The awaited wrist update....

It's official. I have a problem.

Hee! Hee! I like saying it like that...

I got my MRI results last Friday when I saw the doc. I have a ganglion (like a cyst of fluid) and a partial tear to a ligament in my wrist. The doc and physio think that these are extras on top of a tendinitis that is definitely there and some funny anatomy!

I was relieved to have a problem to validate the pain I have been having that didn't seem to be getting better as I hope tendinitis would. So, at least I get validation that I'm not making up the pain! And I have a goal of recovery!

Unfortunately this means a longer process that supposedly will include surgery to my wrist. I'm waiting on an appointment with the surgeon at this point and staying on a back-to-work program.

Really rough week with pain since Friday. I didn't go to work today and having been wearing my big claw (my nighttime splint) around the house for the past 3 days. I'm having trouble drying my hands, holding a plate and pulling up my pants for goodness sake! Feeling a little anxious about not knowing what to do with work tomorrow!

So, it's good news and bad news all in one. Now if I can just kick this pain in the meantime, I'd like that!

How does my husband do it?

Between the strange inability to sleep, the loud crashes of thunder and brightness of the lightening, I could not sleep last night! Though, I did have a late evening slurpee which I didn't take into account. I had to be up early for physio and acupuncture this morning and got about 3 - 3 and a half hours of sleep. This body of mine generally functions on 8-9 hours per night!

How does my husband do it every day? And he stays so positive! I'm more concerned about his lack of sleep than he seems to be.

Shane, you've got a great attitude about the insomnia thing! I'm proud of you! I sure wouldn't like it!

Tests, tests, tests.....

I had my MRI for my wrist yesterday evening. It went well and I'm seeing the doc on Friday to hopefully get some results. It very well may come back that nothing is wrong! That is good but also doesn't explain the reason for having pain for 9 months! God has begun a healing process in my wrist and I need to focus on that and be thankful!

I went to see the GI doctor today for my "angry stomach". When I saw him for the first time 2 years ago he gave me that diagnosis. He is super nice and remembered me from 2 years ago. So, now there's a plan for another test....a gastroscopy. Yucky! That is what I have to look forward to later this summer! I'd love to get rid of this heartburn and nausea that I have most every day!

Then I went for coffee with a fabulous friend of mine. We had so much fun talking during our coffee that we carried on the coffee date for a few more hours then expected! I loved it! Girlfriends are so meaningful!

I love date nights!

Especially when they involve eating a yummy meal that we cooked together (pork chops, mashed potatoes and cream corn tonight!), playing games together (which Shane does only very seldom so it's a treat!) and snuggles!

Top that off with some exercises, stretches and God-time, it makes for a pretty great evening!

Happy Mother's Day!!!!!

We had a great Mother's Day celebration yesterday with my mom and siblings! We enjoyed the outdoors at mom's house along with the new trampoline, the ticks and the sunflower seeds. We brought the pizza, chips and drinks and partied the night away, finishing the night off with a great game of Phase 10 and moments of hysterical laughter! Family is wonderful!

Quotes from the family gathering:

1. "If you can't dodge it, ram it!"
2. "Run, run, run! Poop is fun!"
3. "It would be completely impossible to fertilize all your eggs!"
4. "I'm afraid the ball is going to hit me in the glove!" (playing baseball)
5. "I didn't even smell it, I tasted it!"
6. "The color and stench of bitterness is greeny and smells like puke, or its like an owl that died in your mouth!"
7. "Do you rememeber the smell of your Prosobee?" "Oh yeah"

Happy Mother's Day to my mom and my mother-in-law! We love you guys! Have a special day in honor of you gals!

A bit of wrist encouragement!

Last evening was a very good wrist evening!

I haven't been able to bend or stretch my left wrist as far as my right wrist for a number of month already. It gets to a certain point and refuses to go any further and hurts to go any further. This has bugged me....as it seemed to physically tell me that things weren't quite right!

Yesterday night I did a bending experiment.....and lo and behold.......my wrists bent the same amount!!!! I haven't been able to do that for months, whether it was a painful day or not! Again this morning, I could still bend them the same distance!

Now that has encouraged me and that is progress!!! So, let's see what a few more acupuncture session with do for this lovely wrist of mine!

7 pokes today!

Tuesday was my first time trying acupuncture! Tuesday gave me 4 needle pokes....well today's appointment gave me 7. It is quite funny to sit there and look at needles sticking out of your skin, which you allowed to be put there voluntarily! I tried to take a picture with the cell phone but it didn't save....

My arm/wrist is feeling quite nice this evening! I hope that feeling stays! If it helps take the pain away, poke me as much as you want to!

On a side note, I got to be apart of a delivery again at work this week! My first one since I worked back in February! Boy, that was nice to be doing one of the things I love to do again!

A year ago yesterday.....

I had the privilege and honor of being present when little Eli Heinrichs came into this world! And now he's one year old already!!!

Happy Birthday Eli!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY SANCTUARY!!!!!!

We are officially one year old today! Yippeeeeee!!!

We had a great celebration weekend with a feast at the Guses' on Saturday and then our many hours on Sunday with special twists to celebrate His faithfulness over the past year. So, the celebration is coming to a close....with anticipation for year 2 of Sanctuary's history!

So, again, happy birthday!!!!

Random Thoughts...

- Joyska comes today!
- A doctor or physio appointment every day this week! That's a little overwhelming...but looking on the thankful side, thanks God for providing these people and services!

I thought I had more thoughts, but that is all that wants to come to mind at this time!

OK......Fess up......

Who was praying for me last evening? I felt it...and now I'm curious who it was.....=)

Day 5....

So, as many of you are aware, Shane and I are part of a House of Prayer here in Winnipeg called Sanctuary House of Prayer. We're going to have our first anniversary within the next week and half!

We have been in the process of looking for a permanent location. A local church has been extremely gracious and has allowed us to use their building on Sunday afternoon and evenings for the past year. We'd love to have our own place and be able to expand our hours across the week...with the hopes that over time God would establish a House of Prayer that would be 24/7. A building is the first step in that direction!

So, we have one in the works! If you want to hear more and see a few pictures, head over to our website www.sanctuaryhop.com. Now we're in the process of praying for the funds to come in. We need a specific amount and have a deadline of 45 days. Today is day 5.

If you can help with prayer, jump on board with all of us that are praying over the remaining 40 days. If you have a desire to give a donation towards this building, head over to Sanctuary's website and there are details there. We are trusting that God has lead us this far. What a ride!

Jesus, would you provide the money that is needed for this building! Help us to put our faith in you and not in dollar bills!

Today's the day.....

I've been off work for a day short of 9 weeks and today is my first day going back to work. I'm nervous and a little happy all in one. The nervous side is winning though! I am thinking that somehow I've forgotten everything! Unlikely.

So, please pray for me today if you think of me, and Thursday and Friday too. I'm hoping it goes really well! I've missed babies, moms, coworkers, labor and birth. I hope in my short 4 hours I get a birth today. It's been too long! That would be nice!

Back to the working world outside my living room.....

Thumb gadgets and musical instruments....

I just finished playing 20 minutes of guitar, as ordered by physio today!!!!! That is the most guitar I've played since the middle of February!!! The most in 9 weeks actually!

I've got this fun little thumb gadget that I brought home from physio today to experiment with while playing guitar. See, my thumb is my archenemy lately, as it is a major instigator of my pain on my left hand. And somehow I press on my thumb and bend it awkwardly when I play the guitar. So, we're brainstorming how I can play guitar more without adding to my wrist problem.

This little gadget is kinda like a thimble that covers the top of a thumb. Except that it is this gelly substance that provides some friction to stick to the guitar better. Boy, I'm doing a bad job of explaining this! Anyways, we'll see over a few guitar-playing times if it seems to help!

I'm happy to be on a course to increasing my guitar playing. I'm at 20 minutes as a trial right now.

On the wrist news, I start my back-to-work program this Wednesday! I'm excited to see my coworkers and be in my workplace again, but I'm a little nervous about pain! It would be a lot easier to go back to work if there was a miraculous healing or a significant change in my wrist since February, but unfortunately there hasn't really been. But, on we go!

Becki's Back!!!!

And now we all look smashing!

Becki is my sister's high school friend who has become our family hairdresser, really. She was traveling in New Zealand since October and is finally back! So, she started back at work on Tuesday and between then and today, my mom, my dad, Steph, Shane and I have all gotten haircuts! I think we like our Becki!

We had fun today! Between group haircuts, new colors and a great day with the family celebrating Easter a little late! I remember again and again when we spend the non-winter days out in Mitchell how much I love the country!

Nite!

Ode to my pharmacist....

Our pharmacist is leaving, I am very sad to say,
He was a great guy, and gave us the meds for each new day,

He knew us by name and waved when we passed by,
He walked with us through summer '05 when Shane was relatively high,

Through the changing of meds, the side effects, and trouble,
He groaned with us as the cost became double,

There is something special when someone knows your name,
But now he's gone, oh what a shame!

All the best, Darren!

The power of prayer.....

It is really neat to put on the IHOP webstream which allows me to hear and see the prayer room in Kansas City while I read the news online. I was reading about the tragic shootings at Virgina Tech. As I was reading, the girl that was praying at the mic starting praying specifically for the staff and students at Virgina Tech. That is powerful when someone is praying aloud for the very thing you are reading.

I pray that these horrific events cause the reaction of prayer. It is devastating and awful. It makes me want to pray for our generation all the more. Jesus, save this generation! Encounter them with salvation! Surround those students, families, friends and faculty with your Spirit and your comfort.

New look?

I'm experimenting with a simple, new look. Yvonne made a beautiful layout for me about 3 years ago that I used for a long time. Thanks Yvonne!

Now it was time for a change! So, it is simple, which I like and I'm not very computer-literate, so I just picked one of the templates that blogger has. We'll see how I like it!

Home sweet home! How I love thee!!

Ahhh...sometimes the best part about being away is coming home! I realize I'm more of a homebody than I would have thought. I think I like the idea of traveling more than the actual experience, though it is exciting!

The sister trip Sunday through Tuesday was nice! I only left the hotel once the whole trip, so it was quite relaxing! I got to do what I've been doing the last 7 weeks in the hotel room instead of in my living room. I brought my Bible, journal, some teaching cds and the corresponding notes. So, I studied while Steph was at work!

I always love sister time, especially when it has extra spice with an airplane ride, restaurants, hotels and hot tubs! Lots of fun! Love you Steph! Thanks for bringing me along!

Happy Easter!

This evening Steph and I are leaving on a jet plane for 2 nights in Toronto! I hope it is relaxing, fun and enjoyable! Thank-you to her boss for the opportunity to tag along with Steph to TO! I always enjoy sister time!

Today is a really good day to be thankful! So, Jesus, thanks for:
- salvation, what a gift!
- that God was made human to make our salvation possible!
- that I can have a relationship with the God of the universe! wow!
- that I have a wonderful family and a fabulous husband
- that I have the blessing of two trips now from Steph's work (Puerto Rico last year, Toronto this year!)
- lots of provision and blessing lately
- knowing He's always in control and knows exactly what's going on (thinking about my wrist too)
- that I have a home to live in, food in my fridge, gas in my van and all bills paid each month!
- that we have the honor of living a crazy life of faith and get to spend our time getting to know Him more and praying on behalf of ourselves, others and the city of Winnipeg at large

Thank-You Jesus for all that you've done. Help me to remember each day the things you've done for us! You're a good God that gives good gifts!