A few last random pictures

Here are a few random pictures of my stay at my sisters. First off, Natalie fell asleep on the floor. Tessa tried to wake her up and when she wasn't successful, decided to cover Natalie up with a blanket. Then I guess she decided that it looked comfortable, so she crawled under the blanket and fell asleep too. SO ADORABLE
Natalie fell asleep on the floor again. And Tessa attempted to wake her up again. I wish this is how I woke up each morning:


This time, Tessa fell asleep. Like Wednesday Addams.
Here's Tessa showing me how to work the TV. Her look is saying "I can't believe you don't know how to do this"
Then she decided to REALLY be a ham:
And here she is being a sweetheart
And here's Natalie and I. Too bad my finger blocked some of the flash, because this was the only good one of both of us in a bunch of attempts at pictures:)

Zoo part two

Next on the list of things to do at the zoo were the kimodo dragons. They are a very dangerous animal. One of the dragons they had was so dangerous, it had to be kept in isolation from the other dragons. My warped little nieces were the cutest while looking at these deadly animals. They are TOTALLY each others' best friend. Here are some pictures of the cuteness. These were NOT posed, they did this all on their own. The first one is my favorite:


The girls wanted to "go swimming" with the sea lion and wanted to climb through/over the gate:
One of their highlights of the zoo was the play ground. Figures.
Natalie hung out by the spinny slide and went down that thing like twenty times
Tessa loved playing in the mist maker. This was especially entertaining to me after the experience at the splash park (see earlier post). Watch the video and at the very end, you can tell she's part Italian (well, it looks like it, but that she doesn't realize it lol)


Overall, it was VERY fun. It was tough to get them off the playground to see other animals. We had to bribe them. Oh, kids. Papa Hargis and Aunt Caca were pretty tired by the end, and even better, so were Natalie and Tessa. I think we ALL slept very well that night. Have I mentioned that I adore my nieces?

Taking the monkeys to the zoo

Next big event was the LA Zoo. Papa Hargis (my dad) and I took the girls to the zoo. I hadn't been since I was little and all I remembered was a two headed snake, so I had a blast, and so did the girls so I think it was a success. The petting zoo was closed, which was a major bummer especially because that was one of the main reasons we went to the LA zoo. The pachyderm exhibit was under construction too, but that turned out to be okay because Tessa didn't want to see the
"lelaphants" because they apparently spit at people. Right inside the gates the girls were mesmerized by the seals:
Then we got a day pass for the tram. BEST INVESTMENT EVER!!! You can ride to and from different parts of the park an unlimited amount of times. SO WORTH IT. Plus, it was a hit:
Here, they're enjoying looking at something, I can't remember what. I love the smile reflected in the glass:
There was this HUGE orangutan that the girls liked initially, when he climbed up on the ledge and sat against the glass, it was HILARIOUS watching all the little kids scatter. Then they slowly walked back up to the glass.
We got to watch the monkey pick it's nose:

Monkey see, monkey do:
As a snack we found a place that sold..
Churros!!! We also got to see the "giraffees". There was a mommy, a daddy, and a baby giraffee. The daddy kept giving the baby kisses...or maybe cleaning bugs off him, but the first option sounds better:
There was this guy pushing a lot of strollers...in a stroller. The creepy thing, there were no kids around him. Anyways, I went to take a picture and Natalie realized neither she nor her sister were in the picture, and fixed that right away.

Splash Park

So, there is this little splash park not that far from my sister's house. I decided to take the girls. They were very excited to wear their swim suits. Natalie (I think) kept saying her diaper needed to be changed because it was wet, and didn't believe me when I said it was okay (I wasn't being cruel, it was a swimmers diaper). The weren't too keen on being squirted, but they LOVED squirting other people. They were also okay when I carried them through the different sprinkler like thingies. Here's a video of their favorite "toy there". Natalie's in the green Little Mermaid swim suit and Tessa's in the purple Tinkerbell one.



Here's Tessa being a ham:

Here's Natalie spraying other kids:
Here's Tessa patiently waiting in line for this boy who was hogging the sprayer...he was a little brat, which was encouraged by his mother (but I'm not bitter). I have to admit I was a little proud of her when she told him "IT'S MY TURN NOW".
Here are the girls trying to get the water off of there "pitty swim suits":
And last but not least, this was their favorite activity there:
Aren't they so adorable? Maybe now that they know what the splash park is, they'll be more adventuresome the next time they go.

More pictures

So I didn't finish my "summer of pictures" in a week...sue me. Here was the next event of the summer. Natalie and Tessa's first trip to Momo's. I.e. the BEST sushi place ever. Of course, they didn't eat sushi, but Tessa was a natural at chopsticks. She was able to pick up her Cheez its with normal chopsticks, then they brought out the "kiddie chop sticks" which have this little mechanism that makes them easier to use. After failing at her attempt to pick up "nemenemens" (M&Ms) with them, she found Cheez its were a piece of cake with chop sticks. Here is a demonstration of the nemenemens...and sort of using them to pick up cheez its:


Here's a video of Tessa using the chopsticks normally. She looks like she does it everyday!

A summer of pictures

Okay, here's the first of many posts over the next week about my summer. It started off with me flying to Cali to stay at my sister's AWESOME new (to them) house. We were able to have a pre-birthday present opening (they were turning 3 shortly after I left for EFY). I got them the series of books called Walter the Farting Dog and a book called the Tushy Book. Hey, they call me Caca, what do you expect? Here's Nattie with the Farting Dog book:

And Tessa with the Tushy Book:


I think Tessa's face is a perfect description of how much they like presents:



I watched my adorable nieces while Jocelyn and Jeremy took a vacation to San Francisco. They were going to sneak out of the house early before the girls woke up to ease the transition. However, Tessa ruined that plan by waking up at 4 a.m. In order to make her not sad about J-squared leaving, I promised the best thing in the world. A trip to Costco. What makes this trip the best? Churros and Lem-a-lade. As you can see, they're no longer sad.

What a summer!!!

So this summer has been crazy, but it's been a BLAST. I got to spend a couple weeks with my awesome sister and her family. My sister and her hubby went out of town for a few days and I watched my nieces, which is SOOOO much fun. I love them so much! We went to the zoo and saw "girrafees" but not lelaphants (because they apparently spit at people, according to Tessa...which was good because they were working on the elephant area anyways). Despite the petting zoo being closed (even though that was what was going to be a highlight of the day), we had a blast. Pictures will come eventually. The girls also got to experience chopsticks for the first time, and were naturals...again video to come eventually. I can't upload any of that right now because I am in Buena Vista (pronounced BEWna vista) at EFY again. I got a job as the health counselor again. I LOVE it here. It's busy, but fun. Weekends have been fun too. The first weekend a bunch of us went to see Toy Story 3 and bridge jumping (I didn't jump because I believe that would go under the category of "don't do anything stupid" in my instructions from the surgeon). I LOVED that movie!!! I think it was on the same plane as the first one, if not better. The second weekend we had a John Wayne marathon and a bunch of people went to Virginia Military Institute for fireworks. I stayed in for the marathon. I wanted to go the fireworks, but I was on the verge of a cold and just chilled on the couch. Last weekend we saw Despicable Me, which was good and had a big barbecue. Overall we haven't had too many big incidents other than the fire alarm was pulled resulting in 25 fire trucks, some of which coming from surrounding counties (big old wooden building causes EVERYONE to come). As disappointed as THEY were that they didn't get to play, it was nice not to need them. I took one participant to the rescue squad after he decided it was a good idea to put a ring on his finger that he found...which was too small, therefore cutting off circulation. THIS weekend we're going to DC and having my birthday party, so I'm sure it'll be an awesome time. Hope all is going well with everyone out there.

I'm officially done...for now

So, I met with the surgeon on Thursday after 3 more weeks of PT. Again, he said how I have great motion, but still need quite a bit of work on my strength. I have been told that it's okay for me to stop PT (good, considering I'm going to be gone for 2 months this summer) if I promise to "work like crazy" on muscle strength and "don't do anything stupid". I had my final eval with the physical therapist on Friday, and he agreed. He commented on how far I've come in just the past few weeks. So, I am officially done with PT...for now. I meet with the surgeon on August 10 when I get back, after "being on my own" for a couple months, and he'll decide if I need a little more PT. YAY!!!! Where am I going, you may ask? I will be visiting my fabulous sister and her family in their brand new home in Corona, CA for a couple weeks, part of the time babysitting my nieces while Jocelyn and Jeremy have a fun (and much needed) vacation. From there, I head to Buena Vista (pronounced Bew-na vista...if you get it wrong, you WILL be corrected), VA for EFY again. I'm going to be the advil pusher...I mean health counselor for 5 weeks, then a week off, then I will be a health counselor for a week in San Antonio, TX...San Antonio for the first week of August...Air conditioning anyone? Anyways, that's the summary of what's been going on with me.

Slowly but surely.

So, time for another update. Two weeks ago, the physical therapist decided it was time to see if I could bear weight on my shoulder yet. So, I got down on my hands and knees, and the exercise was to lift my left arm (so, I'm supporting myself with the right one), put it down, then switch. Well, supporting myself with my right arm wasn't too bad, I was just a little shaky. Then I went to lift my right arm and support myself on my left one, and face planted on the floor. I guess I wasn't quite ready to bear weight yet. Anyways, on Thursday, I had my 2 month follow-up with my surgeon. He was VERY pleased with my full range of motion and the strength I've built up this far. However, he feels (and I totally agree) that I need to continue to really work on strength. So, I have 2 more appointments of PT scheduled, then they will re-test my strength and everything. Hopefully, I'll be back to building up muscle in no time. I'm excited that I've been blessed with AMAZING PT staff and an awesome surgeon. It's really made the difference. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself once I'm done. Shoulder stuff has been my life for the past 7 months. Just thought I'd update everyone. Not a ton of news, but I'll take it! Hopefully within the next week or two (or three) I'll be able to support myself using my left arm WITHOUT falling on my face. Hey, at least I provided entertainment for the staff, right?

Sallie Mae will be the end of me

Okay, so this time last year, I was unemployed, planning on going on a mission beginning of September, getting ready to start a summer at EFY, and applying to defer my student loans (I have 2 from paramedic school). Sound familiar, that is my EXACT SAME situation right now. Why then, would it be so dang impossible to apply for the SAME deferment with the SAME credentials? I DON'T GET IT!!!! One of the loans was totally simple to apply for deferment. I logged in, clicked on apply for deferment, entered in the date my last one was ending and the reason I needed it. THAT'S IT! Sallie Mae...you need a degree from MIT to figure out their website, which by the way is "new and improved". So 1-website is near impossible to figure out unless you know EXACTLY what sequence to hit certain buttons. 2-I called customer service to try and ask an "expert" for some help. I would have really appreciated a person who even had the slightest clue as to what I was talking about and could speak UNDERSTANDABLE English. UGH! What is this country coming to? I just want to admit that I'm broke and need a little extra time to pay off the money I needed to survive the year of hell that I suffered to be a caring, compassionate, loving person qualified to save lives. UGH!

Progress!

So, I LOVE how I've recovered from this last surgery (the one on the left arm). This surgery has been SO much more "enjoyable" (I couldn't think of another word) than the first one. I did have a minor setback with my "some kind of reaction to something" but luckily, my surgeon and his PA are very aggressive in treating stuff like this. So, lots of meds later, it has almost cleared up. On April 1, I had my 4 week follow-up (yes, I was a little nervous about seeing a surgeon on April Fool's). He was very pleased with how much motion and strength I had. I have almost full range of motion, and I have strength with my arm in certain positions that I've NEVER had. YAY! He signed me off to start physical therapy, and referred me to the PT office in the same building that he's in. The best part of this visit? I FINALLY got to get rid of that big bulky sling that I'd grown so accustomed to wearing (I'd worn it 3 out of the last 5 months!). Hopefully, to never wear one again! Anyways, I've done one week of PT and I LOVE the new place. The facility has a lot of different type of equipment to use and the entire staff is just wonderful (i.e. not the h-e-double hockey sticks that the other place was). They were also excited that I already had so much motion. So, they are able to skip over a lot of the normal post-op beginning stuff (getting back your range of motion) and jump right into the good stuff (strengthening, etc). They are also working on posture...I've now been told by my surgeon, his PA, and 2 different PT staff members that they need to work on my back muscles and "fix" my posture. I guess my piano teacher was right, I need to sit up straight. Apparently this caused some of my shoulder problems, my shoulders are rolled forward quite a bit, taking out the main muscle support from my back, causing a ton of weakness in the back of my shoulders, which is where all my major injuries were. As the physical therapist put it "your shoulder blades are almost parallel to the floor. They shouldn't be like that." So that is where they're focusing now. My surgeon is great in listening to his patients, too, and saw how much PT I did on my right shoulder, and he said "you won't have to go as often for this shoulder, because you already know the exercises from the last time, so maybe 1-3 times a week just to get your exercises for that week" YAY!!! Overall, I've been VERY pleased with this surgery altogether. It's about time!

Hope

For those of you that may be having one of those days where you just want to go to bed and wake up with a new day, watch this. It reminds you of the happiness you can feel and experience. It reminds you that you have a father in Heaven that knows you and gives you what you need. I've had some rough days lately trying to stay positive despite having had 5 surgeries in a year. I was so grateful that this surgery went so much smoother than the first. Then 2 weeks post-op, I developed welts on my arm starting around the incision, then spreading over my whole shoulder. Anyone that knows about joint surgery knows that if an infection gets into the joint, it's bad news. Luckily, this surgeon is VERY proactive about even "possible" infection. So, 6 hrs in the ER, after almost draining all my blood for all the tests they are running, one PA, an ER doctor, and the surgeon all came to the same conclusion. I'm "having some kind of reaction to something." Specific, huh? Well, they may not know exactly what I'm reacting to, but they've ruled out all the really nasty possibilities. Now, because he's so proactive, I'm on 2 antibiotics, I've had one dose of IV Benadryl, I'm taking 50 mg of Benadryl every 4 hours, 1 steroid, Allegra 180, and Zantac (apparently it has an antihistamine effect too)...and going in weekly to make sure it doesn't take a turn for the worse. While this is very stressful, and I just want to be done, I admit, I've had my days of every emotion...anger, fear, sadness, frustration, helplessness, etc. But this video reached me at just the right point in that day. Hopefully it can help someone else out there too.
The-Tender-Mercies-of-the-Lord

Lots of randomness

So, I am EXTREMELY blessed. I met with the newest surgeon yesterday, and he is "qualified" to fix my shoulder. So, they scheduled it...for TOMORROW!!! Talk about not wasting time. After dreading having to break the news to my bishop/stake president, I called Mission Medical to update them. The nurse I was talking to put me on hold for quite a while, then when she came back on, she had the best news ever (other than finding a surgeon that can fix my shoulder)...THEY CAN EXTEND MY COVERAGE BY TWO DAYS...mainly because the surgery was pre-authorized...but who cares what the reasons were...the surgery is covered! SO, I have a little over 12 hours until I have to be in pre-op (at 6:45 in the morning...yuck!) and I decided to write a few of my random thoughts over the past week. I don't know how often I will be updating my blog for a while, because I'll be back to typing with one hand. Here it goes:

1-I've "come out of retirement" of babysitting. I LOVE it...I forgot how much I enjoyed it. I also found out I haven't lost some of my old quirks...i.e. I am terrified of having the blinds open at night while in someone else's house. Maybe a little OCD, but it's CREEPY!!!

2-I have thoroughly enjoyed starting the Harry Potter series again. They are a fairly fast read, and they are just so enjoyable! I was also surprised at how close the first movie was to the book. Just a few details were change, but overall, it's pretty dang close.

3-While watching the Harry Potter movies, I came to another realization. I didn't realize how much better DVD's are than VHS. We have all the movies, but the first one is VHS...the quality was SO different!

4-I was also surprised...maybe it's from my recent stay at the MTC, but there are a lot of things in these books that can be compared to basic gospel principles...Dumbledore knows what all the students are going to do ahead of time, but let's them make those decisions themselves. Voldemort...I mean you-know-who...is trying to ruin the lives of those that possess what he cannot have/feel...pure love...and is trying to bring whoever he can over to his side. Everyone is preparing for the grand battle of good vs evil/ truth vs deception/whatever you want to call it.

5-While I'm home, without a job, or a life for that matter, I have compiled a list of projects to take advantage of this "spare" time. I have been collecting/keeping old jeans to make a denim quilt. I also have a ton of t-shirts that I want to put together to make a quilt. I have a scrapbook and lots of pictures to put in the scrapbook...like paramedic school/work, all my EFY's etc. If I can get everything accomplished that I want, it'll be AMAZING!!!

That's about it for now. Wish me luck tomorrow...I get to start the 'wonderful' experience that we lovingly call H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS...ie recovery from shoulder surgery. YAY!!!

God has a plan...if you just look at your challenges the right way, you may learn something

Okay, I'm going to vent a little, but keep reading, there is a lesson, too. So, tomorrow marks my 3 month anniversary of being home. I'm more than just a little frustrated. Recently I've had several people comment on how I "sort of served a mission" or "kind of served a mission" or "served a mini-mission". Not only is this frustrating, it down right hurts...deep. Yes, I came home after a short 9 weeks, but I served FAITHFULLY in those 9 weeks and gave my all. I did NOT come home because I broke a rule or did something wrong. I didn't come home because of a wrong choice I made. Even if I did, no one on earth has the right to judge me and treat me the way some have. I was SENT home not by my choice, but because of an injury and because the MTC doctor wasn't satisfied with how I was healing (a whole other thing to vent about). Some think coming home early is the easy way out and to them I'd like to say they are ABSOLUTELY wrong. Coming home is one of the hardest things I've ever done. I've had days where I cry myself to sleep longing for that missionary experience that I'm "missing", trying to come up with why I came home, what I did wrong, wasn't I good enough to be a missionary? What lesson am I supposed to be learning? If so is there a way that I can learn it and finally move on? Then I learned...it's not that I wasn't good enough or did something wrong. There may not even be a particular lesson that I'm supposed to learn. Perhaps it's because God has a purpose for me in Kansas. Maybe there's someone here that needs me. I may not be wearing my name tag anymore, but I am still a missionary at heart. I study Preach My Gospel regularly, I'm still working on learning Spanish. I'm doing everything I can to stay worthy and prepared to return to the mission field once I'm healed...IF it be God's will. Even if it's not HOW DARE ANYONE judge me because I wasn't gone for 18 months. I am getting ready to have my 4th surgery since putting my papers in and 5th (if you include oral surgery) since I started my papers. I'm getting ready to meet with my FOURTH surgeon to try and find someone with the knowlege and skill to fix my shoulder. I've been through more while trying to serve a mission than most people go through in a lifetime, and I've learned a lot from it. I've grown to have an IMMENSE love for my Savior and what He's done for me. I KNOW that Christ not only suffered for sins, but so He can help us through ALL our challenges, no matter if it's a sickness, self-esteem issues, financial issues, or anything else that's ailing us. He KNOWS what we're going through and wants to help, but He is just waiting for us to ask. I challenge those that think coming home was the "easy" thing to reconsider that and think of what I'm going through. For those of you that have supported me through everything, I can't even express my gratitude. You're what's helped me pull through. You know who you are, and THANK YOU.

Spoke too soon

Okay, again, good news first. I've been signed off as having a good right shoulder by the orthopedic surgeon, so I have been discharged from his care. YAY! Now the crappy news. I went in today to see the surgeon that was supposed to operate on my arm on Friday. "Supposed to" you may ask...apparently, he only repairs if you have one spot that needs work (i.e. the torn posterior labrum I have-ripped something in the back of my shoulder), NOT if you need work in the front and back...so I have been referred to yet ANOTHER surgeon. Yes, this will be the 4th person to see my arm (not including urgent care, er, or physician assistants). The BEST part is that my appt with the newest surgeons PA is on monday...the last day I am covered under mission medical. MEANING, my surgery will more than likely not be the same day, so I get to find a way to pay for the surgery. I'm grateful that the local church is willing to help with that, I just hate asking SO much. I feel helpless and just want my shoulder to function correctly without creaking or clunking or making any other noises. Is that too much to ask? Ugh..."specialists"

YAY!!!

So good news first. On Thursday, the physical therapists re-evaluated my right arm after 4 weeks of PT every weekday. I have full range of motion again!!! YAY!!! Finally!!! On Friday, I was officially discharged from PT (again, for the right shoulder). It feels SOOO good to have my arm back. Monday is my follow-up with the Ortho Surgeon who will hopefully pass off my right arm as "fully healed". Okay, now for bad news. On Wednesday morning (EARLY...3am) I was sleeping on my belly like I always do. I went to roll onto my side and my left arm got caught under my body and dislocated. I popped it back into place (which gets easier each time I dislocate it) and went to the ER for an x-ray just to make sure I got it back in the right spot. Luckily I had. The ER put a lovely immobilization splint on it and told me to wear it until I follow-up with the surgeon. Yeah, took that thing off yesterday...it was driving me CRAZY! So, after hopefully getting my right arm signed off on Monday from Dr Romito (the guy who did the manipulation on my right arm), I get to meet with Dr. Humphrey on Tuesday to follow-up on my dislocation. He is the one that is going to operate on my left arm. Dr Romito referred me to Dr Humphrey (they're in the same practice) because Dr. H specializes in the procedure I'm having. Hopefully they can still do the surgery as scheduled on Friday (if anything, the dislocation will just make them want to do the surgery even more). I haven't heard back from the hospital yet regarding what time the surgery will be, but when I find out, I'll let y'all know. Thanks for all the support! One arm down, one more to go. YAY for finally seeing progress!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh (sigh of relief)

Have you ever had a spot in your back that you just couldn't crack...then experienced that amazing relief when you finally do? Well, that's how I felt after the surgeon knocked me out and manipulated my shoulder. I was in recovery, grinning, and almost giddy when the physical therapist started moving my arm (and you all know how much I love physical therapy). It's amazing that after about 5 minutes of the surgeon moving my arm around with me out of it, I feel like a whole new person. I can reach over my head, out to the side, etc. I have full range of motion in flexion and extension, I'm 5 degrees away in internal rotation, and external rotation still has a little work, but it's totally doable! I HAVE MY ARM BACK!!! I actually look forward to PT each day now! I just love the fact that I'm progressing...and quickly. Oh yeah, and we also have a plan for the other shoulder. I will go in for another arthroscopic surgery, but this time on the left shoulder, on February 26th to repair a torn posterior labrum (for those that were curious). This will happen as long as my right arm continues to progress. It was SOOO funny when I went back to PT after the procedure. One of the PT assistants even said "I want to kiss you!" because she was so excited at how much I can move my arm. WAHOO!!! It's about time we got some good news...even if the surgeon did walk in wearing a KU cap...I guess I can forgive him after he helped my shoulder out so much...

Sounds Like Medieval Torture if You Ask Me, (but isn't that what PT's been?)

So, I FINALLY got in to see the surgeon today and here is the decision. If I were to continue with PT, I would continue to make progress, but it would take FOREVER to get my full range of motion back. So, next Tuesday (Jan 26th), I go to the operating room where they knock me out and do a "Manipulation Under Anesthesia". Basically, they are going to put me under general anesthesia (completely out), then move my arm in ways the physical therapist tried without success due to my pain. Hopefully, they won't even have to cut me open, just move my arm in every which way. This should break up the scar tissue, loosening up my shoulder enough that I can start progressing faster. The BEST part of it (insert sarcasm here) is that I get to do physical therapy at the hospital THE SAME DAY before they'll even consider releasing me. Then, I continue with PT 5 times a week for 4 weeks. But if in those 4 weeks, I progress enough, I will get to go to 3 times a week...(let's pray for that, 5 days a week in h-e-double-hockey sticks sounds like a bit much for me). My arm will be REALLY sore after, but hopefully this will allow for faster progress and regaining of my range of motion. It doesn't sound like something ANYONE would want, but I have to admit, it's kind of nice to finally know what the next step is and hopefully see progress.

Really?

Okay, so my follow-up appt with the surgeon was originally scheduled LAST YEAR (well, on Dec 14, but that was still a while ago) for Jan 9. On Jan 6, I got a LETTER in the mail saying they needed to reschedule. A LETTER. So, I called in and expressed frustration when they told me that his first opening was Jan 29...um, an extra two and a half weeks of PT without eval, I don't think so! I explained to them that we had been having problems in PT, so they decided they were going to schedule me with the PA. I politely, yes politely, told them the last time they did that, she ended up calling in the surgeon anyways. But they said she could handle it, so I took an appt with her on Jan 15. They told me they had to cancel all the appointments because of an "emergency." I've worked for a surgeon, I've used that excuse before, he's probably in Florida golfing. So, on Jan 14, PT does a re-eval, measures everything, and puts me through torture (this is the second visit in a row that I've had the therapist from you know where with very bony fingers that takes "that is tender, it hurts" as an indication of pushing harder on my muscle.) so that I can be ready for my follow-up. Well, on Jan 15, less than two hours before my appt, I get a phone call. The PA received the report from the physical therapist and wants me to see the dr...kind of what I tried to tell them on the phone over a week ago. The dr's first appt is Jan 22 now...two weeks after my initially scheduled follow-up. After expressing EXTREME frustration, the gal on the phone said she would call me back...I told her to hurry because I need to know if I should start getting ready for my appt. Well, almost an hour later, she calls me back, and the dr has an appt on Monday morning. Hopefully this one will stick. I would switch drs, but it took so much to finally get one to accept my case, that THAT would take even longer. Unfortunately, Mission Medical called as I was hanging up with the dr's office and asked how my shoulder was. After frustratedly (if that is a word) explaining to her what I had just been through, apologized for my tone, and told her I would call as soon as I heard anything. So, I will update y'all as soon as I'm finally allowed to see the dr...sigh, nothing like having to put your life on hold because another person can't make the time to fit you into to their "busy schedule". Ugh! I've convinced myself that my surgeon left suddenly to help in the relief effort in Haiti. Must be it, why else would any human do something like this?

Therapy

This entry is going to be about therapy...not physical therapy, not lying on a couch recounting your childhood therapy...but MUSIC. After being in the MTC where the only music you hear is the hymns during firesides/church meetings, and Music and the Spoken Word on Sundays, I forgot how therapeutic music can be. It all started a few days ago when I was listening to...I will confess...my Meet Miley Cyrus CD while in the shower. I couldn't resist myself...I started dancing. I continued to dance after I was squeaky clean. It just made me happy (several of the songs brought back memories from EFY dances, Miley/Hannah is played quite often). THEN, today, I got bored with watching movies (one of the few past times I can enjoy right now). I decided to turn off the TV and just plug in my MP3 player. I got SOOOOO much done! Plus, it just felt good to sit and listen to music. I feel SOOOOOO much better than I did when I woke up this morning. So, I'd just like to challenge all y'all out there to just take some time out of your day to listen to your favorite music (no matter what it is) and don't be afraid to dance. It works WONDERS on stress. Will you take some time out of your day and listen to your favorite genre of music and dance, even if it's only a couple of songs? I know it'll make you feel better and relieve stress, even if it's just for that few minutes of dancing. (gotta get my missionary challenge out there)