4.11--Lots o' Friends (Week II)

Crazy Week II
April 11-16, 2011.

Because last week MO was able to come down and stay with me to help me all week long, all good things have to drawl to a close. MO had to go back to Massachusetts...boo!! It was so nice to have so many friends jump in and help Ace and I out, which brings us to my first story:

(1) The Cupcake Story...

Ace works at YBC in the back dealing with contractors. Just this past January, one o' those contractors had a job across the street from our house. So on one particularly snowy winter day, we noticed that they were all working hard. We just happened to be craving chocolate chip cookies. When the first batch finished baking, we brought them over to the boys. Their faces lit up as they sawl the steam rising from a nice tall cup o' Hot Chocolate. My favorite is doing the things that are unexpected...This brings us to the 2nd week in April when that same contractor brought in some fresh chocolate peanut butter cupcakes that his wife had made for Ace.

As you can see there was well over a dozen o' them!

(2) Dear, Sweet Essie...
Essie Phares is not only incredibly sweet and sacrificial, but also extremely hilarious. I mean to tell you, this girl has got such a super-awesome sense o' humor...and boy she is quick witted. She has a wonderful hubby and three lovely children...which she left them fend for themselves so she could help me out one evening! (: Actually, truth be told, her thoughtful hubby told her he would watch their three children plus 4 more children that were going to be there.

How sweet is she?

Sweet enough to bring a gorgeous flower!!

Still eating MO's amazing BBQ Chicken!!

For those that have wondered...Ace is a great cook!!

(3) Another amazing friend that I have really enjoyed getting to know her and her wonderful family is Joyce Brubaker! This woman is wise beyond her years, and one o' my doctor's thought she was my mother (because she was wise). Another one o' my doctor's asked if she was my sister (because she looked so young)!! (: She lives 20-25 minutes from our house...it could be 15, just depends on who is driving! Despite the rising price in gas, she was still willing to drive in to help me out.

What a fantastic friend!!

She's wicked-crazy-silly too!!

We do look like we are related?

We are soo stinkin' cute, don't you think?

Joyce brought me some o' her beautiful tulips! (:

What a fun babysitter she is!!

Because my foot was losing muscle strength, it kept dropping and rotating inward which cause a great deal o' pain. To prevent this from happening, hospitals will sometime use a padding and velcro like this--


Here is JOYCE'S version...
She took a pillow and tied a shoe string around it. It seemed to do the trick. Now I won't have foot-drop!

Breakfast...apples with peanut butter and scrambled eggs.

Adam's lunch...PB&J!!

Papa & Mama stopped by...

The greatest part o' this picture?
--Dad putting his hand up while on crutches.
...or...
--Adam using a laundry basket for a seat.

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A Visit from the Brubaker Family!
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Aren't Rachel & Becca just darling?

Gotta have a silly Jilly Willy picture...

Just look at these gorgeous smiles.

Becca captures Brian "striking a pose" and a ghost!!

I really like this picture Rachel!

Haha...I missed the, "this is a silly picture!" memo!

What happens when I brush my teeth...
In case you didn't get that quote, here is the explanation--In the time it takes me to brush my teeth and get back into bed...this is what it would look like.

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A Lovely, Scenic Drive
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After Physical Therapy one o' the afternoons, we had 15-20 minutes to kill before we had to pick the girls up from school. Joyce, her sister Jessica, and I all drove up Stone Creek Ridge to see Pap's house. We were almost to the tippy top o' the road, when we sawl what looked like garbage in the middle o' the road. As we got closer to the trash site we realized what we were really looking at...

...do you have any idea what all this trash is...

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Did you make a guess?


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The Answer--
Dirty Diapers!!

Joyce's Sister, Jessica and Me!! (:

See, we did pick tulips from Pap's House!

They brighten my day!
This really makes me miss my Pap & Gram! ):

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I look like a Little Person!!

All ready for the day!

Remember the first story in this post?
This was how many cupcakes were left after Ace had a "snack"!!


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After babysitting me all day, Joyce ended up making supper for everyone.

On the Menu--

Beef & Noodle Casserole

Salad

...and for dessert...

Strawberry cheesecake...MMMmmm...

...and a special dessert from Joyce just for Ace...

This will last only a day.

First time eating at the table after surgery!

Of course, Rachel was excited!!

We had such a wild and crazy week...sorry this post is so crazy!

Thanks to everyone's help!! (: Love you!

THE END!!!

4.4--Hip Surgery (Week I)

SURGERY!!

4.4.11
(Isn't that the coolest date ever...4.4.11?)

For those o' you who were wondering about my hip surgery, here is the 411 on the hip surgery. For the past year I've been having joint pain and extreme trouble walking up and down stairs. I chalked it up to me getting older and my gymnastics career. This past fall the pain was so bad that there were times when I couldn't even get out o' bed. One day, I had to call Adam and have him come home from work so he could help me get out o' bed! It was at the time I contacted my doctor and after many doctor's visits and a few x-rays and MRI's later, they diagnosed me with avascular necrosis o' the left femur. That's a fancy way o' saying that the head o' my left femur was dying. Because I've taken prednisone on and off since I've been 15 years old it caused some damage. The prednisone caused a clot in my femur, resulting in no blood supply to the head o' the femur, causing the bone to die. Because this was caught relatively early, they wanted to do the surgery as soon as they could. Their fear was that my hip joint would colapse...then I'd need a total hip replacement. The hardware for the hip replacement only last 10-15 years before it needs to be replaced. So they wanted to get in and do the surgery before it collapsed.

The surgery involved drilling into my femur, cutting out all the necrotic bone, and putting donor bone and donor putty in the space. When they got in, they said there was more necrosis than what they expected. Thus why they ended up putting the donor bone in me.

Doctor's said, 6-8 weeks then do another MRI to see if the donor bone has bonded with my bone. Once they bond, I will be able to put weight on my foot. So it's a matter o' laying on my bed and listening to the doctors!! (:

Laying on the couch right after surgery.

We weren't really ready for this picture.

So thankful for my bestie, MO!! Love her!

Haha..this picture just makes me laugh!

The awful...TED hose!!

Adam made Italian Chicken and Corn on the Cob!

Drink and meds, that's all I need!

Foot propped up to decrease swelling.

Broth...MMmmm.... (:

MO painted my nails...with swirls!

All you need...cell phone, TV remote, Wii-mote!

MO painted her nails too! (:

My first REAL food...noodles in some broth!!

I was pretty excited about it!! (:

MO had to drive me to my doctor's in State College for my 2-day post-op visit.

In the waiting room...YEAH!

Feet Picture... (:

Mo's gorgeous engagement ring!

Super awesome shoes!

Haha...sweet calves? calfs?

Yup, we made it there safely!!

2 days post-op sight.

Swollen, hurting, but looks like it'll be a small incision.

They put me in the gymnasts room!! YEAH!!

My PA, Lexi and Dr. Bader.
(They told me the felt special cause nobody has ever asked for their picture before.)

After the appointment, Mo wheeled me out to the car. Well, the ramp things all had these bumps on it. It was awful. So then when we went up/down the ramp, it rattled the wheel chair, which rattled my hip, which then made me cry. Ugh...whoever designed this obviously has never been injured or been in a wheel chair.
AHH...not the bumps again!!

Don't you just LOVE stupid people!!

On the way home from the doctors, MO and I realized a pretty major complication--how would I get upstairs to my bed? With quick thinking on my part, and a quick text to Bobbi Jo Gearhart, we were able to stop by their house to pick Nate up so that he could carry me!!
Me and STRONG Nate.

He carried me out o' the car, up the porch steps, through the downstairs, up the steps, around the corner, and placed me gently on my bed!! Towards the end o' the trip, he started to breathe heavier...I think I was starting to get heavy for him.

Good thing he's a STRONG boy.

MO made lunch one evening. She made BBQ Chicken in the crockpot, with some brocolli, and some white rice. She was very surprised at her amazing cooking ability. I told her, she's going to make Brandon all fat!! (:
Here's the meal...isn't it lovely?

My "ugh-I'm-sick-o'-laying-in-my-bed" face!

Pushing lots o' fluids!

Adam eating his food on his "seat"

Supper was soo yummy!! (:

After supper it was time for my SHOT!! BOOOO...but MO is a nurse, so she knew just how to do it! What a lovely time.

Cleaning the site off with an alcohol wipe.

Gotta get out all the air bubbles...

"There's gonna be a BIG bite!"

Then I cried...

Gorgeous flowers from my church.

My Card-Board!! Such great friends...

Checking his email...

Mo pulled my pants up a li'l too high!

Our toilet doesn't flush all the time...Mo fixed it!

Tacos and cucumbers...yummy...

Don't they look delicious!!

Mo checking for edema!

Mo talking with Brandon while icing my hip.

PTL for Net-flix!!
(Best $8..ever!!)

Sleeping on my side...
There are about 9 pillows holding me up.

The beginning o' a three picture photo shoot!

This is my "Jill Face"!! (:

Naked Feet!!!
TED hose off for a few minutes!

Ted hose have to go back home.

Haha...it's very difficult!!

Lotion fell on the floor and squirted!

Alas...it was time for MO to fly back to Massachusetts!!

I'm sure gonna miss this gal!!

Sure gonna miss my bestie!!

Mo went back to Massachusetts; however, her help that first week after the surgery was amazing!! There would have been no way to make it through without her help. Thanks soo much MO!! You are amazing, and I love you!!

THE END!!!
(...o' week ONE)