Today is the 6-month anniversary from the spine surgery. I'm so very grateful to God for the marvelous ways in which He got me through these months, and for the various persons He made available, brought to help, provided for the intricate and extensive surgery and fusion. Even that my bones were not as terrible as the surgeon had feared--not as porous as was his concerned. Well, so many, many aspects of goodness and miracles in the details and in the persons.
I'm grateful to my family, to people from my hometown who knew me years ago--all praying. I praise God for the way some parishioners signed up to bring meals, and for the neighbors who helped--the children ages 11 and 13 who came twice daily to change out the ice in the ice pump and to keep the flowers, vegetables, shrubs and trees alive with water.
I consider the family member who lives in the area, who brought groceries, and for the couple of parishioners who also brought groceries when needed, for the son-in-law who put together some medical aide items and removed a door so my walker would fit through, for the grandson who stayed the first night, not wanting me to be alone.
Then there were the nurses and aides in the hospital, and the Home Health nurses, physical therapist, occupational therapist, and shower aides who came, assisted, taught me in helping me learn to do basic steps in recovery process and who encouraged by their caring words. Cousins from the Northeast sent flowers and emails, the Methodists in my hometown sent a card assuring me of their on-going prayers, another relative sent money for a carry-in meal treat, various neighbors helped with added aspects--truck battery replacement, trash cans taken out and brought back into the garage, mowing, getting ice as needed, coming over to help if something had fallen that my reacher-tool could not pick up.
Thankful for Dr. H. calling, encouraging, helping, seeking ways to try to have pain removed and lessened, grateful for the professor amazingly being in contact after 15 years from the John of the Cross course in Avila, Spain. I appreciate a peaceful place to live, quiet, calm, good people abounding, having the ability to pay the bills and finally qualify for Medicare and be able to pay for it, for the pain doctor and dentist, and all those who help do whatever possible to relieve pain and keep the body as healthy as temporally possible in their knowledge and abilities.
As my new spiritual father mentioned a couple days ago, the Lord is moving in my life now, and is opening up marvelous aspects, with much good to come. I'm thankful! Today the hermit-priest texted some Scripture, also some wisdom from a meditation book, and then texted he was going to place me on the altar in spirit, in his celebration of Mass. I received a couple of emails of persons I've had to encourage in their spiritual lives in the past, and then to encourage to develop friends in their areas and age ranges, in the active life or married life vocations they have. My spiritual life is being reshaped, refocused, yet still very much malleable in the loving hands of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
While Angel (woman from parish) no longer is needed to bring Communion, her steadfastness in stopping nearly every week with the Eucharist and to encourage and a couple times pick up medication or other for me, I remain ever grateful. Am thankful for the adult daughter in the area who would pick up medication for me for the first four and a half months when I could not drive. I consider the kindly and interesting--often prayerful--Lyft drivers who would take me to and from medical appointments--and the family member also driving when available.
Much of the first four or so months seems a blur, but today after resting in bed quite a bit, I went upstairs and removed switch and outlet plates from the walls of a room I am dedicating to all the saints (canonized and the many more who are unknown as saints in heaven, but saints indeed!). I decided I would on this 6-month anniversary, try to prime one wall.
I've been wanting to just try to do something of the sort--see if I could possibly manage--as the surgeon told me last visit that perhaps try a half-a-wall, and then said, maybe just get one of those fun paint guns and just squirt some paint on the walls! I could tell he was being guarded, but it seemed more positive than what the physical and occupational therapist had painted of a quite grim future in which I'd not be able to even get down to the floor unless with a rail to hold onto, keeping the spine straight, and would not be able to use a paint roller above shoulders as would compress the spine above the lengthy fusion.
However, I managed to paint one wall with white primer. I had the overalls on once again, and I although not easy, I held a tight grip and used a four-step ladder with platform, and I was able to get down on both knees and trim paint along the baseboards, then up on ladder to trim in along the ceiling and down the side edges. Then I was able to roll the walls--stretching that I've not done, up from kneeling, up and down the short ladder: a major workout!
While it seems like not much, somehow the return to even a small amount of ora et labora--pray and work--though I was huffing and puffing and was worn out after the one wall was primed the one coat, it seems a major victory in celebration of all the aspects of getting through that type of surgery entails. And while I realize people certainly go through far worse, knowing that the Lord saw me through to this point, means more than I can express in words or even in of myself to know in feelings from within my soul, to let the Lord know how thankful I am for all His blessings.
Sick with pain now, spinal headache, been back in bed, not sure (as none of us can be sure) what the morning will bring regarding this body, but perhaps I will be able to prime another wall. Who knows but His Real Presence? Even my guardian angel who is with me every moment from conception until I hope-in-God enter heaven, waits with me and has, these months, as have all the loved ones including my parents and my spiritual da, ancestors, family, friends on the other side who are here, celebrating with me the graciousness of God.
I'm grateful for the insights the Lord has given me in these six months thus far of recovery, grateful for the lessons I've learned, appreciate His forgiving my sins, some of which have seemed major to me in various ways--and the forgiveness and moving forward, am grateful for God's mercy.
Am thankful for all, and for all you readers who have been praying for me, as well: Thank you!
I was remembering as I walked up the stairs to attempt to pain the one wall, that there was a time when I could barely log-roll out of bed to painfully make it with walker to the bathroom a few feet away, had to be heavily medicated to a point of sedation, was unable to walk yet to the kitchen, nor able to stand for a shower, and could not begin to walk up the stairs even with physical therapist holding onto my brace. I remember the first time I was able to walk with the walker, to the mailbox. Was that six weeks after surgery--just to do that? How far has the Lord brought this body in six months, even though it seems a couple years or more!
Now, for the next six months: whatever the Lord wills, desires--and prayerfully, that I listen, know, and do His will.
God bless His Real Presence in us!
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