Update:
Thanksgiving Day is the fourth anniversary of
my hospitalization that led to my amputation.
By the time my wife figured out it wasn’t the flu and rushed me to the
hospital, it was almost too late. The
infection had gotten into my blood stream and the doctors weren’t certain that
I would live. AND YET FOUR YEARS LATER,
HERE I AM!!! Thanks you, Jesus!
I’ve
certainly had my ups and downs over the years.
I’ve struggled with diabetes, kidneys issues, liver shock, vision
problems, and debilitating nerve pain. I’ve
spent about a year and a half using a wheelchair because I couldn’t use a
prosthetic limb. Starting this summer (just
when I thought everything was going well) I’ve dealt with daily constant
headaches, heart pain, and with carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel. And now I have a sore on my residual limb
that we are watching to see if it will heal or become infected. SIGH!!!
I’ve had to significantly cut back on the number of hours I wear my
prosthesis and on some of my activities while this sore heals.
Since
Thanksgiving Day 2013, I’ve had 360 medical appointments or treatments/labs and
spent 23 days in the hospital.
WHEW!!!! That sounds like a lot,
but I know amputees which have had far more difficult struggles than I have
had; and I also know amputees who seem to just breeze on through life without
much difficulty at all. Everybody is
different. Each one of us has our own
path to walk.
I can
certainly attest that my life is much more complicated than it used to
be!!! The smallest issues can quickly
escalate into a serious problem. And
nothing ever gets resolved quickly if you are dealing with the medical field! Being spontaneous takes much more planning
than it used to require (Ha! Ha!). I
have to constantly work on adjusting my attitude so that I accept my current
situation and limitations which are ever changing.
AND in spite
of (as well as because of) all that I have gone through (and continue to go
through) I AM BLESSED. I have so much to
be thankful for this Thanksgiving. One
of my prayers when I was initially hospitalized was that I might live to see my
children continue to grow. Each day that
I get is a blessing! One of my greatest
joys is getting to spend so much time with my granddaughter. I spend several hours with her each week—it
doesn’t get much better than that. I
don’t get to do everything that I would want; but I still get to do
plenty. Every step I take is a
blessing. Most of the time, I am
independent and can drive myself to errands, medical appointments; and I’m even
able to do some volunteer work.
All that I
have gone through has given me a keener sense of gratefulness. I am filled with joy being able to some of
the smallest, “normal” things that I used to overlook and take for
granted. My perspective has changed—and
for the better! Perspective, outlook, or
attitude—whatever you call it—is a choice.
Each one of us gets to decide if we are going to focus upon the negative
or the positive things in our lives. We
can choose to see the “silver lining in every cloud” or the “cloud in every
silver lining.” I am not saying that my
life has gone exactly the way I wanted it; far from it!!! But I can choose to wallow in self-inflicted
misery or embrace the joy found in a positive, upbeat outlook. I’ve found that there is ALWAYS something to
be thankful for.
My life has
changed and I am nearly constantly challenged by some new adventure; but I am
enjoying the journey much more than when I was abled-bodied and so caught up in
life. I don’t know how many more hours
(days, weeks, years, or decades) that God will grant me life; but I look
forward to enjoying each and every one—not matter what they bring!
I am
Thankful!!!
I hope you
take a few moments today to express your gratitude as well.
Surgery on my right wrist and elbow went well yesterday. the cast stays on for two weeks. I'm right handed so I'm learning how poorly I do with my left hand and with only one hand. Some things are beyond me. Cudos to all my upper extremity amp friends--you are amazing!!
