Saturday, December 10, 2011

A Note of Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving was a quiet one for us.  No houseful of soldiers or big gathering of family and friends.  Layden and I celebrated quietly and with grateful hearts because my bilateral knee replacement surgery was a success.


This large and sprawling hospital is Tripler Army Medical Center, where my surgery was done.  It is located on a hill above Oahu and Pearl Harbor, and has stunning views - except for my room.  My room had a view of a wall.  It was small and sort of gloomy.  I was in the hospital for 8 days.  I had to walk AND be able to go up and down stairs before I could be released.

Walking was not as easy as I thought it would be - sort of felt like I didn't have a leg to stand on.  Each knee got one of these implants.  I have incisions over each knee and I had 32 staples in each incision.  Ouch!  I am glad that the staples are out, that the incisions are healing with no infection, and that I am able to walk a little better each day.
I started out with a walker, and am working my way up to crutches.  I have managed to do a little Christmas shopping, but I think there will be a lot of on-line shopping this year.  I don't have enough stamina to walk through a store, but I can get a lot done with the help of those handy scooters that many stores have.  I have gained quite an appreciation for what it means to be physically restricted.  Makes me really grateful for courteous people who make way for me, slow down for me, reach things on high shelves, and otherwise offer assistance.  And I certainly could not be making the progress I am without family to take care of me-so grateful for them!  Layden, of course, has been kind and patient and caring and attentive and makes sure I have water to drink, books to read, and a hand to hold when I am uncomfortable or discouraged.  My Mom has been here for about 10 days.  She makes sure we all have something to eat and clean clothes to wear and she keeps me company when Layden is at work.  I wish she didn't have to go home so soon.  Others in my family, along with many friends, have called, sent cards and email, and offered lots of encouragement.  It really makes a difference.  
 

It will take some time and some work before I am back to being independently mobile. I am learning patience at a whole new level.  However, every day is a little bit better than the one before, and so every day is a day of Thanksgiving.

ALOHA
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Sunday, July 26 2009

Sunday, July 26 2009
Remember this sign?
We have learned something really interesting about this "welcome sign" which we thought was a big billboard that was pasted onto an old overpass. It turns out that this is a defensive emplacement known as a rock drop. It is a big concrete box full of rubble and rocks. In the event of an invasion by North Korea the panels underneath the drop will be opened and release the rubble across the roadway, hampering movement into South Korea.

SOLAR ECLIPSE!

SOLAR ECLIPSE!
Might look like the moon - but it's the sun!
On Wednesday July 22 Asia experienced a solar eclipse and we got to see it! Miraculously the expected day of monsoon rain did not materialize and the sky was mostly clear for the duration. During the eclipse, which occured around 11:00 a.m., the sun was much too bright to view directly - we had to be satisfied with reflected images. But, as the sun began to re-appear, just enough clouds came in to allow us to look - and take a picture. It was quite something to behold and we feel lucky for the opportunity.

On A Clear Day...

On A Clear Day...
We had 2 days of church meetings in the Seoul area. Today the weather was remarkably clear and I was able to get a great view of the city skyline and the radio tower. Usually the sky is too hazy for a view like this. Pollution, rain, high humidity or dust storms are contributing factors.