The weekend gave me plenty of time to mull over a lot of things in regards to the chance a 4th surgery would be necessary. I went back and forth, arguing with myself, as to whether or not I thought it would be the case. When I woke up this morning, I had finally resigned myself to the fact that it probably would be a "given" due to my track record since August 4th. "Murphy's Law" and "Miller's Tough and Uncanny Luck" have been best friends for some time now. So exercising absolutely no faith at all, I just knew that my news was going to be bad. And as the "Good Book" says, "Oh ye, of little faith!"
You know this EMG test absolutely goes against everything my parents taught me about being around electrical currents. As kids growing up, my siblings and I were taught the importance of never doing something ridiculously stupid like putting something into an electrical outlet~at least not if you didn't want to get the "living daylights" shocked out of you. And so today, there I was like a "human guinea pig" sitting at a table allowing a doctor to systematically "shock" my fingers, hand, and arm at will. For the record, it's not that bad. So if you ever need to have one in the future, just remember that I am proof it doesn't kill you.
As I returned to the main waiting room to sit until I was called back to Dr. Chan's office, I couldn't help but notice all of the people in similar straits as I was. Chalk it up to being nervous about the test results, I began to think of other things....for instance just how many people in that big waiting room had casts on their arms. I counted 13 and the really weird thing was that 11 of us had our left arms affected. Not sure what that says...just throwing it out there as "food for thought." An equal number of folks were working with a variety of other complaints, like broken feet, separated shoulders, and fractured legs. We all came in various shapes and sizes, age groups, etc. but for all of our differences, we still had one major thing in common~we all needed someone at the Kansas Orthopaedic Center to help restore us back to our former "good health". I always have a sense of peace as I wait in that area. It's a place where I don't feel alone in my predicament and you can look at anyone else sitting there and say to yourself and them too, "I kind of know how you feel."
When they called me back to Dr. Chan's office, I went still dragging along with me the sneaking suspicion that I'd be scheduling an appointment for surgery in the near future. In fact, so sure was I that before leaving school today, I grabbed my planner book so I'd know what day to schedule it. I was soon to be proved very wrong.
Dr. Prince Chan has NEVER had a smile on his face as big as the one he wore today when he came into my room. Not that he never smiles~he just never smiles from "ear to ear". I knew something was up-just didn't know what.
"I've got some good news for you Peggy!" he announced as he sat down beside me.
The EMG tests showed that there was absolutely no nerve damage done~about the best news I have heard in quite a long spell. No surgery would be needed~geesch and now I wouldn't be able to use my "punch card" ...."have 3 surgeries and get the 4th surgery free!" LOL, well you know what I mean.
At this point in time, Dr. Chan is convinced that the nerves are just irritated and still swollen from all of the trauma induced to them after my accident and in the 3 subsequent surgeries that followed. It may take weeks, months, or even a year before things return to normal again. But you know what? I can live with that~
He saved the other news, probably the even better news for the last. I need to come back to see him in 4 weeks at which time one more set of x-rays will be taken and then there is a 99.9% chance that after long, long last, I will be dismissed. Can't even imagine what that day will be like but this I know~I sure will be glad to see it arrive.
Before leaving, I once again dared to ask the question...one that I've gone back and forth on so very many times in the past 7 months. It's a question I've given up asking more than twice but today I thought, "What the heck? I'm asking him."
"Dr. Chan, what do you advise on my riding a bicycle? Can I ever do it again or should I just give it up?" I asked him. And his reply was something that I took heart in and when I say that my spirit soars from time time, well on this day, it was high above the city of Wichita.
He told me "yes" that there is no reason on this earth that I should give up bicycle riding. In fact, he even encouraged me to get right back on the trainer this very day and get my legs back in shape again. With all that encouragement, he did add one extra thought, "I just don't want you to ever crash and burn again!" :)
My response back to him was, "Me either!"
So tonight, that's just what I'm going to do. To my dear friends LeRoy and Anne Willis who brought me the wind trainer back to Kansas from their journey through Colorado, I say "guess it's time to get back on it!" And I do promise to be careful dear friends. I am a bicyclist and an accident is just that, only an accident. I would be foolish to never try to enjoy one of the greatest pastimes I have ever known.
I wish all of you dear friends and family of mine, a life filled with blessings. I pray that you never go through anything like I have. But if you do, then may God send all of you the angels that He has sent to take care of me. When it's all said and done, and as I've said many times, crashing my bike was one of the very best things that ever happened to me. I no longer am the same! :)
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