[Oe List ...] In Gratitude for a Caring Community

[Jayandem2 at aol.com]

Dear Joan,
 
We are so glad you are doing so well - even driving already -  yikes!!!  
Our caring candle has been burning for you and your journey to  recovery. 
 
If you even want/need a break, we have lots of room here in sunny Florida,  
along with great beaches .  So great for any stage  of healing.  Come and 
enjoy.  
Our prayers continue to be with you.
 
Judith, Mike and Meg (Tippett)
 
 
In a message dated 4/3/2010 4:17:51 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
jfknutson at aol.com writes:

Things are beginning to return to normal after the events of the past  five 
weeks when I had surgery for total knee replacement.  I have had  some time 
to reflect on this and decided the two overwhelming experiences were  that 
of "Pain" (You were right, Mary Laura, Maxine and Claire, it hurt  like 
hell!) and "Care".  I'm sure you all can imagine the pain involved  in 
surgically removing the bones in your knee and replacing them  with a mechanical 
titanium and plastic knee so I won't dwell on that.
 
But I want to share about the unbelievable care I experienced from family  
and friends.  First of all to have Jann McGuire here for a week watching  
over my care was the ultimate.  Some of my beading friends took it upon  
themselves to watch over Jann while she was here.  While in the hospital  I 
received phone calls from friends I hadn't heard from in years.   Marilyn Crocker 
called me; she was one of the teachers in my first RS1 course  in 1968.  I 
had many other calls wishing me well and I want you all to  know how much 
that meant to me.  Get well cards and flowers arrived  daily.  After four days 
I was transferred to a nursing care facility by  ambulance.  Poor Jann did 
her best to follow the ambulance as she had no  idea where I was going but 
she was not going to lose me at this point.  I  now dubbed her "the ambulance 
chaser."  While in the care facility I  continued to hear from friends and 
have lots of visitors.  As the food  seemed to be following a color theme of 
"white", friends would bring me real  food that was fresh and had color.
 
Luckily I only had to stay one week in the care facility and when they  
released me to go home, my high school, college sorority sister and maid of  
honor at my wedding (this is all one person) and her new husband came and took 
 me home.  When I walked in the door of my apartment, I burst into  
tears--Edith Byers had arranged to have my carpet cleaned while I was  gone and it 
looked terrific. Friends helped put the furniture back into  place so it was 
perfect when I got home.  I had been complaining  about the carpet but di
dn't have the physical energy to move all the  furniture to do it.  That same 
day here comes Marilyn Oyler with a warm,  out-of-the oven loaf of her 11 
grain bread.  I now have two beautiful  large green plants in my living room 
from friends.  Judi Weigel sent over  a basket from her garden of fruit and 
vegetables.  A college friend  Delsie brought over lunch one day and spent 
the day with me.  My daughter  Kristen came for a week to take care of me.  
Lots of friends took the  time to drop by, offered to shop for me; neighbors 
took my trash out to the  bin for me.  I was absolutely overwhelmed by the 
care I received and felt  very loved.
 
Last week I finished physical therapy.  I am walking without any  cane or 
walker.  I am going to aqua aerobics four times a week and  driving.  All in 
all, this has been great experience and I wanted to  express my gratitude 
for all who reached out to me.  Joan Knutson



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