Sunday, December 01, 2002
Today is the fortieth birthday of our oldest daughter. Her name is Rennie.
Last night we drove more than a hundred miles to celebrate the occasion and to return seven year old Johnathon to her and her husband.
The forty years in between have been a mountain range of emotional peaks and valleys, pain, agony and triumph.
When she was thirteen she was a softball player. At the end of softball season her mother, brother, sister and I went on vacation to the mountains of Arkansas.
While we were there she complained about pain in her left leg. We inquired about a doctor. There was only one and his office was "Down the road a piece."
When we got to the other side of town we again inquired. "Down the road a piece." was the reply, this time waving back the way we had come.
We finally found him in the middle of town but on a different street!
The doctor examined her and said she probably had twisted her leg playing ball or roller skating; if the pain persisted, have it examined when we returned home.
The pain got worse. We took her to an orthopedic surgen who scheduled surgey to remove a cyst.
The surgery lasted far too long.
When he came out he said: "You are going to take her to Shands Hospital in Gainesville (Florida) you don't have a choice."
He handed us her medical records and told us to not give them to anyone until we meet with Dr. Enneking.
Dr. Enneking took the records, examined her, and met with her mother and me later. He informed us about what he had found and asked: "Do you want to tell her or do you want me to do it?"
We then went into the next room where he described the tumor, entwined with the muscle and ligaments in her leg and explaind the options. Surgery to un-entwine, which probably would result in a leg that would not function well if at all, or remove the leg and replace it with a prothesis.
"Take it off." She told him.
At that moment childhood left.
The next year was full of pain; physical and emotional for her, and emotional for the rest of us.
She had an open perscription for a very powerful and addictive drug, which she would only use when she really needed it.
That year, during the Jerry Lewis Telethon, she walked the neighborhood on her crutches, by herself, and collected money for Jerry's Kids. She would go part way 'round, the pain would get too intense, she would return, lay on her Lambskin and wait for the medicine to take effect, then go again.
In high school she joined the swim team, earned a letter, and never came in last.
Now she is the mother of three of our "incredible edible" grandchildren and works as a physician's assistant in the city where the surgery happened, to which she returned so she could encourage other pediatric amputees.
There is more, but I can't go on except.............
In her fourteenth year the Citizens band radio craze was in full swing and it became her passport to the world.
Her "handle" was Honeydew, and I can still see and hear her, sitting in her room, her remaining leg propped up on a chair, signing off saying "The honeydew is 10-20 around the dial."
An so she is!
Shalom
Last night we drove more than a hundred miles to celebrate the occasion and to return seven year old Johnathon to her and her husband.
The forty years in between have been a mountain range of emotional peaks and valleys, pain, agony and triumph.
When she was thirteen she was a softball player. At the end of softball season her mother, brother, sister and I went on vacation to the mountains of Arkansas.
While we were there she complained about pain in her left leg. We inquired about a doctor. There was only one and his office was "Down the road a piece."
When we got to the other side of town we again inquired. "Down the road a piece." was the reply, this time waving back the way we had come.
We finally found him in the middle of town but on a different street!
The doctor examined her and said she probably had twisted her leg playing ball or roller skating; if the pain persisted, have it examined when we returned home.
The pain got worse. We took her to an orthopedic surgen who scheduled surgey to remove a cyst.
The surgery lasted far too long.
When he came out he said: "You are going to take her to Shands Hospital in Gainesville (Florida) you don't have a choice."
He handed us her medical records and told us to not give them to anyone until we meet with Dr. Enneking.
Dr. Enneking took the records, examined her, and met with her mother and me later. He informed us about what he had found and asked: "Do you want to tell her or do you want me to do it?"
We then went into the next room where he described the tumor, entwined with the muscle and ligaments in her leg and explaind the options. Surgery to un-entwine, which probably would result in a leg that would not function well if at all, or remove the leg and replace it with a prothesis.
"Take it off." She told him.
At that moment childhood left.
The next year was full of pain; physical and emotional for her, and emotional for the rest of us.
She had an open perscription for a very powerful and addictive drug, which she would only use when she really needed it.
That year, during the Jerry Lewis Telethon, she walked the neighborhood on her crutches, by herself, and collected money for Jerry's Kids. She would go part way 'round, the pain would get too intense, she would return, lay on her Lambskin and wait for the medicine to take effect, then go again.
In high school she joined the swim team, earned a letter, and never came in last.
Now she is the mother of three of our "incredible edible" grandchildren and works as a physician's assistant in the city where the surgery happened, to which she returned so she could encourage other pediatric amputees.
There is more, but I can't go on except.............
In her fourteenth year the Citizens band radio craze was in full swing and it became her passport to the world.
Her "handle" was Honeydew, and I can still see and hear her, sitting in her room, her remaining leg propped up on a chair, signing off saying "The honeydew is 10-20 around the dial."
An so she is!
Shalom
