Friday, September 17, 2010

CPM - Continuous Passive Motion

For those of you that read my blog or are my friend on Facebook you know that on September 7, 2010 I had to have a total knee replacement on my left knee. The surgery was needed due to inherited degenerative arthritis and not taking care of it as I should have. The surgery itself was not as painful as I had expected but the recovery has turned out to push my pain tolerance. A major piece of my physical therapy is a machine called a CPM which stands for Continuous Passive Motion. This machine slowly takes the injured leg and moves it to a bend position at a specified angle and then straightens it back to a completely flat position. I am to use the machine always increasing the bent angle every day in order to keep my knee from stiffening and becoming unusable. As I sat this evening with my leg harnessed in the machine, I began to think of how much that CPM machine is like my church family.


Let me explain: Since my surgery I have had to miss several church services and I have truly in my heart missed the fellowship, love and encouragement I receive when I join with my brothers and sisters in God's House. It seems that I need them to be my spiritual Continuous Passive Motion. There are times in my walk with Christ that I become stiff and unwilling to move easily. It is at those times that a dear sweet Christian friend will give a hug, speak a word or smile a certain smile that moves me to that next degree. Google defines Passive Motion as "Movement of a patients joint by a person who is examining or treating the patient." There are those weary tiring time when we just don't see, feel or hear God or His next step for us to take but if we are connected to a CPM type of group then there is some there to "examine and treat you by moving you". I thank God tonight for my dear church family especially my small ladies group that have not only been there physically during this surgery but even more for the fact that they have been my Spiritual CPM machine.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Population of one

Over the last few weeks I have spend much of my time preparing for total knee replacement surgery tomorrow. During this prep time I have made sure there was food in the house for the family, paperwork was in order for my co-workers at the office and bills were paid so others wouldn't have to worry with it. But while doing all of this I have to admit that I spent a lot of time thinking...... thinking about myself and how the surgery would effect me alone. As I got into the car the other day with all the "what ifs" on my mind Matthew West's song "My Own Little World" came on the radio and I realized no matter what happens with this surgery there is a larger world out there with the bigger hurt and worry of where they will spend their eternity. THat is now where my mind and heart is focused. I am including Matthew's words for you in hopes that you too will see more that a population of one. (The youtube embedding disabled but I have included the link.)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvSwcMp9vU4