Thanks ~ and an exciting new opportunity!

Thanks to Starr and Cami and Dawn and Mary and Christel and Aunt Dot and the RS Presidency and Scott for sweet remembrances in the order in which they were received:)

Thursday night I went to my second C.E.R.T. meeting. I have had a nearly life-long interest in Emergency Preparedness. While I was recovering from my back injury, I took one of the basic preparedness courses from citizencorps.gov. Because of that, I will be able to complete basic C.E.R.T. training in March! I am very excited about this opportunity. The course will finish just about the same time that I get out of my back brace:)

In April I plan to attend a Weather Watchers seminar and learn more about that topic.

I feel that these opportunities will allow me to serve in the community now that I have more time to do so.

How is this fair?!!

I learned today that the orthopedic surgeon who saw me at the hospital on the day of my accident has billed the insurance company for consultation and for surgery. Say what? I didn't have any surgery!!

In addition, while my deductible is $300, and my maximum out of pocket expense is supposed to be $3000, the insurance company will only pay what they pay for any particular procedure, and I am liable, according to my explanation of benefits, for whatever else the medical people out of network decided to charge!

Since I am doing so well physically after the accident, maybe the lesson I will need to learn from all this is to deal with my emotional reactions to unfairness. But hopefully the surgeon will back off from an exhorbitant fee for no work done. Otherwise I will apparently be responsible for paying him something like $500 a minute for the time I saw him in the hospital!!!

Scarey thing is, there is yet another surgeon to deal with, and who knows whatever other medical personel! The joys of the modern medical system!!

Home again, home again, jiggety jig!

I was not totally surprised by how difficult it was at times to travel by car, wheelchair and airplane for about 10 hours under current conditions. At some times my pain level actually went to about a 1, although only for short times. However, by the time Christel and I got home, I was really feeling like this travel may have really messed me up. I was especially worried because the next day I was to go to the doctor here in Missouri to see if he would agree with the treatment plan of the doctor in Virginia [no surgery, brace for 12 weeks total, with physical therapy thereafter], or if this surgeon would want to cut.

Thursday morning I drove to the medical office, and was still feeling some negative effects of the trip. I was pleased to learn that I could get the X-ray right there, but I was shocked when they expected me to take off the brace and walk ten or fifteen feet without it to the X-ray room--I had not realized how dependent I had become on having it on!

When I actually met the doctor he greeted me with: "you should not have gone to Virginia!" Then he showed me the X-ray, said the break in the L1 vertebrae was healing fine; I should start weaning off the brace in two weeks, and be out of it totally in five weeks; and he did not need to see me again unless I developed further perceived problems!

I left the office feeling great! I had been so worried that I had messed things up by the travel, byt since seeing the doctor I have been able to do most of what I would have done before the incident.

I feel so much that miracles have occurred for me. Every time I get a new report it is better than before. I am so grateful for prayers and blessings--thanks to all of you who have offered prayers in my behalf.

I read a conference talk this morning which reminded me that life is tough--for all of us! I am so grateful that I have been supported in my trials, as the Lord has promised for those who love him and strive to follow him.

Packing and preparing

Today I spent a good bit of time packing. I'll return home two days less than one month after coming to visit Dawn's family. I think this is the longest stretch that I have ever been away from my own house. I am very glad that I came, despite the unexpected turn of events. I wonder how it will feel to be at home. Several friends have asked me what kind of help I will need, and truth is, I don't know.

Last night I read a little more in An Emotional First Aid Kit for Mothers and was reminded that love is our real task in life. I need to remember that and practice it better. Maybe one reason for my incident is to make it less easy to do the physical things so that I am reminded to do what is truly important.

I am grateful that Christel will be with me for the flight. Even though I intend to take advantage of an airport wheelchair or two, I expect the 10 or so hours it will take to get from Dawn's house to my own will be rather tiring. Last week when Christel and I were out for about 5 hours I was totally bushed when we got back to Dawn's.

Thursday I go to the orthopedic surgeon. I certainly hope he will approve the plan of treatment that the Virginia doc proposed. Today Christel was able to access the CDs which show the CTs and Xrays--so now she is acquainted with my insides [I saw them, too:)].

On Friday I plan to serve the full shift at the temple. That will be about a 6 hour excursion roundtrip from home--and I hope it will go well.

Thanks, Starr, for inspiring me to start this blog, and then to actually make some posts from time to time!

I Am Grateful for My Children:)

I was reminded today about how grateful I am for my children.

Today, since Christel was already up quite a while before I was ready to leave for an appointment to get my brace adjusted, as well as to pick up my films from the hospital so that the Missouri doctor will be willing to take over my care, I asked her if she would mind going with me. Then I asked her if she would like to drive. I was very blessed by her decision to do so, because somehow the online directions I had printed off were not very clear, and we found ourselves passing the Jefferson Memorial instead of going into Arlington where the first appointment was. She handled the DC traffic, switching lanes, figuring out how to get us back to where we needed to be, without the panic I would have been in, had I been driving instead of trying to be the navigator--and had i been by myself I probably would have just given up and tried to go back to Woodbridge without accomplishing any of the things I had set out to do. With her help I was able to accomplish all of my agenda, and thanks to a shopping stop, I even got a new pair of boots, which I really like.

Dawn and her family have graciously tended to my needs for weeks now, furnishing food, transportation, fun and kindnesses too numerous to mention, including allowing me to take over the center of their family room as my bedroom. I am so very thankful that, if something like this had to happen, it happened here with them.

Starr called yesterday and wanted to know if I was taking care of myself as well as I ought. I think that I am doing well, but her concern for me is truly heartwarming.

I am grateful to have [to quote Cami, as recorded on Starr's blog] "such wonderful children."