A JOYFUL NOISE

Gina Gina and Me This past weekend (April 18th), my good and best friend from Ohio came down to JMU. She came to see her brother perform in JMU's accapella group Exit 245. She had let me know of her plans of coming to Harrisonburg a couple of months ago. I got to see her! ...and I haven't seen her for over a year...oh how I miss her. We spent a good amount of time together before she had to meet her family for dinner. It was great catching up with her and talking to her and just being with her. How do I know her you ask? I've know her for almost 9 years. We met in the Fall of 2000 while at JMU. She lived in the floor beneath me. We both were Special Education Minors. when we realized we lived in the same dorm and attended the same Special Education classes, it was a bond that formed right there----and that bond has only gotten stronger the past 9 years. You see, Gina has a remarkable story. Truely remarkable. She's a friend so dear to my heart ...

......MORE THERAPY! What kind of "more" therapy you ask? Well, I have to go through Occupational therapy now as well as Physical Therapy . Ugh. I went to Dr. Hendren today and he told me that the nerve conduction study (NCS) and EMG study done a few weeks ago was sorta on the borderline of negative and positive. Dr. Deputy, my neurologist, said he didn't think I showed signs of acute/major carpal tunnel; however, Dr. Hendren said that it doesn't necessarily say I don't have it b/c although the NCS and EMG study is about 90% reliable, about 10% is not shown on the test. I also mentioned to him that my elbow has been tender as well for the past couple of month and felt like Hitting my funny bone" feeling. So after further reading the report that Dr. Deputy sent to him, it did show that I can possibly have something sorta like carpal tunnel, only it affects the elbow area. So the diagnosis is minor carpal tunnel and elbow tenderness. So he's ...

I have TONS of pictures in my office space of my nieces (and a lot of my family, cousins, uncles, aunts, grandma, mom, dad, etc); but most of my office has pictures of both of my nieces. My co-worker said to me the other day " With all the pictures of your nieces, one would think they are your own kids". Well, they aren't my kids, but they are definitely my angels DeDa (aka Miranda) a name she gave herself I love how my older niece, Miranda will run to my mom whenever I play a game of tag or chase with her (she loves me to run after her) or how she runs to my dad and thinks my dad will save her-----(when dad is sleeping on the couch!! haha); I love how she says "no, this is MY paw-paw" refering to my mom, whenver I try to give my mom a hug in front of her. I especially love it when Miranda tells me "I love you "yee -yee", knowing that I will just ...

I have been having up and down days the past couple of days. Life is extremely busy for me; Today was the LAST day of my boss, Shelby; She'll be missed, it was a hard day for me to say "goodbye" to her because I honestly never ever had a boss so understanding, patient, caring, etc as she is! These past two months I've also been to doctors after doctors. There hasn't been ONE week since the beginning of March that I hadn't had a doctor's appointment (or 2) or a therapy appointment. I have a lot more therapy appointments coming up as well as a few doctor appointments ----*sigh*. All I can say is "Thank and praise God for understanding (so far) bosses!" So you all have heard the news about my shoulder. No carpal tunnel or apparent nerve damage; but I do have an impingement and currently undergoing home therapy as well as therapy visits once a week (at AMC; they are good, but this is where I wish I still lived in H'burg bc friends...

NEGATIVE! I went in for my nerve conducting test today which turned into doing ANOTHER test called the EMG; to test the muscle tone and nerve reaction in my neck/shoulders/hands. Well, the nerve conducting test showed no major signs of carpal tunnel; I do have some signs, but not enough to warrant a carpal tunnel surgery. The EMG test didn't show anything significant that would require any drastic treatment. Both tests were NOT fun at all I might add!! My neurologist is sending the report back to my orthopedic. They are pretty sure I have a impinged nerve which will help with PT; my neurologist at Harrisonburg Med. Assoc. thinks I could have a slip disk on my neck area as well......meaning that's what is causing my shoulder/arm pain. ugh......so I have some of the answers at the same time, no answers. I'm learning to trust God and hope for the best in my medical treatment. I still have my PT evaluation next Monday, my oral surgery evaluation next Tuesday, ...

It's only March 4, 2009 guys----and I have probably seen more doctors than I have last year! I'm a bit frustrated, scared, worried, and just have a lot of anticipation awaiting me. So since January I have seen my reconstructive surgeon, my ophthalmologist, my dentist who referred me to an endontist, who has referred me to my oral surgeon (long story, but if my dentist listened to me at first I didn't have to see the endontist!), and I've seen my orthopedic doctor who now is running loads of test which means referral to a neurologist who specializes in carpal tunnel pain sydrome. Tired yet? There's more----I have to go for Physical Therapy now. And oh, I have to see my orthopedic the end of the month and then in May is a follow-up w/ my reconstructive surgeoon for talking about possible surgery in the summer. Whew....I'm tired just thinking and writing about it! So for the 8 years, I have shoulder problems, mainly due to an accident (I fell) in 2001; I dec...

So often, I am hammered with this question: "Am I truly relying on God or am I relying on myself or others?" This year alone has brought so many questions (and it's ONLY FEBRUARY!!). I've been sick 3 times since the beginning of the year and the stress level at work is only rising. And oh, did I mention that because of budget cuts w/in the agency (entirely have to do with the economy and state deficits), there has been numerous people laid off from work----one of which was a dear co-worker of mine?? Work is laying off peopole to help the agency's budget: they are consolidating work and workers. And...oh, to add to that, our Executive Director has announced that MORE people will be laid off between now and July; my bosses don't know who will be next..or at least they aren't saying out loud...It's like walking on a thin layer of ice---and underneath the ice is cold water. I feel like I'm drowning and freezing in a sea of emotions. I CAN...