Winter At Last

We are finally getting the snow that says 'winter'. Last week there was up to 5 feet in places around the area. Then it rained and melted most of it. More coming this week probably. Much of the area lost power, including my parents' house. My apartment didn't, and I've been nice and warm through all the cold weather.
I've been doing physical therapy for 2 weeks now, and I'm very encouraged that my range of motion is improving, though it's a very slow process. 1 step forward, 2 steps back seems to be how it goes much of the time.
Please keep Seth and his troop in your prayers. They have finished training and are just waiting to head overseas, within a week or so probably. His 1st Sgt says they are as prepared as they can be, but they are sure to hit the ground running when they arrive.

Cell Phone Chargers, and...Cats?

It's been 3 weeks, and time seems to inch by. Sleep is hard to come by, so I've been trying to get creative with the things I am allowed doing, and yes, sometimes I can't help myself and have to do a little more than that in order to stay sane. But overall, I'm following doctor's orders, and he even started me on passive physical therapy twice a week.
This weekend some friends are out of town, and I am staying at their house with their two daughters. We went for a walk to the library this morning, and on to my apartment for a little while as well. They are great kids, and I enjoy spending the time with them.
Last night I had my cell phone plugged in, charging, when I realized their new kitten was scratching and biting at something behind me. When I went to look, I saw my charger cord in 3 pieces! Apparently her teeth are sharp. So for the next two days or so, I'm trying to save the battery on my phone until I can make it to Bennington to buy another charger. Not the end of the world, but since I'm stranded, unable to drive for another 3-4 weeks, it means I have to wait until I can get someone to take me over. Frustrating!
But on a better note, my brother who has been deployed in Iraq for quite awhile is on his way home, if not already there! My other bro is on his way to Afghanistan in a few days. That I'm worried about, but God is in control, and I know he will be protected.

Post Surgery

Ok, so it's been way too long since I've had a chance to update this. On Jan 28 I had surgery on my shoulder. They had to go in and repair the bicep tendon and all the labrum (the cartilage) in the right side. Apparently when I fell down the stairs I tore the cartilage very badly, and it had been pushed back up over itself, so there was no protection at all for the bone, tendons, etc. Needless to say, the entire shoulder was extremely enflamed, and the ball and socket had been rubbing on itself for 3 months, making it worse all the time. So they put in an anchor, sewed it up, and now supposedly it will feel better in the long run. The first week was torture, and I couldn't do anything on my own - lift, sit down, stand up, make meals, or anything else. If I had known ahead, I don't think I would have gone through with the surgery. On monday, the PA took the sutures out, and immediately the pain lessened. Not much, but at least enough so I could stand up, do stairs, and sit down by myself with somewhat less pain. The PA thought that the sutures had become too tight with all the swelling, and that is probably why I'd had more pain than normal.
I'm ever so grateful to all the folks who have helped me out since the surgery. The girls who have come over to stay with me, all the people who have gone grocery shopping, made meals, helped me clean, and everything else. There is no way to say how much it means to me. I hadn't realized exactly how much an arm, or lack of, affects you until all this happened.
Another blessing is the apartment I'm in. God totally took care of things, because I would not have been able to stay in the first apartment I was planning on moving into. Only God knew and could work out the details of getting me out of that lease and into one where I'm so well cared for. My neighbor is a friend of mine, and he and my landlord check in at least daily to make sure I'm ok. They and many others have loaned me books and movies to make my time somewhat more bearable. Wow, God is so good.
I had a follow up with my pain management doctor in Rutland (the original shoulder injury) yesterday, and he also is encouraging. He believes that some of the cartilage may have been torn in the car accident, but because we hadn't checked that before, we hadn't realized it. If that is the case, the surgery may have worked towards fixing the ongoing pain from 2 yrs ago. It may also explain why that pain had also been getting worse, rather than better over the time we've been working treating it. I pray that's the case.
My family has been doing so much for me this past couple weeks as well. Zachary and JJoy love coming to spend the night, and mom drops in regularly to putter around doing whatever is needed. I've had a couple setbacks, including a major mental/emotional breakdown the other day, but overall, I can't complain.
The weather has been freezing, so I guess it was a good time to be stuck inside. We've had a few nice days though, and I've been able to get out a little more this past week. I won't be able to drive for at least a few more weeks, so I'm glad to be in town, where I can walk to the bank, post office, etc. It helps to get outside some.