Let there be silence

I'm having this shoulder thing. It started bothering me at the end of last summer. I can't pinpoint a particular incident that caused the injury although I think it can be attributed to the weighted work-out bars I just HAD to have for my birthday (shhh... don't tell Pete). In the fall I went to an orthopedic doctor and after the x-rays showed no bone problems, he suggested I have an MRI.

The last time I had an MRI was a very unpleasant experience. I was having migraine-associated vertigo, which they later confirmed as Meniere's disease, and get this; they forgot to give me earplugs. It was like being stuck in a clothes dryer with firecrackers. I mean, I really think my permanent hearing damage is because of that. Halfway through I remembered that I was supposed to have the earplugs. I started waving my hands and flailing my legs to get their attention. My ears rung for days.

So you can imagine what I said to an MRI last fall- no, thank you! I begged for a cortisone shot instead. The doctor wanted me to have physical therapy, but Christmas was coming up along with a pile of debt. I put it off thinking the shot would do the deal and I could be done with it. No such luck.

In fact, it has gotten worse. The funny thing is sometimes it doesn't bother me, except that I can't lift my left arm all the way; but when I try to do something like throw sheets out on a bed or fold table cloths, it hurts like hell. Over the weekend I had a horrible crick in my neck due to the tension from my shoulder. The combination of the two caused another migraine.

Luckily I had made an appointment last week after I discovered I could no longer shave under my arm and I had to wash my hair with one hand. Today was the day I went. Tomorrow is the MRI. I'll keep you posted... and I'll make sure I have earplugs this time.

This Crazy Life I Have

Well, I am feeling pretty crappy today, pardon my French, but there is no other word I can think of to use. Yesterday I had an MRI and MRA(where they had to inject some kind of dye into my blood vessels) test to see why I have these dizzy spells. This was forty-five minutes of jackhammering and annoying noises that kept me praying vigilantly nonetheless. Thank goodness for my dear friends Libby, who prepared me for what was up ahead, along with Debra who has had the same thing. I love you guys, by the way. I want you to know that. So many times I get caught up in life and I want you to know that even though I am busy, you are still very important to me- each friend I have is special. I love this life I lead, even when it gets crazy. Last night Andrew fell out of bed and bumped his eye and nose on the table that was next to his bed. He woke up crying hysterically and Pete and I tried to figure out what he had hurt when he fell. I put some ice on his eye and laid with him for some time. This morning, he did not even remember that this had happened! Imagine that. I wish I could forget things like that or sleep calmly through MRIs, but I just can't. I get nervous and fidgety. And then I pray. What comes over me when I do this is unbelievable. Prayer gets me through. It always will, it always has and will continue to as long as I let it. So I am going to trudge on ahead and see what happens, with faith, I know that everything will come out okay.