Homeward bound

Good news! This afternoon I found out I am going home Friday!! I am excited. It's the small things that excite me: sleeping in our bed, not being awakened to have my vital signs checked at 4 a. m., coffee when I want it etc. that make the difference. And of course, the best is being home with Ray and Abby. It will be much easier to catch up on school work I am behind on from home as well.

Everyone here at Kent Regency has been wonderful. The care has been fantastic. The staff's understanding and sympathy is abundant as we struggle with pain and frustration.

Everyone here asks how I feel about going home, any concerns, questions? My biggest concern is my own ability to faithfully do my home program of exercises. By his grace, I am able.

There's a certain nostalgia we all feel about returning home whenever we've been away for a time. Jesus' words in the gospel of John are a good reminder for me, for all of us when we experience those times of insecurity and fear. "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them" (John 14:23). We all need a security blanket at times.

A prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas

Scot McKcKnight over at Jesus Creed (http://www.jesuscreed.org/) posted this great prayer this morning. Sometimes my mind feels like mush. Especially since surgery and rehab, I find it difficult to focus at times.

A traditional students' prayer:

Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator,
true source of light and fountain of wisdom!
Pour forth your brilliance upon my dense intellect,
dissipate the darkness which covers me,
that of sin and of ignorance.
Grant me a penetrating mind to understand,
a retentive memory,
method and ease in learning,
the lucidity to comprehend,
and abundant grace in expressing myself.
Guide the beginning of my work,
direct its progress,
and bring it to successful completion.
This I ask through Jesus Christ,
true God and true man,
living and reigning with You
and the Father, forever and ever.

Amen.

That says it all.

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Report: After rehab week 1 or where did that Mac truck come from?

I have been making great progress with rehab after a total knee replacement. In one week, I have gone from not being able to move my leg to permission to walk (with walker) unassisted throughout the facility. I can't help bur think of the Southwest ads, "You're now free to move about the country," or for me, the facility. Last week, I could not slide my heel toward me (aka doing a heel slide) and now I can get out of bed unassisted. A week ago, my leg bent 60 degrees out of 90 and now it's 76 out of 90 degrees. Progress does not come without pain, however.

The big turning point was yesterday, which began with the Mac truck. With knee replacement, it's essential to get and keep the joint moving so it doesn't freeze. To accomplish that requires aggressive, often painful therapy. Yesterday as my PT Charlie was pushing to get that bend to where it needs to be, it involved pain like I have never experienced in my 52 years. I cried. Dear Charlie, along with two other therapists are fellow members of the body of Christ. He was so apologetic. At least even in pain I am surrounded by God's grace incarnated through his people.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:37-39).