Joining the Weebles People
Linda Krieg
Since it seems that waiting for Siawi news to send out another Siawi Snippets would mean a long wait for you (as it is for me), here’s an update with little earthshaking/changing news to fill the gap and answer a few questions that have come in about my personal health.
Waiting until there is definitive news on any one health subject won’t provide thorough answers, since every week seems to hold at least one medical appointment and often more. Thankfully, even though as my age climbs (hey, I’ve climbed that mountain for 74+ years so far) there are more and more appointments, the Lord has seen fit to not allow any majorly painful or debilitating conditions afflict me-and I’m exceedingly thankful for that.
Because all this is a natural process and has little or no relationship to reaching the untold millions who still haven’t heard about the God who loves them and wants them introduced to the Savior whose payment for their sins and resurrection by God, showing His acceptance of that payment, we celebrate this coming weekend….because of that I’d prefer to not focus on where I am in that aging process. (Whew, that is what is called a Pauline sentence-running on and on.) But-you have prayed me through a number of age related complications down through the years and have continued to do so, so here is yet another update.
My visit to the orthopedic surgeon who did my right knee replacement yesterday is a case in point of at least one appointment a week. (It was the 2nd one this week, by the way.) The good news was that the numbness, tingling, and sometimes buckling of that knee joint is not caused by the wear and tear that my 10 miles a day trike and 10 of stationary bike riding have caused. Hurrah! I don’t have to give up my much enjoyed trike!
But the bad news is that the numbness, tingling, and sometimes buckling of said knee joint is caused by neuropathy. Thus the subject line title. I have joined the Weebles people, who wobble but hope they don’t fall down. Actually, the neuropathy has had me in the group for some time, just lessened for a while. Future medical appointments with other care givers will have to determine if somehow my Vitamin B6 poisoning has again raised its intrusive head in my life. Since there is basically no real treatment for neuropathy, except for the pain, it is what it is. For me, the pain isn’t major-so I don’t need the opioid solutions that are listed as possible helps. All my nerves are atingle, including the ones behind my ears that help with balance. But thankfully I can still do the things I enjoy-read, ride, and compute (though failing brain functionality complicates that a bit).
The news so many have asked about-hurrah! I have my new dentures with instructions from the oral surgeon to avoid really chewy foods for another month or two, but able to chew again. Even before the appointments with the surgeon and then the implant doctor, by faith I laid in salad supplies. Yum! Though I have to admit, during the congestion of one of early salads, in chomping down on a slightly harder bit, hearing a popping sound did scare me, causing me to rub my jaw, trying to figure out if it was the bone popping. No pain, so surely not, right? Whew, that scare did cause me to be more careful afterward, but not to give up salads. Thank you so much for praying me through that whole experience.
Let’s see-my eyes: while I really need to have cataract surgery on my left eye, the doctor who understands the complications my left eye is causing by being determined to be the dominate eye and because of the past vision loss in my right eye caused by the death of the small blood vessels around the optic nerve on that side-because that doctor hasn’t yet settled with a new group of eye doctors somewhere within driving distance (last I heard, he was vacationing in Paris!), I continue to wait for the surgery.
My hearing-no worse and no better. Sufficient for functioning without a hearing aid. Besides, I wonder if a hearing aid would amplify all the jungle noises that tinnitus inflicts on my ears? Certainly hope not-but so thankful not to need one or two of those very expensive gadgets.
Oh-one more, the cardiologist. The echo cardiogram and the nuclear stress tests are all done and I see the doctor next week for the results, trying to determine why I’m so fatigued the last 6 months or so and unable to exercise with the vim and vigor of the prior year. (And yes, I did suggest that I was older now, and he shot that down, saying that 6 months would not have made that much difference.) Did an artery clog up or one of the leaky valves spring a bigger leak? Or maybe not a heart problem. Stay tuned, though I don’t plan to do another health report any time soon.
All of these things, life’s niggling irritations, must never distract us from the tasks the Lord has planned and put before us. May our hearts resound with Paul’s statement in Romans 8:18 (ESV), “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
How I thank God for the support group He has given me! Recently one of my long time prayer warriors, who from the time she was 8-10 years old until now-25-30 years later, has supported my ministry in prayer and as she reached adulthood, financially also. She only one of many faithful individuals like you who are standing with me. God is using our teamwork to make His name known. Thank you for joining hands with me in this task!
Together for His honor and glory,
Linda
Linda_Krieg(at)ntm.org
232 Brazil Court, Sanford, FL 32771
Ethnos360 Hdqts: 312 W 1st St, Sanford, FL 32771
