The Windows Are Open!

God has blessed us with a beautiful day! Finally .... the windows are open and I can hear the birds and smell the air. Spat and I may attempt a walk today. It will be a short one though because he is old and I am gimpy :-)
We did get out to the garden to pull some cucumbers, zucchini, peppers and onions. Thoughts for dinner ..... cooking is my passion!
I am excited, my appointment is tomorrow. Finally I will have some answers to my many questions.
Al is going with me ... of course ... and we will get the opportunity to meet Karen K. Maybe Al & I can slip out for a lunch date ;-)
More updates after my appointment.

Wonderful Day!

Mason celebrated his 21st birthday yesterday. We had a wonderful time! I actually baked a homemade raspberry pie which turned out to be rather yummy :-)
Al & I road down to McAvoy's to pick up steamed crabs and brought them back to the house. Michael, Zada, Mason & Jenna joined us for some of the best crabs we have ever eaten .... big and fat! Great job McAvoy's!!
Looking forward to my appointment at Good Samaritan Hospital on Thursday. I received some information about the JointExperience at Good Samaritan .... it looks very promising.
I will have more to share after Thursday ...

We Are Blessed

Night before Mason's 21st birthday. Never ask a child what they want for dessert ... raspberry pie??? Okay, I have taken all the raspberries out of 2 stores to get enough!
Looking forward to steamed crabs for the birthday evening.
Al and I are blessed to have Mason with us this year. His accident seems so far in the past but it has just been over a year. Much to celebrate :-)
Michael has made us proud with his accomplishments. He is quite a wonderful young man.
We are very blessed to have two incredible sons.
God will help me climb this mountain and will catch me on the other side.
Tired and hip hurting .... time to say goodnight.

In The Beginning

I was just diagnosed with bilateral AVN (avascular necrosis, osteonecrosis, aseptic necrosis or whatever you would like to call it) in my hips. I am a 54 year old nurse in good health and this diagnosis is devastating. I have been looking for information and have found everything from soup to nuts .... yes, I said nuts!
I have a wonderful internist but he was not sure where to send me for follow up. This started me on my journey to search for an orthopedic surgeon who had experience with AVN. After many considerations I made an appointment at Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore, MD. My appointment is not until July 1st so right now waiting is the hardest part.
Since my hips have not collapsed at this point I am hoping to be a candidate for hip resurfacing. It sounds very promising and could be a first step instead of total hip replacement.
Right now my left hip is in pain much of the time although the right hip is the one with more bone death. I miss being active, no more walking right now. My gardening is limited .... the plants are growing but so are the weeds! That will teach me to put Miracle Grow on everything. ;-)
I am lucky enough to have a family who will support me on my journey. My sons and husband have been watching over me and my extended family is there any time I need them. I was actually lucky enough to fine another nurse with a blog who experienced total Hip Replacement for another reason at Good Samaritan Hospital. Her journey has given me much hope for recovery.
I am still trying to get through the "why me boo-hoo phase" but with God's help I think I will be able to climb that mountain.
I find writing is very cathartic for me so I will continue to post through my adventure. One day at a time ... and it is certainly a beautiful one today. Spat the dog and I may even make it to the garden to enjoy the weeds this afternoon!