Posted in Bionic Bubbe Miracle knee

I was thinking about what to share today for Show and Tell with CanadaGirl. Since I shared Tirzah's trip on Tuesday HERE, I figured I would share a LITTLE bit of me.

Over the years, I have been struggling with my weight. But none were as dofficult as when I was first diagnosised with Arthritis until my surgery. I had mentioned before that doctors would tell me I needed to exercise. In Maryland I even bought an exercise bike. I could manage about 4 minutes on it at the most. The pain was unbearable. To top it all off, I had a cough that wouldn't go away.For years doctors tried to figure out what was causing it... Medication interaction? Allergies??? You name it they discussed it and I coughed. For eight years and a number of doctors I coughed.

By my 50th Birthday I was really hurting. Still coughing, still gaining weight, and my knees were killing me. Everyone would say "if you would loose the weight your knees wouldn't hurt." But The truth is my knees were shot and the edema was so painful. Loosing the weight would not create absense of pain.

This year my doctor finally said..."you have congestive heart disease!" The cough is because you are drowning. The edema in your legs has gone to your lungs. How much water do you drink?" Well for me, water was what I did. I mean the more water you drink the less you eat the healthier you are, right??? WRONG! I was drinking my gallon of water a day and it was going to my  lungs. So he doubled my lasik and cut my fluids to a quart a day. I lost 20 lbs in two weeks! Here I lost an additional 15 pounds at my sisters running around with her and doing water aerobics with her. Yet I would look in the mirror and see no change at all and no one else could either. 35 pounds and no one knew.

After I had my knee surgery I had to do all this Physical therapy to strengthen it and teach it to work. No one told me that the joy of the absence of pain, and the need to work my knee would bring about more weight loss. By the time we went away for our anniversary last month I had lost 75 pounds this year. Now they are beginning to notice.

I would add a picture from today, but my daughter has my camera. So the one above is my most current photo. So there is the tale of the Incredible Shrinking Bubbe! Loosing the weight has not stopped my other knee from hurting, it will still need replacing, but exercising has strengthen the muscles around it and I think it will help with the rehab next time. Atleast my shoulders won't hurt as bad as they did using my walker with the first knee replacement. And this week I hit the 1000 meter mark in five minutes on the rowing machine! I was so stoked!

I was "given" a Nordic Track Treadmill the other day. A friend of my daughter's had one taking up space in her garage and figured I could use it! So cool! She also gave me an elipitical but it is still to jarring on my knee, I will use the one at the therapist for now. What a blessing. I may not have to wait til spring to get my other knee replaced after all.

That is my Show and Tell this week. The Incredible Shrinking bubbe! Canada Girl hosts this every week. It is one of te best ways to see what other families are doing this week. Besides it is a wonderful way just to say HI to Canadagirl which is my favorite thing!

Posted in Bionic Bubbe Miracle knee

Really! I can hardly believe it has taken me 35 years to share this secret, but here goes!

This morning in my Simple Woman's Day book I mentioned I would be mopping my floors today! I had said I had not done so since my knee surgery because my Beloved had taken on all of my duties. Slowly I have been regaining them and today I was determined to mop the floor!

So what did I discover? What is the secret???

If you want the best tools that actually do the job well, give the job to your husband!!!

Really that's the secret.

I went into the laundry room and picked up my mop only to discover I had a NEW mop! And not only was this a new sponge mop, it had a newly designed mop head that like your pot scrubbers has a teflon side (a whole side not just a little scruuber nob) that scrubs the floor and a spongy side to pick up the water.

I am in love! I did not have to explain why it would cost so much to buy this mop. I did not have to tell him how well conceived this idea was. He was mopping the floors , saw how inadequate the current mop was and got "Him" a new one!

As I am mopping the floor with this wonder mop (which I can not tell you the brand because I did not but it )0: , well as I was mopping the floor I thought back to other moments of such surprise. When I had my hysterectomy, I got new pots and pans. When my gallbladder came out, I got a new vacuum. It is pure genius! Why hadn't I seen this before!

Just look at your husband's tools! They are the best money can buy because in order to do the job right he needs the right tool. A man knows these things. However he does not give much thought to your "tools" because he does not consider them tools.Gregg Harris was the first man I ever heard bring this fact to light ( seems a hundred years ago) but it somehow got filed in the good things to remember file and stayed there! It is time to let it back out!

So today I am sharing it with you! I am not only please with my new mop, I am so in love with my husband right now!

Hee hee!

Posted in Bionic Bubbe Miracle knee

It is so hard to believe that three months ago today I was in an O.R. listening to a saw cut my useless knee out and hammer in this shiny new bionic one. I know I tease about this being bionic, but it truly is.With that in mind I figured I would tell you a few thngs I have learned since getting my new knee.

First, God is faithful. I have trouble explaining to people what God did for me. I asked for peace and just like Solomon asked God for wisdom God gave me peace and a whole lot more. It truly was miraculous.

God's timing is perfect! I was told over nine years ago that I needed new knees. For nine years I did very lttle because the pain was great. They really like you to be over 50 before they make you bionic. In those nine years technology has realy improved. If I had had it done nine years ago, they would probably be replacing it now.

Obedience is a gift. I have spoken to so many peole who have had knee replacement and are not much better than befor the surgery. Why? They did not do their exercises. When a doctor says take these pills three times a day, we do that and get better. When he says bend your knee 30 times three times a week, we think that is a suggestion. NO it is not obedience makes everything work.

Will is also a gft. Sometimes I did not have the desire to lift my leg one more time but the will to be strong again made me lift it again and again. Sometimes it was for me, sometimes it was for my husband. I thought if he was willing to do so very much and pay for me to have this knee and work so very hard for every extra dollar that came in, I had to do this. Whatever it takes to motivate.

Things that seem silly actually make all the difference. I remember about eight years ago a doctor saying I could exercise in bed.... I laughed. Somehow I thought if you are not laying on the floor it does not work. So I did not do them. Than I had surgery and it said wiggle your foot so I did. It said lift your leg, so I did. It said bend your knee and I did that too. All the time I did this, I was laying in bed! I guess he was right. Any movement is better than no movement.

Physical therapy can be fun. Really! It is all in the attitude. My team all had some type of knee injury so they got it when I said No! No is a good word, some pain is expected, but deep pain does not heal. So be in charge and say no if it hurts!

Sharing the joy of standing up from a seated position or walking across the floor with a rubberband on your ankles is a joy worth sharing. Telling your therapist you ar ehappy to see them is something they hear very seldom. Saying Thank you for the wonderful ice pad that freezes your knee puts smiles on their faces. Coming in with one gives you great care.

Remembering keeps everything in perspective.Yesterday there was a lady 2 weeks out of surgery. I watched her struggle to do the simplest movements and remembered. I remembered watching the 90 year old man with the rubberbands around his ankle saying "someday I want to do that...sigh" And now I can. Standing up with no hands I never thought I could do it, Now they make me do it on rockers! I told her , keep up the good work!

Ice is your friend. I was told early on that swelling equals pain. So I lived with my Iceman, on of man's greatest invetions on my knee 24/7. And was practically pain free. I kept it on for almost three weeks straight. Than I went to Ice packs when needed. They are so very good at doing their job.

God will surprise you. I expected to walk and I expected to get by after my surgery. I didn't expect the gifts that followed. I forgot how much I love to exercise. But I love riding my bike, running, actually running on an elliptical and rowing a boat on a rowing machine is the coolest! I forgot how fun it was to play. But the biggest surprise has been watching the hard work pay off.

Don't listen to Job's companions even if it comes from someone you trust. My therapist asked me how hard I wanted to work. I said my knee is rated to bend 125 degrees so I want atleast 123. He said a local doctor in town is happy "if" his patients get to 100 degrees. That was what I HAD to get to to ride the bike! How could he be happy for them to settle for mediocre? This is the same doctor that said I was too fat so he would not do the surgery. I now have an easy 128 degree bend. And had lost a ton of weight now that I can move. If I had listened to him, I would be in a lot of pain and really hurting. I would not be walking and exercising and not be going on a hiking honeymoon for our 35th anniversay. Good thing I didn't take his word for it. They had asked me if I wanted him for my doctor....The NO could be heard in the Parking lot! I am so glad we said no to Him and Yes to Dr Ching.

My leg feels like my own leg again. I no longer have to take to my leg and brain reminding it how it is suppose to lift and move. I walk normally. There are moments when I hear my joint, or it feels out of alignment. I just get on my Bike pedal for a couple of miles and everything goes right where it should be.

I have learned it was all worth it and I will be doing this again in a while (probably after winter so I can do the exercising and walking). What an amazing age we live in.

Now I am off to see my doctor, it seems I came home from camping with vertigo. This does not fit into my water aerobics or my exercise plan so it has to be dealt with quickly!

So the moral of the story is "any movement is good movement and you don't have to be on the floor to get the job done. You just have to do it! ( boy does that have Nike written all over it!!!) Maybe they will give me a pair of runners for the plug...I am going to need them you know!

Posted in Bionic Bubbe Miracle knee

I love Show and tell Friday with Canadagirl. First because I love her and second because I love you. Third is well, it gives be focus and I look at my whole week and consider what I need to share. If you would like friends and focus, come by Canada Girl's blog and play with us. We are a lot of fun and we share so we are good examples as well. hee hee!

So today I will share two things. The first part will be the Tell because the tell is so very awesome. Wednesday I went to the orthopedist to have my knee checked. It was my six week check up. He had the report from my Physical Therapy people (hee hee I have People!) and made me bend my knee and watched me walk in my walker.

The first thing he told me is I am bending my knee normally. (My goal was 123 degrees because the info on my knee said it would bend 125 degrees and I didn't want to over due ( hee hee) my last measureent was 128 degrees Woo Hoo!!!!) He was very impressed!

The next thing he did was tell me I didn't need my walker any more and could begin using my cane! Yippee!!!! I painted my cane Magenta with spring-ish/summer-ish stickers! I am stylin'!

Then he said I could go to water aerobics, camping and get in the Hot tub!

And the last thing he said was" I have never released a patient this early before, but there is no reason for you to come back so I will see you in November!!!!!"  And that my friends is all your doing! It is your prayers and our amazing God that has done this miraculous thing!

So that is my Tell... The Show happened as we drove down to Oroville. That meant we would have to drive by some of where the fire had taken place. This would be our first look at the damage and at the amazing work of the firefighters.

This is a picture of contrasts. The foreground shows the sagebrush and undergrowth, the backgroung, the charred earth.

The Landscape is rolling hills,horseland on the way to Oroville. Walnut Trees and Live Oaks are the norm down here, not the pines at the top of the hill.

I don't know if you can see it in this photo, but the light tan spot in the left hand corner has a home there.

And lastly, the road on the left leads to the  Jr. College. The fire did not get to any of the buildings because the college had a very wide firebreak around the perimeter. And because the fire fighters on land and in the air were amazing.

Both parts of this Show and Tell are a praise! The Buildings lost were so minimal and my therapy has been so amazing. Both are because of your prayers and our God.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ALERT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And since I know how amazing you are, I am also going to add a link on this to a blog friend named Misty. Some of you know her. If you do, you know her son, Bo went on a TMI mission last year to Brazil. Well, God has an amazing hold on this young man and he feels called to return to Brazil  THIS WEEK END!

Now I know where God guides God provide and so does Bo. I am told there is an electronic link now so you can send a few dollors instantly to TMI-ers accounts ( my how times have changed) so if you want to be part of a weekend miracle head over to Misty's blog Leaving a Legacy and see how you can help out! ESPECIALLY if you are a Former TMI-er!!!!!!

Posted in Bionic Bubbe Miracle knee

Last week I promised you part 2 of the Miracle of my knee surgery. I finished putting most of my thoughts to paper sooner than Friday so since I am so Impatient, I posted it early. Here is part 2 of Miracles Happen What I can add to this is my girlfriend went to her surgeon and told her what my experience had been. His reply was "That's impossible! I have never heard of anything like that. before. Don't you think you will have the same experience she did!"

Can you believe that? Obviously he does not know that NOTHING is Impossible for our God! When it is Sharon's time for surgery, we will all be praying she has exactly the same experience!

Also I put up a video of me walking too, you can see it here!

Part one of my Miracles Happens Story is here in case you missed it last Friday. I am sorry it was in pieces, but I cannot have as much computer time as my heart longs for and I miss you all so much.

And as long as we are Praising Jesus for answering our prayers (Psalm 116:1) I am sure you know that Steven Curtis Chapman's family is going through the tragic death of their daughter Maria. Pray for them.

Also Leah ( friends4tea) could use your prayers as well. Her Grandpa passed away this week and she loved her grandpa so much.

I know that this is a Show and Tell that has become a Prayer and Praise Post. I had hoped to add a picture of me at Physical Therapy from yesterday because I got to sit on the Bicycle and rock on the pedals ( I can't go all the way around yet) But I was so excited to get to be on it. I thought it would be another week or two before they would let me. The picture however was on my Beloved's cell phone and he forgot to save it!

Maybe next week as we continue to train the Bionic Bubbe!

For more Show and Tell head on over to CanadaGirl's blog. There are so many new friends to meet and we are all in one place every Friday!

Posted in Bionic Bubbe Miracle knee

As Mike and I stood in line waiting for prayer my thoughts turned to surrender again. Lord Jesus I surrender to you. I surrender to the outcome knowing that just a few months ago Mike’s sister had died from a blood clot following back surgery. I surrender knowing my mother-in-law’s knee surgery led to a pace maker. Lord being in the center of Your will is all I long for filled my heart. And then it was our turn.

Pastor Larry made a joke about everyone wanting Pastor Bob to pray for them. Pastor Bob holds such a special place in my heart. He is the one I went to when our marriage was falling apart. I knew what Pastor Larry meant for we had been blessed by Pastor Bob’s prayers. How blessed I felt to be standing before his Beloved Barbara for prayer. We all know it is the prayers of the wife that uphold the husband. For him or any pastor to be the minister they are called to be, their wives must be praying for them. Now she would be praying for me.

What happened next surprised me. When Barbara asked how she could pray for me, I was speechless. I turned to Mike and said “what do I want prayer for?” Really I did!  Finally, I said,” Peace.” I explained I was about to have surgery and just wanted peace about it all and Prayer for my surgeon and my caregivers. And she did!

Barbara told me a story about a woman that had also asked for peace prior to surgery. She kept saying I don’t feel it yet and when she hit the surgery room doors, it hit her full force. I did not have to wait that long, peace flooded my soul at that moment and I would not have been surprised if Dr. Ching opened me up and said everything was healed. I even joked that he would open me up and say “wow you have the knee of a six year old!” And I would quip back, “well that’s the trouble I am only 5.2!” No matter, I had perfect peace knowing now was the time, he was the instrument God choose to use and I was as ready as could be expected. I had not asked for prayer to be surrendered, I had arrived there as I walked forward for prayer.

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect what followed….

My surgery was an adventure. I had an epidural and was awake through most of the surgery, telling stories and asking questions. Afterwards, I had a few frightening hours when an allergic reaction to anti-nausea medication caused hives, vomiting and a dangerously low temperature. I slept through the night and awoke to some of the finest caregivers I have ever met. As they checked on me they would remind me that I had a morphine pump waiting for me as soon as I felt any pain. All day they waited for me to call them, some thinking perhaps the epidural was still working; others certain that after my walk to the hallway and back, I would need something. All day I said, no thank you, I have no pain!

The second day, I walked around the floor by the nurses station and heard them whispering, “that’s the miracle lady everyone is talking about it!” I told everyone that I had so many people praying for me and this could be the only reason I know why I have no pain. I prayed for my roommate a few times and even got to pray with my student nurse. She is just starting out and being from India showing her what Jesus is like was my favorite reason for having this surgery. They continued to ask me, “On a scale of 1-10 where is your pain level? And I would continue to reply, “zero!”

Eventually they sent a nurse into talk with me. I think she was the floor psychiatrist. She asked me what church I attended and other probing questions. Once I assured her that I had no problem taking pain medication should I need it and that I was not a “tough it out through the pain kind of girl” she was satisfied. Later that night I asked for a couple of Tylenol because my arms and shoulders were achy from using my walker. I was told they hadn’t been prescribed for me, but I could have darvocet…heehee!

All total from Wednesday to Saturday, I had 4-5 darvocet, mostly at night time so I could fall asleep while my roommate stayed up all night. Depending on how much Physical therapy I have, I am still just taking a couple tylenol or a darvocet. I had asked for peace, I need not expect pain free. I had surrendered to God’s plan and like most had let my mind travel to the most negative of responses the Lord could send, just like Job’s companions. Jesus, true to himself poured out a blessing I did not expect or imagine.

Peace flows over me and the river that carries it is your prayers. I am still on this journey of surrender. I know this is true for when my sister came to be with me, this week, she brought me a new book written by her pastor’s wife, Dangerous Surrender by Kay Warren. God isn’t finished with me yet, and I have a race to run. You know, in a year I may be doing just that very thing, running a race!

Because of Jesus, Bobbie

Hebrews 12 : 11-14  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Posted in Bionic Bubbe Miracle knee

Posted in Bionic Bubbe Miracle knee

It seems I have been writing this all week. How do I put into words Miracles performed by God? I am so inadequate. After all I am simply the conduit God chose to use and words just seem to fall short.

For nine years I have been praying for God to heal my knees. The Arthritis pain had made it necessary for me to get shots every few months just to be able to do the most simple of tasks. I cannot recall the last time I could get on my knees to pray or get on the floor to play with my grandchildren. Nine years ago I was told I would need my knees replaced, but they wanted me to be on the other side of 50 first.

God never does anything haphazard or by coincidence. So this year when I had a couple of episodes when I could not walk at all I knew the time had come to Surrender. The doctors would ask what I had done. The first time was stand up out of a chair. The second time simply woke up. Three shots in four months, said now is the time to surrender my will to God’s.

Surrender was the word that came to the forefront whenever I prayed. Surrender the choice of my surgeon to the Lord. Surrender the timing to Jesus after all so much has been accomplished in the last nine years in Knee replacement. Surrender my idea of  God restoring my feeble knees to God’s way of giving me knees that will not wear out. God is my Great Physician and I trust Him to met my knees His way. So I surrender.

As I surrender, I discover a few things about knee surgery. It is kind of like being pregnant, everyone has a horror story to share and all at once I am surrounded by Job’s companions. If I had gone straight from the doctor’s off ice to the operating room this would have been so easy. I had such peace, I knew it was time. But God had a different idea. He wanted to make certain my peace was in Him alone.

Each tale of pain and failure chipped way at my peace. One person said this is ten times more painful than anything you have ever experienced, even childbirth. After each tale of whoa came the pronouncement,” but once it is over you will be so glad you did t!” I reminded myself over and over that there is no fear in love and Jesus loves me perfectly. I had waited nine years. I know this is the right time.

Even the timing of my surgery was perfect. Because of the snows we had had in January, our Bible Study was a week behind. We needed that extra week. We had the closing luncheon with everyone but returned the following Wednesday for one more class. The next Wednesday, May 7 would be my surgery. I surrendered to the timing, to the surgery, to the doctor.

When Pastor Larry announced we were going to have a healing service concern filled my heart. I had been to churches all over the USA and usually the show that followed that announcement had us finding another church. Balanced teaching on healing is hard to find. It usually takes on a circus televangelist atmosphere and I wanted no part of it; Besides God was going to heal me, that is why my surgery was scheduled.

I was so blessed listening to Pastor Larry teach about Jesus healing the sick. My heart relaxed as he spoke about what healing is and what it is not. When Pastor Larry told them not to throw out their meds until after they saw the doctor, I relaxed. I had had too many girlfriends toss their lithium at the pronouncement that they had been healed to dire consequences. Perhaps this would be balanced? When Pastor Larry reminded the congregation of God’s Sovereignty I praised the Lord and began to pry for those needing prayer.

Since my healing was just ten days away, I didn’t see a need to go forward for prayer. Imagine my surprise when I turned to Mike and asked him if He wanted to go forward for prayerwith me. I knew the Holy Spirit was asking me to surrender to Him, to trust Him. Coming out of the Charismania of the 80’s I had continently placed the Holy Spirit in the corner of my heart.  Surrendering to the nudging of the Holy Spirit had us standing in line waiting for prayer. But prayer for what?

(I can only type a little at a time, so hopefully part two will be done by next Friday) in the meantime, head over to Canadagirl's blog and see what everyone s up to this week.

Thank you for all your prayers. You  are dearly loved.

Posted in Bionic Bubbe Miracle knee

I can't believe all the Lord has done this week.

Your prayers were answered in ways I never imagined.

I have so much to share wth you and tryin to put it into words is not easy.

I love you all so much and know it is your prayers that have me so blessed right now.

physical therapy was easy while I was doing it but so hard once I was home.  I could use prayers on that. pt is mondays and thursdays.

I miss you more than words can say.

(((((((hugs))))))

Posted in Bionic Bubbe Miracle knee