A one-handed post

Typing with only one hand is difficult and obnoxious, so this will be brief. It has been a little over two weeks since my battle with the roach, and a lot has happened. After a visit with the orthopedic surgeon in town, we were referred to an orthopedic oncologist at UAMS. The local surgeon said he didn't have as much experience removing cysts this large, and the oncologist does this for a living, so we should go with him. When we visited with the oncologist at UAMS, he informed us that my "cyst" was actually a giant cell tumor. Awesome. He still thinks it is benign, but we won't know for sure until he does a biopsy. Since that meeting, I have had a chest x-ray that was clear, a full-body bone scan that showed NO other tumors, and an MRI of my shoulder so the oncologist has a better picture of what he's dealing with. The plan now is to biopsy and remove the tumor in my arm on October 31 at UAMS. They will probably fill the huge hole in my bone with a cadaver bone graft, and then stabilize the fracture with metal plates and screws. Doesn't that sound like a fun Halloween?? I'm so glad we have Halloween activities earlier that we can take the kids to so I don't miss them wearing costumes and having fun.

I'm basically useless right now. I can do a little more than I could the first week, but it will be a long time before I can pick up Logan, feed him bottles, change diapers... I hate this. The kids can sit in my lap one at a time, but Logan still gets squirmy. The pain isn't as bad as it used to be, but this arm sling is wreaking havoc on my neck--the headaches are brutal! We have been so blessed, though. Mom has taken way too much time off of work to help with kids, clean the house, and take me to appointments in Little Rock. When she couldn't be here, our church family has surrounded us. I have 2 people at my house everyday (one morning, one afternoon) while Casey is at work. They have also been bringing meals every other night. West Side church of Christ is a force to be reckoned with! I'm just ready to get this week over with so we can do this surgery! If all goes well, I should be in decent shape by Thanksgiving and good as new by Christmas. Please pray for that!

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for us through this mess. Don't stop now! We still have a week of waiting with an arm that's still broken, surgery, and recovery. It's going to be a rough couple of months, but I have already decided--2012 is going to awesome. Just you wait! :)