A Little Update And A Bloggy Award

I had my back surgery on July 3rd, and unfortunately I am still having some issues. I called my neurosurgeon last week, and he told me that what I am dealing with is a form of traumatic neuritis. Which simply means that there has been some trauma to my nerves. He said that it could take another month or another year to heal completely. And even then, with the nerve damage that I have experienced, my new normal may not be the same as my old normal.

The symptoms that I am dealing with are back pain, leg and foot cramps, along with burning, redness, and tenderness in my right foot, all of which cause me to walk with a limp. (Which I like to tell Shannon is all the rage now with the runway models.)



Sigh.

He wants to see me October 13th, and if I am still having the same symptoms at that time, there are a couple of things he may have me do. One is to wear a back brace, and two is more bed rest. In the mean time, he said that if I cook dinner or clean up the kitchen (for example), I need to lie down for an hour or two afterward to rest my back. Right now, even grocery shopping is too much walking for me; I just can't be on my feet for very long at all without suffering the consequences.

Needless to say, as a wife and homeschooling mother of two, that is not what I wanted to hear. Don't get me wrong, resting and a back brace are much better alternatives than another surgery, but lying down all of the time is not always very convenient.

He told me that I was going to have to be patient. He said to me, "Where do you think the term for patients comes from? It comes from the word patient, because patients have to be patient while they are healing."

I had never heard that before, but he is definitely right. I need to be patient. And I am sorry to say that is not always my strong point. But that is exactly what God's Word tells me to do.

Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

I looked up the meanings for the word "patient."

1: bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint
2: manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain
3: not hasty or impetuous
4: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity
5: able or willing to bear

It is never not always easy or convenient, but I am trying.

So now, after I do some of my housework.....



......I try to lie down for an hour or two, just like the doctor said.



I am trying each day to be patient just like God and the doctor ordered.

Hebrews 6:15
And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

It looks like I may be in for a long journey on this road to healing, but I know that God is with me each step of the way. And I know that just like with the changing of the seasons, this too shall pass.

James 5:7-8
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

And speaking of the changing seasons, you know the old saying, "When it rains, it pours?" Well, it has been pouring on my family lately.

Last Friday, I had to carry my dad to the doctor. Long story short, he is not in good health. He has heart disease, and his heart is not functioning very well right now. Tomorrow (Friday) I am going to the hospital with him. He has been scheduled for a Cardiac Catheterization, and they won't know what needs to be done for him until they get in there and take a look. He could need stints, or worse case scenario, triple bypass surgery.

My mom is also waiting to have knee replacement surgery on October 6th, and she just had a nerve block this past Wednesday (yesterday). She is having a very difficult time physically as well as emotionally with so much going on.

I'm not telling you all of this to whine or complain, just to let you know what is going on in my life, and if you don't see me around blog land very much for a bit, you will know why. So, if you feel led to do so, please pray for my family.

I completely trust God with whatever is on the road ahead of us, but in my human skin, it can be just a bit overwhelming at times.

Psalms 112:7
"He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord."

And now for a bit of fun and happy news, I want to shout out a big, "Thank you," to JJ at the Dirty Laundry blog for giving me this bloggy award. This means so much to me, JJ; thank you for thinking of me.



Sigh.

Now it's my turn to hand over the award!

The rules of this award are:
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from
3. Nominate and link to at least 7 or 20 other blogs.
4. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you've nominated.

So, without further ado, I am passing this award to:

Shelly at Smiling Shelly's Stories

Tina at Golden Goodness

Dianne at Deez Dayz

Mia at Mama Mia

Gina at Beandip Blog

Laura at The Wellblog

Liz at Mabel's House

Michele at My Blessing's From Above

Valerie at Valerie

Mari at Mari's Morning Room

Of course, I wanted to pass this to all of my bloggy buddies (and some of you already have one from me), but I ran out of time adding names, so please know, that if I am a regular at your blog, this award is for you too. Please take it from me, and pass it on to all of your favorite bloggy buddies.

That's all for now folks. Thanks for your time today, and thank you for your prayers.
I will give you all an update, as soon as I can, on how my dad is doing.
I am so thankful for each and every one of you.
God Bless,
Amy:)