Tune-In-Tuesday: September 24, 2019

The past week has been somewhat of a mixed bag. I’ve not had the best walking. I even fell once (didn’t get hurt, just fell because I tripped over my own two feet trying to keep up – ha!). I always seem to have worse days when I’m the most excited. According to doctors, this does actually make sense. It doesn't make it any better for me, but at least it's normal.

Friday, I learned how to play pool. I know, I’m a late bloomer. It’s a lot harder then I imagined, made all that more difficult when my hand doesn’t want to cooperate. However, my co-workers were patient and awesome. Did you know that writer’s cramp is dystonia? Not that I had writer’s cramp while trying to play pool, but it’s the closest thing I can compare it to.

I had a physical yesterday and I had diagnosed my shoulder pain correctly. Its dystonia related and the best advice was to not lay on that shoulder. I got a flu shot yesterday in my left arm, so that definitely reminded me not to lay on that shoulder last night. Oh, if you’ve been reading these blogs for any length of time, you know that I tend to have high blood pressure when I see doctors (that “white coat syndrome" is for real!! After I finally calm down, it goes down.). Well, yesterday, my BP was 106/70. The nurse practitioner actually used the words “low blood pressure.” Maybe, I’m finally getting used to seeing doctors? Maybe it was the fact that I got a great parking spot and was not late? Maybe it was a mistake? Maybe it was God. 😊 The physical went great and I'm thankful for that.

Tying into the whole medical thing – it’s premiere week on TV and I’m a HUGE fan of anything medical. My watch list (so far) consists of:
Mondays: 911 on Fox, The Good Doctor on ABC
Tuesdays: The Resident on Fox, New Amsterdam on NBC
Wednesdays: Chicago Med on NBC
Thursdays: Grey’s Anatomy (but I can take or leave this show. In my opinion it’s gone down from what it used to be and it’s more soapy than medical).

Are there any shows I’m missing? I really want to see the new show Carol’s Second Act that stars Patricia Heaton, but it’s not airing yet. If there are any new medical dramas coming out, I’m sure I’ll love them too.

Oh- I started yoga back up! I had a month “off” because my instructor was in Spain teaching yoga there. I can’t tell you how much I loved starting back up. It really does help (and a few years ago, I would never have said that because I didn’t know anything about yoga). I’m so blessed to be able to do it and have the instructor that I have and be able to do it one-on-one with her. If I make mistakes or fall or can’t do something, it’s just between myself and her. 😉 She’s always cheering me on and encouraging me to try things.

My church is now blessed to have a new associate pastor! His installation service was this past Sunday and the theme of it was beautiful feet. It was based on Romans 10-14-15, which refers to one of my favorite Bible verses (especially since dealing with walking issues). “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7.

It’s been a busy, hectic week with lots going on and walking has not been the easiest. I want to go fast. I want to run and jump or for heaven’s sake just walk fast, but God has other plans, so I’m slow and methodical and sometimes unbalanced, but it’s OK, because at the end of every day, I reflect over the days adventures and know that I’m right where I’m supposed to be. I’ve met a lot more people being slow and methodical then I ever would have being in a rush. I’ve prayed longer and harder and more fervently then I ever would have if everything in life came easy.

I’ve been all over the map with this post tonight, but sometimes that’s just how life is. 😊 Thanks for reading and as always…God’s Got This!

Tune-In-Tuesday: September 17, 2019

After a few weeks of “normal” walking, my walking has gone back to being an issue. While I know “this too shall pass”, I really want it to pass quickly.

I had to go to the Apple Store because my phone was giving me issues. The Apple Store here is in the mall. While I “chickened out” on going on Friday night, I made the trip on Saturday. There were a few times that I almost fell, but the key word here is almost. I walked in the mall, ya’ll! Even before Friday and Saturday, I’d been having issues. But some things you must do, and you find a way to do them, so off to the mall I went. I probably should have taken a cane, but I didn’t. With God’s grace, I made it. I walked around the mall. Oh yes, it was hard, I’m not going to lie. I was sweating by the end of my trip. But you know what? GOD PROVIDED. I didn’t fall. After conquering that, I felt brave enough to go return an item at another store (outside of the mall). I couldn’t get a cart until I was in the store which meant walking into the store on my own two feet and you know what? GOD PROVIDED. I walked and didn’t fall.

I might have overdone walking on Saturday because walking on Sunday was just awful. I had two friends spot me walking into church and both came to offer an arm. My friend, Laura got to me first though, so I walked in with her. I made it through the rest of the day with minimal issues. I thought that my phone issues were behind me, but alas, they were not. Ugh. I knew I had to make another trip back to the Apple store in the mall. So, I trekked back out there late Sunday afternoon. I couldn’t go to the mall until after 4pm. I knew that it closed at 6pm. I really didn’t want to have to walk it again - especially knowing that I was having much difficulty. (Side note: as I was typing that sentence it occurred to me what an odd sentence it is – I didn’t want to have to walk the mall again. Be thankful if you can do that because not everyone can without some difficulty!) It all worked out in the end. I walked (however awkward or slow, I still did it) and I got my phone fixed (HA! By trading it in and spending money I didn’t want to spend, but nevertheless it’s fixed.). The mall closed at 6pm. I was there until 7pm, so yeah, fun times at the Apple store! 😉 I was very thankful that there weren’t many people exiting the mall when I did because walking was hard. But again, GOD PROVIDED.

If you know anything about me, you know that I get lost wherever I go. And I do mean WHEREVER I GO, including the mall. My mom told me where the Apple store was in the mall, but that didn’t matter, I still got lost! (Driving wise, I got to the mall fine – I know where it is. Walking inside of the mall is where I got lost.) I don’t know if this is for every mall, but a handy feature that I discovered my mall has is that it provides a map on its website that you can type in a store you’re starting at and the store you want to go to and it gives you walking directions!!! I can’t believe I’m even admitting that I got lost (Saturday, NOT Sunday when I went back!), but just in case anyone else local needs that info about the map, there you go! Waiting for church to start on Sunday, I had just finished telling my friend Whitney about the whole experience. A little while later as my dad began his sermon, he started with a story about getting lost. I immediately turned around and caught Whitney’s eye and we both start quietly giggling. This has happened more than once: I don’t know what my Dad is preaching on, but we somehow, end up on the same wavelength. 😉

Walking was not good yesterday either, however, I managed. This morning I had to go to my primary care doctor to get bloodwork done before a physical next week. He moved offices from the last time I saw him. Well, I guess you can imagine what happened next. Yes, I got lost. I knew the building he was in, but the parking confused me. I ended up parking in the correct garage, just on the opposite side of where his office is at. I’m glad there was no set appointment time that I had to be there at, but seriously, my sense of direction is non-existent. I’ve got to laugh about it, or I’d cry. But now I know where I’m going and (hopefully) won’t get lost on Monday. Does anyone else struggle with this? Getting lost? Thank God for GPS systems and written out directions, but still. A little sense of direction would be helpful. I’m a little jealous of those that have an innate sense of direction. My mom is one of those people. She can even sense when she’s not going the right way. Me? Not so much.

Other than getting lost and not walking so well, the past week has been great. It really has! I don't say that lightly. I'm very aware that things could be much worse and so I'm very thankful for all that God blesses me with.

As I sit here tonight writing this post, I’m reminded of this:

I only get through the rough days because God gets me through them. I am constantly amazed at the end of the day how He works everything out. I shouldn’t be amazed – He’s God and can do literally ANYTHING, but at the same time, I’m thankful that He allows me to be amazed at what He’s done for me.

God’s (most certainly, definitely!!) Got This!

Tune-In-Tuesday: September 10, 2019

I didn’t blog last week because things were hectic around here and honestly, I couldn’t come up with anything to write about. But, I’m back this week! I’ve had a good couple of weeks. Walking – for the most part – has been stable for which I’m very grateful.

I was speaking with someone last Friday and in the course of the conversation, I told her about my ongoing issues regarding getting “shy” or “embarrassed” or just plain having difficulty walking “correctly” in front of people. And although many before her have told me this (you reading this probably being one of them!), for whatever reason, it wasn’t until she said it that it finally started to sink in. She said that when she sees me walk, she sees just that – me walking. There’s no, “Oh she’s walking, but it’s different then everyone else.” Or “What’s wrong with her walking?” Or “She’s having difficulty." This person also told me that she sees me as a (literal) walking miracle. It almost made me cry. I should know that most people just see me for me, because that's how I see others. However, I have a HORRIBLE habit of putting thoughts and words in other people that they may or may not be thinking or saying. Does that make sense? I judge myself harshly through what I think other people are thinking or saying about me, whether they are actually thinking or saying those things or not. I'm getting better at not doing this, but it's still prevalent. My heart needs to tell my head NOT to overthink things. I still get extremely nervous walking in front of people and it makes me laugh because growing up I wanted to be an actress. I wanted the lights on me, and I wanted people to know who I was. My how things change with age (and hopefully, wisdom)!

I sometimes feel funny about blogging about how difficult it is to walk when friends of mine are going through unimaginable circumstances, however I do hope that I make someone laugh or think or feel better through something I say or do or write about.

On Sunday, I found out that I am not the only one who prays about getting a parking spot close to the entrance of church! You may laugh at that, but I’m not lying when I say that I pray about that very thing almost every Sunday. And last Sunday, someone told me that she prays for the exact same thing for herself. I love how God works. Also, on Sunday, I got to walk in to church with a woman that I dearly love. She made the comment that I was walking well. I told her it was only because she was standing there by me. I knew if I needed to that I could hang on to her! As for the praying, I usually pray that I’ll get a handicap parking space close to the entrance and that if I need help getting in that God would provide that or if He thinks I can do it on my own that I will just walk well. I pray walking in to and out of work that I won’t trip, slip or fall, get stuck, startled or scared and that I’ll remain upright. And now you have a tiny glimpse into how much I pray about not falling. 😉 Yes, I can use the cane, but that wouldn’t entirely keep me from falling – nothing’s fool proof, except God!

As just a little follow up: my shoulder pain is still there but it’s not all the time and it really only hurts the worse when I lay on it (like rolling over on it) at night, so I’m really leaning towards it being something related to the dystonia. I'll have the doctor look at it when I go in at the end of the month.

I love this quote that I found for it is most certainly true:

God’s Got This!! Have a blessed week.