Update from Leg Land

Well, our achy breaky legs over here at the Campbell's wanted me to send out a blog update.

Chris' foot is feeling much better, and he has already stopped wearing his protective boot.  Hopefully he'll continue to improve, and the nerve pain from the bottom of his foot won't come back.  Yay for him!

Ethan has been rocking the physical therapy like a pro!  His first physical therapy session was last Thursday, March 25.  He's done his at-home exercises daily, and he really works hard at the sessions to do exactly what they ask him to do.  As a result, his knee pain has decreased drastically, he's completely off crutches, and he barely even limps anymore.  Hurray for the magical healing powers of the 11 year old body.  Yay for Ethan!

I went to my orthopedic surgeon appointment today to get an X-ray and find out what the heck I have done to myself.  Thank goodness I don't have any broken bones, but according to the doctor, I have torn a number of muscles behind my right knee and the physical therapist added that he thinks I have a meniscus tear as well.  Lovely.

So I have to be on evil crutches for at least a week, and up to 3 weeks.  I can't actually straighten my knee at all, and he says that if I come back for my followup appointment in 3 weeks and that's still a problem, he'll order an MRI and "look at our options," which sounded a whole lot like "surgery."

He scheduled me for 4 weeks of physical therapy, so I stopped by the physical therapist's office on my crutchy way out and scheduled myself for the same appointments that Ethan has.  Misery loves company, after all!  We did our first joint appointment today, and it was excruciating for me and refreshing for Ethan.  And exhilarating for Tristan, who has fallen in love with physical therapy offices - there are so many fun "toys" to play on, like 1 legged stair machines, weights, bands, and stuff to step and balance on.  

So now we just need to pray that my leg will heal up nicely with the help of the exercises and my willpower and the Lord's blessings.  We're going to the temple for the first time in quite a while on Friday.  I'm going - crutches and pain medication and all.  I can't think of a better healing remedy in the universe than the balm of the Spirit and losing the cares of the world in the service of my Father in Heaven.

Three's a crowd, aka You've got to be kidding me, aka Chris got the boot

Yeah.  So, this is just ridiculous.

At Christmastime, Chris broke his middle toe on his left foot.  It hurt a lot but he didn't go to the doctor because there's not much the doc can do with a broken toe.  It got better pretty quick, but the ball of his foot started hurting a couple of weeks later.

About 5 weeks ago, I did something weird with my right hamstring and it started hurting mildly.  It felt like I had hyperextended it, but I didn't freak out or go to the doctor or anything.

On March 10, Ethan was running on the playground at recess and he said it suddenly felt like he couldn't feel his knee anymore, so he stopped running.  We found out the next day after 2 doctor visits, an X-ray and an MRI that he had badly strained his ACL and torn his meniscus in his left knee.  He didn't have to have surgery, but he did have a lot of swelling so they had to take fluid out of his joint (OWWW!).  He's been on crutches until just today, and now he's working out with 4 weeks of physical therapy.  He's a trooper, but it's been extremely hard on him and on the rest of us.  Nobody likes to be in pain and on crutches, especially for 3 weeks!

So then I went to the Muse concert with Dallin and stood 1.5 people from the FRONT of the crowd on the floor.  Never been that close at a concert before, and it totally ROCKED!!  We screamed and danced and jumped and sang and had the time of our lives!  I was just so glad I felt well enough to go to the show.  But I really shouldn't have jumped.  I damaged the hamstring even more, so I've been limping ever since.

On Friday 3/26, Chris finally went to the orthopedic doctor for his foot, and they told him he's got a pinched nerve.  They gave him a Cortizone shot (ow!) and put him in a walking boot for 3 weeks.  So he's limping too!

Yesterday was a painful leg day for me.  I've been up and doing for everyone else, picking up everyone else's slack because they couldn't do much.  Whenever I spend a lot of time walking (limping, I should say), I end up in agony.  I had gone and done some Saturday things, and when I got home Chris was moving out our old washer and dryer and moving in the newer models we got from my friend Cherri's parents.  I didn't want him to roll the old washer and dryer over my brand new living room rug, so I got up to move it.  I was walking backwards as I rolled it up, and BAM!  I slipped on the medicine ball Ethan had been using for his physical therapy exercises and forgotten to put away.  OWWW!!!!  I know I didn't completely break the hamstring, but I am constantly in pain.  I could barely sleep last night because I couldn't find a position that didn't burn or pinch or hate me.

So now 3 out of the 4 people in our family are dealing with ortho injuries!  THREE!!!!!  WHAT?!?!?  Seriously!!!?!?!  

Not only is there the pain and inconvenience to contend with, there's also the fact that our health insurance has a $2000 deductible for EACH covered family member before they pay a dime for anything.  On top of the repairs we've recently done to the house, and the fact that I no longer have a full-time income....  looks like I'll be dragging out those credit cards again.  You know... the ones we had paid off.

I am really, really trying to keep a positive outlook, but this is the most "stuff" we've ever had piled on us at once, ever.  I think I'm going to go bury myself in the covers for a while.  That will help, right?  

Service comes in mysterious ways

It's amazing to me how opportunities to help others come in the most unexpected and surprising ways.  In the last hour and a half today I've had 2 neat opportunities to serve.  The first call I got was from a friend in my ward with several young children, the youngest being a 2 year old adorable little girl.  She asked me if we would be willing to let her little one come to our house and sleep in a pack-n-play while they take their older kids to Disney On Ice.  Not many people ask me to babysit their kids, so it was a delightful surprise.  Apparently she's going to sleep the ENTIRE time she's here.  A 2 year old who's absolutely no trouble?  Yeah, I can totally do that!!

The second one came shortly afterwards, in the form of an email to our Relief Society email list asking for someone to volunteer freezer space.  We have a full size freezer in our garage that isn't currently chock full, so I called & offered mine.  I was delighted to find out what a great service it would be!  We have a family in our ward who were pregnant with twin boys.  They already have two young daughters, both of whom were premature because mom went into labor with them very early and had to be hospitalized to prolong the pregnancy.  This time, her labor started even earlier than with each of her girls, so she was put on bedrest, medication, and eventually was hospitalized full time to save the pregnancy and the boys.  Sadly, one of the twins did not make it, passing away before he was delivered.  The remaining twin was delivered at 21 weeks!   They call him a micro-preemie.  As you can imagine, we have had fasts, prayers, and endless service opportunities as we have reached out to support this incredible family.  He is doing extremely well, with all of his organs functioning properly.  He is to be in the hospital through the end of April, which is his natural due date.

The mom's best friend has been storing all her milk for her, but her freezer went out suddenly.  So now all this precious, priceless breast milk for this little miracle baby is in MY freezer, kept safe and sound until it finds its home again.  I know it's silly, but it feels SO special to me to safeguard their baby's nutrients for them!

I love how the Lord blesses me to be able to serve in ways that are possible for me, even with all the other tumult going on.  He sure knows our needs!

Back!

Hi everybody!

I am back!  It is spring, it is gorgeous and flowery and sunny and beautiful outside (except for the 1 weird day of snow), and it has been time for rebirth and renewal here in our household.  

It's a long, involved, depressing story to tell why I haven't been motivated to do... welllll... ANYTHING.  In short, 2008 was really tough for me, and I couldn't find "the happy."  So I sought counseling and they supported my decision to try an antidepressant.  I did, and since November 2008 I have been ASLEEP!  I realized, after a year and a half of "meh" and "I can't be bothered," that I had more than just stepped back and relaxed, I had lost the vitality and joy that make me who I am.  The medicines had forced me to be so sleepy and worn down and relaxed that they depressed me!

So when I realized that I had accidentally signed up for Opposite Day in my brain, I decided to break OUT of that cycle ASAP!  I wanted to find Erlynne again!  Now that I'm done with the pills, I finally remember who I am.

So begins my journey of discovery.  First 3 things on my to-do list:

1.  Lose the weight I gained while on the accursed antidepressants.  I didn't undergo weight loss surgery in 2004 just to get fat again in 2009!!!  I'm getting my Lap Band filled tomorrow morning and starting a daily exercise regimen.  I found out today that I have a partially torn hamstring in my right leg, so the ortho doc said to bike, not walk.  I can do that - I've got a bike in my back yard and gorgeous sunny days to play in!  Celebration Park, HERE I COME!!!!  My first goal is to lose 10 pounds by Easter Sunday.  

2.  Figure out the money.  I, who bookkeep for a LIVING, haven't reconciled a single credit card or bank statement for our personal accounts in exactly 1 year.  I know how much money we have, but I don't know where it's been, or where it's going.  That makes me crazy as a loon, and it stops NOW.  I am going to whip that budget into shape!

3.  Return and report.  I need to write the stories of what our family has done, become, experienced, and seen.  If I don't write them (with pictures, of course), then I will forget them, and that is unacceptable!  Plus, I need to reach out to those I love.  I feel like I've been an ostrich hiding with my head in the sand.  That's not me!

I can gratefully and truly say that I have leaned on the arm of the Lord for support during these past many months.  I didn't know WHY I couldn't be "a normal person," but I know He blessed me to feel His presence and His love for me and for my family.  I can't wait to repay that love by word and deed. :)