Saturday, July 30, 2011

Health news on the Homefront....

Let's see... where do I begin?

June 29 began as a normal day. Mark had gone with Paul up to his college for some placement tests. I was at home putting up vegetables. I had blanched and frozen summer squash and was in the process of canning Italian tomatoes when the boys got home. Mark asked if I needed my jars from upstairs. He proceeded to go get a couple of boxes and my large water bathe canner.

Unfortunately, he missed the bottom two steps and landed on his left upper leg and knee. Upon hearing the crash and my husband screaming in pain, I ran into the living room to find Mark lying on the floor in piles of broken glass with his leg left in a rather awkward position. We ended up called the EMT's and spent several hours at the emergency room. The next day, Mark went to see Dr. Scott where he was examined, x-rayed, and given an MRI. Surgery was scheduled for the following morning - July 1.

While Mark had landed on a wood floor our home is built on a concrete slab and so his fall did some major damage. Dr. Scott told me after the surgery that Mark's leg looked as if a bomb had exploded in it - totally shredding his quads and ripping it away from the kneecap. He had to reconstruct Mark's quads and then drill three holes in her kneecap to reattach the quad. Unfortunately, Mark is in for a long recovery. He will be in a brace for four months and unable to drive during this time. Mark begins his physical therapy in 2 weeks which is six weeks after the surgery.

Please keep Mark in your prayers since he begins his marching band camp this coming Monday, August 1.

Now, I will write encouraging news about my health. When I talk to most people who have Sjogren's and get on the support sites, I realize that God has truly blessed me. First, I do not have the other diseases that many people seem to get along with the Sjogren's. Since getting my immune system stabilized my issues are really just my tear ducts and salvia glands. I have been able to keep my eyes healthy with the special eye drops and supplements.

Okay, I will admit that I can get winded and my joints can hurt but honestly, I believe that is more due to my weight than Sjogren's. So today I am joining a gym in order to do water exercises. When I was first diagnosed with Sjogren's my knees were in great pain and now I can sit Indian style, again!!! I hadn't been able to sit with my legs bent like that in years! Basically, I feel like God has been blessing me - greatly!

I believe that God has been teaching me to slow down and to stop saying yes to everything and to do the things for which He has called me to do. Sjogren's made me really learn to set priorities and NOT feel guilty about saying, "No," when asked to do something.

Also, I think that God wants me to take time to do good stuff for me. I think, as wives and moms, we tend to put our needs on the back burner. We will kill ourselves for our children and spouse but put our needs on hold. I have come to realize that when we do not take care of ourselves then in reality we are hurting our families who need strong, vibrate, healthy, and happy moms and wives.

I took pictures of Mark’s leg after the surgery; however, after thinking about it I have decided to spare y’all the photos. They aren’t exactly pretty.

Here’s what I think God is teaching Mark and me through our circumstances – we can slow down and the world and live will still continue! Michael has picked up and started doing all the physical things that Mark used to do around the house. Things are still getting done just not exactly like Mark did them. Amazing! Mark is also going to have to let his students act like responsible High School students and allow them to handle things. If they mess up, they will have to suffer the results because Mr. Baskin will not be able to run around like a chicken-with-his-head-cut-off and get all the stuff they leave behind.

I also have discovered that I would have made a HORRIBLE nurse. I had gotten accepted into nursing school when Michael was diagnosed with dyslexia in 1991. While I never have regretted homeschooling him, I was disappointed that I couldn’t attend nursing school. I accepted the challenge of schooling Michael and moved forward in life. God showed me, in a huge way, that I would have HATED nursing. Mark fell on Wednesday and by that Friday I was praising God for changing my life back in 1991. Believe me, I am a much better teacher than I would have been a nurse.

So, this is my update on our health. I will post our book writing update tomorrow!

Blessings to all.

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