Thursday, May 5, 2016

Scheduled my Surgery and We are BACK in the Gazebo!!! A Great Thursday!

WHAT a wonderful Thursday!!!
I am so thankful for what the medical profession can do these days!!
I had my first appointment with Dr. Adam Crawford this morning and it was an encouraging visit!!!


I had great toe - that's what the medical profession calls our BIG toes! - replacements 12 years ago on both feet! I praise God for this surgery which took place while I was on public health care before and during my divorce after 41 years of marriage. How grateful I am for the wonderful doctors who put my poor crippled body back on the road to healthy living!!! I had a couple of surgeries before they repaired my toes and I will be a forever fan of the care given by John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas!!  What goes around comes around! This was the same hospital that our stepfather, Clayton, would take us as children to view the blood and gore of accident victims as they were brought in. He was an ambulance chaser and often times made us go with him. I find it amazing how God can redeem every single thing in our life for good!! The doctors who cared for me and made my life worth living again will forever hold a place in my heart and my prayers!
While this surgery of a dozen years ago enabled me to live a normal life, time and gravity has taken its toll. As of the last several months, my ability to walk and function has been greatly impaired. The joint replacements need to be removed and an extender put in to make my toes more normal length.  After that a metal plate will be screwed in to keep my toes straight. The results will be normal looking feet and - most importantly - NO PAIN!!!
I am so excited!!!
The doctor said I could have this done next week or any week thereafter!
I chose two weeks from today so I can go down to the ranch and spend some time in our camper!!
We leave in the morning!!!



I came home to find Louis Dean working on our gazebo!
He SAID he was not going to do another thing until we return from the ranch!!


I was gone to the doctor and then went on to do errands as in picking up prescriptions, and making a bank deposit and stopping at the Dollar General Store. Louis Dean was busy at work on our gazebo all this time!


You can see how strong LD has made this!
SO many reinforcements!!!


Now I know most people LOVE the silly and entertaining antics of the squirrels!!!
HOWEVER! They eat gazebo covers and netting and all sorts of things we DO NOT want them to eat!!! SO......instead of trying to kill them off....Louis Dean purchased a tub of Fox Urine!!!
He will sprinkle it on the elm tree in the hopes of discouraging them from eating holes in our cover as they have done in the past!!


Cheers from the GAZEBO to YOU!!!!


We are now in for the night!!
It's been a wonderful day with a lot of progress made!
Tomorrow morning we will load up and head down to my favorite place in all the world - our camper down at my step son's ranch!!!
I totally missed the MOST beautiful month there - April!!!
Early May is the next best thing!
I hope to pick blackberries and drink wine on the deck at night as we gaze at the stars.
I want to sleep late and drink coffee and then walk around the ranch and visit the ducks, chickens, peacocks, roosters, fish, horses, goats and whatever Dean and Sherry have down there!
It is my most beautiful place!
We have a 31 foot camper!
How hard can that be to keep clean and cook and live in???
Not hard at all!!
We will eat well, explore, visit with loved ones and enjoy our time without an agenda!!
I want to celebrate tonight!




 I will make a platter of nachos and pour a glass of wine and wait until tomorrow for a margarita at one of our favorite restaurants on our way to the ranch!!!

17 comments:

Kathy said...

I am so glad you are getting your toes fixed. Being in pain is no fun. And now you have the gazebo where you can sit with your feet up and recover. It's so beautiful.

Have fun at the ranch. Can't wait to see the pictures.

Linda said...

You both deserve a rest and sounds like the ranch is just the place to do that. If I had a nice new gazebo I would not want squirrels chewing on it. That would make me hostile so go big for the fox urine. I put out my new peanut feeder today that looks like a slinky joined together and filled with unshelled peanuts. I'm hoping the woodpecker I see from time to time will drop by as well as the three crows I see occasionally but I only invited one squirrel. Since I haven't seen one around here in a very long time there may not be one around here.

I do hope you can get your toes to working again. That's a real downer for someone as active as you. I hope the recovery won't be too long.

Will be interested to see what you report from the country. Say hello to the goats for me. I love goats, well not the stinky boy goats, just the girls.

Deb said...

Great news from the Dr.....have fun in the country! Happy Mother's Day weekend!

Penny said...

Excellent news from the surgeon Linda, and I am glad you will be having a little holiday prior to surgery to be fully relaxed and ready. Have a safe trip down to the ranch (oh how I love saying that!) X

Vee said...

Every now and then you reveal something and in my mind I hear that phonograph scratch that signals that it has been removed abruptly. Yup, it stops me up short, which is what your comment about ambulance chasing. Oh my! The things some children endure.

Moving right along...yay that another couple of surgeries can fix this! How long a recovery time will you have? I hope that you are not down too long, but considering that you have been dealing with this, I know it will be better to have the fix.

Gee, one could get the idea that Louis Dean doesn't want to install another gazebo. Ha! Oh fox urine...I'd love to keep the squirrels away from my little world. They even pulled the stuffing from my outdoor cushions.

Happy trails to the ranch. Good times ahead!

Vee said...

Okay...I left out a few words...hope that you can fill in the _______!

Debbie said...

So glad to hear that they are going to be able to fix your toes. I am sure it will be an enormous relief. In the meantime, ENJOY every little minute you can at your "happy place"...

Susie said...

Linda, I never knew of that surgery on toes...how wonderful. I keep thinking one day I may need new ankles. LOL. LD is a smart man , doing all those reinforcements . I knew squirrels and chipmunks are nasty trouble, their cuteness is a decoy. Groundhogs are next. I will wish all of you a fun filled time at the camper. Take care. Blessings, love you, xoxo, Susie

Changes in the wind said...

So glad you can go down to the ranch for a rest before the surgery.

Arlene G said...

You are right...Good doctors are a blessing all right. So glad he diagnosed your problem and can get you sorted out in no time at all. Have fun at the Ranch!!

Stacey said...

That toe thing doesn't sound like fun but I'm so glad there's an answer.

Louis Dean wants to make you happy. :)

Estelle's said...

Love, love, love!!! The gazebo is amazing...many good days ahead. Have a wonderful time down at the ranch and toast the moon for me!!! Hugs!

Cheapchick said...

So glad they can get you in so fast to do the toe replacements, hopefully your healing process goes just as fast. Have a great time at the ranch!

Judy said...

All the best with your upcoming surgery! I can't believe you can have it within a week or two. Here in Canada our surgeries are covered under government health plans...but the waits are very long. I'm sure one would wait a year for that type of surgery.

Jan said...

Great news! So glad you're going to get away to the ranch for a few days! Surgery is no fun, but at least you'll have the gazebo to sit back in and put your feet up while you recuperate!

ellen b. said...

Well enjoy your time on the ranch before your upcoming surgery. I'm glad you know what's up and what needs to be done. Praying for successful surgery and walking with no pain in your near future!

MadSnapper said...

i read this yesterday on my new tablet and thought i commented, guess i did not. or maybe i commented on FB who knows? so glad you can get the surgery so soon and tht you now have your gazebo up and ready. the quads will love it when they come next week