"I'm Thankful to See The Next March 29th!"

This is in Chronic Babe's Blog Carnival # 26, "I am thankful for..." Last year on this day, March 29th, 2010, I was at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, GA on my first night of recovery following right shoulder replacement surgery. I am writing this post on March 29th, 2011, thankful that I have made it a full year with a wonderful new shoulder! I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for such a wonderful orthopaedic surgeon. He is the best in town, and that is why I picked him. My shoulder had collapsed in Oct. of 2010, and I waited until the end of March that year for that particular doctor to replace it. I could have had another orthopaedic surgeon from another group do it sooner, but I chose him! Thank you, Dr. D! I also would like to thank my wonderful friends from the Young Professionals Arthritis Group. They had brought me food as I recovered. Thank you dear friends, and you know who you are, Susan, Ang, Carlene, Kelbi and Michelle for being wonderful company to talk with and for taking me out when I was stuck at home and couldn't drive yet.

There is so much to be thankful for in this past year. With this shoulder replacement, I was able to get back into an exercise routine that helped me to get my strength back. It helped me to get a routine. Not even 7 months after my shoulder replacement, we were matched with a birth mother! What a wonderful gift to get well for! Thank you to that family for choosing my husband and I to raise Michael. I don't think I have ever been more thankful for anything in my life. With my health on the up rise, I could look forward to being a mommy for the first time in my life!

Although we had our rough times preparing for Michael to come home to us--meaning that the birth family almost changed their minds when they found out I had arthritis. They almost decided against my being Michael's mommy for fear that I couldn't do it because of my joint problems. So thank God for my Dr. W! He agreed to speak with the birth family to let them know that I would be a good mom, and that my arthritis would not prevent me from being able to raise Michael. So thank you, thank you, thank you, Dr. W!!!! I will never forget what you did to change our lives from husband and wife to daddy and mommy!

Thank you so much for all of the support that I have received online. Who would have guessed that people that I never met and probably will never meet in person would have given me so much encouragement and also have made me realize that blogging isn't just for me, it helps others. I am so thankful for all of you out there in cyberworld that have read my blog and have commented and given responses and replies. You have helped me to use my blogging and now Blog Talk Radio to help others in their journey to help themselves by helping others just by telling their story, and by helping themselves by the sheer joy of knowing that you helped even just one person with your story! What a wonderful feeling!

I am thankful that I decided to blog about the pain of waiting to have my shoulder replacement because had I not done that, who knows where I would be today~one year and a half since I began my blog! So thank you all my followers, friends, doctors, cyberfriends, facebook friends, chronic babes, and family that has been there for me and I for you! Remember, if it weren't for you, there would be no blog, and if it weren't for me, this blog would suck! So my story of my struggle has brought humor, love, pain, sadness, and most of all a great read for you all! Thank you all for listening and being there! Hang in there because ya never know when the next joint will need replacing!!!! Blessings and healing to all of you out there!