On The Road To Being a Better Person

On my way to accepting the challenges that God is giving me, I realized that if I were a better person, a person with more faith, this would come naturally or at least easier. So I googled integrity, ethics, self confidence, etc and found some sites where they give tips on how to be a person of integrity. I printed some of them and cut out the tips I liked and have them in an envelope at my desk at work and everyday (third day today) I take one randomly and leave it on my desk so I can re-read it throughout the day. Today’s tip is quite powerful and I believe was selected by God for me.

“Self confident people don’t live in the ‘victim’ position. They turn unfortunate events into a challenge, remembering to be grateful for the little things”.

Today I am grateful for my neighbor Jenny that thinks of me when she has extra peppers and makes me home made bread. It sounds little but the impact is very big.

How To Live a Long and Happy Life

These are obvious but it took me reading them to be reminded. I would also add that anonymous acts of kindness go a long way in making you feel like a rockstar.

1. Compliment three people everyday
2. Watch a sunrise
3. Be the first to say "Hello"
4. Live beneath your means
5. Treat everyone as you want to be treated
6. Never give up on anybody; miracles happen
7. Forget the Jones’s
8. Remember someone’s name
9. Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage
10. Be tough-minded, but tender hearted
11. Be kinder than you have to be
12. Don’t forget that a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated
13. Keep your promises
14. Learn to show cheerfulness even when you don’t feel it
15. Remember that overnight success usually takes 15 years
16. Leave everything better than you found it
17. Remember that winners do what losers don’t want to do
18. When you arrive at your job in the morning, let the first thing you say brighten everyone’s day
19. Don’t rain on other people’s parades
20. Don’t waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them
21. Keep some things to yourself and don’t promote havoc by backstabbing people you love

Latest From the Mayo

I updated my last post with the exact spelling of my leg pain diagnosis. Its Meralgia Paresthetica. Wiki describes it as 'Injury to the nerve that extends from the thigh to the spinal column resulting in acute and disabling pain.' You can check out the link at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meralgia_paraesthetica if you are so inclined. Essentially they said that it is difficult to treat but that treatments include injections and drugs. Surgery is a poor option as it has unfavorable results. I did get an injection the time before and am hopeful it will work. He said it could take up to 2 weeks.

In addition to this information, the neurologist also said that I have a bulging disc, or rather 2 of them, in my neck. One is moderate and the other is severe. Neither of them are currently impacting my spine but someday the severe one could whereby I would lose my bladder and bowels and be paralyzed from the wasit or chest down and would have to go to the emergency room for imediate surgery. I also have some 'blip' in my brain that showed up on MRI that he said means nothing.

I am trying very hard to not feel sorry for myself but its not working. I dont know why I have all this crap to deal with and am feeling so frustrated and angry and depressed. The good thing I guess is that he confirmed that I didnt have MS, which was my worst fear.

I am going to spend my entire weekend stamping and not think about it. I finally found my camera so I will post some pictures later.

thanks to all my friends, I appreciate you more than you know.

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