A difficult day for my friend

The telephone rang this morning at 7:30 am. The caller on the other end of the line was my good friend, Judy. We've been friends since the 1960's when we met after our little family returned to live in Canada from Northern Ireland.

Judy was a vibrant, energetic, exuberant gal and often was seen jogging and swinging her two little children around in play.

Now, her poor body is ravaged with reumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. She wanted to make sure that I was awake and ready to take her to Hamilton for her check up after her sixth hip surgery six weeks ago. I assured her that I was getting ready and would be at her hospital here in Guelph in time to get her to the Hamilton Hospital.

Getting her into the car was difficult necessitating my lifting her from the wheelchair due to the severe pain but we finally were on our way. The appointment, though, turned out to be a very sad one for Judy and her husband. The news was not good. Many tears were shed. Her hip operated on six weeks ago is doing wonderful but her right hip, her "good" one, is not doing well and in six weeks, the "cup" that was inserted into that hip has moved up 4 mm into her abdomen causing a "gap", etc.

So, emergency surgery will be done, yet again, in about two weeks on this poor body. He guarantees nothing and even says that during the surgery, he might have to remove her complete hip and she will be confined to her wheel chair the rest of her life. And yet without the surgery, that is what will be the outcome as well. So, she's opted for the surgery to take place and if you believe in prayer, please say a prayer for my good friend, Judy.

After getting her back to Guelph late afternoon, I, too, was saddened by this news and took a walk with Geordie along the Speed River here in Guelph to do some thinking and praying for my dear friend.

Reflections Along the Speed River