The Unexpected Journey

I was thinking yesterday that I feel somewhat like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz! You know, just living my life as I always do when suddenly there is a tornado out of nowhere, my whole house (life) is picked up and plopped down in some strange land. I have this feeling all the time of "Whose life is this that I have found myself in?! It sure isn't mine..."

But it IS mine now, like it or not. I'm starting out on a new and unexpected journey and I've created this blog because so many of you want to know the details of what has happened and how I am doing. I'm finding that it is exhausting to tell the story and the latest over and over to each invidual person, and this approach helps me conserve my energy and focus on resting and healing.

Thanks for checking in here and caring, and thank you so much for praying. Right now, in the early days after diagnosis, my focus is simply on getting my bearings and then I have every intention of fully engaging in what lies ahead, both the Outward and the Inward Journeys. And I know that I will be OK, and more than OK, because I am not alone. My guide is Jesus and I trust Him so much. And He has blessed me with such dear friends, too...

I've been having trouble with my knee since February....and last week I had an MRI. We fully expected the problem to be a torn meniscus and so were shocked to discover that I've been diagnosed with a rare bone disease called osteonecrosis. Basically, the bone in my knee has suffered something like a stroke. For some unknown reason, the blood supply has been cut off at some point and part of the bone in the knee has died.

This is something not often seen by physicians. My specialist has only seen it 3 times in 18 years and he says that my case is by far the worst due to how extensive the damage is and where the dead bone is located (on the weight-bearing part of the knee).

I will spend the next two months on crutches (have already been on crutches for one month), and I can't do any weight-bearing on the affected leg. Sometimes the area will heal, but the doctor isn't very hopeful that this will happen in my case. The next step would be a total knee replacement surgery.

There are many challenges...figuring out what I can and can't do at home, fighting the Kaiser system to get the care and tests I need (they won't do an MRI of my whole leg, even though it is likely that I have the condition in other joints), and starting to sort out what effect this set-back will have on my ability to work and on the Journey Center mission.

Your prayers are deeply appreciated and, I must say, it's quite different to be the one needing the prayer and support, rather than the one giving it! I am humbled and very grateful for your love and concern. (Thank you for praying for my dear husband, John, as he is ending up with quite a load on top of his usually busy life- cooking, laundry, etc. He is so kind to me!)

So, like Dorothy, I'm off on an unexpected journey! Though I long to be "home" in the life I had before the tornado, this is where I find myself now. Who knows who I will encounter along the way and what transformation I will experience and witness? I will keep you posted.... :-)

Love,
Joanna