That’s the first thing that I remember after I regained consciousness. I don’t think that I had been out long, but when I opened my eyes, I looked up and saw the beautiful blue sky with a few clouds here and there. In fact, that image was burned into my mind, locked in for the rest of my life, before the pain of my injuries took over…
At first I didn’t know what had happened. One minute I was dragging large sheets of plastic to the dumpster and the next instant I was looking at the sky… To this day, I don’t know if I slipped on one of the large sheets I was pulling behind me, or whether I missed the curb in front of the trash bin and just fell. I’ll never know, even though I have relived that moment so many times since then.
In fact, I am remembering it today, five years later. Yes, it was on April 23, 2018 that I sustained what is arguably the most severe injury I have ever had. I don’t think at the time I realized the damage I had sustained. I couldn’t get off the ground. My brother, Doug, and I had been setting up a new bed for our youngest brother, Ken, before we moved him to a different apartment. After removing the protective plastic covering, and set up the new mattress, I took the garbage out. That’s when it happened…
A man walking by stopped and I asked him to get Doug. From there, things were a little blurry. My right leg was twisted behind me. I moved it back into position and started to experience severe muscle spasms. I was wearing jeans and checked for blood to see if I had broken anything. I didn’t see any rips or tears, or blood…. At first, my bother, Dr. Doug, thought I had maybe sprained my knee. But it was much more serious than that.
I won’t bore you with all the details but I actually drove my car 20 miles, following Doug, back to his house. My ankle worked but I couldn’t move my lower leg. It was a miracle that I made it safely. The next day the professionals at the hospital, many of whom were fellow doctors there with Doug, determined that I had suffered a ruptured right quad tendon. Thankfully, I received excellent care, having met and already worked with many of the other doctors at the hospital I taught at.
It would be nine days before I would have surgery to repair the damage – May 2, 2018. Recovery took about two years before I felt confident walking down a flight of stairs. In fact, I was losing hope that I would ever be able to navigate a flight of stairs without holding on to the railing for dear life. Thankfully, five years later, I am almost back to my pre-injury capabilities. And I think that this is as good as it will get – that’s fine with me. It’s very workable and I am grateful that the damage was repairable. One hundred years ago, they would have amputated my leg…
Since then, Doug and I have dealt with the death of Ken on February 29, 2020. We have closed the apartment, distributed his things and made donations to others in need. We secured his headstone and placed his ashes in the family plot northwest of Chicago last summer. So now, there are just the two of us left. I’ve turned seventy and Doug is 21 months behind me… It’s all good as we enter this next season of life.
The verse for tonight is from one of my favorite psalms. Each time I experience a medical situation, I can’t help but be in awe of the human body – God’s creation and His gift to each of us. I also give thanks to the doctors, including my brother, who have studied many years to try and understand the magnificence of God’s creation. And for their care and understanding as emissaries of God – stewards of our health and well being.
The psalmist tells us, in Psalm 139:13-16, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
One of the things that strikes me about this psalm is the fact that God created each of us and then kept us to Himself until he was ready to reveal us to the world when we were born. How exciting to know that God knew us first; and still does know us better than anyone. My encouragement this evening is that God created you in His image, and that means you are perfect as you are, just as He wanted you to be! My prayer is that we will all praise God for the miraculous creations each of us has been endowed with. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…