Quite a few of you will know that early in January, I had a ‘statutory’ appointment at a local hospital with an orthopaedic surgeon (hospital regular checkup). It wasn’t the ‘usual’ surgeon, which didn’t bother me – until he did something with my right knee which then – and to this day – I can’t understand what he was doing or trying to achieve. Knees, as I’m sure you know (!) are designed to bend backwards and forwards: this doctor took hold of the sole of my right foot (quite hard), and pushed his left hand against the side of my right knee – and then proceeded to pull my foot hard towards him, and push my knee hard away from him. The bone-cracking noises were awful: the pain so unbelievable I wanted to scream. The pain in them is strong enough anyway without this doctor’s action. I have to confess that I said to him, when I could breathe again, that if he did the same to my left leg, that he might have to be prepared for a broken nose…. When I put my right leg down on the floor, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stand on it, let alone walk: in fact, I couldn’t walk at all for the next 4 days, even going from my living room to my kitchen (about 15 feet/ 5 metres) on my stomach, rather like a snake….
And the truth is, 6 months on, I can still hardly walk: I’ve forced myself to walk, to do some meetings, and in May, I went to Colombia. I knew it would be difficult, and knew I’d have to walk a fair bit, so I swallowed my pride and rented a wheelchair, the first time I’ve ever had to go down that route. It feels as though the doctor has permanently damaged my right knee. I know that there are many who’ll tell me to have the knees replaced, but there’s a 2- 2½ year waiting list, so I don’t have anything to gain by just saying ‘put me on the list’ – until God intervenes and heals them.
I should, in fact, have gone to Colombia again yesterday, Friday, as the May trip was to find a property for Thanney to convert/renovate as another street kids house. A good house was found, but something else happened during the May trip that wisdom told me would make it unwise to go…. 🙁
One morning early in the trip, I was due to go to see a doctor I know for steroid injections into the knees, to ease the pain and make walking – and standing up, to preach. My legs felt ‘odd’ and when I looked at them, it appeared that someone had stood me up to my thighs in a bath of beetroot juice! And boy, were they sore! My legs swelled up, and swollen knees that already struggled to bend was not helpful. The picture below was about 50% of the inflammation of that first morning: the caption and picture were posted by the lovely Christian dentist/Pastor, Ana Lucia Arbelaez. Rightly, the orthopaedic doctor wouldn’t pump my with steroid, as he didn’t know what was wrong with my legs.
I was recommended to see a doctor – who it turned out I knew(!) – a pastor and a doctor, a medical doctor and a naturopath, Gustavo Escobar. I’ve preached in his church, but not for about 10 years: he’s a great doctor, even better, he’s great fun! One look at my legs, and he’d diagnosed chronic cellulitis – a bacterial skin infection that can be very serious. Seems it can become sepsis: and causes circulation problems – blocked veins, and – it seems – I have acquired a blocked artery in my heart. So with long-haul flying being a cause of deep vein thrombosis, much as it ‘hurt’ not to go to Colombia, wisdom told me not to take on a 10 hour flight, even though on this trip I’d have had some assistance walking or in a wheelchair from Thanney. The enemy nagged away at me saying God will look after you’ – yes, I know he can, but he’s also given me wisdom, and the doctor suggested I’d made a good decision!
I won’t deny it was hard when giving Thanney a final hug as we said goodbye! I would ask for your prayers for total healing – not just for the cellulitis, but with a 2½ year waiting list for replacement knee surgery (which I’ve never felt right about having anyway, if I’m honest) I believe that God IS going to heal the knees. Today I had two ‘words’ from very dear spiritual friends: I’d posted a quote on Facebook – ‘If you can’t see it before you see it, you’ll never see it’ – and these friends, Brian Louden and Rene Martal, unconnected with each other (in fact in different countries – England and France, responded: Brian ( (PS – I’ve “seen” you with healed knees). Be healed.) and Rene (That’s strange Paul, I had the same vision of your healed knees this morning ! I don’t know how, but I think something good will take place) so – what the enemy means for harm, God means for good!
The inflammation IS going down, and I’m asking God to heal them – knees and cellulitis – by the time Thanney comes home on 31 July! And for the veins and arteries to be completely clear, too…..
If the title ‘basketball knees’ is an indication of your faith to play basketball when you get healed does that mean I have to pray for you to grow taller as well? In any case I’m still standing with you for complete healing.