Walking Spirit

Just not exactly the way we hoped for. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. As you all know yesterday was a big day for me. At 8:00am I found myself sitting in a room at the Orthopedics clinic at Wishard hospital. From 8:00 till about 9:30 a couple residents came in to talk to me and the therapists stopped by on a search for the two doctors I was waiting to see. Picture me losing my patience while my mother tries to calm me down with candy from her purse while Madeline draws pictures and plays with her magnadoodle. The candy worked and when the doctors appeared at 9:45 I was very happy to see them.

They both looked at my left leg and said (as I expected) that it was not ready to be fit for a prosthetic. I have seen a great amount of healing in the leg over the past week but the job just isn't finished yet. Please continue to pray for that leg as I do feel the prayers are helping. And don't lose hope, in the next few paragraphs I will explain my opening statement.

After informing me that the left leg couldn't be fitted the Orthopedic doctor then told me that the x-rays taken last month showed a large mass of new bone at the end of my left leg. (no, unfortunately that doesn't mean that my leg is trying to grow back) What this means is that the bone growth could cause a problem with a prosthetic and the Orthopedic doctor felt that I would need another surgery to remove it. Now picture me seething, my mother looking for a dish towel (she likes to throw them when she's angry), and Madeline is now playing with a small balloon on a stick. Luckily the Physiatrist came to my rescue.

As soon as the Orthopedic doctor said surgery the Physiatrist jumped in and started squeezing the end of my leg and asking me if anything she did hurt. Being a doctor I'm sure she wanted to cause pain but she didn't. Nothing hurt so she asked the Orthopedic doctor if we could wait until I had tried a prosthetic on my left leg before we did any surgery. This way, if the bone growth doesn't cause a problem I don't have to go back under the knife. The Orthopedic doctor agreed and I have been given a temporary reprieve from more surgery. Yeah!

Then, the words that I had refused to allow myself to hope for escaped the Physiatrists mouth. "The right leg looks like it's ready, lets move forward." Then the Orthopedic doctor says "these grafts have matured nicely, I think we can get it fit." Now picture me trying not to cry, my mother trying not to cry, and Madeline is still playing with a small balloon on a stick.

So, a few hours later, I was lying on a table at the Prosthetists office getting fit for a leg. By the end of next week I'll be standing up for the first time in four and a half months! Hopefully at the end of March I'll be able to get fitted on the left. My point in all of this is that our prayers were answered, just not in the way we were expecting. My left leg is healing and the right leg has been fitted for a prosthetic. God has a sense of humor.

Thanks for the support and I'll talk to all of you next week.