Hello!
This
is the time of year when one looks back on the past year as we face another New
Year ahead. I don't know how this year went for you, but for me, halfway
through, I had a complete U-turn. I began last New Year full of energy with
lots of projects that I planned to complete. I re-organized and painted my
sewing room closet, got my China hutch sanded & painted, planted all the
garden plots that were beginning to produce veggies, cut out & was sewing
on four mini quilts, and attacked my pantry. I removed all my canned goods
& jams from two walls, filling up the floors of the back bedroom &
dining room. I had painted the pantry ceiling & walls and finished the
second coat of paint on all the shelves (tops and bottoms) from ceiling to
floor the first week of July. I was buzzing right along when my left hip began
hurting.
Years
ago, when my Lyme disease came out of remission and I was down taking
antibiotics for 8 months, it caused a lot of side effects. I've lived with
chronic pain since then. My right hip's arthritis had gotten worse where every
winter I'd have to hobble around with a cane for a couple of weeks. That was my
bad hip. Now my left hip was causing intense pain.
Dwight
and I figured, I had caused an internal bleed from painting the lower pantry
shelves. Halfway down holding onto a shelf, in a squatting position, I'd fall
backwards on the hard floor making sure I landed on my "good" left
hip to paint the lower shelves. After a month of staying in the recliner with
icepacks to numb my hip, using two canes, so I could get to the bathroom and
bed and popping pain pills, my left hip kept flaring back up every time I'd try
to walk around and do something. Going
to my local doctor- I landed in the ER due to my blood pressure shooting up
into stroke range because of agonizing pain- a scan didn't show any internal
bleeding. Dwight drove me to Cookeville, an hour away, for x-rays (that didn't
show any breaks or fractures in my left hip) causing intense pain, despite
taking stronger meds, putting me back in the recliner for a week trying to get
my pain level under control. Two more trips were made to Cookeville to try and
get an MRI done to find out what was going on deep inside my hip (that didn't
get done because of a mix-up in the orders) also put me back at square one
again, struggling with horrible pain.
Then
our state had a medical security breach so, I had to go back through my
rheumatologist at Vanderbilt (three hours away) and also the Hemophilia clinic-
if any surgery is required. Since traveling and lying down gives me a lot of
pain, and the MRI will take at least 2 hrs, I have to be put under. Vanderbilt
only does anesthesia MRI’s one day a week.
The next available appointment is not until April 23rd. After
a frustrating, pain-filled six months, I still don’t know what is going on deep
down inside my hip. If the Lord doesn’t
heal me, I am looking at several more months before anything can get done. It
has been a huge learning curve going from being very active to having to live
in the recliner day and often nights- as sitting and lying down is painful. I
am thankful for all the faithful prayer support of my family, the little piano
student girls, and many friends.
Meanwhile,
dear Dwight has also had his life turned around suddenly having to help me,
cooking, cleaning, washing, paying bills, shopping, and keeping the household
running all by himself. This cuts Dwight out of making pocketknives, which he
is so talented doing. Thankfully, these past six month, Dwight hasn’t had any
major internal bleeds. I am so blessed to have my caring son living with me.
Dawn
and her family had to fly back to the states in Oct suddenly as Randy &
William’s visas were not renewed due to the heightened tension of the Chinese
presence in the Philippines Islands. During their time back here, they got
rested up and were able to get much needed business matters taken care of along
with their visas. Living in a foreign country is often hard on one’s health
between the different weather, food, and living conditions. Dawn calls any
strange illness that they can’t pinpoint throughout the year as the “Philippine
illness”. Before they came back, Katie was in the hospital for a week with
pneumonia. Since they have returned, William had a second bout with dengue
fever from misquotes, and Dawn was just released from the hospital after a
five-day stay battling pneumonia. So, they need continual prayers.
From
our house to yours, we wish you a
MERRY
CHIRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Dorcas
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