Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, and total knee arthroplasty

Just when you thought it was safe to get out of the water, your personal physicians (orthopedicist, gastroenterologist, internist) (and any other ists) (I love making up words) need a new convertible or trip to Tahiti or whatever, so they want to continue their practice on members of your family.  Do they practice all their lives or do they ever get it right?

Anyway, humor is a good antidote for dread, right?  But, here is the real skinny or what Joyce and I are facing this week.  She is on clear liquids today prior to prepping for the colonoscopy and EGD tomorrow afternoon (9-9-14) beginning at 1:00 PM.  Her blood tests lately have shown some sort of iron deficiency anemia and she has had some lower abdominal pain, so the plan is to go in fore and aft and see what's playing on the medical channel............

Since the prep is worse than the actual test (she's asleep), please be praying for minimal discomfort and for godly test results.  We are resting in the arms of our Sovereign God and we are confident that whatever occurs will be for his glory and our greatest good.

As you may have heard, minor surgery is surgery that someone else is having.  My TKA is currently scheduled for 11:30 AM on 9-11-14.  Since my first knee replacement was on 12-7-12 (Pearl Harbor Day), I wanted to keep in step and let the MD blow up my other knee on an appropriate day!  Seriously, I scheduled it for 9-12 and they called and wanted to move it up.  I think the Dr may have gotten a different tee time or something.  Since I have been through this once before, I pretty much know what to expect.  At times, I think that helps and at times, it makes it worse.  I am determined to work harder during the rehab and cry less.

I am of the opinion that the worst part of any surgery similar to this is the aftermath when you deal with the pain meds and how they affect other bodily functions.  The pain may stop but so do the other bodily functions.  Praise God for Milk of Magnesia!!  So, my prayer request from you is for adjustment to pain medications, added vigor to my rehab regimen, and less than 90 days before I tee off again.  Last time, it was 89 days from surgery to the driving range.  I am determined to beat that since it will more than likely be pretty cold in December although when you play golf as badly as I do, weather isn't much of a factor.  Evidence for that are my last two 18-hole scores, 80 and 96.

Most of you know that Joyce's mother passed away on 8-27 and my niece, Carolyn Harris, passed away on 9-2.  Mike, Sheri, Kaylee, Joyce and I attended her memorial service in Borger, TX on 9-6. Also on 8-27, a lady destroyed our mailbox.  See pictures below.  I am due to come home from the hospital on Sunday, 9-14 which is my mother's birthday.  Stressed, you ask?  We are continuing to trust in our Heavenly Father as we are empowered by his Holy Spirit.

We are fervently trying to rejoice in our tribulations which is spoken of so often in the scriptures.  After nearly being stoned to death, Paul related the following:  Acts 14:22 encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."   In the book of Romans, we are told this:  Rom 5:3-5 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  James gets in on the act as God directs him to pen these verses:  James 1:2-4 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

Must get this posted on the web so the prayers can commence.  Remember, to God be the glory, great things he has done!

$500 later

The lady that hit it promised to pay for
 the rebuilding.  No check yet!

1

Bonnie Ratliff

Bonnie Ratliff            January 28, 1921 - August 27, 2014

Bonnie Hensley was born Jan. 28, 1921 along with her twin brother, Donald C. Hensley in Brutus County, Kentucky.  It wasn't known that there was going to be two of them, so it was a real struggle for the family.  It is told that they didn’t even put in a garden that year.  Bonnie had one older brother, Gaston. Three other siblings had previously died in early childhood.  Their mother, Ida, and father, Irvin, were both schoolteachers.  Two other children, Beatrice, and Cleo, followed.  When Bonnie was 11, Ida died of cancer.  Being the oldest daughter, the cooking became Bonnie's responsibility.  It was said that the potatoes were burned on one side and raw on the other.  At about age 15 Bonnie went to live with her aunt, Nola, but was only there to work and she was unhappy.  Having assumed the mother role, she worried constantly about how the other children were getting along.

When she was about 18 she went to Cincinnati to live with an older step-sister, Edith, got a job working for a laundry and settled in. She made a decision to believe in Jesus Christ during this time.  There she met the love of her life, Cecil Ratliff.  They were married on Sept. 30, 1942. 

 Cecil was an officer in the Army and assigned to troop ships transporting soldiers to and from war areas in both the European and Pacific theaters.  Their daughter, Joyce, was born in 1944 in Ironton, OH while her dad was abroad.  He came home on leave three weeks after she was born.  A son, Wayne, was born in 1946, also in Ironton.   After the war ended, Cecil was discharged from active duty.  Cecil also believed in Christ during this time.

In 1950, Cecil was recalled to the Army during the Korean war, sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky and then in 1951, to Germany.  Bonnie and the children followed in early 1952, living on Warner Caserne near Munich.  The family traveled at every opportunity and ended up visiting 7 other countries. They returned to the states in early 1954 and settled on a farm at Sinking Spring, Ohio.  Cecil remained in the Army reserves and retired many years later as a major.

In 1962 he was laid off from his job near Waverly, so he and a friend drove across the country until he was hired at a company near Denver.  Bonnie and Cecil lived at Arvada, CO for  18 years then retired to New Mexico, first to Belen and then to La Luz.  Over the years, they traveled to Hawaii, Ireland, Scandinavia, China, and the New England states.  

In 1992, after Cecil died (just four months short of their fiftieth anniversary), Bonnie moved to Las Cruces to be near her sister, Bea.

With her memory beginning to fail, she moved to Edmond, OK in November, 2006 to be near Joyce and her family.  She lived in an independent living facility for 4 ½ years then transferred to an assisted living facility.  After 1 ½ years she fell and broke her hip which caused a loss of mobility and she was then forced to enter a nursing home, Tuscany Village in Oklahoma City.  Her dementia was becoming severe so she never really realized where she was but never acted unhappy.  She reported seeing Cecil often.  Her dementia advanced until she died on August 27, 2014.  She will be missed by her daughter, who was her caretaker, and her son, Wayne and their spouses.

Don, Cleo (Janie), Bea, and Bonnie (May 2012)

 Also surviving are two sisters, Bea and Cleo, her twin brother Don, two grandchildren, one great-grandchild and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Bonnie's ashes will be interred next to Cecil’s in Denver, CO.