journey to pain free walking ~ day 8 after bunion surgery

Well, today was the day to see the doctor and get the bandages off so I could see my feet for the first time since surgery.  I was feeling pretty good this morning as I got ready to go.  It is slow going but not real bad consistent pain, so not too bad.  I was up for a while by the time I got to the doctors office, much longer than I have been up, so my feet were beginning to swell.  Then the unveiling came.  The removal of the bandages.  Wow, how good it felt to have all that dressing removed and let air hit my feet.  Still not too bad.  I had expected that it would not feel too bad when they removed the bandages and all the dressing and allowed all that blood flow in.  Really, it was a little pain but not too much. The doctor came in and said my feet looked great and we could take the stitches out (thought that was next week)  (YEAH).  Anyway, he said they look great, still swollen but really great. I would have to agree.  I wish I had taken a before photo for you to see.  You have to realize that my feet looked like they had a giant gumball on them where the bunions were.  They look so normal now and this photo is with the stitches still in and they are still so swollen. 

Then came the suture removal.  Now we are talking about pain.  LOL  As she pulled the sutures out it felt like my feet were burning up.  Trying to walk without all that padding, ouch!  This will be an experience!  The stitched area began to flatten out as she was taking the stitches out.  The doctors orders are to keep them up as much as possible but to start moving around too.  Have to wear the wooden shoes for another couple of week but he did say I could go out to eat if I wanted.  Don't have any desire to do that right now but maybe in a few days. Lots of ice.   Hahaha, should have seen the husband and son trying to get me from the van to the house.  Long sidewalk and then I crawled down the steps to the bottom to get to my chair.  Whew...so good to be home and back in my chair.  

Good thing they ask you your pain level when you first get to the doctor and not when they get done with you!  Definitely changes!  Thank you so much to those of you who have prayed for me.  I definitely see God's hand in my healing.  To those of you who have brought meals, thank you also.  The food has been wonderful.  We so appreciate it.  Please keep praying for a speedy recovery.  Things are waiting for me to pick up where I left off and get to work.

Get to shower tomorrow!  All that yellow will be gone!

the journey to pain free walking continues...day 5

Day 5 after bunion surgery. I am still in the recliner for my days as well as nights.  I tried to lay in the bed yesterday but that did not go so well.  I think I will stay here a couple more days. Yesterday was a pretty hard day with pretty much pain.  Today, however seems to be a "world" of difference. Excited to wake up and feel so much better.  What a blessing the meals were yesterday that were brought to us.  I am not sure people really realize that even though people like me prepare ahead of time and cook things for the freezer, that someone still has to get it out and get it ready.  Hummm...... no more comments on that one.  LOL  I am very grateful for the meals that have been provided, to say the least.  Monday will bring my first doctor appointment since surgery and I can see the incision.  I am looking forward to seeing how well I am doing and having that first week down.

Much time has been spent doing things that I don't usually seem to have time to do, things such as searching Pinterest.  I will have to admit that it has been fun, but don't really think it is something I will make time for when recovered.  Huge waste of time when in all reality, I mean how many of those pins do I really think I will do.  It is always interesting to me how many wives and mothers say they don't have time for more important things but always seem to upload the latest on FB or Pinterest.  Just some mixed up priorities I think. Oh well, my own personal opinion.

my journey through bunion surgery day 3

For many years, I have had pretty bad bunions on both feet.  For years, all I have heard is nightmare stories of surgeries preformed only to hear that the bunions come back after a few years.  Why in the world have surgery to correct something and then it come back in just a few years!  I never did understand that so I just chose not to have the surgery.  Within the last several months, I have met several ladies who have had successful bunion surgery by the very same doctor.  So I decided to check his record out and went in for a visit.  So here I sit, day three post-op.  I am set up with my own little world around the recliner.  I have a little table that David made me beside the chair with a lamp and all the things I can do to keep me busy all day while I recline and keep my feet above my heart.  

The surgery was scheduled for last Monday when we had the worst storm Illinois has seen in many years.  They closed the surgery center down that day and re-scheduled me for this week.  It was a beautiful sunny day and 51 degrees when I went in.  A far cry from last weeks below zero temperature and -43 wind chill.  

As I entered the prep room the first stop was to get my little hospital gown on and then get an iv. After 3 attempts by a nurse that said she was the best I finally received an iv from the
anesthesiologist.  Not too bad, just a few extra holes.  LOL  From there came all the questions that have to be answered just one more time.  Imagine the look on the nurses face when I ask her how she knew that I was really me. I mean they never did ask me for identification or anything.  All they ask me was my birth date.  Anyone could know that.  Interesting, I would think they would have some sort of protection in place for that type of thing.  She said she had a photo of me but then when she pulled my chart..oops...no photo.  So I guess in all reality, anyone could have had bunion surgery yesterday.  

I walked to the surgery room where I mounted a nice warm table with lots of warm blankets.  I heard lots of talking for just a few minutes and then, wa-la, I was waking up in recovery.  All so fast, or so it seemed.  The surgeon told my husband that all went well and I was on my way home complete with my new wooden shoes that will stay on for the next two weeks until the stitches get taken out.  I got home and settled into the recliner where I will spend most of my next two or three weeks.  It wasn't long before we were met with a nice warm meal provided by a church family that lives in our same town. What a blessing. 

An awesome chicken dish, steamed broccoli and a chocolate pie...yummy!

The pain medication that is meant to make you a little sleepy has the opposite effect on me so it was a very long night watching the clock and looking at Pinterest.  It is kind of a fun thing though to get to look through Pinterest as I do not usually have any time at all for such things.  There are so many fun things and ideas on there.  By the time this surgery heals, I am sure to have lots of items saved to use in the house upstairs.

Back to the bunion surgery. It has been up and down the past couple of days with the worst beginning last night and continuing today as the pain medication they put in my foot to get me home has now worn off.  If you have ever had a foot fall asleep and when you step down it feels like pins are poking you.  Magnify that feeling about twenty times and that is kind of what it feels like.  When I get up to try to step down on my feet, then I feel the bones that were broken and put back together.  Oh, I forgot to tell you how he did my surgery which is different than that of those nightmare stories I heard before.  He moved the tendents out of the way and then cut the bone in half, moved it back over and realigned it with my toe and then put a small screw in to put the bone back together.  That is why is usually does not come back.  When they are shaved off, they tend to keep pushing out thus causing them to come back, but the way mine was done should cause the true fix and therefore no more pain after the healing process.  They tell me that could take as long as 6 months or so.  It will be a short time compared to all the pain it has been.  I am looking so forward to taking the girls shopping which I very rarely do because of the pain in my feet.  

I did sleep fairly well last night.  Every time I woke up, I was able to go right back to sleep.  I am feeling the feet today though much more than yesterday.  I think I will just stay in my chair a while!

They say wooden shoes when in all reality, the bottom is wooden so your foot won't bend at all.

journey to contentment

I have been ask several times to share my notes on contentment from the lessons that I will be teaching in Sunday School for the next several weeks.  I will attempt to do that here on a weekly basis but please don't hold me to it as I lead a very busy life and blogging, although I would love to be good at it, is not on my priority list at this time.  I do however wish to share what the Lord is showing me through this study. Please be patient as I do not often teach from notes so they may seem to have a "hole" here and there.  That is where I am talking without notes.

Let me start out by saying that is wasn't but a day or two into this study that I started to listen to what was going on around me and also to the words I speak myself.  One morning the first thing out of the mouth of one of my children was, "It sure is cold in here".  That was the truth as our only source of heat at that time was the wood stove and no one had gotten up to fill it in the night. Yes, it was cold in here.  But if the truth be known, it was really warm in here compared to outside!  So it was warm too!  Thus began my study of just how can we become content like the Bible states contentment as being great gain.  What are the secrets?
I have always thought of myself as a very content person.  I don't ask for things because I think I have enough things.  I don't desire to live anywhere else because I think that God has placed our family where He wants us so no reason to complain there.  If He ever desires for us to move, I am sure He will move us.  I don't want a different vehicle or a different house as I feel like God has given me what I have and I am satisfied.  Having said all that, I am learning so much through this study.  It is shedding light on contentment in a different way for me.  So come along as I journey through some touchy areas of our lives where contentment is so needed.  Learn with me.

Contentment ~ Lesson 1

Contentment…just what is contentment? 

On the first page of your notebook you will find two of that same question.  I want you to quickly write there in the first blank space, your answer to that question.  At the end of class today, I want you to go back and write your answer to that statement after we have gone over the lesson and see if there is a change when you compare the two.

The word contentment is only found one time in the Bible in I Timothy 6:6 where Paul is teaching to Timothy.

1Ti 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain.

1Ti 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

The word content is found in 16 different places. 

Contentment ~

Webster’s ~ The act of being content; a resting or satisfaction of mind in the present condition; satisfaction which holds the mind in peace so as not to object or oppose; restraining complaint, opposition, or further desire. The state of being satisfied.

Strongs ~ ow-tar'-ki-ah

From G842; self satisfaction, that is, (abstractly) contentedness, or (concretely) a competence: - contentment, sufficiency.

Having said that, think with me for a moment, if that is the meaning of contentment, what is the meaning of discontentment?

Webster’s ~ a sense of grievance :  dissatisfaction; restless aspiration for improvement

Hummm… that sounds like us sometimes doesn’t it.

Paul said it all when he wrote Phil 4:11-13

Php 4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Php 4:12  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which           strengtheneth me.

A quick look at Paul’s life reveals how amazing these verses really are.  He wrote this while in prison where there was no sanitation, no heat or any of the things that our modern prisons have. Paul had an extremely difficult life.

At all times and through all circumstances, God is able and willing to provide the strength that we need to be content.

Just how does God enable us to become content? 

Let me use the analogy of a tea cup to explain how it is done.

Tea Cup Analogy ~

God has lovingly assigned each of us to be a uniquely special teacup.  Perhaps we are an antique cup, painted with dainty roses set in gold.  Maybe we see ourselves as an everyday cup – useful, but a little chipped around the edges.  Or we could be a heavy-duty mug – rugged, unbreakable, and able to hold much.  Then God fills our cup with our portion, what He determines best.  Our portion is our physical and emotional being, our abilities, circumstances, roles and relationships.  Sometimes we don’t  like what’s been poured into our cup.  Remember the Lord in the garden of Gethsemane?  When He saw the suffering He was about to endure, He pleaded, 

Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.  

With that being said He lifted his cup to God and accepted what had been poured into it.  Every cup, whether dainty china or rough-hewn pottery has a handle.  God has placed our portion in our cup.  We will either choose to grasp it by the handle and lift it to Him, saying “I accept my protion, I accept this cup” or we will choose to smash our cup thus saying to God that we refuse our portion.  This cup is not the right size for me and I don’t like what has been put in my cup, I will control my life myself.”

Contentment is accepting God’s soverign control over all of life’s circumstances.

In the middle of this lesson, I gave each lady a contentment wheel which had been designed to help them see the areas they are least content in.  I am going to paste the wheel below with the instructions.  If you would like to see where you are the least content and begin to work on those areas, go ahead, copy it and do it.  It might surprise you where you are the most and least content.  When you are done, thank God for the areas where your are content and set out to do whatever it takes to make those other areas better.

This is what your wheel should look like when you are done.  How well will your wheel roll?

Memory verses to work on:

Memory verses to work on : Phillipians 4:11-13

Thank you for coming to visit me here this week.  Come back next week and see what we have to share about being content with our circumstances. 

operation Broadwell

We have reached another milestone in life....that of owning two homes at one time.  Talk about trying to juggle life.  What a joy to know that one day (hopefully sooner than later) we will move into our dream home totally renovated by our family and friends.  It will have the huge great room like we have always dreamed of where our children and grandchildren as well are our friends and aquaintences can come and enjoy fellowship time together.  Lots of property to run on and trees to climb.  We are so excited.  The photo below is the before photo.  If you would like to keep up with our renovation project you can go to the link below the photo and follow us on that blog.  I try to post often so that you can appreciate every step we take.  If you live in the area or are passing through and will work for food, stop on in and lend an extra hand.  The fellowship will be sweet!

 

www.operationbroadwell.blogspot.com

WOW!  Time sure does go by fast.  Twelve years ago yesterday at 9:47 PM, I gave birth to our fourth baby, a girl, named Jasmine.  What a joy it was to have another girl in the house.  God has so blessed us.  So much sweetness all wrapped up on one bundle.  It seems like only yesterday and yet today she has grown into such a lovely young lady.  She loves to read and create things from nothing.  She is a joy to have in our household.  Happy Birthday, Jasmine!

 

10 years ago today

Memories flood my thoughts today of ten years ago.  What an exciting day it was as we traveled to the hospital to deliver what would be our last child, a little girl.  Although we had not met her, we loved her with all our hearts and could not wait to hold her in our arms.  At 10:06 in the evening we were finally able to meet our 8lb 6oz, 20 3/4 inch long bundle of joy named Jireh!  With a full head of black hair she was beautiful.  We praise God that He entrusted her to us as we ended this journey of childbirth.  She is such a blessing and full of life and joy.  She is in love with her prince charming (Daddy) and has become quite the little princess.  Happy Birthday to our baby girl today!

33 years of marriage

On June 30, 2012, David and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary!  So many thoughts surrounding that day.  Among them is, "Are we really that old"?.  LOL 

Sometimes it seems like just yesterday that I walked down the isle as just a 17 year old child bride.  I was not even a legal adult and yet compared to today's 17 year old, I was so much more mature.  My life had not been filled with television and video games but with playing outside and just good old plain hard work.  So much to be thankful for. My parents did me a great justice by being what today's culture would call "mean" parents.  I am so blessed. 

Sometimes it seems like much longer when I think of the struggles that we have walked through.  Often it seemed like one thing after another would invade our marriage striving to break it apart.  The devil hates us, he hates the home, he hates the family unit and he will do anything he can to try to cause division in the lives of God's children.  We try to make sure that we are always aware of that, so that he does not get a foot hold into our home. 

So as I reflect back on the past 33 years, I can honestly say that is has all been good.  We have learned many lessons that we now are privileged to be able to share with others. Our marriage has strengthened over the years and today I can truly say that we are more in love than ever before.  Could it be that we are finally learning what love is really all about?  I don't know but I do know that it is our goal to strive to allow God to use our marriage to show a picture of Christ and the Church in these last days that we are living in and that He may be able to use us to draw others closer to Himself.  What a privilege it is to serve the great King of Kings.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to us!

31 years ago today

31 years ago today at 6:56 AM, God blessed our home with a bouncing baby boy.  He was our first son and our first child. This is the story of his birth.  I went to the doctor on March 12th for my normal visit and the doctor told me I would not be giving birth for another two weeks.  He did tell me that if I wanted to go home and drink a bottle of caster oil, it would be fine.  Being the young mother I was and not having any idea what caster oil was let alone what it would do to me...I went strait to the store and purchased me a 4 oz bottle.  Upon my arrival home, I got out my orange juice (just as I had been instructed) and began to mix "the whole bottle" into it.  Just following doctors orders.  I drank away all the while feeling like I was going to throw up. That was about 3 in the afternoon.  Well, most of you know what happened next.  By 6 I was having cramps so badly that I thought I was in labor.  I called my husband from work and we left around 10 for the hospital.  Upon arrival, I was given the great news that it was not labor at all but cramping from the Castor oil but that they would keep me for the night.  I remember morning dawning and the nurse telling my husband and my mother (who was patiently awaiting the arrival of her first grandchild) that they could go down and eat breakfast around 6 AM. The cramping had caused labor to start. She told them that it would be hours before I would give birth. I begged my husband not to leave me.  Sure enough my body chose to do things just like it has with all my subsequent births and "prepare" for birth in less than an hour.  At 6:56 AM, less than an hour after they said I would not be having a baby for hours, I gave birth to a 7 lb 10 oz baby boy.  I remember my words so clearly as he entered the world..."yuck, he is so ugly".  LOL  Words spoken by a young mother that had never heard about vernix.  All I can remember is he was covered in white "stuff" from head to toe and screaming uncontrollably.  But, I had a son!  The hours that followed will forever be instilled in my mind as I held him for the first time.  He was ours!  We were taking him home with us to start life as a family.  How blessed we were. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JEREMY!

a baby in every season of life

I was thinking the other day about having babies.   My firstborn son just celebrated the birth of his first born son (his fourth child).  He will also celebrate his 31st birthday next week.   I was pondering the day I learned I was pregnant for the first time as well as the day he was born.  I was married very young and had my first child 1 year and 9 months later, one month shy of my 19th birthday.  My husband and I did not start our lives together out as born-again Christians and I will have to admit that news of my first child's impending birth was not as happy an occasion as it should have been.  Those days in my marriage were very rocky days.  God was faithful though, as He kept us together, knowing full well what His master plan was.  His birth was a much more joyous occasion.  Friday the 13th of March, was a great day for us as our first little bundle arrived at 6:56 A.M.  As I was pondering all that took place that day and the feelings that rush in as you bring a son into the world knowing full well that he will carry on your family name, I had a thought.....

It occurred to me that I have been pregnant and given birth in each of the seasons of life I have lived.  My first child came when I was a young bride at the age of 19, thus giving me a child in my teen years.  Our second child, a daughter, was born 19 months later when I was in my early 20's.  Now fast forward to my 30's  when our third child (our first reversal baby) came along (that is another story).  Three years later when I entered my 40's, we were blessed with yet another baby.  Two years later we were blessed again.  Then two years later, we were blessed again but God chose to take that baby back into His arms to await our arrival to Heaven one day.  So four seasons of life spanning over three decades God chose to bless our home with children.  How incredibly blessed we are.