The past few months have been quite an adventure! For those of you that don't know, I was with a buddy of mine at a tumbling gym here in Provo in March. I was jumping on a trampoline, a super bouncy one and i was jumping really high! It was awesome until I thought it would be cool to do a flip! But because I am no gymnast and it's not very smart to flip when you are up in the air really high, I over rotated the flip and ended up landing on my left arm...causing the bone to come out of my skin (compound fracture) and my elbow to shatter and my ligaments to tear. It was ugly. I was screaming and crying obnoxiously, it was the most pain I have ever felt in my life. Luckily my friend is an EMT and is going to be a doctor so he knew how to make me stay calm, and I didn't faint before the ambulance came. The ambulance finally came after what seemed like forever! I rode in an ambulance car for the first time which I have always wanted to do, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I was put out right away and had a sling on once I woke up. I was to have surgery a couple days after. Those next few days were super painful and I just slept or tried to sleep all day and all night so I wouldn't be able to think of the pain. I went into surgery a couple days after, where a prosthetic elbow was put in, to replace my lack of elbow. I was super nervous for the surgery, especially since my mom started crying right before I was to have it because my Grandmommy had died in surgery years ago and my mom was in that same position saying bye to her when she last saw her. It made me tear up and really nervous to go in, I was shaking until I had anesthesia. Luckily I didn't feel a thing and surgery went well. I woke up to my Mom, my mom's best friend Maria and her daughter Piper. All I remember from that was from what Maria told me and that was...I had just woken up and I had to take medicine right away and I had to eat crackers and I was given so many crackers that I felt as if my guests should have some crackers also. So I offered all of them some. They thought that was so funny that even when I am on drugs and sitting there in a bed half asleep that I would try and be the host...i guess it's just natural! ha.
So anyways, many Gilmore Girls episodes, visitors, fruit baskets, balloons, chocolate boxes, and movies later I was finally able to return back to school. Unfortunately this was a horrible time to be out of school because it was nearing the end of the semester. Getting caught up was awful and being in pain was just not any fun. I also hated asking people to help me with everything. When I had been at home my mom would help me bathe and get me dressed and do everything. Going back to my apartment was hard but I had to do it. Luckily I had amazing roommates this past year and they were all willing to help me with anything. Especially my friend Kylie who would wake up at 12am, 3 am and 6am and give me pills and even dress me! Amazing girls, I love them so much!
After a while I was able to do everything. The best part of the whole surgery though was being able to get my hair done!! I would bathe myself but I couldn't wash my hair, so every other day I would go to the salon and they would wash it and make it pretty for me :) I love being pampered!
So, a month of doing everything with my right arm, doctor visits, being stuck in a soft cast and sling, my friend Kory moving me out of my apartment, physical therapy, and getting my hair done, the dr. announced that something wasn't right and I would have to go into surgery again and have something done right away.
We went for another opinion, the other doctor didn't like what he saw and also said the same thing. He said the doctor had done things right but the metal piece in my arm just wasn't staying in place and it had to be dealt with asap. Without surgery just yet I went to the hospital and the first doctor put me out and tried to maneuver it without having to cut my arm open. The metal piece didn't budge.
A week later, I was FINALLY done with school, I had surgery by the other doctor who would decide what to do once he was in my arm. I trusted this doctor more, he was younger and had new technology compared to the first doctor. He ended up putting a smaller metal piece in my arm to work as my elbow. A week in the hospital and many gilmore girl episodes later I was finally released and able to go home! The coolest part of this surgery was a huge foam cheese block to rest my arm in that made it so my arm didn't swell like a big balloon like it had in my last surgery. I ended up going back to work only a few days later. I was not up for it yet, but I told myself that I would feel happier. After a day of working at my BYU Admissions job, I felt so much better. I am convinced that the best medicine for me is being around people. Seriously!
The Cheese block and a picture of me in the hospital...
My ultimate goal was to get better as quickly as I could and be able to get my arm moving. It was stuck in a 90' angle since March though...with no movement at all! I was given the best summer of my life and I was not going to let something like this ruin it for me. I had this job in Admissions at Brigham Young University which I have had since February and I was not going to give it up and I was given the job I have wanted all my life...an EFY Counselor at BYU, on top of that I was also given a Sports and Dance camp counselor job at BYU too! Why do so many good things happen at the same time? Well not all good...I thought I was in heaven until this elbow thing.
As of right now, I have been able to work my arm so its usable. I don't wear a sling anymore but I do have a metal contraption for my arm to help me move it. I try not to wear it much, it makes me look like a freak...not that I care or anything! I cannot straighten my arm it is still in a 90' angle, but I now can take showers and wash my hair!! WAHOO!!! :) Huge accomplishment! I have been working my admissions job full time 8am-5pm since school got out. Last week I was able to be an EFY counselor to 14 and 15 year olds...SO FUN!!! It was probably the best week of my life. The Lord was with me the whole week and guided me to tell me what these kids needed to hear. It was such a great spiritual and social experience! I love that mixture! :)
5 Top things that made EFY so awesome:
1. Had an amazing group of youth
2. Attended 2 dances, which I got paid to have fun and dance at...how cool is that?
3. Was given the theme song to sing in front of 2,000 people, after learning and hearing the song only a day before
4. Realized I can do anything, even be a positive role model for youth, if I put the Lord first in my life
5. Met some cute boys (other counselors)! haha...honestly that is why I went to EFY when I was younger...I can't believe myself :) haha.
EFY PICTURES:
It was such a great experience!! This past week I was able to be a Sports camp counselor. This weeks sport was soccer...my favorite! It was fun. It was way less strict than EFY was, which was hard to get use to. But it was great because I was able to work during the day at my Admissions job and then at 4pm I would start my Sports counselor job till 9am the next morning. It was crazy and exhausting and you just play with the kids, go to Seven Peaks (the water park), eat with them, give a devotional and get them to bed and get them out of bed in the morning! Love it!
When life is going well though, there is always something that turns it around. I went to the doctor this week and found out my arm is not doing well AGAIN! I have been going to physical therapy for the past 5 weeks, since my last surgery and my arm has not had much movement at all. I guess the scar tissue is preventing movement. So, the doctor told me I will have to go into surgery again and this time I will have to have pins put into my arm and this rod type thing put on the outside of my arm....haha cool huh!?? I have no idea what this will do but apparently help my arm? Anyways, we are going to go to yet ANOTHER doctor and get another opinion just to be sure this is a good thing to do. The ultimate goal is to get movement back into my arm and unfortunately I have not had any since March...so this isn't good.
I know things happen for a reason and I should be grateful for not being paralyzed or losing anything permanently but this is kind of a sucky trial. I know I can get through it though. I thought the timing couldn't be any worse, but really it has been such a blessing. Being out of school, having a job in which I sit at a desk and don't have to use both arms, and even being a counselor...it was never been part of the dream to be a counselor who could only use one arm, and not be able to participate in everything, but it has been a great thing for me.
Who knows, this next week I could be in surgery again getting pins put in me that I get to wear for the next few months :(...we will see. I know I make it a big deal but I know that this is just a small trial I have to go through and I believe this is just to prepare me for bigger trials later in life.
So anyways, many Gilmore Girls episodes, visitors, fruit baskets, balloons, chocolate boxes, and movies later I was finally able to return back to school. Unfortunately this was a horrible time to be out of school because it was nearing the end of the semester. Getting caught up was awful and being in pain was just not any fun. I also hated asking people to help me with everything. When I had been at home my mom would help me bathe and get me dressed and do everything. Going back to my apartment was hard but I had to do it. Luckily I had amazing roommates this past year and they were all willing to help me with anything. Especially my friend Kylie who would wake up at 12am, 3 am and 6am and give me pills and even dress me! Amazing girls, I love them so much!
After a while I was able to do everything. The best part of the whole surgery though was being able to get my hair done!! I would bathe myself but I couldn't wash my hair, so every other day I would go to the salon and they would wash it and make it pretty for me :) I love being pampered!
So, a month of doing everything with my right arm, doctor visits, being stuck in a soft cast and sling, my friend Kory moving me out of my apartment, physical therapy, and getting my hair done, the dr. announced that something wasn't right and I would have to go into surgery again and have something done right away.
We went for another opinion, the other doctor didn't like what he saw and also said the same thing. He said the doctor had done things right but the metal piece in my arm just wasn't staying in place and it had to be dealt with asap. Without surgery just yet I went to the hospital and the first doctor put me out and tried to maneuver it without having to cut my arm open. The metal piece didn't budge.
A week later, I was FINALLY done with school, I had surgery by the other doctor who would decide what to do once he was in my arm. I trusted this doctor more, he was younger and had new technology compared to the first doctor. He ended up putting a smaller metal piece in my arm to work as my elbow. A week in the hospital and many gilmore girl episodes later I was finally released and able to go home! The coolest part of this surgery was a huge foam cheese block to rest my arm in that made it so my arm didn't swell like a big balloon like it had in my last surgery. I ended up going back to work only a few days later. I was not up for it yet, but I told myself that I would feel happier. After a day of working at my BYU Admissions job, I felt so much better. I am convinced that the best medicine for me is being around people. Seriously!
The Cheese block and a picture of me in the hospital...
My ultimate goal was to get better as quickly as I could and be able to get my arm moving. It was stuck in a 90' angle since March though...with no movement at all! I was given the best summer of my life and I was not going to let something like this ruin it for me. I had this job in Admissions at Brigham Young University which I have had since February and I was not going to give it up and I was given the job I have wanted all my life...an EFY Counselor at BYU, on top of that I was also given a Sports and Dance camp counselor job at BYU too! Why do so many good things happen at the same time? Well not all good...I thought I was in heaven until this elbow thing.
As of right now, I have been able to work my arm so its usable. I don't wear a sling anymore but I do have a metal contraption for my arm to help me move it. I try not to wear it much, it makes me look like a freak...not that I care or anything! I cannot straighten my arm it is still in a 90' angle, but I now can take showers and wash my hair!! WAHOO!!! :) Huge accomplishment! I have been working my admissions job full time 8am-5pm since school got out. Last week I was able to be an EFY counselor to 14 and 15 year olds...SO FUN!!! It was probably the best week of my life. The Lord was with me the whole week and guided me to tell me what these kids needed to hear. It was such a great spiritual and social experience! I love that mixture! :)
5 Top things that made EFY so awesome:
1. Had an amazing group of youth
2. Attended 2 dances, which I got paid to have fun and dance at...how cool is that?
3. Was given the theme song to sing in front of 2,000 people, after learning and hearing the song only a day before
4. Realized I can do anything, even be a positive role model for youth, if I put the Lord first in my life
5. Met some cute boys (other counselors)! haha...honestly that is why I went to EFY when I was younger...I can't believe myself :) haha.
EFY PICTURES:
It was such a great experience!! This past week I was able to be a Sports camp counselor. This weeks sport was soccer...my favorite! It was fun. It was way less strict than EFY was, which was hard to get use to. But it was great because I was able to work during the day at my Admissions job and then at 4pm I would start my Sports counselor job till 9am the next morning. It was crazy and exhausting and you just play with the kids, go to Seven Peaks (the water park), eat with them, give a devotional and get them to bed and get them out of bed in the morning! Love it!
When life is going well though, there is always something that turns it around. I went to the doctor this week and found out my arm is not doing well AGAIN! I have been going to physical therapy for the past 5 weeks, since my last surgery and my arm has not had much movement at all. I guess the scar tissue is preventing movement. So, the doctor told me I will have to go into surgery again and this time I will have to have pins put into my arm and this rod type thing put on the outside of my arm....haha cool huh!?? I have no idea what this will do but apparently help my arm? Anyways, we are going to go to yet ANOTHER doctor and get another opinion just to be sure this is a good thing to do. The ultimate goal is to get movement back into my arm and unfortunately I have not had any since March...so this isn't good.
I know things happen for a reason and I should be grateful for not being paralyzed or losing anything permanently but this is kind of a sucky trial. I know I can get through it though. I thought the timing couldn't be any worse, but really it has been such a blessing. Being out of school, having a job in which I sit at a desk and don't have to use both arms, and even being a counselor...it was never been part of the dream to be a counselor who could only use one arm, and not be able to participate in everything, but it has been a great thing for me.
Who knows, this next week I could be in surgery again getting pins put in me that I get to wear for the next few months :(...we will see. I know I make it a big deal but I know that this is just a small trial I have to go through and I believe this is just to prepare me for bigger trials later in life.