A Broken Arm Update, A Lie, and a Friend with Cancer

"They cut me open and took a piece of my bone," mom said. She had just come home from having her bone density test. A giant bandage covered her upper arm. "I was awake when they cut right into me."

For years after that trauma, I was horrified to get my bone density tested. The slow healing of my broken humerus has forced me though.

"Can you put me out for this procedure?" I certainly didn't want to see myself cut into like my mom was. Well... all I saw was the bandage.

The doctor chuckled. "It's just a painless x-ray that can see right through your bones."

My face went warm. Mom lied about another event in her life. This would make for a great blog. Mom barely told the truth about anything.

Anyway...

I survived my bone density test. It happened yesterday. I should know something more by Thursday.

Onward...

I'm posting a link to GoFundMe for a writer friend of mine. Several weeks before I broke my arm, Beth was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She had surgery. Thereafter, the doctor announced she was free of this hideous disease.

Now 8 months later, cancer cells have returned. The doctor advised radiation. She's retired and has to pinch every penny to survive.


Please click here to make a donation and read her story.

Hope everyone is well.

Hugs and chocolate!
Shelly

An All Around Update

Well, I made it through the New Year and the Inauguration. There will be no complaints about Trump. I've decided not to worry. No matter, God is in control and has allowed him to be elected. It's all about His plan, not about ours. Bible prophecy is lining up nicely. Earthquakes in diverse places. Race wars. Crazy weather. Massive Christian persecution. Rumors of wars. The nations against Israel. Plans to rebuild the third temple in Jerusalem.

Complaining won't change a thing. God's Word is sovereign. Every prophecy in the Bible will come to pass. We are in the end of days. We are the last generation. We are going to see things we never thought we would. Some amazing. Some scary.

Anyway....

My arm is healing. Been using my Exogen bone stimulating machine. Been using an arm pulley system to raise my arm up and out over my head. Don't know if there is a bone in there yet since my next appointment isn't until February 9th. But Beanie-Bean has been jumping into my lap. She wasn't doing that 4 weeks ago so I'm believing I've got one growing in there by now. Dogs are pretty smart.

I even gave Sweetman a haircut last Sunday to show the manager that I could do it and how my arm moves. It's stiff. Won't be able to do a blow out or a long layered haircut for a while. Oh well...

At first she told me that she wouldn't be able to hire me back. That it wouldn't be fair to the girl who they hired to replace me (who, by the way already has a full time job). Okay. I understand the new hire ordeal...sort of. But when I initially broke my arm, the owner promised that I would have job to come back to.

Four days later, the manager called me back and said I could do two three hour shifts a week which is fine. I need to build the muscle up in my arm,  and my foot is back in the door. But I will have to find something else to supplement the missing income.

 To be honest, I don't see how anyone can be hired off an on-line job service.  Half the places I've applied to only leave job titles and descriptions. And the ones that allow you to know who they are don't want you to call them. If they like your resume, they'll call you. That is just a weird way of doing things. Back in the day, you got to see your potential employer and shake their hand before they even considered you.

In the meantime, I'm trying to get back on track with my writing. I've had some success only to fail at the attempts. But I do keep trying. Guess you could say depression has somewhat set in. I've been trying to read a book since I broke my arm. Initially, I was just too uncomfortable to concentrate. I've got in six chapters.

Good news though, I did submit two pieces to Chicken Soup for the Soul so I'm not a totally depressed slob. I know that everything will balance out. It will. Everything takes time. God has my back.

Hope everyone is well. Hope I didn't depress anyone.

Hugs and chocolate!
Shelly

ISWG:My Broken Arm Update

"I expected more from your arm," the doctor said. "We're going to get you a bone simulator."

Well, the bone isn't there yet. It should've been. But my body has decided to be different. Hashaimoto's is running this show. Aw man...

Still can't drive or go to work. Can't lift my arm like a normal person?

The bright side, typing is getting easier. I can hopefully finish what I had started-actually, I was halfway there with a novel when I broke my humerus.

How can anyone make a 5 year plan with the unexpected hiding around the corner?

This post was brought to you on behalf of Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Group. If you're interested click on the icon toward the top right of your computer screen.

Hugs and chocolate,

Shelly

PS The xray pic was taken today
Yep. That's my broken humerus. Purdy, huh?

ISWG: Another Update on my Broken Arm Week 7 and Other Things

I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! Actually, I was moping about after my daughter, No-No, left Tuesday night to go back to Israel. The Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Group took a backseat. Sorry, guys.

If anyone is interested in this encouraging group, click on the icon to the top right of your screen.

Onward then...

So today, I'm feeling discouraged because of my own procrastination. The only real writing I've accomplished has been on my blogs ... And text messages and emails.

A few weeks ago several bloggie-buddies suggested dictating my novel. I did. Three days in a row. After I'd press the button to record, my voice box froze as did my brain. So yeah ...

Had thought about doing NaNoWriMo this year since I'm stuck at home. Haven't even begun. I AM SUCH A SLACKER! I'm soooo not happy with myself right now.

But my broken arm is coming along. I'm believing God to be ready for PT by my November 17th appointment. It's still clicking when I move, but not as much. Everyday I get up, I can feel small changes. Can even bend my elbow up and then straight back down again.

Took some pics of my arm after I slipped it out of the sleeve and cuff. A bruised banana.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

BROKEN ARM UPDATE, WEEK 6: Fearfully And Wonderfully Made

It's been great having my daughter, No-No here to help me. This morning I actually was able to slip my arm cuff off and take a shower. Imagine not being able to take a shower for 6 weeks. We Americans are sooo spoiled.

Yesterday, I went to the doctor. Got another xray. The bone breaks are finally filling in. YAY! I can now go for walks around my neighborhood. If I had to sit on my bum for a living, watching TV and popping bon-bons all day, I would end up in a straight jacket. For someone who loves to write and read, I have the fidgets. REAL BAD! Pacing back and forth a lot has kept me somewhat sane.

Also, I can go without my sling forever now if I want. Can also take the cuff off throughout the day so my skin can breathe. AWWWWW! I applied comfrey cream last night and this morning. It's supposed to help heal the bone quicker. After letting it soak in for a few minutes, I then coated my arm with coconut oil. This stuff has been my saving grace. It has helped to keep the itch away. Instead of creeping up or down into my cuff with a pencil or knitting needle, I've been using coconut oil covered Q-tips to get to the scratchy skin. It also heals any irritation and blisters happening. And also, it is an anti-microbial. It's a germ killer.

Still can't drive. Still can't start PT. Hope to start the latter in 3 weeks after my next visit with the doctor.

This experience has been quite an eye opener. The human body is amazing. There is no way we were created out of randomness. God is all about order. He is not order out of chaos. Below is a short clip on what happens when we brake a bone.

PSALMS 139:13-16

For you fashioned my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb. I thank you because I am awesomely made, wonderfully; your works are wonders- I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes could see as an embryo...et al. (Complete Jewish Bible)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Staying positive.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

UPDATE: Broken Humerous-Week 5

Having a broken humerus, is far from humorous. Especially when it happens to be the one that your dominant with.

As a child, I taught myself to get certain tasks done with both hands by the age of 4. But then, my parents sent me to school where the teachers constantly shoved eating utensils, pencils, crayons, and scissors into my right hand. I found it hard to break the habit of using both.

The last 3 weeks of beauty school, my instructor stood over me. "Which hand do you intend to cut with? The state board won't let you use both." Yes. At 17, I was still switching from my left to the right to do certain tasks. Using both hands in beauty school was the way to go. Especially for speed. To this day, I'm told they've never seen anyone wrap a perm the way I do.

Anyway, my instructor took my shears out of my left hand and shoved them into my right." I'll make the decision for you,' she said adamantly. From that day forward, I used my right hand to do just about everything.

Really, if God gave us 2 hands, it was for a reason. We should be able to do everything with both. Rules. Schmules. Stuff happens...like broken arms and hands.

ANYWAY....

5 weeks into this broken arm, I am back to writing, but with my left hand. Can button my shirt. Type. My memory muscle is still active at 51. Yes! It's good to know that I can wash certain body parts by myself now. And I'm not as tired as I was a week and a half ago after typing my blogs. Plus, my arm isn't as wobbly and I can let it out of the sling while I'm sitting.

2 Thursdays ago, the doctor told me as long as the bone stopped clicking together by my October 27th appointment, that I could begin physical therapy. But to date, it still clicks when I move. Still can't go outside for a morning and evening stroll. They had advised against any exercise. My butt actually hurts from sitting so I've stuffed foam under it. Can't lay down to sleep either. Have to stay in a semi-upright position. Gravity is one part of the key ingredients in healing a broken humerus with lots of patience.

Right now, I have anywhere from another 3 to 7 weeks of this process. The other ingredients to this is how my own body has responded along with my diet. Although, I have concerns because I've already gone through the change and I have Hashaimoto's. Hoping these 2 things don't prolong it.


Staying positive.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

PS My No-No is here.

Who Can You Really Count On In Your Time of Need?

Having a broken arm is like being on a deserted island. People come to visit you within the first week making promises that they never keep to come see you again. In a time like this I have figured out who my real friends are. This even includes family.

I have one friend who has been here Monday through Friday. She comes around 10 AM and leaves by 1 PM. She walks Beanie-Bean and Hair Ball, does some light house chores, cooks dinner, and makes my lunch. I know she has other pressing things to do. BUT, she comes everyday. The first week, she stayed with me through Sunday. I'm ever grateful for her.

When I put out a request for help to my 5 daughters, only 2 responded. The youngest came once. That was 2 Saturdays ago. The one who lives in Israel will be here next Tuesday to relieve my friend for 2 weeks. At least, I have 2 daughters out of 5 that I can count on. Funny, too. These are the 2 who never ask for money. Strange how that works.

At one time, I had a client who had a series of bad health issues. It took him to a bedridden state. He told me many times, that in the beginning of his plight, friends came to see him. But by years end, those friends had stopped contact all together. His highlight of the month until he passed away was me cutting his hair and his son visiting him every other day.


In 2013, I took up something on my bucket list. Read the Torah and the Christian Bible all the way through. Doing this gave me a whole new perspective on life and how we treat each other. God wanted us to love Him with all our might and then love our neighbors as ourselves. The Ten Commandments were the standard on how to do that. But for years, like the majority, I saw this as an impossible feat because of the words 'THOU SHALT NOT'.

No longer do I focus on those words. Instead, I focus on how some one would feel if I lied about them, stole from them, etc. It's about putting your needs aside to benefit the other person or people in your lives.

If everyone practiced this concept, there would be no divorce, no venereal disease, no war, no hunger, no child or animal abuse, no domestic violence, no homelessness, no broken hearts or homes, no racism, no violence, no need for guns. I could go on and on here.

Before the fall of Adam and Eve, I'm sure this was God's intention for humanity. But, y'll know the story.

Hope this post inspires you to do something kind today.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

PS God has my back.

ISWG-The One Armed Writer

It happened on September 12, 2016, at around 5 AM.  Beanie-Bean does her business early so I was half asleep. OR is that half awake?

Anyway ...

Beanie charged out the front door, barking away. This is not unusual for her. She barks at flower pots and garbage cans. She charges towards flies, mosquitoes, and bees. I figured she was getting excited at the wind or something. NOT!

Toward the right of the door and a row of hedges was an armadillo. I yanked her back toward the door as I reached for it. She pulled.  I tripped over a pathway light, which had my hand slap the door. My arm snapped 2 to 3 inches below my shoulder. In that moment, I lost my bowels. LITERALLY!

It's been 3 weeks. However, I did need a break. BUT not like this.

Friends tell me I can get a lot of blogging and novel writing in. Actually, I've been sleeping a lot and trying to get used to using my left hand. I'VE mastered picking things up with my toes when they fall to the floor, and have a lot of respect for paraplegics. It's horrible to sit in your own stink, even if it's one armpit. Can't lift my right arm to wash it. The most I can do is stuff a baby wipe into the smelly crevice, let it sit a bit, and then pull it out. After, I stuff a tissue in the stench, hoping to hide it from my own nostrils. It works pretty well.

This broken arm thing put me behind the 8 ball. I had half my novel, The Lie written. DISCOURAGING, INDEED!

This post was brought to you by Alex J Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Group. If interested, click on the icon to the right top of your computer screen.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly