Learning to be strong again!

Technology and I are NOT getting along today.  I only wanted the video to be at the bottom-couldn't figure out how to delete the copy at the top.  I need one of my 10-year old students to show me how!  :)  I guess you get to watch it "twice".  LOL


Heading back, ONE MORE TIME,  to the "land of miracles" this afternoon.  It's been two weeks now since my cast came off and the very "fashionable" neon pink splint was put in place.  Although I am sure that some improvement has happened, the recovery process is so painfully slow.  I wanted to be much better by now and in my impatience I have learned that my idea of timing is much different than God's idea is.

Speaking honestly, I do know that some improvements have happened.  They are little ones, so little that only I know they even exist.....but they are there.  I believe that my range of motion to the wrist is probably at about 35% which is way better than it was 2 weeks ago.  My incisions look as if they have healed quite nicely and I continue to massage the scar so that scar tissue doesn't build up and cause more problems.

  I am typing pretty dang good, well except for the pinky that has a heck of a time with determining that the "caps lock" key is NOT the "shift key".  But other than that, I'm kind of back to normal on the typing part of life.  Mrs. Hendrix, my Typing I and II teacher from my days at Haven High School would be very proud of me!  LOL

The swelling looks much as it did 2 weeks ago when then cast came off.  Even though I am disappointed in the fact that it hasn't gone down, I know that overall there has been a major improvement since 5 weeks ago.  It was then that I looked at my arm for the first time since the accident and couldn't believe its grotesquely swollen appearance.

 Although I haven't given up hope yet, at times I catch myself thinking that this may be as good as it's gonna get. I'm guessing I'll get the "verdict" from Kim the Taskmaster today as I go in for my second round of physical therapy.  If I was a "betting" person, I'd be placing mine on having to actually see physical therapists instead of doing my own.  Really, I think it's time.

I can't believe the lack of strength in "old lefty" but why would I be surprised, given the fact that for the better part of the last 7 weeks, it's been basically "on holiday".  Now it's being asked to rejoin the ranks of working body parts and it's not too thrilled about those prospects.  Although I am trying to slowly encourage activities that give the left hand/arm a workout, I still have trouble holding on to a piece of paper with the left hand.  At first it was embarrassing to not be able to hold onto my students' work at school....now I just take it in stride and remember that the kids understand.

I continue to be grateful for the many "teachable moments" that I've been blessed with in this ordeal.  A couple of days ago, I was working with a group of students at school, talking about writing.  We were using one of my blog pages and I was hoping that if I shared my thoughts with them that they would make the connection that writing was fun.  I decided to read the paragraph in which I spoke of my left thumb refusing to bend at the joint.

All of a sudden, without any prompting from me, that crazy thumb begin to move-AT THE JOINT!  It was the strangest thing--but then I shouldn't be surprised because most of my life during these past weeks has been strange.  LOL  I dropped the paper I was reading from and just looked at it, mouth open.  The kids were looking at me too and they realized what was happening.

After what seemed like a lifetime of trying to stare down that thumb and make it move at the joint with NO success, I could now begin to really slowly make it happen.  Now realize, it's not like it was doing "aerobics" or anything like that.  But a teeny, tiny movement happened at the joint for the first time in over 7 weeks.  I said to that great group of students---"Fifth graders, I think you are all miracle workers!"  And then I cried....

You know this is the second time that I've cried in front of my students as I've went through this recovery process.  The first was that stupid sticker ordeal--you remember the one where I foolishly tried to peel stickers off for my first graders?  And that wasn't going so good....And now this time.  It was bad enough to shed a tear in front of 6-year olds.  But when you are dealing with kids fast approaching the teenage years, well that's kind of a different story.  I thought to myself, "Peggy, get it together!  These guys don't need to see this."  But I was so very wrong.....

We grown ups SO underestimate what kids are capable of thinking and feeling and being ready for in this life.  That group of 10 and 11-year olds had a lot of compassion for me, their teacher.  They knew how hard it has been for me to go through this.  Those kids, and any other kid at our school, would stand ready to do whatever was needed for me or for any other person anytime, any day.  It was actually a tender moment when one of them got a kleenix for me and everyone said "It's OK Mrs. Miller."  And you see why I say that I have the greatest job on earth?!  :)

I'm learning how to be strong again, in so many ways.  And I'm not talking about "brute strength", but rather the strength that comes from "deep inside the belly."  Sometimes we really have to be "humbled", brought to tears, just like at school...before we realize how very strong we already are. I thank that group of 5th graders who "lifted me up" this week and will continue to do so in the days ahead.

It's time to get ready to go to a job I love, teaching kids, so I'd better get moving!  Have a great Friday, September 23, 2011.  It IS a great day to be alive!  Remember to thank God for all of your blessings, my friends!  You all are the dearest of people to me!

I'M FEELING STRONGER EVERYDAY.....

Hey, I guess I HAVE come a long way since this photo was taken.  :)

Take a look at the "miraculous" thumb of "old lefty".  It's not much, but you gotta start somewhere friends!  :)