Friday, June 3, 2016

It's All About ME!!! Well, NEARLY.....

I have been so looking forward to going back to Dr. Crawford for my post op visit! This was postponed because his wife gave birth to their third son and he took the day off! Rightly SO!!!


Louis Dean took this photo of me while I was waiting for the doctor.
I started off with THIS one because I just thought it would be all kinds of wrong to have the first photo show up of my FOOT!!


I can't even TELL you how happy I was to get all that bandaging off!!!!
The doctor was proud of how my toe turned out and I am so very grateful!!
I have degenerative joint disease and my big toes are severely affected with my right toe being in worse shape than my left one. A recent fall pushed the previous toe joint replacement further down into the bone it had gravitated in and when he removed that, well, he said my bone simply crumbled.


He used my own skin and bone graft plus an extender and cadaver bone to lengthen my toe by 2 cm thus making it fully functional once I have completely recovered!!!


Then he put in a metal plate to hold it all together and keep it flat and screwed it in!
He did an excellent job and this will GREATLY improve my quality of life!!
I was getting crippled up back in 2003 with my toes and was in a great deal of pain. I had the toe joints replaced in 2004 and that gave me a number of good years but I have been in more and more pain the last three.


Even the post op pain has not exceeded what I was feeling before surgery - especially after my fall.

Once this foot recovers, I will have the left one done.

After we left the doctor's office, we stopped by to visit Roy and Ruth Ann and Sherry was there!
It is too muddy for her to get down to the ranch this weekend!
I admitted to them that I had been a bit down and hadn't posted recently. Ruth Ann already knew that, she said! I made them all laugh out loud, though, when I used one of Summer's favorite old sayings from her teenage years! I told them, "I have been so low lately I could play racquetball with the curb!!" 


I have really been home since surgery on May 19th except for going to the Quads 4th Birthday Party last Saturday. It felt GOOD to be out and about even if it was just up to the doctor's office and Ruth Ann's house and that was just for a little while.


I still came home tired and went back to bed!
I continued to admire my new toe and take pics!!


Normally it would be healed in 6 weeks but mine is in such delicate condition, the doctor said it will be 8 weeks before I can begin to walk normally.
So until then I will continue to hobble around and be grateful I am not in a big cast or have bandages that feel like I have a block of cement on the end of my leg!!

So THAT'S all the news about ME!!!
That reminds me of that song by Toby Keith  - I Wanna Talk About ME!!!


I'm not good at knowing how to share videos so I hope this one comes through!
Back when Amber was 17 years old, Summer and I declared this as HER song!!!!

Now on to my dear siblings!!! Bless their hearts!!

Deanie has been struggling with health issues for YEARS now and at long last she has been diagnosed AND treatment has begun!!! She has an autoimmune disease and now a course of action is being taken so I am hoping and praying she will begin improving. This is something she will have to deal with for the rest of her life but we are grateful to at least KNOW what's making her sick!!


This photo is from 2 years ago. The doc says she has been in bad shape for at LEAST four years!!!
I will be the first to say my sister is amazing to have done all the things she's done during this time with such poor health!!


She has her Andie Girl with her tonight so she is a happy MiMi!!!


Now!!! On to my BROTHER who was sprung from the hospital on the 7th day!!!


This photo is from his Facebook page and was taken back in January.
Oh, my, goodness!!! I wish EVERYONE could meet my brother!!!
He is so funny and kind and sweet and loving!
And he is HOME!!!
Thank you for every prayer prayed!!!
He was in pretty bad shape with a raging infection and spiraling blood pressure not to mention the gall bladder that started it all!


Nita has been the only one of us staying upright lately!!!
My heart is rejoicing because everyone seems to be doing better!!
Last year Deanie and I took a sister trip together and then this year Nita joined us.
Guess WHAT???? Next year it will be the four of us making it a SIBLING Trip and that is just the most exciting thing I can think of!! We are all in our 60's and we need to celebrate having each other!! 

I will close with one of my favorite movie quotes........

"Hello, Boys! I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACKKKK!!!!"

From Independence Day!
Independence Day TWO is coming out this summer!!

12 comments:

BeachGypsy said...

I am so glad you stopped by to the porch! Looks like you are recovering so well! Im glad youre feeling better and getting out a little. Glad for the news of your brother as well. Everybody needs to get well so yall can have more good times together!

Ginny Hartzler said...

This is the spring of your family all getting their health good! I am so glad your brother is back home. Thanks so much for the update and pictures. I had no idea you had fallen! Guess I missed that in my year off. The hardware in your foot looks so painful! And you had a complex procedure, too. You must have an excellent doctor! You are always so cheerful and upbeat that I never know when you are in pain or depressed. Well, this is a good reason to be depressed. Not getting out of the house makes me down, and you have been in for so long! So Deanie has an auto immune disease! I have a few friends with different ones. One has lupus and one has giant cell arteritis (not arthritis). I myself struggled with lupus for awhile. I hope they can get her on a regimen to where she will start feeling really good.

shortybear said...

praying for your family

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

Your toe looks great! Isn't it amazing what they can do?! So thankful to hear that Lonnie is recovering and home and Deanie is getting the help she has needed! Praise God you all still have each other! It is worth celebrating!

MadSnapper said...

I just love this post, everyone has an ailment but you are all so loving and happy and full of joy and love each other. that is priceless. also your toe surgey just amazes me... have never seen or heard of it and it is fantastic they can do this for you....

Susie said...

Linda, I am so glad to read that all is well...or at least getting there. Glad your brother is home too. I am keeping all of you in my prayers. Linda, I don't think you are going to get to do the 'River Dance" tour this year. LOL. That's what I always tell my kids when my ankles hurt. Take care of yourself. Blessings, xoxo, love, Susie

Arlene G said...

Congrats on your good report and i am so glad that Deanie has an answer to her health woes. Our family is plagued with autoimmune disorders for some reason so I know it can be a struggle to get the correct diagnosis. I am like you, if I stay inside too long I get LOW too. Maybe you can be out and about a bit more. So glad Lonnie is home too! I feel like i know all of your family.:) Have a good weekend!! Tell LD to behave!!

Changes in the wind said...

Wow...what a difference the new extension for you toe made! So glad it was successful and hope you can rest just a little bit longer for it to heal. You resting has probably been the hardest part the way you like to go, go, go.

Linda said...

Oh baby, bless your heart! That procedure may look beautiful to you but it looks wicked to me! So wonderful medical science can do so much these days. It's time now for LD to fasten up his overall straps and put on his chauffeur hat. It's clear keeping you at home is the worst thing possible for your mental health. You've got to get out of that house. LD hit the road with this lady.

I'm thinking brother Lonnie is going to look very different in a few months. I'd be very surprised if he wasn't told to watch his fat intake and get some of that weight off. I also suspect the week's events are strong enough on his mind that he's willing to give eating low fat a try.

Can't comment on Deanie, know nothing about autoimmune disorders.

So good to see your smiling face again. LD I want to see this woman's face eating out and going somewhere everyday. You're just going to have to put all your handyman jobs on hold and pamper your sweetheart for a few weeks. That's what love is all about.

Bluebird49 said...

I just praise God you foot is going to be better, and Deanne and Lonnie are on their way their!
I've had Fibromyalgia for over 20 years, and it can put you down. Three weeks ago, I went to sleep here and woke up in ICU 2 days later w/pneumonia, plummeting BP, and a 17" strip of blood clot n my right leg, 1 clot in my lung, and 1 in my left. They shipped me to a Trauma 1 hospital an hour away, where got rid of 80% of the big one. I was in hospital for 21 days, just got home 3 days ago. "Coumadin City" here for the rest of my life--but I'm alive and thankful! God bless us everyone---all of us!

PATI CLARK said...

So HAPPY to hear you & your brother are recovering well !!!!!

Linda said...

Hello! I have been trying to find an email to contact you! Just know I appreciate your comments and will certainly be keeping you in my prayers!