News from the Mayo

I am back from round 2 at the Mayo. Note to self: next time you stay overnight, stay at the Grand, its worth the extra $30 for a room.

I seen Dr Mark Hurdle this morning. I like him. He seems knowledgeable about my problems based on the questions that he asks and he is approachable. He told me his working diagnosis' for me are Trocanter (lt hip) Bursitis and Meralgia Parasthetica. He also said my MRIs were abnormal but that I could get the results from those when I see Dr Stevens next week. I recieved 2 injections today and my leg feels very week, more than normal and my calf and hammy huirt but not the thigh. Thank God for small miracles.

*****Hijack*****
Is any miracle small?

Anyway, I feel like I atleast have some diagnosis now.

Thanks again for your prayers!
Robin

Thank you to my friends

I have had many emails from friends and relatives telling me they are praying for me so I really need to say thank you to everyone that has prayed with and for me. I am seriously struggling with my faith here so I want everyone to know that your prayers continue to encourage and uplift me as well as ask God for help for me when I can not.

THANK YOU MY FRIENDS

Home From the Mayo

Preparing for my trip to the Mayo clinic was mentally exhausting as I just kept thinking that this was my last attempt and that no one was ever going to help me. At the last minute, I threw a book in my suitcase called Surprise Me God, a 30 day faith experiment by Terry Esau (Minnesota author). I am not even sure how I got this book or how it became readily available right when I was walking out the door but apparently God surprised me before I even asked him to.

When I got to the hotel, I didnt really want to stop reading my current book but I had so much anxiety, I just read the first couple of pages to see if it would calm me down. It did. I really wanted to ask God to give me the ability to completely convey my symptoms since that has sort of been a challenge for me but I kept it Surprise me and then went to bed.

The mayo doesnt mess around, when they get you there, they keep you. I checked in at 6:35am and didnt get back to my room until 6pm. Here are the tests I had, what I know so far and when I have to go back;

Tests Yesterday
Hip xrays
Nerve study
Ultrasound
MRI Head
MRI Neck
MRI Back

See spine specialist on August 28th
Test results and plan September 3rd

So what they think so far is that my leg pain is caused by my left femoral nerve. He called it soemthing special but I cant remember. The only 2 procedures to fix it is to do steroid injections in the groin or 'hunt and peck' surgery and apparently neither of them are likely to have positive outcomes because its so hard to find the exact problem.

He also said that I might have some spine problems which are causing the tingling in my extremities and now in my groin (sounds more fun than it is).

The nerve studies were quite painful and I had some anxiety during the 90 minutes I was squeezed in the tube of death the mayo calls the MRI machine but i do feel like they can help me.

Out of the mouths of babes

Last Friday, Jesse and Tamra were working so Ken had Austin for most of the day but dropped him off with me for the last hour I was here. He was playing with his pixter and he says loudly of course for everyone on the 3rd floor to hear "Something stinks! Did you fart?" I hadnt but I still felt like walking out the door and never coming back. Here are a few more from him over the years;

'Gramma, you have teeth like a beaver'

In response to me asking him how to get to heaven. "Sharkboy and lavagirl. They have superpowers."

I will post some more little jewels later on

Jesses Restaraunt Grand Opening Incentive

Big Slice Pizza in Ridgedale opened with much fanfare yesterday and to keep the momentum going, I am offering some incentives.

If you show me a receipt from Big Slice Pizza in Ridgedale I will give you 15% off any Stampin Up order placed with me between now and 8/15. No minimum order and/or I will also give you 40% off of a Mary Kay order that is $100 or more. Mary Kay orders must be placed by 8/30.

Their restaraunt is right inside the East entrance, across from Taco Bell.

Please say a prayer for their business. Oh and if you are in ridgedale, stop and say hi. Its going to be just the 2 of them for awhile.

Memories of My Mom part 2

Here is the Parable I used a few years ago to create a memorial scrapbook for my mother. I get a little teary reading it and thinking about my mom and that it could be many more years before I can see her and my dad again. I hope she can see how I am keeping her and my dads legacy alive by telling Austin and Logan about them.

...hijack...
For the last couple weeks Logan wants me to go into my studio closet with him and then pick him up where he waves and says 'bye' to something that isnt there or that I cant see anyway. One time he said 'bye' and then some other word that i couldnt understand but it sort of sounded like Bob which is my dads name. weird!

Parable of a Young Mother by Temple Bailey

The young mother set her foot on the path of Life. "Is the way long?" she asked. And God said: "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."

But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed with them in the streams, and the sun shone on them, and life was good, and the young mother cried: "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this".

Then night came, and storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle and the children said: "Oh, Mother, we are not afraid for you are near, and no harm can come." And the mother said: "This is better than the brightest of days, for I have taught my children courage."

And the morning came and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary, but at all times she said to the children: "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top, they said: "We could not have done it without you, Mother." And the mother, when she lay down that night, looked up at the stars and said: "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of difficulty. Yesterday I gave them courage, Today I have given them strength."

And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth - clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said: "Look up! Lift your eyes to the light." And the children looked and saw above the clouds an Everlasting Glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. And that night the mother said: "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."

And the days went on, and the months and the years, and the mother grew old, and she was small and bent. But her children were strong and tall and walked with courage. And when the way was hard, they helped their mother; and when the way was rough they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And the mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know that the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them."

And the children said: "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates."

And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us. A mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence."

Memories of my mom

My friend is making a memory for the family of a friend who recently passed away. Her friend left 2 small children behind and asked me about ideas for pages and 2 things immediately came to mind. A song by BJ Thomas that played at my wedding and a story I scrapbooked about a mother who protected her children in a storm. Here are the words to the BJ Thomas song and I will post the story later when I have more time.

WHOS THE ONE WHO TIED YOU SHOE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGAND KNEW JUST WHEN TO COME AND SEE WHAT YOU HAD DONEMAMA OH MAMAAND WHOS THE ONE WHO PATCHED YOUR EYE AND TOLD YOU NOT TO CRYCAUSE HE WAS TO BIG FOR YOU TO TRY MAMA MAMA

AND WHOS THE ONE YOU DIDNT NEED TO PLEADTO GIVE HER TIME TO THE LITTLE LEAGUEIT WAS MAMA OH MAMAAND WHOS THE ONE WHO GAVE HER SHOULDER WHEN YOU TOLD HER YOUR FIRST LOVE WAS OVERSHE'D MET SOMEONE OLDER MAMA MAMA
IT WAS MAMA, MY MAMA, MAMA, OH MAMA

WHOS THE ONE WHO TAUGHT YOU OBLIGATION THEN DEDICATION RESULTS GRADUATION MAMA MAMAAND WHOS THE ONE WHOS SHOWN THE FRIENDS YOU'VE KNOWNA HOME AWAY FROM HOME WHEM THEY WERE TIRED AND ALL ALONEMAMA MAMA

AND WHOS THE ONE WHO HELD A TEAR INSIDE WHEN YOU INTRODUCED YOU FUTURE BRIDE AND WHOS THE ONE THAT DIDNT MEAN TO CRY AS YOU WALKED DOWN THE ISLE THROUGH TEARS YOU SAW HER SMILE MAMA OH MAMA