What A Crazy Week!

I've certainly had a crazy week. I don't normally comment on a lot of personal things going on (diary style) but want to make a few comments because it has a lot to do with my life perspective, and besides, it might somehow encourage someone else!

•I found out one of my editors is no longer with a Web publication I wrote for, and I wasn't sure where I would sell my book reviews. The confusion didn't last long, though. I've already had queries for book reviews accepted by another editor who pays 3 times as much, so this is a biggie for which to be thankful. I've been seeing God work in some really amazing ways to show me I'm on the right path with writing and editing. I also picked up some more editing contracts, and have bids out with several others.

•I was asked to co-moderate a writer's group for advanced and professional writers. This was a big blessing to me, because I thought for sure they would ask me to work with their beginner/intermediate writers group. I want to be a blessing to those in the business. And networking is always a good thing, too! For those of you who belong to the TWV, you know why I'm excited! (I don't want to name drop)

•I went to a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor today. He says the fibrosis (scar tissue) I have from my previous back surgery is extensive, and is probably not just wrapped around the nerve/nerve root, but actually is inside of it (intraneural fibrosis). He said he believes this is the source of my pain and he has ordered a transforaminal epidural steroid injection under conscious sedation in the outpatient surgery center of Good Samaritan Hospital. We are hopeful a couple of these a year will "make me all better." They have worked well for me before, but my last one (in February) actually made things worse. If the injections ever stop working, or if they start also causing fibrosis, he told me there is a spinal cord stimulator they could implant like a pacemaker that would really help in my case, and also they could implant a pain pump to administer pain medication to the spinal fluid so I wouldn't have to deal with the side effects or oral pain medication. These options would obviously be last resorts. I'm hopeful this injection will work and I'll be back to my ornery self soon.

•This PM&R doc gave me a "two-fer." He told me the pain I'm having in my right calf isn't from the sciatica, but is from the muscle and tendon that connects to the side and back of the knee. He has ordered an MRI and says I might have tendonitis or torn tissue. I thought it was pretty weird to hear my calf pop like a joint does, and even worse to have the pain that goes with the pop. He said the clicking is a classic signtendonitis. I'm.I'm guessing going up and down these stairs all day carrying the dog wasn't a good thing. Oh well-you do what you have to do!

•Speaking of the dog-Jazzy has had an eventful week too. She started having skinny feces and was chasing her tail. The latter was amusing, but she seemed miserable. Then she started scooting her behind on the carpet. I didn't want a dog develop that nasty habit, but then I realized she might be having a problem "down there." So we took her to the vet. She had fecal sac impaction and infection. She also had some other little problems, so she is actually getting medicated ointment in 3 areas, and is also on oral antibiotics. She certainly has had her share of health problems. Nothing like our other pets.

•She couldn't just "get back to normal" though. She just had her glands expressed yesterday, and today she decided to eat our cat's "indoor grass," which the cat must have knocked over. Worse, she ate the special non-dirt "soil" the grass was growing in. It was some sort of pellets that just has to be watered once, then it expands and has a gel and then never needs watered again, for the life of the grass. Well, Jazzy decided to ingest some of that, and she is delivering little packages of pellet laced poop every so often. Good thing she isn't blocked today! (Still trying to find the positive, so forgive me if I'm "reaching.")

•One of my friends prayed for a pregnancy, and we were all praising God when she found out she was expecting. Well, she is still expecting, but just found out her AFP test is positive, giving her a higher probability of having a Down's Syndrome child. Obviously, she is quite concerned about this. She'll have a special 4-D ultrasound next week for this.

My friend and I were talking today and made two observations.

#1-When we get bad news, we have already made plans to see each other that same day. Our date today has been planned for two weeks, and we had no way to know the doc would call her today with this news about her pregnancy. I'm glad we had some "girl" time and she went home feeling better than when she came. The day I found out I was laid off from The Sunday Challenger due to budget cuts, was the same day we had a date to meet them for dinner and then spend the night at their place. Maybe these are just coincidences, but I think God was preparing us to be with just the right person when we needed them. Another Godincidence sighting!

#2-God's grace. Is it just there when we really need it? Or is it there during the waiting period too? Or is the waiting period the time when we are supposed to trust and not worry? Do we really need grace to get through the wait, or just for the strength we need to deal with the "for sures"? Maybe I'm not making sense-it made sense when we were gabbing over Mexican food. We know God doesn't want us to worry and borrow troubles from tomorrow that may never come. So, does His grace help us when we choose to worry anyway (which, we must admit, is sin), or is grace just available in sufficient amounts when something bad has happened and we need it to get through the day? Hmm? I think He always gives us what we need, if we seek it. But if we are worrying, are we really seeking Him? Are we really trusting God? We looked at this from several different perspectives. However it works, we know God is there for us even during the times of uncertainty. Like today for my friend.