Broken Hip- For the reals.

Yeah, fun visit today! First I had a crazy injection that hurt like a wilderbeast in an area- all up in my hip. That was just unpleasant. This was by the way to inject dye and anesthetic- which didn't help ease the crazy pain. First Clue.

Then after getting the MRI of the hip done, I engulfed a reese's peanut butter cup and motrin= snack.

THen went to Dr. Adickes. And learned:
I have been walking on a stress fractured hip for almost a year. WHAT THE WHAT WHATAKINS????!!!!!! I told him politely that he couldn't mean me, Gillian, but that surely he was refering to Joan a couple of rooms down. He had first asked again for clarity- how long I'd been having pain. I told him since I guessed Oct.'09. Then he asked how long I'd been using crutches- oh since Sunday. He then said, "you have a stress fracture in your femural neck." It is almost completely broken. YIKESATHON. Ouch. No stinkin' wonder.

Reasons? Possibly from having a hysterectomy, lactose intolerant, no calcium, etc. Boniva here I come! (Thanks TIna)

So I have to be on crutches for 6 weeks, then no activity for 6 more weeks.

Oh and I am having my big guns eye surgery in the right eye next Wednesday- just a friendly reminder.

I HAVE A CATARACT AND A BROKEN HIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(laughing out loud crazily!!:?!)

So. Just to recap. The doc was impressed that I'd been haasing it up for a while on a stress fractured hip. I told him, "I'm a mom!" I now have to go get workup for my bones. I'm tellin' you!!!! But I'm so thankful that this was not completely broken all the way through- he said it was very close and that the more pain means the worse the breaking. And I'd been feeling A LOT OF PAIN. HOuse of pain. The students, radiologist and the doc were all shaking their heads about how long this has been going on. Craziness.

At this point I'm hoping I won't have to have screws put in and I need prayer for the hip bone to heal!! Oh and throw the eye surgeries in there too.

THanks Friends!
yours truly,
Hot Mess

New Sisters in Christ!

BIG NEWS.
This afternoon we were talking with Rose and Daisy about Christmas- they are learning about all the holidays up at church and hearing lots of speakers. Then they told me "We want to be in." I asked them what? Daisy pointed to her translator- I read it and it said, "Christianity." Whoa. Wow. Wonderful.

So after some q and a to find out where they were at in understanding, my friend Emily (THANK YOU JESUS FOR HER BEING THERE!) and I led Rose and Daisy in praying to to accept Jesus into their heart! WOW! What a moment friends. How can I fully express the emotion and joy that was felt today? I cannot. But believe me, our family was/is rejoicing and so grateful to the Lord! As I write, Daisy is on the phone to her family explaining her decision to them. I keep hearing the Chinese word for Jesus- "Yesu". Please join with me in praying for them as they go down this new road of faith with the Lord. That they would in turn share their faith with other non-believers. THat they would be strong in the Lord's ways and take claim to being "in but not of this world." Let us pray they are protected in their new faith!

What an exciting day. I am so glad I got to witness this moment especially with my dear friend Emily! Who, again THANK GOD was there to help in leading them to pray. We both were shocked. We definitely held hands when they left to go get their Bibles to say a quick prayer to the Lord for guidance!!! THis was my very first time to witness directly and help with the prayer. Which Emily found IN CHINESE- SCORE!- for them to pray. They prayed it with bowed heads next to each other. Then the smiles!!! Oh the smiles. ANd later expressed their excitement in being a Christian. What a blessing to get to share the Good News- the BEST news.
Thank you for praying for these sweet babies in Christ with me!!!

Any"Hao", No Matter- The Motion Picture

We've been having fun!!!
Rose and Daisy are the bomb dot com dot org dot edu!!!!! We love them. They as seen in the video are precious. We had to do a creative project about their time in America. Y'all know we were ALL over that!!! So we filmed this this weekend. It's all based on the girls' fave saying, "Anyhow, No Matter". That's what they answer with everytime we ask them stuff. So we decided to make a movie out of it. It cracks us up anyway. The Leelah nose rub, the outtakes, the music, and Harry Potter cameo! Love it.

89 yr old in 29 yr old body.

Because I'm assuming you're wanting to know how the 2nd hip doc went...
Well today's appt with Dr. Adickes (dude who is the ortho for the Rockets, in the past the UFL, etc.) went well. That guy knows somethin'! Thank God too, b/c I was getting perturbed at limping in vain!
He thinks that in High School I could have popped my labral muscle-i.e. hip flexor- and that in all the years since I could have a labral tear. Which might require surgery.
Yes. Hip surgery and eye cataract/dislocation surgery. For real.
Bummer rats!
First I have to have an artherogram MRI next week- Wed. They will shoot die and anesthetic into the hip- which might help determine a diagnosis- to see if there is a tear there. We have to go to the med center (not a problem- we might need directions =SARCASM) to see his guy. I really felt good about working with this guy. Plus he had 2 students with him, which is always a good sign. If they are teaching it, they love it right!?

SO blesshvhchchhh...
Meanwhile, it is pain-to-the-ful right now. The Chinese girls are probably all mad they got a "gimp" parent.
John is probably too!
Leelah's just glad she has a leapster.
She's got Princess PRep next week- thank goodness!
love you all. thanks for praying. please let me know how I can pray for you! and DO NOT DO THE SPLITS IF YOU CAN HELP IT!!
Now Eye Update...
I have my "big guns surgery" for the right eye on Aug. 4th- lensectomy and lens implant- sew in place. Please would you pray for no infection and that the lens would hold in place and behave!!

Good grief.
Can I tell you though, I have God given peace and it is all good. HOwever, consequently I'm praying for the rapture. No pressure or anything.

4 score and 4 years ago!

Leelah Jo was born! Thank you Lord for our precious joy! She is the bee's knees, cat's pj's, the cherry on the sundae and the sprinkles. What a gift.
Fun facts about Leelah:
Her fave color is: dark blue
Her fave food: mac n cheese
Her fave movie: Barney goes to the Zoo
Her fave Bible Story: Daniel in the lion's den
Her fave animal: Lion
Her fave book: Sleeping Beauty book
She is a sun sneezer, a gift giver, she can write her name and the entire alphabet, she LOVES science, she is afraid of the Big Show at our church but loves superheroes, she chooses superheroes over princesses, and she loves to sing! I love to listen. She's crazy for books and animals. She's not big on crowds. The Lion is her personality type. She thinks our Chinese students, Rose and Daisy, have the "most beautiful hair she's ever seen." She LOVES the Lord and talking about Him.

Leelah, you have testified to the Lord's mighty power since you were in utero. I carried you on bed rest for 4 months. After being told there was a possibility I'd lose you at 22 weeks due to some, er structural insuffiencies:), you kicked a fit right then and there. That was all the proof we needed- that you were there to say. Even though your mommy wasn't fully walking with Jesus at the time and although you were in the womb, it seemed as if God had you in the palm of His hands since day one. I guess you could say your, to me, miraculous birth made a true Believer out of me. Even when you had just turned 3 you would remind me to pray. You pray for others. You are a light. My prayer is that your fire for the Lord only grows! Your daddy and I are over the moon for you and are so glad God gave us you. Love, Mommy :)

I should be cleaning.

Update: THeir names were changed by them to Rose and Daisy! I like those better actually. :)
Tomorrow our second set of Chinese students, Mandy and Andrea, arrive. I'm beyond excited. Leelah is too and John, is well so sweet for opening up his life for strangers. These will not be strangers. They are our new family members that we are showing what it means to have fun in the name of the Lord!

Did you know there isn't a word for fun in the Chinese language? The only word that comes close is "interesting". I've been reading The Discovery of Genesis which has been fascinating. Check it out. It's about the Chinese written language carrying ties from the ancient times that shows how their civilization once was monotheistic. I can't divulge too much further as I'm only on the 3rd or 4th chapter. Hey, I read a lot or try to.

This journey of having these students come was almost thwarted by fear. Fear that I would not be able to give fully of myself to the project due to my vision loss. But God is good and is working through me, so what's there to fear?

The Chinese American Exchange Program is put on by our church and this is the 3rd year. The students will stay for 3 weeks in our home. And we will hopefully do our best to show them the love of Jesus in all we do. I'm praying the Lord will use my eye-drama as a witness.

We had such a great time with Anne and Maria last year. They were the bee's knees! We can hardly wait for the new girls to arrive.

I'll be seeing my eye surgeon next week to determine when they will begin workingon the right eye. I got my new glasses- with the left eye's prescription and now a blank lens in the right. I get horrible eye-strain headaches everyday from the crazy un-focusing that is taking place because of the right eye's lens dislocation and cataract.

With all this and that, Leelah is growing up. She will be 4 years old next week. She is my sweet, sweet darling.

Well like I said, I should be cleaning up the girls' room...

Onward Christian Soldier...

You know how it goes. When you get all pity-party-where's-my-big-bag-o-doritos-at? Then you have to get a napkin for your tears... and extreme cheesestained-hand...

Or as I like to call it, "Monday".

I was complaining to the ol' husb the other night. Goin' on about this and that. Whining like a 29 1/2 yr old does sometimes... Here's my list of complaints to John, the long-sufferer:

- "But my eyes don't work!"
- "I'm parentless!"
- "I can't have any more kids!"
- "I want some queso!"

Here I was rattling off all these things, which John- God bless his soul- had NO possible way to relate to (well except for the queso-infatuation). Look, I don't enjoy complaining. People have it WAAAAAAAAAAAAY rougher than I. I know this. From my standpoint, all I see are women expecting, people that can see and drive anywhere they want, and people spending time with their parental units. So in those regards, I get down.

So I complained like a champ.
And then John who is, by the way, the wisest person I know laid it out for me in terms I can immediately employ.
"Gillian, you are not going to have all those things. You are right, it isn't fair. You won't have any of those events for yourself or parents (save my in-loves and I adore them!) to get you through your eye surgeries. You won't have a better past. Our daughter will. You must do all that for her. Maybe that's why God gave us a girl, so you can know how to be there for her and give her all the things to make her feel special that you didn't have. You are a soldier. You have to brave through your past and hard times for her, for Leelah."

Now I can do that.
The Lord will do that through me with His all-sufficient grace.

2 Timothy 2:3

Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

As if John needed a bigger fan club. John, I love you.

By the way we're almost done reading So Long Insecurity, You've Been a Bad Friend to Us by Beth Moore. It's rockin' the house and I've been able to implement some tactics...

Praying and sending love to my fellow soldiers in Christ and those fighting for America today.