Inspiration in The Face of Adversity!

I wanted to share with my followers how important it is to be positive, to keep your faith no matter how hard life may seem, and to remember everything that we experience in life that we learn from can be shared with others so that they can also learn something from it.  No matter how big or how small our experiences are in life, some one out there will find something to take from them to better themselves or others. It can be an incredible feeling to know that one person can have such a huge effect on another, and that effect can be passed on further from one person to another.

When I began blogging, it was because my right shoulder collapsed, and I wanted to share with others my challenge and struggle to wait for it to be replaced. I woke up one morning in October unable to move my right arm because the shoulder had collapsed, and I had to wait until the end of March to have it replaced. I needed to share this with all of you to help me get through the pain, the trials of daily life, and to keep the strength and courage up to make it that long.  I am so glad that I started this blog. I have met some wonderful people online, have realized that there are so many people out there living with chronic pain conditions, and we all need each other to share our stories with to help one another to get through the rough times, to carry on. I first want to thank you all for helping me, and second I'd like to share with you all what someone told me about my story that helped her with her life experience with pain.

Thanks...you have given me inspiration as I've gone through the process of seeing doctors, even getting the second opinion about my shoulder, and getting in a place where I think I am going to get my shoulder "fixed" after nearly 8 months. I've had myofascial spasms for 12 years; we have been calling it and treating it as fibro for the past 2 (I'm on the fibro medications now for pain, and they help a lot).  I cannot imagine the arthritis pain you go through.  Your story of success after shoulder replacement surgery inspires me.  I tore 2 rotator cuffs (the top and "bottom" ones--supraspinatus and subscapularis) while stretching on a stretch bar--one of the morning sretches I had enjoyed for years.  When I got the MRI results several months later after my pain and spasm/guarding in that arm/shoulder had not subsided, I was SHOCKED to read that all 4 of my tendons that make up the shoulder joint were unhealthy, and that 2 were damaged.  I'm an attorney who helps people who have had injuries including by the healthcare establishment or MVAs--so we now laugh because when I got my MRI faxed to me at the office, someone confused it and after reading it over, said "what client is this for????"   Then we realized it was MINE!   Shocking.

Dana...I appreciate your attitude of gratitude, grace and help in the face of adversities.  I think these qualities make you a better candidate as an adoptive parent than many people out there who don't have adversities.  I say this because in my view, your comments...and your response to your health conditions overall, have been so very positive and healthy and strong.  I know you are a Christian...and I am also, so I'll just say--I think that our God is a loving God, and we live in an imperfect world of free will and accidents and all sorts of wildness and imperfection.  In this context, we experience illnesses and pain and losses that we can actually ask God to help us USE to get stronger. You have done this, Dana.  I commend you.  This is the attitude that I aspire to as I face surgery...as well as just every day when I get up and look in the mirror and say "I'm not able to walk in my own shoes today God, so help me out here, ok?  Help me turn this boat around and make it a positive ride, for myself and others, can we?"

For your information, she did have her shoulder surgery, and was recovering well the last time I communicated with her. Also, with her lovely comment in mind about my being a better candidate as an adoptive parent than many others without adversities, my husband and I adopted our first child in December of 2010. It was less than 9 months after my shoulder replacement surgery.  We are so blessed with a beautiful baby boy. He was 4 days old when we picked him up from the hospital. I have to say that my new shoulder came at the perfect time.  I have a brand new shoulder for my brand new baby! Perfect timing! Thank you, God for listening to my prayers--both for the recovery from my surgery and for our son!