Whoa, two in one day!

Okay, so I forgot to finish the shoulder saga. I woke up Sunday, went to put on my jumpsuit for work (picture the movement of putting both arms in a jacket once and pulling it up that way). Something HURT. Normally, I sleep with a pager on my right hip or arrange the pillows so I don't roll over and sleep on my right side...i.e. shoulder. Well, I forgot. Something HURT. I was pretty sure it was subluxated (not in it's normal place but not fully dislocated). Funny, before my surgery, it would do this all the time and I wouldn't even feel it, but now it hurts like you know what-seems a little backwards to me, but I guess your body is supposed to tell you when something has slipped out of place... Using my mad skills, I moved it until I felt it pop back where it should be. Normally it takes a day and it feels normal. Well, Tuesday came around, and I was still feeling it. When I would move certain ways it felt like someone had their thumb in my shoulder and I would have to use the other arm to manually move the right one out of that position. It was constantly spasming and all the muscles tightened down on the shoulder. I know I just went to vo-tech, but they taught us that wasn't normal. So, I was going to go in to urgent care, but lucked out because the PA at my ortho's office had an opening. Well, I was told I put it back "beautifully". I was given a prescription for Mobic and also given a warning. I was told I will more than likely have more "flare-ups" like this until I get it fixed. We're still on board with waiting until October, but this just solidified the fact that it needs to be fixed. Sounds like it will be a rough road. Prayers will be appreciated. Back to the Mobic. It is a prescription NSAID (like advil, tylenol, aleve, etc but different chemical compound). It is a MIRACLE drug. It's to decrease the inflammation and help with the pain without being a narcotic or any other keep-you-off-of-work medicine. I took it Tuesday and woke up Wednesday feeling like a whole new person. I could move my shoulder and barely felt the fact that it was inflamed. Hopefully, this makes the next 7 months a little easier to handle.

So, it's been a long time since summer

Kansas just isn't as exciting as visiting my sister and her family in California/EFY. BUT a lot has happened. I made a huge decision. All summer, my plans were to go back on my mission at the end of the summer. I prayed about it and did some serious pondering and was SHOCKED at the answer that I received. Stay. Hours of tears (they still sneak up occasionally) later, I knew that was right. I got the okay from my surgeon saying my left shoulder was totally healed. I went straight from the dr to work's office because I needed to renew some certifications. Well, as I walked out of the office, I realized I hadn't talked to who I needed to talk to about the certification, but I had walked into the chief's office and told him I was ready to go back to work. WHAT!?!? There was definitely some divine intervention going on there. I was still trying to figure out how to go back on my mission. ANYWAYS, I got an interview (they opened up a hiring process so I could legally get my job back) and I got the job. After some disappointment over my pay and schedule, etc, I was back as an employee of Johnson County. I passed the physical test with no problems (yay!) I was also blessed to be put back at the station I worked at when I left, even though it was on a different shift. I was put with an amazing partner whom I get along with and enjoy working with...I also babysit for the guy:) Next step...transportation. I finally bit the bullet and got a car...and in 56 months it will be mine. Carmax is the way to go people. I had no problems with them at all. I am now the proud car loan owner of a 2002 Nissan Xterra and I LOVE it!!! Next step...housing. I moved into my apartment on March 12. It is so nice to have my own place. I am in the same complex that I lived before, just across the street. It is slowly becoming a home. I have also realized why I was prompted to stay home. In November, my right shoulder (the one that was operated on while I was still on my mission started bugging me. I went to Dr Gurley (the one who operated on the left shoulder). I decided to stay with him because I was so pleased with the result of my left one. He agreed that it was still very weak. I got a cortisone shot (that was fun) and he sent me to PT (Again). PT was going great. I was making a lot of progress. Then I plateaued. Then I started to go backwards. Luckily, the physical therapist noticed and immediately sent me back to the dr. Well, I knew in my heart what he was going to say before I was even in there. I need another surgery. The first (and second) surgery isn't holding and my shoulder is becoming more and more unstable. I got another cortisone shot. I'm hoping to hold off until end of October so I have sick time and vacation built up. He agreed that it may be possible. After discussing with him, we decided to hold off on the MRI until September. He knows me so well. He said he wants to hold off so he can see all the damage I do between now and then and see which repair will be best. I feel so blessed to have been led to a surgeon that is one of the top specialists in the repair that I need. Not a day goes by that I don't think about Seattle and what it would have been like if I had made it out there. I regret not working even harder in those 9 weeks I was privileged to a have as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I miss the feeling I had when I was a missionary. I miss studying and speaking Spanish daily and I wonder how much I would know if I had stayed a missionary. No matter what matters, I will always miss my mission. I may never understand why I was placed in all these trials and struggles, but I've grown and learned. I know my father in Heaven knows. And all this happened for a reason. Everything always happens for a reason.