the delivery guys (okay, you know you would've done the same....regardless of the pain you were in!). But I also knew there was no way I was physically up to baking cookies now...and it was 4:00. Made a few calls, then prayed about it, and thank God the lady who runs our church kitchen, Theresa Henderson, was available and willing to bake cookies for me last minute!

I don't think I moved much after that except to finally crawl into the tub again...but when I checked email before falling into bed (about 1:00 a.m.), there was an email from one of my employees that she wouldn't be able to work the next day because she was sick. We were already short-handed, and I'd been hoping that I'd be able to be in just a short while, make sure everything was running smoothly, show the radio broadcaster around (we had a live feed our first pumpkin party), then head home...or at least sit for the rest of the day. Not to be! But...God once again provided with an employee who called me at 8:45 a.m. and said she could work all day! But then...our guy who runs the concession stand never showed up....he forgot about it being the first pumpkin party! So we were again short-handed, and except for about 15 minutes, I was on my feet all day.

I literally couldn't get out of the van when I got home with the kids Saturday evening. I cried, slumped over the wheel, for about 15 minutes before I had enough strength to get inside and collapse. Every bit in me was in agony. Even today, more than 48 hours later, I still hurt. Thankfully, though, I had a great massage Sunday afternoon by a local massage therapist, and my chiropractor worked me over good today. Needless to say, I am really looking forward to surgery in the morning!

During all this, you can tell the kids are unsure about everything that is going on. I've explained best I can what is going to happen, but I don't think their minds can quite grasp it all. Susi especially has been very antagonistic, horrible behavior, very aggressive. Luke has been chewing on his shirts. I do have to say, as I was slumped in the van Saturday crying, Susanna couldn't stop apologizing...made me wonder what she had done that she felt she had to keep apologizing! We have been listening to alot of praise music, and that's been helping us all. And Susi continues to entertain us while singing "Today is the day, You have made! I will rejoice and be glad in it! I won't WORTHY about tomorrow...." giving me a good chuckle :) Luke continues to be quite popular at home school co-op....there are usually several kids who clamor to sit by him, and I am meeting more parents who say "so YOU'RE Luke's mom!" And I think I mentioned before about Susanna's friend Jordan whom she introduces to everyone "This is Jordan. I'm going to marry him!" Good grief. What am I in store for????

So for now I'm going to sign off...get a good night's sleep...get ready for my new titanium knee. I'll try to update as soon as possible.....I can have my cell phone and laptop after surgery, not that I'll be doing anything with them for awhile afterward! Tony and the kids will head home after I'm in my room, and God willing, I should be released to go home sometime on Friday. And before you all start sending me comments, let me assure you....I WILL be taking it easy after surgery. I'm not planning on doing much beyond therapy and whatever the doctor tells me to do when I get home. I have a friend who will be coming in a few hours each week to do basic cleaning during October -- floors, bathroom, whatever needs done. And many others have volunteered to help with that, too. Our ladies' group at church has arranged for at least three meals a week for the first three weeks...and others have told me they're going to bring things by, too. I was hoping to get a few casseroles in the freezer this afternoon, not thinking we'd need to leave until tomorrow morning, but surgery was scheduled earlier than I thought...so there's nothing extra in the freezer, but I do have lots of home-canned goodies waiting, too! I am not allowed to drive for 4-6 weeks...and I won't be. I won't be at the pumpkin parties until at least our big one, October 23...and I will not be there if I am not up to it...and won't be there for the whole thing regardless.

Call me! Stop in and visit (but don't wait for someone to answer the door...I'm not climbing the steps to let you in!). Send me some mail. Take my kids for a few hours -- they'll need to get out of the house! But most of all, please keep me and my family in your prayers during this time!