The best laid plans....

Our lady gardener/handy-woman did a bang up job of relocating 20+ stepping stones from the far back gate to in front of our shed.  Only when she had completed the job last night did I realize:  she had covered up a sprinkler head.  Not her fault--she didn't know it was there; I just forgot about it.  Now what to do--undo all her work or leave it as is?  Type A personalities like me (ISFJ on the Myers-Briggs) can't tolerate when something is out of kilter or just not right.  [sigh]

Learning new things

With Melba home yet fairly limited in what she can do I am learning some new things:

--How to dress a 10" incision
--How to put socks and other apparel on her
--How to serve with joy
--How to use our walkie-talkies so she can call me from the other room without yelling
--How to get back to sleep at 3:30am after helping her into the bathroom and back to bed
--How to install shower security bars (easy 'cause they have suction cups)
--How this kind of service brings a new and deeper emotional bond and intimacy into the relationship
--How important it is to plan for the health problems that will arise in most everyone's life
--How important a sense of humor is when tackling life's vicissitudes and trials

Learning is good...even though it sometimes asks more of us than we expected.

Melba update

Today is the third day since Melba's knee replacement and we both didn't realize how painful the recovery would be.  Talked with the ortho doc this morning and here's what he said:
--Post-operation fever of 101 is normal and usually abates after 2 or 3 days; labs show no evidence of infection
--Extreme pain is often the case with some patients while others have significantly less.  Her pain level is currently at 8 which is down from a high of 10 yesterday.
--She is on 3 or 4 pain medications which, along with very little sleep last night, is causing sleepiness, lethargy, and difficulty focusing for very long.
--In order to be discharged her pain level has to be at a level that is tolerable for her.
--Physical therapy is extremely painful for her but necessary so she is also enduring that.  Upon discharge she will go to a physical therapist here in Tumwater 3 xs/week for 3 months.

The hardest thing for her is the pain--she has said more than once she wish she hadn't had the surgery.  The most difficult part for me is to see her pain and not be able to help--so we get teary-eyed together but for different reasons.

The wonder of modern medicine

As most of you already know, Melba came through her surgery in fine shape, notwithstanding the severe pain she is in--that was explained to us in advance and we were prepared. She called me last night to tell me not to bother to tape American Idol because she was watching it herself (which is a good thing because I had forgotten it was even on).

I am in awe of the wonderful medical advances in the past decades that have made this type of operation as common and successful as taking out tonsils or the appendix.  Numerous friends have told us of their having the same procedure and of how glad they are that they did so.  The surgery itself took just 45 minutes--the bulk of the time was preparation/anesthesia before and recovery time after.  I am grateful to the Lord for living in a time when these wonderful medical miracles are so available and routine.

Next up for Melba: either spinal fusion or small bowel resection.  By year's end we hope to have her patched up ready to take a road trip.

All systems "go"

So far everything is lining up nicely for Melba's total knee replacement on Tuesday--pre-surgery appointments completed with orthopedic and anesthesiology, rehab facility selected (if needed), lab work finished, Crohn's under control. On Monday we'll get a report time and I'll give her a priesthood blessing--all of your prayers also very welcome.  If you'd like to see a short video on knee replacement go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gHhhwQDZQM

He took my licking for me

I have always loved this story. Pres. Hinckley used it in a talk in 2000 and captures part of the essence of Easter that children can relate to...and the rest of us, too.  Melba and I wish you all a very spiritual Easter and remind us all that "He is risen!"

Pres. Hinckley:

I have a simple story I would like to recount. It is something of a parable. I do not have the name of the author. Perhaps it will have special interest for our children. I hope it will be a reminder for all.

“Years ago there was a little one-room schoolhouse in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough that no teacher had been able to handle them.

“A young, inexperienced teacher applied, and the old director scanned him and asked: ‘Young fellow, do you know that you are asking for an awful beating? Every teacher that we have had here for years has had to take one.’

“ ‘I will risk it,’ he replied.

“The first day of school came, and the teacher appeared for duty. One big fellow named Tom whispered: ‘I won’t need any help with this one. I can lick him myself.’

“The teacher said, ‘Good morning, boys, we have come to conduct school.’ They yelled and made fun at the top of their voices. ‘Now, I want a good school, but I confess that I do not know how unless you help me. Suppose we have a few rules. You tell me, and I will write them on the blackboard.’

“One fellow yelled, ‘No stealing!’ Another yelled, ‘On time.’ Finally, ten rules appeared on the blackboard.

“ ‘Now,’ said the teacher, ‘a law is not good unless there is a penalty attached. What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’

“ ‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came the response from the class.

“ ‘That is pretty severe, boys. Are you sure that you are ready to stand by it?’ Another yelled, ‘I second the motion,’ and the teacher said, ‘All right, we will live by them! Class, come to order!’

“In a day or so, ‘Big Tom’ found that his lunch had been stolen. The thief was located—a little hungry fellow, about ten years old. ‘We have found the thief and he must be punished according to your rule—ten stripes across the back. Jim, come up here!’ the teacher said.

“The little fellow, trembling, came up slowly with a big coat fastened up to his neck and pleaded, ‘Teacher, you can lick me as hard as you like, but please, don’t take my coat off!’

“ ‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the rules!’

“ ‘Oh, teacher, don’t make me!’ He began to unbutton, and what did the teacher see? The boy had no shirt on, and revealed a bony little crippled body.

“ ‘How can I whip this child?’ he thought. ‘But I must, I must do something if I am to keep this school.’ Everything was quiet as death.

“ ‘How come you aren’t wearing a shirt, Jim?’

“He replied, ‘My father died and my mother is very poor. I have only one shirt and she is washing it today, and I wore my brother’s big coat to keep me warm.’

“The teacher, with rod in hand, hesitated. Just then ‘Big Tom’ jumped to his feet and said, ‘Teacher, if you don’t object, I will take Jim’s licking for him.’

“ ‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’

“Off came Tom’s coat, and after five strokes the rod broke! The teacher bowed his head in his hands and thought, ‘How can I finish this awful task?’ Then he heard the class sobbing, and what did he see? Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. ‘Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!’ ”

To lift a phrase from this simple story, Jesus, my Redeemer, has taken “my licking for me” and yours for you.

Declared the prophet Isaiah:

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: …

“… He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:4–5).

Family time

Our second oldest granddaughter, Alex, arrived last night from West Virginia as did her mother, Megan, who lives in Kent, WA. We're looking forward to a week's visit with them, bonding, playing, talking, reconnecting.