Top 5 Reasons to have a Hip Replacement

These last 10 months have led me on a slow and sometimes painful and frustrating journey. After several tests the diagnosis was degeneration and arthritis in the left hip (with the right hip soon to follow). With the diagnosis it took us very little time to decide and schedule the hip replacement surgery. Now in the early stages of recovery I am able to look back and see the positive reasons for this surgery and wanted to share them:

5-  I will no longer walk around like a cowboy who has been on his horse too long. This of coarse
      will be after I progress from walker to cane to being able to bend my leg more than 90 degrees.

4-  This was the fist time I have ever had an overnight stay in a hospital. Three days and two nights
      in a private room, remote control TV, ordering off a menu from a premier restaurant here in     
      town for lunch and supper, and with the push of a button someone at my beck-and-call 24hrs a
      a day. Ok that last one was not so great...a hip replacement patient is a "class 1" risk for falls
      while in the hospital. Which meant I got to wear yellow sticky socks and a yellow band on my
      wrist so in case I had any thoughts of taking a stroll I could be easily identified by the yellow
      sock police. My bed was also wired to set off an alarm if I got up with out help...meaning this
      was the first time since grade school I had to ask permission to go to the bathroom. A little
      humility is a good thing.

3-  Some very nice plants and snacks from Barb and Jeff, Novarits sent a nice plant arrangement,
      and my place of business sent an edible bouquet.

Thanks Barb and Jeff

2-  More time for watching football. I can't drive for 1 month and am restricted from bending at the   
     waist no more than 90 degrees for 3 months. Time frame for going back to work is a little up in
     the air so watching 6 football games on Saturday is not out of the question.

1-  Dene' and James came out for the week of surgery and that was good medicine indeed. We played
     a few games of backgammon in the hospital and because of the meds for pain relief I was on
     Cindy said "He was having a tough time counting to six with much accuracy". I wonder how long
      I can use that excuse every time I lose a game.

Recover time.

 

 

Play time.

Cindy has been a huge help both in doing double duty around the house (while she works full time and keeps up with classes) and helping me stay positive with a sense of humor thrown in. My hip will heal. Cindy and I both keep in our thoughts and prayers all of our family members and friends who are struggling with some very serious and chronic health issues. What helps us the most is trying to live "One day at a time" knowing that  "God gives us the grace for today"...tomorrow will take care of itself.






Alligators, Babies and Clouds

Cindy and I went to Orlando for James Michael's baptism. We were able to spend time with Dene' and Tyler, Jeff and Barb, and Ashley and John Paul...that was a blessing indeed! Orlando was hot and humid...rained almost everyday but that didn't stop us from enjoying our visit (almost entirely indoors). We didn't see Mickey Mouse but we did pick up 12 new birds for our big year. Florida has a lot of water birds, must have to do with 95 degrees and 95 % humidity.  On one of our birding trips we did see a couple dozen alligators (and heard several of them). Here is the picture blog of our trip.

 

 

James is sleeping again!

 

 

 



Cousins.

 

Although we did have some beer John Paul was only teething.

 

 

Wide awake.

Getting dressed for baptism.

 

 
 

Baptism.

 

 

You can't see it here but James was quite vocal.


 

James having some Grandma Barb cuddle time.


 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two great moms.

 

Rained almost everyday. Welcome to Florida.

 

 

Pied-billed Grebe

 

Great Blue Heron



Little Blue Heron



Anhinga





Anhinga

Common Gallinule

Great Egret and Black-bellied Whistling Duck

 

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

 

 

Wet lands park.

Great Blue Heron

One of many gators.

Big and vocal.

Limpkin

Check out the sad face.

 

Grandma Cindy.

So it begins.



The little guy with the two best parents.

 

 

The Slippery Slope of Ice Cream

According to the rules of the "Big Year" page 12 part 1-b...and I quote "The said birder may have a scoop of ice cream the day of any sighting and identification of a new bird that has not been seen and reported to Cindy the official Big Year keeper of the records. Type and size of scoop is at the discretion of said birder."

Cindy and I have been following this rule...mostly. But it is getting harder and harder. January 1st...Cardinal!  Woohoo ice cream! Robin-black bird-house sparrow-YES-ice cream. We are up to approximately 140 different species as a family. The ice cream is getting a little harder to get.

Now I know that half of you have read only half of the rules and less than half of you follow the rules half as much as you should. Since the "Big Year" is all inclusive and suppose to be enjoyable (try 1 scoop moose tracks with 1 scoop Eddy's coffee ice cream) there will now be a sliding scale on the ice cream rule.

1: If you identify  a new bird you may certainly have ice cream that day.

2: If you see a new bird but can't identify it (even after calling Mom and Sherry) you may have ice cream.

3: If this is a new bird to anyone in the party you are with...all members may have ice cream. (I especially like this rule since I'm taking James out birding in 2 weeks.)

4: If you live in a state where the birding season lasts only 3 months and 1 of those months includes 50,000 motorcycles...you may have ice cream if you "thought" about birding.

5: And if you remember seeing a bird either on purpose or by accident...please...by all means...have some ice cream.

American Goldfinch



Downy Woodpecker

Woohoo...you may now have some ice cream.

Time Keeps On Ticking....

     If you said "Steve Miller Band" give yourself 1 point. If you saw a new bird today you may have some ice cream. More on that later. It has been a long time since I've blogged and if I may say so...Hello Dan...R U? (a little peer pressure to my brother). My last blog was in March and we went to Denver for John Paul's baptism. Since then we went to S.D. to the church camp we attend and spent the week with Ashley Alex and family.  Painted the addition in our house, hung new lights in the kitchen, cut down 1/4 of the big tree in our yard and have tried to go birding every weekend. Ashley and Alex and family came up to Lincoln for a week. Cindy and I had a great trip down to N.M to see Jim and do some birding (we had ice cream). And James Michael Rosser arrived to much answered prayer. So Orlando here we come in 2 weeks! We are so excited for that!

That is the high-lights for the summer that is quickly slipping by...so here are a few pictures.

At the Air and Space Museum. SR71 plane way cool which we had in Okinawa
Japan when I was there.



Fun in the sun.

Jumpers are a good thing.

Three beautiful boys.

Happy Grandparents.

Welcome James!

Another blessing from our Lord.

Birding in Thoreau N.M.

Flycatcher. Rule for the "Big Year" is if you see a new bird you get ice cream for that day.

Beautiful country.

I talked Cindy into climbing onto these rails to take this picture. A train came by
about 2 min after we stepped off.

Michael at the children's museum after hearing about our adventure on the railroad tracks.

I can see NE from here.

Mt Taylor.

This picture doesn't do it justice but our rental car struggled to climb this 11000 foot hill.

An ancient volcano.

Jim. A Bull Rider.. My inspiration.

Jims studio and sculptures.

Jim told us a story about each and every sculpture.

The Cranes. Thank you Lord.

Rocky Mountains.