Following Up

I'm of the opinion that it's better to get to the doctor's office a bit early so that maybe we can get in to the doctor's office early.  This is what happened on Thursday. We never know (nor trust) what the traffic will be like on I-20.  We sailed along, stopped in Terrell for some early lunch, then got to Dr. Ha's about 15 minutes early.  We WERE called right in, and the good physician came in shortly.  He liked the looks of Suzie's foot; he wondered if the 'white' area was gaining on the 'red meat' area.  We told him it was, slowly.  He said another skin graft would speed up the process; it would be day surgery; but we could wait, too.  We opted for waiting and have an appointment in 3 weeks for another look-see.


We asked the questions we had in mind (really on a note pad in Suzie's phone) and got the answers we needed.  When we get to 3 hours of dangling three times a day, we are finished with that procedure--and that should be next Wednesday. Suzie can use crutches without causing any problems with the blood flow and the reconstruction (it's one thing to dangle a leg over the bed or couch, but to stand up and remain standing for a while...).  Suzie can shower now without wrapping her foot in a trash bag and 'press and seal'. The donor area on her right thigh is coming along well, though it will be a long process too.


We are looking at changing bandages for another 6-8 weeks, so today I ordered more 'stuff' at Amazon that will be here in plenty of time to keep us supplied every day.


Suzie may try driving in to town for work next week.  The big car is an automatic, so she won't have to use her left foot on any of the controls.  She still has the freedom to come home early when the days get too long.


The handicap parking tag is a lifesaver.  Even with that, it is sometimes hard to get close to the door of some of our more popular stores.


The pharmacist called from Wal-Mart to apologize this week for his employee's negligence to me and hoped we would give them another chance.  I have switched some of our prescriptions over to Target, and we'll see how that goes.


I mentioned in a previous post my reading of EMPIRE OF THE SUMMER MOON.  The author's description of how the government in Washington, DC. worked 150 years ago made me realize that not much has changed in that swamp.  Many of the failures in the West "were the product of the endemic corruption and graft for which the Indian office had justly become infamous by the 1860s.... For a long time these officers have been selected from partisan ranks, not so much on account of honesty and qualification as for devotion to party interests and their willingness to apply the money of the Indian to promote the selfish schemes of local politicians.... As time went by, the (Indian) agents proved stupid as well as corrupt."  The Indians had asked for better rifles, and in violation of many laws against it, these same agents delivered several tons of  arms and ammunition to the Plains Indians. Now the Indians had the repeating Spencers and Henry rifles while the Army's standard issue to its soldiers was a single-shot rifle.


Beliefs held in Washington were often completely out of synch (and out of touch) with those held by citizens out in the states.


Seems like it's deja-vu all over again.  Gwynne's 370 page paperback will be a fascinating read for any who love history.


Enough of all this.
Thanks to all of you who have been praying, writing, bringing food. We are much blessed.
Jerry for Suzie too.

And Now the Bills

I picked that watermelon randomly out of the big box bin, wondering if it was a good one. I have no good way of choosing melons, though I love 'em, every kind, when they are just right.  This one went into the refrigerator for 24 hours, then was cut into last evening. It was perfect. I probably shouldn't have eaten such a big piece just before bedtime, but what the heck...


What we had been saving to replace our older cars will probably now go toward the hospital and doctors' bills. Our new 'wheels' may just be a new pair of shoes, though the verdict is still out as to whether Suzie will have to buy one pair or two.  Amy was telling us yesterday there is a website for folks who have two feet of differing sizes.  Flip-flops? The hospital bill is huge (about twice what I make in a year) and the charges for the two plastic surgeons, for 4 hours of work, is higher yet. Please don't misunderstand: this is no complaint nor should it be considered whining nor is it a subtle request for financial help.  We are very grateful for all those people and institutions that have had a part in restoring Suzie's health. Her boss provides good healthcare insurance; both bosses have even continued to pay her while she's been out of the office.


It is a good and wise thing for all of us to be living below our means. We make it a habit to pay ourselves (savings) with a portion of every paycheck.  We give to the church and to other ministries of the Lord's work because we love Him and because we will not be thieves and rob Him. (Malachi 3:8) Then we make do with what's left.  We both would be the first to say that we really lack for no good thing. Our blessings are legion ("a vast host, multitude, or number of people or things") and most have little to do with money or personal possessions.


When one is related to the Father of Lights Who loves to give good gifts to His children... what we worry?


When the hit-counter on our blog page quit working, Toby suggested we use a new feature of Google's that is an analyzer of sorts. We can get a look at not only how many hits there are to the site, but also where the traffic is coming from (there are consistently 10-15 hits from Russia. Suzie says that's scary; I wonder if it is from readers our Upland church made an impact on when 20 of us, over a 2 year period, were part of the CoMission project there.), who the audience is, etc.  I recently added the Google Translate gadget, so others can read in their own mother tongue if they want.  There is also another web site of ours called Jerry's Sermons that continues to get hits though I haven't posted anything there for several years.  There are actually over 7,000 hits on that site.  Maybe someone is still preaching the Word with some of my words!  Anyway, if you, dear reader, like to write, perhaps a blog spot is in your near future.


I'm needing to find some gauze sponges, either online or locally, before we run out. I'll be back later.


Jerry for Suzie too.

Scattershooting

One morning before work this week, I went in to the bureau of motor vehicles and submitted a request for a handicap sticker for the car. The oncologist's office gave us the paperwork, properly signed, notarized, and all official.  The BMV clerk was friendly, efficient, and helpful as could be. I walked right in and sat right down.  It took just a few minutes and I made it back home in time for my workday to begin.  For the next few months, we should be able to get closer to the door when Suz needs to get some 'shopping' in.

Good friends of ours from AZ sent a big, flat-rate box, care package that arrived today. Oh my goodness. Books, nail polishes, a hand-held massaging tool, candy, and a host of other goodies that just confirm once again the value of good relationships that continue over time, even in the face of big geographic separations.  We are truly rich beyond measure.

Speaking of rich, Toby and I were talking yesterday about inheritance. He was on his way back to the Kong, this time through Chicago instead of Toronto. Not surprisingly, I read in this morning's devotion in Hebrews 1 about 'those who will inherit salvation.'  To put everything, and I mean everything, in perspective, there is no inheritance quite like salvation. Oh, the peace, the purpose, the redemption of broken lives that is our inheritance in the Lord Jesus!

It has begun to rain, and Suzie and I love every minute of it. We especially like being awakened in the night by that sound outside our windows. After last summer's drought, we'll never take the rain for granted, ever.

I believe our neighbor friend has the crankiest garage door on the street. It was up yesterday morning when the Suz and I left. Since she is getting married, and since there are valuables in the garage, and since she had already left for work, I took a moment to see what it needed. I think the little safety beam that shoots across the opening between the two roller rails was slightly off. A minor adjustment and it was rocking and rolling again. I hope her new husband can keep it working. If not, we'll still be here. I'm a firm believer that the Lord put us right here for a few very good reasons.

Back to Empire of the Summer Moon:  "If the Comanches had learned a lesson... but they hadn't. The Texans were not the Spanish or the Mexicans. They were tougher, meaner, almost impossible to discourage, willing to take absurd risks to secure themselves a plot of dirt, and temperamentally well suited to the remorseless destruction of native tribes. They did not rely on a cumbersome, heavily mounted, overly bureaucratized, state-sponsored soldiery; they tended to handle things themselves, with volunteers who not only were not scared of Indians, but actually like hunting them down and killing them."  At this point in the 1840s, Gwynne is not talking about native Texans. These were Americans who had come to the frontier for a fresh start. (And for my good friends on the liberal end of the political spectrum, no crocodile tears, please, for these 'native Americans.' The Comanches had been terrorizing and killing without mercy Utes, Apaches, Tonks, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Sioux, Navaho, and every other tribe on the great plains.)

In the next post, I'll reference a Washington, DC, that was the same 150 years ago as it is today! Pathetic.

Enjoy your day. It is a gift from God, as is your Guardian Angel. (Not friends yet on FaceBook? Come on!)

Jerry, for Suzie too.

45 Minutes

The first thing we do in the mornings around here is spend 45 minutes re-bandaging Suzie's foot. We remove all the wrappings and non-stick Tefla pads, the Vaseline-infused gauze, and the antibiotic cream we had spread over the reconstruction the morning before.  Sometimes we take a new picture, and this morning we marveled at how good the skin graft is looking to our untrained eyes.  There was less bleeding overnight than we have seen in a while, and we take that as good news.  Then we do the reverse of all the above with new materials and end up with a piece of tape holding the 6-ply cotton wrap that goes part way up her leg.
It's hard for my big-mitt hands to fit into the L-XL vinyl disposable gloves we bought.  Suzie, clever soul that she is, suggested I just slip one big finger into the glove since I'm just using that one digit to smear the antibiotic cream on.  That worked out very well this morning. I could use the gloves I got at Home Depot for changing oil in the cars, but somehow that is a mental block in my poor mind to this point.
We are up to 95 minutes of dangling (3 times a day) now, and apart from the first few minutes, all seems to be going well. Suzie has started to ease her foot downward rather than just dropping it immediately into a dangling position.  That has taken some of the sting out of what she feels when the blood rushes into that new, transplanted flesh in the arch of her foot.
Our friends, Sunday School class members, and employees that Suzie ministers to as a chaplain have been bringing by great meals for us to enjoy.  Suzie commented this morning that her pants seem tighter, and she had requested no desserts (boo!) be added to the delicious casseroles, salads, jellos, fajita makings, bread, veggies, brownies, and cobblers being brought our way. We are blessed beyond measure with these and other demonstrations of love and care being shown to us.  Again, I hope YOU have friends like ours.
On another front, I've just finished EMPIRE OF THE SUMMER MOON by S.C. Gwynne. It was recommended to me by two friends, one in Texas, one in Indiana.  It's the story of Quanah Parker and the rise and fall of the Comanches, the most powerful Indian tribe in American history. The violence Parker and his fellow warriors meted out upon the early Texas settlers is gruesome in some of its details , but if you can wade through a bit of that, Gwynne's book is fascinating.  I'll share a bit of what impressed me in a new posting soon. One tidbit: Quanah's mother, Cynthia Ann Parker, was buried for many years not far from us here in the Tyler area of East Texas.  If you grew up in Texas, you knew her story from your required classes in Texas history.
More later. I hope you are enjoying this day.
Jerry for Suzie too.

A New Look

We frankly think this is a much better looking foot. But if you are squeamish, you can stop here. After Dr. Ha did his cleaning, we started a new process that keeps most of the 'black' at bay. We are up to 80 minutes of dangling today, and Suzie is thinking about going in to the office tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.
God's blessings,
Jerry, for Suzie too.

What a Shocker!

After getting good news from the oncologist (and an appointment in 3 months) on Thursday, we went on over to the office of Dr. Ha.  It was a blessing to us that these two doctors' offices are within a couple miles of each other.  When the good man came in, the little Korean-American nurse already had Suzie's foot uncovered and waiting.  The surgeon got a long pair of tweezers, a pair of scissors, and lots of gauze and began cleaning up what we had been afraid to touch. We were shocked at how pink the skin looked and at how aggressively he went about doing his work.  Dr. Ha is very pleased with the progress of the healing, and we go back in two weeks for a further exam.  We have a slightly different procedure to do at home now--we add Neosporin to the skin graft, we cover it all with the vaseline gauze, then add a layer of non-sticking bandages, and finally wrapped it all up again in new 6-ply cotton gauze. (And you thought only tires were rated by ply factors!). The right leg bandage was removed, and we have a new way of caring for the inside incisions and the outside skin 'donor' area.

We had a list of questions that Dr. Ha answered for us, and he gave us permission to fly to Ohio in early June if we can arrange it.  Toby and Laura are expecting their first on the 2nd.  While he was working, I asked him how he came to his work of plastic surgery.  He said it was a long story, but he launched right in.  He had started out his medical career in organ transplants.  He enjoyed those actual procedures but hated all the rest that went with it (whatever all that means).  The department leaders were unhappy with him for wanting out of that arena, and they assigned him a mentor to help him find his way.  The mentor was really busy and asked him to meet in the OR where surgery was taking place.  As they began to talk, Dr. Ha asked, "What is that you are doing?"  The mentor was a plastic surgeon, and his young student was hooked on this new field of medicine.  He is now considered one of the premier doctors in his field. Let's hear it for mentors and the impact they can have!

Dr. Ha is of Korean roots and he hired his young nurse to help him with patients who come to the office with poor English skills. She is bi-lingual, and she's an asset to all--the good doctor and those who come by way of ads in Korean language newspapers.

We left the office that day with a prescription for some special bandaging materials and the location of a pharmacy that would have all we needed.  They didn't.  We had enough of the cotton rolls, the vaseline gauze, and the non-sticky bandages to last for a while. We went on to Arlington where Suzie visited with her mother and I scoured the pharmacies for what we needed.  I found some of what we needed, then simply ordered the rest from Amazon.com.  Those should come within a few days, and we'll be rocking and rolling again.

Life slows way down in our household now.  Before I make plans of any kind, I have to think of how Suzie will be affected in her very dependent situation.  I mowed this morning with my phone on vibrate in my T-shirt pocket. Suzie likes to sleep in on Saturday mornings, but if she needed me, her phone was on her bedside table and she could call.  We went yesterday to the insurance agent's office, and we left in time to get the wheelchair in the car here and out of it there. We have to calculate the time for our newest rage, 'dangling', and make sure we don't try to do anything that will interfere.  Right now, dangling usually takes place around meal times so Suz can sit at the table in her wheelchair.  Showers involve a bathtub seat, plastic bags, crutches, 'press and seal' plastic wrap, and scissors later for cutting all that off.

Friends are bring in meals, we subscribed to Netflix for a month (have you seen the Doc Martin series?), and we are doing quite well, all things considered.

God's blessing,
Jerry, for Suzie too.

Settling In

Suzie is now up to 70 minutes of 'dangling' 3 times a day. We have shifted out of the pattern of trying to get all this in before I strap on the headset and get to work.  So we get the boot and bandages off at a decent hour, she slides into the wheelchair, we have breakfast (yea! eggs), we negotiate a couple of trips to the bathroom, then she is on her own (sort of) until the timer starts its beeping.  She can roll up to the bathroom counter, brush her teeth, do her hair and makeup during the time between breakfast and the tyrannical demands of the beeper. (So far, I haven't missed any calls during the time we then clean up the foot, apply the new dressings, and get her set for her day.)  Suzie makes calls, writes thank you notes, adds to the list of questions for the doctors (tomorrow), and calls me occasionally for help with a few things.

We dangle during the lunch break (as well as dinner time) and she helps out with rolling here and there with silverware, to the trash can, etc.  (She hates being limited by all this. She banged a knuckle this morning, drawing blood, trying to get back into the bedroom before the Tyrant sang its song.) There is an initial 'rush' when the foot drops down to dangle as the blood flows full force into the repaired, reconstructed area.  It is not pleasant, but it's bearable. After that, it feels pretty normal. We are anxious to get the plastic surgeons' take on the healing progress. I thought today looked better than anytime since the operation.

We alternate between time on the bed and time on the living room couch. We pull up a chair next to the sofa when a guest comes. There are a couple of pillows wherever she is to prop her foot higher than her hip.  We have been legalists to the max with observing the rules set out for us with dangling, propping, cleaning and wrapping, etc.  The time between pain pills has gradually lengthened, and sometimes Suzie takes just one.  These are the kinds of pills people get hooked on, though we don't see that happening here.

For our trip tomorrow back to Dallas, we did a practice run getting in and out of the back seat of the big car yesterday. With the front seat all the way forward, and with a small ice chest in the back floor, she can be buckled in with support for the foot.

Suzie's sister, Sharon, was big help that first week we were back in Tyler. She headed home yesterday to resume her many responsibilities with her mom.

On other fronts, Toby has once again passed his 6-month flight checks in Hong Kong and should be on his way home today from Anchorage. He and Laura are just weeks away from the expected birth of the newest Cline. As those days slip away, the list of things to get done grows with some anxiousness.

Katie is a trooper, pinch hitting for me when I have to be away. I'm sure Scott is sharing that load too. We get to see them and Pip when we are in the Metroplex for doctors visits.

We'll keep you posted.

God bless,
Jerry for Suzie too.