Monday, May 03, 2010

Golden Ticket

I sure was happy to get my United States Passport in the mail tonight. Tomorrow I expect to get the card version. And then I expect to get my birth certificate back in another envelope. I am nearly ecstatic about having this little bit of proof of my legitimacy. I am not even planning to go anywhere, but I know I can if I need or want to. It was so difficult to obtain this in 2010, as opposed to the last time I got one in 1990 - I do not intend to ever let it expire.

Today I went to visit an orthopedic surgeon and got my shoulder problem diagnosed. It is Adhesive Capsulitis of Shoulder - aka Frozen Shoulder. The good news is that it is treated with movement, movement, and more movement. Not surgery. The bad news is that every movement hurts like hell. But if it makes my shoulder better, I will gladly endure the pain. The telling thing about this is that the doctor cannot even force my arm to move. It just will not move. I will get it to move.

Tonight I went to the next to the last night of my third year of Biblical School. There is a young woman at my table who I have become very fond of. She has spoken of her mother, with whom she has a poor relationship. Her mother is a couple of years younger than I am. Tonight after class, she came up to me and told me that I always look so cute and wear such nice clothes - she wants to be like me "when she grows up." And then she quickly added that she didn't mean "cute" as trying to look young - because she admires me for looking age appropriate. Wow. What a compliment.

It is all such good stuff. I had a long chat with my sponsor tonight. We talked about being in elementary school and being told we were hopeless. We talked about how that felt - hopeless years before either of us ever took our first drink. She was told she was "incorrigible." I was told I was "in a rut," which I knew I could never climb out of. And yet, here we are today, two sober women, she for 37 years, me for 25. I don't think anyone would accuse either of us of being incorrigible or in a rut. The Grace of God is a wonderful thing.

10 comments:

Hope said...

God's grace is a wonderful thing that's for sure.
I hope your shoulder isn't too painful in the process of healing. I'm glad you don't need surgery.

Mary LA said...

A frozen shoulder is a nasty thing. Be patient and keep exercising that arm.

No child is hardwired for failure -- I wish more teachers knew how to motivate children.

dAAve said...

I can't believe they told you stuff like that. What were they thinking?

I am not familiar with that type of injury. Do movement.

Jess Mistress of Mischief said...

LOL God is good!

Mia M. said...

you are so brave about the shoulder. i can only imagine your pain. God bless your healing.

congrats on getting your passport!

Dr24Hours said...

I'm certainly not a physician, but I have had some shoulder injuries (a hairline fracture of the greater tuberocity of the humerous, for example -- and the ball was offsides!!!). I was told the same thing: you need to keep the shoulder moving or it can freeze, and you don't want that. Good luck. It hurts.

Syd said...

All this sounds so positive. Glad that there is no surgery needed. As for the teacher who told you that you were hopeless--what a shame. I remember some less than kind teachers. Thankfully my mother was strong and counteracted any negative comments I got at school. I knew that she believed in me. No one is hopeless.

chitowngreg said...

Glad it all worked out with the passport. I hope the result with you shoulder is just as positive. Take care!

Kathy said...

Just wanted to comment on the "frozen shoulder." I had it also and went to 3 months of PT. It worked and no problems now. My husband was diagnosed with it also and he is a Type 1 diabetic. He went to months of PT and nothing worked. He then went to an orthopedic and within 3 x-rays and 15 minutes told him he needed surgery because diabetics don't get over the frozen shoulder. He had the surgery and it is fine now. As a side note, I found your blog while looking for something for my niece who is an alcoholic. I forwarded her father your blog address and I think he sent it to her but I don't know if she ever "lurked". My thoughts and prayers go out to you for your many years of sobriety. Keep it up. Beautiful pic with your new phone.

Ed G. said...

The grace of God is, indeed, a wonderful thing. I'm a big fan of grace.

Blessings and aloha...