Hello Folks,
Before I begin my blog entry today, I want to take a moment to send my thoughts and prayers to all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001 in the attack on the Twin Towers in New York City.
I was a school counselor at Manor Middle School in the Penn Manor School District of Lancaster County, Pa. I still remember standing with the building principal and watching an office television after the first airliner crashed into the first Twin Tower. Within minutes, the second plane was seen heading towards the second building... OMG! "This is a planned assault on innocent American lives!"
I remember suggesting to the principal that our 12-14 yr. old students should not be watching this unfold in a classroom without their parents guidance to help them understand and cope with this tragedy. He agreed and asked all classroom teachers to please turn off their televisions.
I may have made a totally different suggestion had we been with older students. This was an historic event that teenagers soon to be adults will carry with them throughout their lives.
We were inundated with phone calls from parents who were coming to take their children home. We weren't prepared for the mayhem that developed afterward. Our driveway was filled with cars as frightened parents descended onto the school property fearing that we were all fair targets for terrorism. We had a tough time getting even our own buses into the parking lot to pick up students to take home.
Throughout this entire process, I couldn't help but worry about my own three sons who would be home alone during this very stressful time in our family's life. Here I was helping all of my student's families, yet no one was assisting my own. I held a highly responsible position in the school system that required me to stay on site until every last child was safe and secure in their own home with a guardian or parent.
Someday, I'll recount the time I entered the school building with yet another principal to retrieve personal items for staff members during a bomb scare.. Oh, yeah.
Well, folks, I'll be returning to the hospital on Tuesday, September 13, 2011, to have my left knee manipulated and arthroscopic surgery performed to remove and break scar tissue. It has been close to 50 days since my knee wasreplacemed and I still cannot bend it! This will all come to an end on Tuesday.
Will it be painful? Most likely, but I can withstand the pain to have the use of my new knee restored! I saw an x-ray of my knee apparatus and it looked rather good. Now to get the soft tissue free so that I can move it and strengthen my leg once again.
I will be in the hospital for a few days afterward to make sure all is well and the pain is under control. The surgeon may use a CPM (continuous passive movement) device. It is a mechanical device that will move my knee while I rest. Hopefully, the constant movement will help prevent more scar tissue from forming again immediately after the procedure.
Please be aware that this may be my last blog entry until I return home. God bless!
Take Care and Be Safe!
Dad
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