Phannie

Phannie
Photo taken near Monument Valley, Utah

Saturday, June 26, 2021

Well, We Just Thought Her Surgeries Were Finished

At Forest Retreat RV Park, New Caney, Texas...

Sandy's shoulder surgery went well but, soon afterward, she developed a numbness in part of her left arm and hand. Tests showed that she had a pinched nerve near her elbow and that yet another surgery would be required quickly, lest she lose some use of her left hand.

The surgery took place on June 24 and, thankfully, the procedure was made simpler by a slight deformity in her left elbow that allowed for greater access to the nerve by the surgeon. It also meant that the nerve would not have to be moved to another location in her arm as he had anticipated.


This has been her fourth surgery since October--counting the do-over of her foot. She has remained positive, pleasant and stoic throughout--far beyond my capability to do the same. 

A pleasant distraction has been visiting with the kids and grandsons; I think they provided just the right "upper" to keep us smiling when we didn't feel much like smiling. We've also enjoyed visits with friends, and that always keeps us laughing.  Thank God for these angels in our lives.

We are still planning to spend most of the rest of the summer in Colorado assuming, of course, that all goes well with Sandy from this point. I am dreading our return, however, as knee replacement surgery will be awaiting me. I can guarantee that I will not handle myself as well as she, but I think she understands that most guys are whiners, and I'll be doing plenty of that, especially when the physical therapy begins.

So now you know why my posts have been scarce lately. This seems to be our season for medical issues, and these can take you out of the game for long periods, unfortunately. 

I'll keep you updated with our progress as we work our way through these obstacles, so please don't give up on following along with us. At this point, I would advise you to let no moss grow as you enjoy yourselves without these encumbrances. Fortunately, we already have lots of miles of smiles and memories to enjoy as we work our way through our "overhauls." 

I will try to post a little more regularly, now that our time here in Houston is coming to an end, at least for now.  In fact, I just may have a little surprise for you in an upcoming post, so don't go anywhere. 

 Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; 
please forgive me if I fail to appreciate it each day as I should.

We don't stop playing because we get old; we get old because we stop playing. 
 ---George Bernard Shaw

"I get up every morning, and I just don't let the old man in." ---Clint Eastwood




 

14 comments:

  1. I just thought about you two the other night. Oh dear, Sandy has been put through gowns, I sure hope her body is finished having her model those gowns. My brother had knew replacement in Phoenix this late spring. He was up and around so quickly so here's hoping you do well and have a fast recovery. Have a good rest of the summer.

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    1. Thank you for your good will and encouragement. I’m a little nervous about the knee surgery, but it will be nice to get rid of the pain.

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  2. Talk about being grounded. I'm so sorry about Sandy's issues. Hopefully now she can heal and really enjoy life again. We took 2019 off to help Jim recover and I'm so glad we did. Looking forward to more adventures for you guys.

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    1. Thank you for your encouragement. It has been pretty bleak around here for a while.

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  3. Omigosh! Poor Sandy! Her situation is (unfortunately) reminding me of Shari Lewis and "The Song That Never Ends." Hopefully, this is the last verse in the medical woes song for Sandy and all goes well from here on out. I'm happy to hear that the two of you are still planning to hit the road. I'll bet life will look a little brighter when you can get out there and enjoy some new adventures. Good luck to Sandy during her recovery, and travel safely when you do hit the road!

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    1. Thanks, Mary; I think you're right. We love being around the kids here in Houston, but we surely would like to go to a place where it doesn't rain every day and the humidity isn't even worse than the rain!

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  4. Sandy sure is a trooper! With prayers and lots of finger crossing, we hope she is at the end of the surgeries. Then, on to you! Knee surgery is apparently nothing these days so you will probably fare better than you think - although I'm sure it is a worry one can't help. Our friend at work had both knees done in one year and it was amazing watching him walk normal for the first time since what seemed forever. His life changed. Positivity is a huge thing as I'm sure you and Sandy well know. All the best!😍

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    1. I can always count on you, Patsy, for some positive comments. Yes, I'm not looking forward to what's coming my way, but news like this makes me more hopeful. Like you, I hope Sandy is done with her maladies for a while. God bless!

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  5. Dan is going to have knee surgery this fall. Did you know that there are exercises you can do in preparation for the surgery? It might be a good idea . . . anything to help for a speedy recovery, right?

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    1. No, I didn’t know. I’ll ask the surgeon; thanks! Best of outcomes for Dan!

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  6. Happy things went well for Sandy. You are up next! LOL

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  7. Yep. It ain’t over yet, doggone it!

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  8. Well, it's been a while and I'm starting to catch up on some blog reading. I hope all goes well with the surgeries. Not fun. I miss Colorado and we're looking forward to a short visit in September to see some friends who moved there.

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    1. It's a beautiful state, for sure. We would like to stay through September, but we have some obligations back in Texas. The problem with that is that September in Texas is just about as hot as August! Oh, well.

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