Raisins

Something fantastic and wonderful happened today.

And I am not talking about when a first grader had a major meltdown because of a stray pen mark on their math homework...

I got my stitches taken out and yes. I ditched the crutches.
Hence the title. :)


I was trying to do the whole one footed thing... But I fell. It's my first day back on my feet. Give me a break! Haha


As much fun as our Black Friday excursion was in a wheel chair... (It really was, see?)



I am so happy to be able to walk again, however tentatively. I cannot contain my joy. I can hold doors open for people! I could make my sister lunch today! (The poor, sick child.) I am so so so very grateful to be walking again. I am grateful that I have the chance to heal, because not everyone is so fortunate in their ailments and injuries.

It would be ungrateful of me not to thank all of my friends and family and thank them again. You guys got me through it. Mom, thanks for being 'my life' lately. I'll try to work on getting one with my new-found freedom. ;) Thanks for the prayers, laughter, visits, notes, etc. You guys get heavenly brownie points.


I look forward to the day when I will walk without my foot hurting with every step. Today that day does not seem so far away.


In the words of Woolbur, "Isn't it GREAT!?"

Much Love!!

When I went into this, I really wanted a lot of pictures. I also wanted the reality of it, not just the cute pics. So my mother, who I am pretty sure has a secret degree is motherhood, photo journalism, and existentialism, (Ok. Maybe not the last one.) took lots of great pictures for me!
This is the good, the bad, and the ugly. :) Enjoy.

Before


My Pre-Op nurse, David, surrounded me in blankets fresh off the warmer. :)


The lovely hospital socks.


I didn't even pass out for the IV!


Surgery is all about fashion, really.



Ok. So can I count how many times that day that I had to tell people that I was old enough to sign the papers/ speak for myself/ whatever-it-is-they-were-asking? No. Too many times to count. Haha But the nurses and doctors in Pre-Op were fantastic. Lots of joking and warm blankets.


After

That great apple juice from a can that always reminds me of getting blood drawn.


Trying to stay awake after they shot some more stuff into my IV for nausea. Best picture of me ever? Yeah.



I slept for about an hour and a half after that.


Home sweet home.


I had lots of visitors that brought me all of my favorite things. Liam took good care of me and even kissed my hand better from the IV. He also explained that if I ate the candy he brought me, it would go into my hand and into my foot and be "all better!"


The day after and beyond.

I got lots of gifts! Mostly food. :) Thank you to everyone! I really appreciate it! (Yes, I am drugged in this picture. :)


And the thing that totally made my 'day-after' came in a green and yellow lined envelope! Thank you so much, Elder Rife! I loved your letter! :) Totally made my day.
It was like my best friend came to visit me. At the time he wrote the letter, he didn't know about the surgery, but it was just what I needed. He is doing great in Brazil!


I don't like medicine very much. And for a good reason. I get sick. Vicodin made me throw up... A lot. Percocet has been a little better. For the first couple of days, it was all I could do just to sit up, get towed to the bathroom about 10 feet from my bed, and come back without passing out or throwing up.


Funny story about my first trip to the bathroom....
So the missionaries came to visit my dad for some reason. They are both SUPER cute. And right about this time, I REALLY had to pee. But I didn't want to get up because putting my foot below my heart was extremely painful and I was nauseous too. So finally after lots of jokes about having the missionaries come up and carry me, we finally decided to go.
My mom held my foot up, I crutched to hold the rest of me, and Amelia was on support. We awkwardly got me in the bathroom (with lots of laughter that I am sure the missionaries heard) and were trying to put my foot on the side of the bath tub when my mom kind of stumbled. So I lost my balance and fell onto the open toilet. Then we all busted up laughing.

And there you have it. That is how I peed my pants... on the toilet.

Then my mom was laughing so hard that she had to run to the other bathroom so she wouldn't join me in the wet pants club. Amelia stood there trying not to lose it too, until mom came back. I thought my mom had gone downstairs to tell my dad while the missionaries were there! Haha But she didn't.
It was a great experience. Haha Really.
We're still laughing about it.

On Sunday I still couldn't sit up, but my dad got me to eat jalapeno poppers. Yum. And Malena came to visit. We watched a princess movie.


That evening, my brothers carried me downstairs so I could socialize with the fam.


The foot below the heart thing was starting to get to me in this picture. Haha


Where Liam promptly tackled me. :)


He takes good care of me though. He took about 50 pictures like this.


The medicine has given me super powers. I smashed a fruit fly in my hands. Gross... But sort of impressive.


The doctor's office

Percocet makes me really spacey and tired.


Getting ready to get the drain taken out of my foot.


The drain.



The stitches. Gross, I know, but it is already less swollen than it was before the surgery.


The doctor says everything looks great. I get my stitches out on the 30th. I am still waiting to hear back from pathology because they apparently haven't finished cutting up the nasty thing they took out of my foot to figure out what it was.

My mom is AMAZING. She has been by my side and helped me do everything. Thank you, Momma. Dad, thank you for the Chinese food. Who knew you could make such great fried rice? Thank you to all of my family and friends and doctors. You guys have been so great and have helped get me through this. Thanks for the well-wishing, prayers, food, acts of service. I really appreciate it. :)

P.S. It is really difficult to write a blog on drugs. Here's hoping for a more coherent mind very soon!

Much Love!!

No crips.

Surge bright and early tomorrow!

Much Love!!

Life can be a roller coaster of events and emotions. But I've figured out that the wheels are going to keep going either way, so I might as well throw up my hands and try to enjoy the ride.

(Yes. I am aware that this is a cliche metaphor. Haha)

Yesterday was my pre-op. Today a neuro-something pain specialist is kindly squeezing me in to evaluate me for a nerve... condition that my podiatrist is worried I have developed in my foot.

Freaky Purple, huh? You should see it in person! Haha


It is called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. My mom has fondly nick named it Crips. Haha If I have the condition, surgery is called off until we can treat this condition. If I don't, then surgery is still on for tomorrow.

I am grateful that my doctor is trying so hard to get me where I need to be. It really is a miracle that this pain guy was able to get me in so soon and I have a feeling she has something to do with it. I am so grateful for my mom. She has been with me every step of the way. She is my voice when I am so frustrated that I cannot answer the doctors questions due to tears. And she always accepts invitations to my almost-daily "parties at my house." I am grateful to so many people who open doors for me when I am stubbornly trying to do everything for myself. I am grateful to all of my friends and family for their prayers, their concerns, their texts, and their support. I flippin' love you guys!

But I am especially grateful to my Heavenly Father. I know, without a doubt, that He knows what I am going through. In fact, He is sitting next to me steering this roller coaster. I know that I CAN do this if I do it with my hand in His. In the words of Woobur the sheep, "Isn't it great!!??"

I will keep things updated on here as much as I can. :) Thank you for your love, you raisins you. I really hope that you are enjoying your 'ride!'

Much Love!!

It's that time of.... blog. The wonderful time that I bring up one of my oh-so-obscure (Not really) metaphors for life.

This epiphany of wonder is brought to you by the walk up my steep driveway with my 2 bosom/ arm friends, my crutches.

I've been spending a lot of time on crutches. I work full-time on crutches. And yes, I walk up steep driveways on crutches. One of the things I completely took for granted before this adventure was the ability to carry things and walk at the same time.

BUT through this trial, this test of physical hardship, I have learned a lot. I have had to change the way I see things and be able to think outside the box. I can carry very thin things in between my fingers and still crutch it. I can even carry a half-filled (never half-empty) glass of milk by pinching the lip in between my index and middle finger! I can open doors if no one is around. (Although I am learning that sometimes the best choice is simply to ask for help. Haha)

AND most impressively... I can elevate and make my lunch at the SAME TIME! Don't try this at home.



Plus. My arms are getting really toned and beefy. Before you know it, they are going to ask me to be the governator of California. (Too bad I'll have to turn them down because I am pretty sure the Lord has better plans for me. Ones especially uninvolved with politics. Yuck.)

So the metaphor. Life is an uphill battle. It only makes sense because that's where we want to go. UP. And sometimes life is an uphill battle on crutches and it's winter so you constantly have to dodge ice patches. (Not that I know from experience or anything... )

BUT lucky for us, these crutches were put here to strengthen us. Our arms grow larger and more capable by the day. Our minds are stretched as we search for better and more efficient ways to do things. We also learn that it's ok to ask for help. We learn and grow with every passing moment. And if we do it right, we also grow closer to our Savior which makes us 1000000 times stronger than we could be on our own.

Nifty, eh?

In the words of a pop star that I certainly DO NOT resemble, "Ain't about how fast I get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side, it's the climb.

Not gonna lie, this song is inspired.

"I can do hard things." And guess what, if I can, so can you. To quote my wonderful Quinci, "I think Heavenly Father has big plans for us."

The sweet kids that I work with make it much easier to go to work every day. :) A cute kindie made this turkey for me today. :) Skilled, I know.




I always love it when they ask, "How do you spell your name?" And then expect you to be surprised when they bring you a card. Haha These kids are truly a blessing and an example to me.

P.S. Did you know that Elvis had side bangs? Because I didn't.

I am ever grateful to my family for helping me so much and praying for me, for crying when I cry and finding ways to make me laugh every day. Keep on keepin' on. :)

Much Love!!

Ok. I hope you all have been practicing your Crocodile hunter voices, because this post is to be read in your best imitation until further notice.

Ollriigghht. Whot you see he'ah is a mothuh in hare natrul habeetat! Crikey! She looks like a good un!



Further notice.

Thank you, Mom. And not just for scraping my windshield this morning. Thank you for being so attentive and helpful in this frustrating time in my life. I couldn't do it without you. All the kudos and heavenly brownie points you could ever want are piling up in Heaven for you. I know it. :)

Hardships come with tender mercies. Just another reminder that God's plan is perfect.

Good eye mite!

Much Love!!

My mom is awesome. I am now an official old lady. I crochet and have a knee roller. Woopie. :)


Oh yeah. And I wear librarian sweaters.... Too bad I am allergic to cats...

Look I can elevate and look like a complete weirdo all at once!!


Much Love!!

This post has the potential to make me late for work...

Smart choice to continue on with it anyways, wouldn't you say?

This is what I have been doing at work the last few days. Hardcore, right? Yes. I did use my actual hair for the mane and tail. ... Kidding.
Sequins are no joke. I love it when I get to do art projects like this! Hopefully this horse for one of my 1st grade classes wins the contest! Haha



I have good news. My mom is reteaching me to crochet because I get to spend so much time off of my feet these days. She always is so helpful even when I am really stubborn. I am making a purple and grey blanket! We've decided that now I am just so domestic that people will be lining up to marry me. Bwahaha. That's a joke, folks. :)




But the REAL good news is that after many emails, rounds of phone tag, and tears, I finally have a date for my surgery. :) Next Friday the 11th. I couldn't be more thrilled. :)

Ok. I am really approaching time to be late...

Happy Birthday to my Dipstick, Raleena! I got you a brand new, healthy wolf!
You're so OOOOLLDDD. 20? Yuck. :)
Thanks for knowing just what I need on a rainy day (figuratively speaking). Who could know that I needed to go run into things at Wal Mart on a wheelie cart, but you? You're the best Malena I have in my life. We even have ultrasounds and surgery at the same time! Flippin awesome! I will always hold your scrunchy. Now that you're old and wise, I'll try to take your advice... At least for another month and a day when I join you in the ranks of a non-teenager. I love you so muches that I am going to write the rest in really bad German. :)
Du bist die besten Freundin auf dem Welt!! Wir werden tolle 'bridesmaids' sind!
Lobster and Steak, baby. Lobster and Steak. :)

Much Love!!