Soooo...wazzup real world?

Apparently, my sister won't update my blog now that I'm home...Home? You may ask. Just in case you haven't heard, hear is the scoop...as mentioned in my sister's update, I had to have surgery on my shoulder while in the MTC. Well, they had me recovering there in the sick-bay at the MTC clinic. That's where you put a post-op asthmatic...in the sick bay, right? One week before my follow-up with the surgeon, I came down with an upper respiratory infection, for which I went and saw the MTC doctor, who then decided that I need to come home...many more detail on my feelings of that decision, but hey, it's the Christmas season, right? Who needs to think about that? So, needless to say, I'm home (technically "released" from full-time missionary status, but kind of put in time-out, with hopes that I will be able to return after all the torture...I mean healing.) Well, in the process of sending me home (the post-op asthmatic with an upper respiratory infection, who is now being placed on an airplane), I managed to catch an infection in the arm that I had surgery on. This managed to be a blessing in disguise...no orthopedic surgeon here wanted to take me on as a patient without having done the surgery, an understandable concern...what with liability and crap. Well, the infection managed to get me to the ER, where the ER doc consulted with an ortho surgeon, who then had to take me on as a patient. I have to admit, I was VERY glad about being home by this point, because the ER staff know me and I haven't ticked any of them off, so the nurses kept my blood level of morphine at a very acceptable level. Anyways, my PT had to be postponed due to the infection. I had my follow-up with the ortho here, who told me that because PT was postponed so long, I have developed "frozen shoulder" on top of needing PT for post-op recovery. Basically, being 23 years old bit me in the butt (or shoulder) and caused the scar tissue to form nice and strong, quickly...however, it's not quite where it needs to be, and the scar tissue is so tightly formed, my shoulder doesn't want to move...and no one can make it. Last Wed, I had my first PT appt (i.e. H-E-Double Hockey Sticks). They are trying to break up the scar tissue with hopes of avoiding the alternative:I get to go back into surgery where the ortho will "manipulate my shoulder and break up the scar tissue himself." After 4 PT visits this is the analogy that I've drawn: PT is breaking the scar tissue up one fiber at a time, kind of like pulling a band-aid off one hair at a time. The surgery just rips it all apart at once...like ripping the band-aid off-it hurts A LOT more initially, but gets the job done faster. At least that's the way I understand it. I think I get 2 more visits before the physical therapists decide if they are "satisfied" with how I'm "progressing." If the ortho does have to go in and "break it up himself" then I get to go to PT 5 days a week for 4 weeks after...YAY!!! Anyways, I'm slowly getting settled home...and getting used to the fact that I am no longer a missionary. It's definitely wierd being home for Christmas after planning on missing 2 of them, but it's nice to see the tree up and to be honest...presents! This has definitely been a "different" holiday season than I initially planned, but if there is one thing I learned at the MTC, it's that God knows what He has in store for you and He know MUCH better what you need than you do, so just trust in Him, roll with the punches (or surgeries), and eventually, it will all work out the way it needs to be.

¡Feliz Navidad!