Two Months and Counting

Two months post-surgery and I am functioning like a normal human being again -- whatever that means. I am doing all the expected life-stuff, like tying a shoe, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, pulling weeds in the garden, cooking, cleaning, shopping, carrying books and groceries and even enjoying the mountains again.

Am I pain-free? Not exactly -- I still take an Advil PM before bed. Sometimes I ice the knee in the evenings when it aches. The therapist said it will swell after use for as much as a year after surgery. I taught at a church, standing at a podium for about 45 minutes, and my knee was stiff and sore. It felt like I had a big stretchy bandage around the knee. I still get up slowly from sitting for any length of time. A pedicure is time-consuming and difficult, but not impossible!

I am not bending my knee back as far as my "good" leg, but perhaps that will come with time. The doctor said that I cannot injure what has been done inside the knee. This is reassuring -- I can do anything except run marathons (no need to worry there). The stationary bike is my friend on a daily basis, and I try to walk around the neighborhood in the evenings. It seems to be more beneficial than watching the Rockies on TV.....

I have learned a lot about myself in two months. The healing that I have done emotionally and spiritually has paralleled my physical healing. There are many reasons for this; suffice it to say that I have more patience and tenacity with life and with myself. I can "push through the pain" and come out better on the other side. Depending heavily upon other people is humbling. Certainly I need to relax and "bend" more. I hope that I am less self-centered and self-absorbed. I think I am more compassionate with others, since we all experience throbbing pain at some point in time, in one form or another.

It has been said that "in the storm, we discover who our real gods are. Only the true God rescues us and walks through the storm with us." This is a lesson I hope I will not forget.