What I Named Gracie's 82nd Operation

Larry your live there live your hope with your direct year-old American silly radios Roseburg. This is the program you as a family caregiver and I'm so glad that you without your help to caregivers literature how you stay healthy as you serve as a character wasn't even look like that's what this program is about what you're taking care of somebody with special needs child specialties like autism was you taking care of somebody who has a trauma some type of event that is happened somebody that has an addiction or an alcoholic in your life. Somebody who is doing with WHATEVER it is there's always a caregiver. If there's a chronic impairment. There's a caregiver and caregivers are the ones putting themselves voluntarily between the vulnerable love one. And even worse disaster help to how you help with. Why should you help a caregiver, because if the caregiver goes down.

What could happen to that level. It's a two-for-one deal list and that's what we do the program were glad that you were doing the program today remotely from Denver where I've been here for now, we could have almost 2 weeks now with my wife through her that I think help 82nd surgery and this was a big one. This is a big surgery she's ever had was almost 9 hours and what they had to do that. I appreciate the prayers for the last spoke with you all. I told you we were heading this way and it's reached a critical mass and we had to do it twentysomething years ago the Fuster back bilateral empty as my wife is doubling to both legs. All this is result of her courage she had back in 83 and when and in amputees bilaterally produce both legs lately to the hyperextended her back in silver disk started to deteriorate so they fit in the way they fused back then over 20 years ago was extra for just a little bit but over the years she kept leaning more and more, and she lost the curvature for thoracic. The spot so she had with the call flatback central.

She was been over now at about 40 well more than 40° and it was getting worse and she couldn't function this way and she had used to change the kind of push up against so she wouldn't lean over so far, but was wearing out her elbows, and everything was. It was starting to reach her critical point was known this was coming for some time but is such a big surgery. We can put off as long as we could, but life is a way of dictating when these things are going to happen and so we did and it was a very big surgery.

She just got out of ICU week after the surgery was over and she still nodded regularly. It won't be for some time that is just a long recovery of the surgery went very well.

The surge was very pleased if I could I went into the room there in ICU after the surgery I noticed she was light flat for the first time in a very long time.

Well over 10 years and it is still to take a while for all the muscles and everything to come to work together and this new position.

She said that we think that it's been a very successful procedure for her.

Now the long recovery takes place when I went into this surgeries are anaconda, thought about this because I'm no stranger to this done this a lot and I know part of what Gracie deals with in the in the hospital without painful her reality is and and I went to my first surgery with her three much before we got married back in 1986. That was my first surgery with her. She darted about 20 or so, but it comes and I'd like to think of come a long ways and understanding the dive dynamics in the end the how this all, works of what my role is and I said assaulted on the programs from an interview I had a long time ago.

They asked me was the biggest issue you've dealt with in your years as a caregiver was the hardest thing for you and Hans Dale in his knowing what is mine and what is not mine dear for overreach as a caregiver. Do you ever differ try to take on things that are yours that are you know you're tempted to jump in and tries to get this get this going to this, it is of it's a fine line that which we have to walk and in that process you you have to show some restraint at time she don't want to tell people how to do their jobs, but at the same time if I don't give them enough information then bad things can happen. And those of you have done this long enough it in series of situations understand bad things can happen.

I've seen her fall in the hospital. I've seen her go into seizures of sinker go into respiratory arrest. Amid all the above and I've had to learn over the years that I'm kind of the outcome of the walking historian of her chart in the more information I give them without telling them how to do their job. So really was very careful this time to use language that reflected that if someone asked me about her history, and so forth. But you know she was unconscious for the first five days after the sleek and when they asked about us.

It will in my experience this is what we found. When did this when did this going up to the surgery, gave them as much biographical information as the process in order for them to make the best decisions and I would say stuff like works like. In my experience this is what I found. This is what I witnessed and I think there's a scriptural principle that if you go back and look in revelations that they overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony with her test was her personal experience that I don't know the science of a lot of things he calls Gracie annual some of it but I don't know about trained that I know Gracie and you know your loved ones and we have what I like to call caregiver authority. Where's we've we've witnessed this week.

We know these things. Just like in our relation with Christ.

We don't have to talk about Jesus, we know Jesus and we we we talk about what we know what we experience as believers and people so I'll have the gift of evangelism will do you have the gift of relationship because if you know somebody you could talk about what I know my wife and I could talk about how she's responded to certain things. What I've witnessed and give the. The attending physicians all the information that they make and how she can respond to certain things and so forth and so back off and let them do their job. This is a teaching hospital where we are Denver and these are really, really well-trained, smart people, and spent a very cohesive team approach to taking care of, for they recognize that she's way out in the hinterlands of patient care. She's just been through a lot you know and one point go the anesthesiologist before Gordon surged scheming to spend some time with Gracie and she's been anesthesiologist for long, very, very well respected their hospital.

She just patted her hand honey keep that to a surgeries. She has, and that's what you want and you want to cultivate those kind of relationships with the medical providers are people too. Would you want them to see your loved one as as as a human being, not as just another number and they do. These are people that work very hard to cure people and have been very pleased with all this and I stood back and observed watched given enough information and then back off. That's hard for me because in the past I would come in is okay I have a whole list of things you this is an and I can't do that in courtrooms when none of us gives caregivers. We try to give the best we can, but you know it it's a it's a tough place to walk at least it is for me out about for you, but it is for me because I don't want to overreach, and I found that in my journey with this. I have, but this time I just tried to be very assuring to Gracie and the other thing I've done is I've named this procedure. I have a name for you want talk about that when we come because I felt like I took this program I would into this procedure with a little more clarity of thought what my role is and how I'm going to respond to her that gives her that much more confidence she goes into a very fearful place to talk about help you stay strong and healthy as caregivers. This is Rosenberg this is hope.

Hopefully caregiver.com healthy caregivers make better to hear you are supporting healthy his knowing that your call your secure will be right back program for as a family. Love listen to Gracie sing that song and I know she could be singing again in the not-too-distant future. She's gotta get to this hurdle that she's going through, but the last word she said in preop before the wielder to the surgery door and then they stop even though I told them I was Dr. Rosenberg -related believe me but it's that no I'm just kidding.

But the last word she said the foregoing surgery was he who began a good work in these faithful to complete it to the day of Christ Jesus's extraordinary face and she told us urgencies that look you promise you better pray with me before we go under the surgery that he did tub neurosurgeon and he did. We don't ever dismiss the power of prayer, and I know that so many of you all have prayed I got the notes and appreciate that very much. The surgery was very successful for her and that we have the long recovery process and so there's a lot of work that goes into that, but he does know the plans of the asked for you and he who began a good working this faithful to completed not only just for Gracie but for me and for all of us. If we find ourselves in Christ Jesus, trusting him with this knowing that he's not a band he's not leaving us alone were not thrown to the wolves here is the key. I stopped at the surgery door but but God and he uses these very very bright people who do extraordinary work and you know I want a taste of this struck me that I may not say it all right doing this remotely of been in ICU with her every day there. Let me go up there. I told him I have a picture of Dr. Felty my pocket. No, I'm just but they I was talking the surgeon beforehand.

You don't get nervous, but these are big business that the surgery is a scary surgery all become stuck. But I was told the surgeon he said we do a lot of things here and he said I love doing. I realize what he showed up that morning came to pretty up there with us and we talked in the meals collector sand is it all right already do this work, I get this done.

He was very optimistic. He was eager to get to work because he had all this confidence in who he was as a surgeon was American. There are a lot of searches and some of them can get a little bit. Well you know and but this guy was not an and all the staff that deal with the pain management staff. All of these these really high-powered people have had a humility to them. That is been very refreshing because they're eager to learn and they recognize that Gracie has been through a lot they want to use their considerable skills to make her life better, but he wasn't nervous and you know what I have to be. He was confident of what he could do and we prayed we trust God. We rest a sleepover post something on the top of the saw this a while back said God's awake you go to sleep and I thought as a profound statement do we believe that we believe that he is Lord of all. If he is Lord and all is Lord of all and we believe that it when that surgeon would assault optimism the surgeon he what he didn't come in there with smoke freaked out anything else. He keeps ready go to work just like you and I go to work in our junket oak public speaking is the greatest fear that Americans have did you know that people are terrified enough to speak in public, and I do this every day I howling give a thought to it. I will think of ever been nervous before, speak not just giving the microphone. I know what I'm doing nervous appear, and I realize how many people are terrified of that but that's my job.

I'm not terrified of it. This surgeon I would be terrified and was doing well yeah because I had any training done it before. It's a scary thing, but he wasn't scared he wasn't nervous. He was eager to go to work and help Gracie get better and you know what he did. He told me afterwards of specialist you ask every caller when you call your us that you feel/draft of the surgery you feel he's a little bit tired. We was good surgery.

So get my report card which he stands up. But according to everything we see now with x-rays. It looks good and everything's work needs to be. She's on her way and this discarded.

We gotta get through these challenges of helping her get back up on her prosthetic legs of all the stuff and you know and I was able to rest knowing that I was I had no control dishes no need to be different. There's no need for me to get all freaked out about it. We done everything we can do and that I was able just to rest and know that he is God is is is sovereign in this talking back to my hotel about it in the surgeon told Lisa, don't wait in the waiting room like you crazy. It was really by the time he started the surgery and everything else is really almost a 11 hour day and sucking back to the hotel room was run across Trish my hospital got some work done relaxed and did some laundry here knows that laundry is a big part of the character's fellowship. Gracie's so the closer to dealt with the gettable cleanup on the force of the road where the Bakken of all it comes stuff and made a few phone calls but not many. And you I have some people that were concerned, so you can be by yourself diverted… Pretty good. I did need a lot of people hovering around and I have some dear friends here in the Denver area that have been here for me at careful of the people I know for 40 years but I just kind of breezed and rested in this you know there's a reason I do this program differently than just about anybody else that you will hear dual caregiver program constantly character I deal with this reality every single day, and these principles that I talk about these.

These are how I do it.

This is how I live and I see people around me be when you're at a teaching hospital at this the big Children's Hospital. You see a lot of difficult situations. I got to talk to a few people read here they're here with family members that are having surgeries and kids that are going to some pretty tough time spent some time with just just hang just listing and the report came back from the surgery and it would very well at it. I cut. I made all the protocols that I needed to make the family and so forth. And then I can shut it down and had a bite to eat and just Breezed I just went on the bed, knowing that I could get into see her until they stop told me that I could such a standby will call you when you can come and see your head. So what did I just cut was still and quiet. Thanking the Lord that it went well and knowing that everything that could have gone wrong didn't and I was very grateful for that is a gray she's going to have a new lease on life and a better quality of life and it had an and in my fretting or lack thereof did not affect that and I've learned over the years that I don't have to get myself all to froth about this, you are you able to rest in this, to know that God is already there is Gracie that were praying in preop. He was already in surgery do we believe these things is this is this is this something that grips us and that we know that we can rest it can we go to sleep knowing that God's awake these are hard things for us to wrap our minds around in the midst of some very difficult, painful things that we have to deal with his caregivers because we all do. If your carrier for any length of time.

If you're going to get this place reaches bang your head against the wall or fear grips you so much that I just keep coming back to that surgeon. I like doing this. He wasn't scared by your job.

Are you scared to do your job. I doubt your now. Do you think God scared to do his job, course.he's God, but it seems so far removed from us, and yet Scripture says he is near to the brokenhearted and his tender mercies is faithfulness. All these things and even when it looks so bleak.

He's near to you in this and gray. She's in a lot of pain and she will be in a lot of pain, some of this were hoping to correct she's been paying for 38 years is a mirror to her in this PS and is couple points of very meaningful times face timed was John Erickson taught us and she does she saying to Gracie and we just we just had such a sweet, had different folks and I will do that with an indoor toaster. Gracie could respond, she was intubated and they just thing to the prayed with that. We just allow ourselves to just trust that God is moving us down this river in ways that we can't always expect or get herself freaked out about the police. Please understand this. I base sound very wise and spiritual right now. Used to think the people that say the things I say may help were very wise and spiritual start to realize that maybe they were just tired and weary as I've been doing this a long time and have done it so many times in somebody ways were just went off the rails and I push myself to inhuman levels and I'm just too old and hard to get this crazy and I said that to pastor Brenda Levy said well you can't rest the less you weary you know it's okay to be weird because now you can rest to go ahead and accept the fact that you weary.

Jesus said, to me, all you want to give you that update I got special interview coming up here in the next to say thank you for indulging me to share my story with you all the great storms you will continue to dispose of your prayers. Healthy caregivers make better cared bureaus murder hope to.com. Some of you know the remarkable story of Peter's wife Gracie and recently Peter talk to Gracie about all the wonderful things that emerge from her difficult journey. Take a listen Gracie. When you envision doing a prosthetic limb outreach.

Did you ever think the inmates would help you do not in a million years. When you go to the facility run by core civic and you see the faces of these inmates that are working on prosthetic limbs that you helped collect from all of the country that you put out the plea for and their disassembly sell these legs like what you have your own prosody and arms and orange everything when you see all this makes me cry because I see the smiles on their faces and I know I know what it is like someplace where you can't get out without somebody else allowing you to get out me in the hospital. These men are so glad that they get to be doing is one said something good with my did you know before you became a deputy that parts of prosthetic limbs could be recycled. I had no idea I thought Peg leg.

I thought of wooden legs. I never thought of titanium and carbon legs and flexibly see legs and all that. I never thought about.

As you watch these inmates participate in something like this, knowing that there there helping other people available providing the means for the supplies to get over there. What is it do to you.

Just on the heart level. I wish I could explain to the world. What I see in here and I wish that I can able to come and say the this guy right here in Africa with that. I never not feel that way out every time you know you always make me have to lead I don't want to leave. I feel like I'm at home with them and I feel like that we have a common bond that would never expected that only God could put together. Now that you could experience with what you think of faith based programs or core civic offers. I think there is absolutely awesome and I think every person out there that have faith-based program because he return right of the men that are involved in this particular faith-based program and other ones like it, but I know about this one are is amazingly great compared to those who think that says that is with me just has something to do with God. Somebody help other people want to donate and use prosthetic live, whether from a loved one who passed away or you somebody well-groomed you donated some of your own for the habit out of the please go to staining with.com/recycle pain.

We