Finding my place between a rock and a hard place...

[treefarmer]

First I want to say that I appreciate this part of AAPK, The Upper Room Forum, more than any of the other threads. Most days I open here first to see if there is an issue I can help in praying for. I have developed several on-line friends thanks to the Upper Room.

Almost 2 years ago I asked for prayer for my wife as she had some issues, a slight stroke and then a quadruple bypass later in 2012. Again thank y'all who prayed for us during that time! Now the tables have turned, it's my turn to ask for prayer for me by my AAPK friends.

It's been hard for me to bring my self to ask folks for any kind of help. Miss Joy say's I'm depriving people of blessings when I don't ask for assistance. I do understand what she is saying but it's just different when it falls in your lap and your not prepared. My physical issue is no big deal according to the doctor, he's simply going to give me a total knee replacement Tuesday afternoon and while I'm out, he's going to shoot the opposite hip with something to help the arthritis on that side. This has been a long time coming but in the last 7 or 8 months it's really gotten worse. Killed and processed 4 deer this passed season and it was such hard work. Haven't been able to plant a garden, 1st time in 40 years. Told Joy if she would help me hook up a disk, I'd get a ladder so I could get up on the tractor carefully of course , she didn't buy that . Tried to teach her to operate the zero-turn mower, that's another story , all the while I've had friends telling me, "Just let me know, I'll come and do that for you." But no, I'm to hard headed and hate to bother someone else. Joy said, "How many handi-cap ramps have you been involved in building in the last year or two?" Well, that's different.

So it's down to wire, one of my friends is coming by in the morning to plan out a temporary ramp for me while I'm in the hospital getting my knee redone. I've had several friends come and ask, "Where's the list?" "What list?" "The one that tells me what I can help you with while you are recuperating." I'm thankful and humbled by friends like this!

Forgive me for ramblin' around so much, but I wanted to let folks know what's going on and admit that it is hard not doing the things we have been doing all our lives . So I ask y'all to remember Miss Joy and me in your prayers as we go through another boggy spot in the road, all the while holding on to the Savior's hand.

Sincerely,
Treefarmer

[big monk]

Prayers for a sucessful visit to the doctors** ---- praying all goes well for ya'

[jerryd6818]

For me anyway and it sounds like you're much the same way, it's easy to give but it's soooo hard to take. Let your friends chip in Phil, otherwise you cheat them out of the joy of giving and what kind of friend does that make you.

[btrwtr]

Prayers and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Wayne

[orvet]

Phil, I have you & Miss Joy on my prayer list.

If you are like me, once the knee surgery is over you will feel a lot better as soon as the pain of the surgery is gone. My knee felt better than it had in years one week after surgery! Once I had recovered from the surgery, I even stopped using my cane that I had used for about 12 years.

I am told by the people who do the rehab therapy for knee replacement patients that the thing they hear most from their knee replacement patients is; “If I had known it would work so well, I would have done his years ago!”

Just be sure you do all the exercises they give you! Based in my experience with it, working hard on the rehab is the key to a successful knee replacement

[TripleF]

You're a fortunate man Philip!

Much continued happiness and healing!

[Colonel26]

You're in my prayers.

[Ramrod]

It will be behind you in no time.
Mark

[Jody744]

Sounds like you have been a blessing to your friends.
Better take their help while they offer, sortofa southern "repayment",
although we southerners know it's not owed.
Godspeed on a full recovery

[jlw257]

Praying for ya Mr. Phillip.

[Colonel26]

Sounds like you have been a blessing to your friends.
Better take their help while they offer, sortofa southern "repayment",
although we southerners know it's not owed.
Godspeed on a full recovery

+1!
That's how we do things. And y'all will probably eat good too. You know them sisters down at the church will make sure there's a pile of food for y'all too. The men help,with the chores and the ladies with the feeding. Thank God for the south, and fellow Christians.

[treefarmer]

Thank y'all for the prayers and good wishes! Hope to be back home in 3 or 4 days and be able to report a successful knee surgery.
Treefarmer

[glennbad]

I hope everything went well with the surgery. I'll say a little prayer for you two to get through this quickly.

[jerryd6818]

Thank y'all for the prayers and good wishes! Hope to be back home in 3 or 4 days and be able to report a successful knee surgery.
Treefarmer

Ha! Three or four days my Great Aunt Matilda's apron strings. Everyone I know has spent at least two weeks in rehab.

[PigSticker]

No he's saying he'll be home within 3-4 days--rehab will be another story but it is amazingly fast---

[jerryd6818]

Mia culpa. I need to practice being specific. What I meant to say was two weeks in a rehab facility. Of course I live in a metropolitan area where rehab facilities are plentiful with easy access. I hadn't considered those in rural communities might not have easy access to a rehab facility though it would seem to me they would be the ones who would need it most (physical therapy just down the hall).

[treefarmer]

Good afternoon!
Miss Joy brought her laptop to the hospital this afternoon so I could see what is going on.
So far so good. My knee surgery went well as did the hip injection. I have not felt a bit of the arthritis pain in the right hip but the left knee is pretty tight. I have an exercise machine for the knee that will be used for 3 one hour sessions a day plus a bunch of exercises for the muscles around the new knee. A local home health therapy will be coming to our home each day for the rehab rather than me spending time in a facility. Monday morning a friend from church and I started a handicap ramp, didn't get too far but he said it would be done before I got home, well last night when Joy got in from the hospital it was completed! I'm supposed to come home tomorrow sometime after noon.
Thanks again for the support with y'all prayers! Most of all I want to thank my Lord and Savior for blessing us through this surgery!
Treefarmer

[PigSticker]

Good to hear from you Treefarmer glad all is going well--bet you're ready for some good food by now too--keep us posted--don't ferget to rub a little turpentine on the sore spots

[jlw257]

Glad you're doing good Mr. Philip, praying for a quick recovery.

[Jody744]

Ha, with the new ramp, you can now be Handiman!
Sorry, couldn't help myself. Those silly wayans bros.

[tjmurphy]

Glad you're doing well, Phil

[glennbad]

Glad to hear everything went well

[royal0014]

Glad to hear the news tf! You'll be up and squaredancin' in no time

[treefarmer]

Thanks again fellers!
Got home before noon today, on a walker, home health nurse coming in the morning, physical therapy coming on Monday, several weeks of rehab. Plenty of time to keep a watchful eye on y'all .
It's an awful feeling to have my wife have to do so many things that I normally do , please keep us in your prayers.
Treefarmer

[orvet]

You got it brother!
Get well quickly and do all your exercises!