This story has God winking at me on multiple occasions throughout the past year as God has provided for the replacement, healing and recovery of my knees and the recovery of back issues resulting from limping and not walking correctly for quite some time. God is so good!
Last November 2023, I came to the decision that one or both of my knees had to be replaced. I decided to schedule with the team who had been caring for me for over a decade. Unfortunately, that surgeon needed surgery of his own, and all his schedules were pushed back for months. At that point I decided I could wait.
Fast forward to Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, a night of incredible pain, when I could barely walk on either leg due to failing knees. I cried out to God, saying there was no way I could wait until summer for surgery and cried asking for help to know what to do.
The next morning in church, a friend, Marilyn Leiby, caught me struggling down some stairs and ran to help. She was very concerned as she knew about my knee issues and said that I needed to call Dr. Lebby, that he had replaced her knee last year. This was overheard by another close friend, Kathleen Dent, who had also come over because she could see I was in extreme pain, and after understanding the situation, she also said that Dr. Lebby had replaced multiple knees in her family. They both assisted me up four steps and I was on my way to the 11:00 service down the library hallway … when a third member of our church, Bob Miller, came over to me, saying I didn’t look very good, could he help? I explained about my knees, and he said I needed to call Dr. Lebby as he had replaced both of his knees last year.
I finally made it into the sanctuary and didn’t know whether to cry or laugh, and frankly, I was doing both! All I could think of was the joke about the person who cried for rescue in the flood and God sent a rowboat, a motorboat and a helicopter, and he kept saying no to the helpers because he was waiting for God who had promised to rescue him. There was no doubt in my situation that God had answered my prayer, and I promised that I would call the doctor in the morning. What happened next was shocking — I got this distinct sense of a message that said: “That wasn’t good enough.” I missed the entire sermon trying to figure out what that meant.
At home later that afternoon, I got online to check out who this amazing Dr. Lebby was and if there was any possibility that I could actually get onto his schedule in less than six months. Found out he was head of orthopedics at LVHN. Not bad, he might know what he’s doing! Took at look at his schedule for appointments on MyLVHN [great system BTW] and lo and behold, there was an appointment for two days from then on Tuesday, January 23 at 8:30 a.m! If I had waited until the next day, the appointment might not have been available. Waiting until Monday “wasn’t good enough!”
By 10:30 that Tuesday morning, after meeting the amazing doctor and his amazing team, X-rays, etc. — I left Dr. Lebby’s office with all my appointments for TWO surgeries, BOTH knees before the end of April including all the pre-op and post-op, lab work, PT, EKG, dentist and GP appointments lined up and made! Talk about an answer to prayer!
My first surgery was on April 1. I wrote a note to Dr. Lebby and his team [another God “wink”] beginning with:
Have you ever wondered if you were in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing? There is a story I’d like to tell you quickly to help answer this for today and this is NO April Fools joke!! Then I shared my story above and ended the note with:
This morning there is NO doubt in my mind that WE ALL are in the right place, and the right time, doing the right thing!! None of us are being made “April Fools” here in this place!! Thanks to each of you for being God’s eyes and hands in my healing. May God continue to bless you and your families as you operate as God’s healing hands in this community. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
After reading that note, and after my surgery, Dr. Lebby visited me in my recovery room thanking me for the note. Even though he struck me as a reserved person, he took a seat and spent time talking with me, yes about my recovery, but then stayed longer to share about his involvement with a newly formed church in Bethlehem and a positive reflection on how his church was doing and growing. I shared about our church, and it was a time we could reach out in support of each other as Christian brother and sister.
It was a rough first few weeks, but I went through with the second knee replacement surgery, four weeks to the day from the first, because the first knee was actually strong enough. Dr. Lebby remembered the note.
Speaking of amazing sisters in Christ … God then “winked at” the two Co-ed Bible studies to shower my family with food and special caring, cards and visits during the first six weeks of my recuperation. The help in having a meal prepared that my husband and Rebecca did not have to worry about was so very much appreciated, especially since I kept them up many nights needing their help. God continued providing for me and my family through our church during this time.
Finally, God “winked” me to an amazing PT team at Good Shepherd in Macungie, who continues to guide my incredibly successful and swift recovery. Several of the PTs have shared about their churches and have even sent food for our Sheridan mission! I have also seen several of our church members at that PT facility. We are sharing the recovery road together and encouraging each other in the process.
My knees are not in any pain at all, and I am so grateful and surprised that they are functioning this well six months after the first surgery. There are a few other issues with the prior walking gait’s impacts on my back that are being addressed, but I know that God has that all working out as well. I have faith that I will be totally healed and soon! I still hope to get on the pickle ball and tennis courts soon and am working toward that for spring 2025!
Praise be to God who just keeps on giving in abundance, many answers to my heartfelt prayer! The last Godwink in my story … my Star Word for the year is “abundance!”
