I Broke My Leg

2 June 2018

I haven't posted since the middle of May because I broke my leg and spent time at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center (one week), then at St. Joseph's Villa Rehab Center for a week. I got to come home today, Saturday, June 2, 2018.

On Friday, May 18, a little after 7 a.m., I caught the toe of my shoe on a piece of uneven pavement while walking across the plaza around the Conference Center. In this mission, they put a sticker on the back of our name tags with the number for security, just in case something like this happens. I called security right away, then called my husband, to let him know I was being taken care of. (He moves slowly in the mornings, and he drives in, while I usually walk.)
Security arrived quickly and arranged for an ambulance to take me to the hospital - and Bob met me at the hospital.

Unfortunately, my right femur was broken, just at the point where it meets the hip bone. So, that afternoon, I had Gamma Nail surgery. That means they drove a rod down the middle of my femur and attached it to my hip at the top (with some type of bolt) and then also attached it near the bottom of the femur, with a screw, to prevent the rod from rotating.

All of my big injuries and surgeries in the past 10 years have been on that upper, right leg. Hopefully I won't find any new way to injure it after this!!

The day after surgery they tried to get me up and walking but I was so weak I couldn't even stand without feeling like I was going to pass out. So, during the night (Sat/Sun) they gave me two pints of blood, and on Sunday I felt like a new person! Turns out I was a quart low! :-) From then, on, I was able to make a little more progress each day with walking and other activities.
I feel blessed by all the expressions of love and the many prayers in my behalf. And I’ve had many tender mercies along the way. It feels good to be making progress, and to be home! I'm supposed to have two weeks of in-home physical therapy and follow ups with my orthopedic surgeon and my primary care physician, then, we'll see how it goes from there. . .
Before my fall, I had recorded some special things that happened in the mission, so I'll add those here: We had a wonderful mission conference a few days before my fall. Because our mission is so large, and everyone’s schedule varies so much, we usually have two days of conference each month, and missionaries attend whichever day best fits their schedule. This month, I went to both sessions because it was so good!

Instead of hearing from our mission presidency, or a guest speaker, the theme of the conference was “The Spirit of Elijah,” and we heard from eight different missionaries each day who told story after story (miracle after miracle) of how the Spirit of Elijah has nudged them in their family history endeavors, and how the Holy Ghost has guided them to information and experiences they would have otherwise missed.

By attending both sessions of conference I heard 16 different inspiring accounts – and I’m hoping the mission will publish them in some form. I don’t know (and don’t remember the names of) most of those who spoke, so I can’t ask them for a copy of what they said.

Because our mission focuses on preserving, and making available, records of our ancestors, our mission choir is called, The Elijah Choir. Our current choir director is Sister Vanja Watkins. She has been on the Church Music Committee for many years and wrote the music for the hymn, “Families Can Be Together Forever” among others. She composed the words and music for the number the choir sang for this conference (“Truth from Elijah”) and it was fabulous to hear. We are so blessed! (I found an abbreviated version of this hymn on-line, sung by children, but hearing it from a large choir of adult voices, with expanded verses, was awesome.)

I’ve had some success this week adding photos and data to Family Search. Information had been missing for some of the descendants of my great-grandfather, Martin Luther Wade. He had children from two different wives, and I had most of the information from one set of children, (the line I’m descended from) but not the others (the ones who were ½ siblings to my Grandfather Wade.) It felt good to flesh some of that out. There’s more to discover and gather, of course, but, I’m making progress. 

The big, "Be One" celebration, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the revelation on the priesthood was held here on June 1, and we were able to stream it live from my room in the rehab center. Like many others, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news on June 1, 1978. My heart still fills with joy at the memory of that wonderful revelation!!

Its exciting to see all the ways that President Nelson is so energetically and enthusiastically leading us into the future! We are blessed!!