The Bionic Woman

I haven’t written on this blog for quite awhile, and there’s far too much to catch up on, so I’ll just start with what’s going on now. I’m a mess. Over the past 6 months, I’ve discovered that I have osteonecrosis, a disease causing bone to collapse, in both my knees, my right wrist, AND both my hips, and the pain in my hips has progressed to the point that I am having bilateral (i.e. both) hip replacement next week. Yes, at only 27 years old, I will be the bionic woman.

Yesterday, we were watching Raising Hope, and Burt was describing to Virginia why he fell in love with her in high school even when she was in a back brace.
Burt: “I knew you were out of my league.”
Virginia: “I was not, I was in a back brace!”
Burt: “That was a bonus! It was like you were hot and bionic!”

Zack and I turned to each other, and I gave him a smirk and was like, “Ohhh yeahhhh.” Raising Hope may now be my favorite show.

And that's not the only positive reference to bionic women in today's media. Ever wondered what inspired the popular song "Titanium" by David Guetta? Take a look at some of the lyrics:

"You shoot me down, but I won't fall
I am titanium"

"I am titanium"? Seriously? What else could this line be referring to but my new hips?

I appreciate finding the humor in my situation, but the truth is that the path to becoming the bionic woman has its downsides. Last month my doctor put a cast on my right wrist to ease the pain, and I started using a walker to get around at home and at work. After school, while using my walker to get outside to wait for my students’ parents to pick them up, I had two parents come up to me and ask about my car accident. I had no idea what they were talking about until one of them cast a sheepish glance at my cast and walker.

Though the pain is constant and at times, mind-numbing, the amazing thing is the love people have shown me through this experience. Parents at my school have brought me meals because it’s hard for me to shop and cook. Friends have arranged plans around my limitations so I can be involved. The valet in front of my doctor’s office yesterday ran to get a wheelchair for me when he saw I was having a hard time getting out of my car. In all these expressions of kindness and compassion, I see God’s love for me.

1 John 4:12 NCV
12 No one has ever seen God, but if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is made perfect in us.