Foot Doctor Stumped

My dear mother sent me a simple, one-line email inquiry:

     "Tell me about your visit to the foot doctor today."

As a dutiful daughter would do, I immediately began emailing her back. As I tend to do, I got very carried away with my story and thought, ah ha!! Perhaps I should just turn my reply to her into an updated blog post for everyone to "enjoy" as that is my journal/photo story of my life. 

     SO--here goes another installment in the life of ME!! 

Dear Family, 

And anyone else who cares,

I have tumors in both my feet. I have been telling Glen that fact. I tell anyone who asks.

The doctor confirmed it today...although he might not have used the word "tumors"...

He said I'm still dealing with neuroma stumps. In both feet. Two stumps. In each foot. Total of four stumps. 

Just as a reminder--I had four neuromas removed in December (2015) before our mission when I had foot surgery to fix/remove bunions and bunionettes. Both of them. On both feet.

Both feet developed neuroma stumps in the four spots where the neuromas were removed. I have been told it's not that common to get stumps after neuromas are removed... So typical of me to be so UNTYPICAL regarding anything having to do with my many health ailments!!

The doctor in Utah was treating the four neuroma stumps with injections. When I got here 1 1/2 years ago, this foot doctor began injecting them as well.

This doctor did surgery over a year ago on the right foot "going after the neuroma stumps" as he phrases it. He removed two gigantic neuromas/stumps. Over the course of the past year + I have seen him for more injections because the added surgery didn't fix the problem. My foot has been electrified ever since.

June was the last time he injected the neuroma stumps in both feet again. He felt like that would be good and told me to ignore my feet until I finish my mission.

I have been trying to ignore them. Both feet. For months. And months. 

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION: 

Quit ignoring both feet. Go see foot doctor. Again. For the umpteenth time. Because I can feel the stumps/lumps/tumors growing and they are getting more painful.

Now it feels like my two middle toes on my right foot are in pain along with being half numb from both of the surgeries. 

So, back I went to the doctor today and he confirmed it!

My right foot stumps/lumps/tumors are BAD! Especially one of the stump/lump/tumors. The left foot isn't that great either.

He got out the syringes, loaded them up and injected away in those four electrified nerve lump/stump spots.

I went into shock, shaking and trying to take deep breaths to calm down. He left me for a few minutes to compose myself while he went to see another patient. 

Glen offered a lot of sympathy and concern (HA!) as he ignored me and tapped away on his iPad answering missionaries' letters. 

All of you can calm down now to learn I was able to eventually get up and walk myself out of the office unassisted. 

BOTTOM LINE IS THIS...

The doctor said he has NEVER gone back in after a neuroma stump a second time. He only treats them with injections. He says based on past protocol, that is how he's dealt with them in the past. 

Of course, he says I now may be a special case... (as we all know I am!!! Special me!!!). But for now that's how he's going to treat them.

I asked about the left foot in which he has NOT gone after the neuroma stumps yet. I am thinking if there is any chance he can work some magic and get the left foot resolved with surgery, then I will just have to deal with my right foot. I am thinking if there's a chance for resolution, then it would be worth it. Worse case scenario--stumps don't get resolved and I am in the same boat continuing to deal with neuroma stump/lump/tumors in four spots in both feet. 

What's there to lose?? 

He agreed with my way of thinking--EXCEPT for the way he so delicately put it that he would never do surgery on my left foot right now when my right foot is this bad. He says I wouldn't have a good foot to stand on. The more we talked, the more I felt like I have stumped him. He laughed. I laughed. 

Glen almost laughed...except he was thinking more about his missionaries' letters than he was about the foot/stump puns going on around him!!

Doctor re-check in 4 weeks.

Quotes of the Week

The Light of Christ fills the universe. It fills the earth. And it can fill every heart...Line upon line, here a little and there a little, you will gather more light and truth into your souls until darkness has been banished from your life.
--Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Our task is to become our best selves. One of God's greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again, for no failure ever need be final.
--Thomas S. Monson

It would be easy to become discouraged and cynical about the future...if we allowed ourselves to dwell only on that which is wrong in the world and in our lives. Today, however, I'd like us to focus...instead on our blessings as members of the Church.
--Thomas S. Monson

Zone Conference Week, New Prophet Announced, Hiking to Double Peak

ZONE CONFERENCE - DAY 1

Zone conference week was upon us. It fell on a holiday week. Since the libraries aren't open on holidays, meaning the missionaries can't go there to email their family and friends, we have a regular work day on holidays.

That meant we had zone conference with the Vista and Carlsbad zones at the mission office church building on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It was a little bit weird having zone conference on a Monday because we usually have them on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. But we adjusted and it turned out great!

Glen kicked it off with a review and more teaching of know, feel, do and how we need to keep doing all three to have full conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I talked about obedience--not because we have a disobedient mission--far from it. It's because with technology soon to be available to the missionaries, they need to stay committed to being obedient to the set guidelines to keep them safe.

I showed the video that is centered around Elder Keetch's talk about the barriers that were set up to protect the people from the sharks that were swimming just beyond the barrier. What once seemed like such a hindrance to the fun of enjoying high waves just beyond the barrier was now realized as a protection for all the people playing in the water.

It was very impactful when I shared the story of Elder Caleb Ward, my nephew, serving in Honduras and how he was assigned to be a companion to a very disobedient elder and how disgusting the place was where they were living and how horrific an experience it was for Caleb to live with that companion for a week.

But, the amazing thing is he saw how miserable the elder was who was breaking all the mission rules and he compared it to the happiness he felt at obeying all the mission rules. What an example he is to me and now to all our missionaries of "wickedness never was happiness." Whereas obedience bring safety and peace.

The assistants taught from a case study all the missionaries had been assigned to read about a sister missionary who was able to have great success wherever she served. There was a discussion about all the things she did to get herself known, how she got to work in the wards where she was assigned, how she got to know the members and combined efforts with them doing missionary work.

The missionaries then went off to meet as districts to talk about how they could apply what they had just learned.

The Relief Society women were there to feed us lunch. They are always so willing and happy to help us out in that capacity. 

Glen finished up the meeting by teaching how we can follow the pattern for making decisions and have perfect knowledge as we do so. It was really good and inspired and we all loved being taught from the scriptures.

Turns out it was a very busy day for us as we were hosting the senior Family Home Evening at our home that night. Sister Sattley was such an angel. When she realized the FHE was going to be on a zone conference day, she offered to make lasagna for the main dish instead of us worrying about having to cook something.

I told her it really wasn't that big of a deal to grill some meat, but she insisted. Turns out there were some missionaries who needed to talk with Glen after the zone conference and we got home much later than we'd anticipated. It was nice to only have to worry about the paper products.

Glen had the Kopenhefers share their testimonies as it was their last time to attend. These were the attendees this time:

Elder and Sister Van Aarle, Elder and Sister Kopenhefer, Elder and Sister Spiegler (he's one of our mission doctors), Elder and Sister Sweetwood, Elder and Sister Atkinson, Elder and Sister Sattley, Brother and Sister Neal (our nurse), Sister Maughan (our other nurse whose husband always takes the photo) and us.

It turns out it was a blessing for us to have preparation day on Tuesday this particular week as that was the day the announcement was being made about the new First Presidency by our new prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. 

We watched the announcement made from the temple and then the press conference the next hour. Glen spent the rest of the day reading and answering 159 missionaries' letters while I did laundry--our usual preparation day activities.

That evening we attended the baptism of this wonderful woman who was so happy to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She feels so much peace in her life as she has come to know the truths of the gospel. We love hearing new converts share their testimonies.

ZONE CONFERENCE - DAY 2

Wednesday we were up north in Murrieta having zone conference with that zone and the Temecula zone.

That evening we went to Escondido with the assistants to be the guest speakers at their stake's mission preparation class. We did the same thing we have done with other youth groups. The assistants tell the youth what they wished they had known before their mission.

I talk to them about three things they can be doing now to prepare for their mission. Glen tells them the three things he wants missionaries to know. The assistants join in for a short question and answer period. Then Glen has them close with a 4-minute Restoration lesson.

It is so powerful! The Spirit is always so strong as Joseph Smith's own words are quoted when relating the experience he had in The First Vision. He saw God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. God called Joseph by name. He knows each and every one of us. He is our loving Heavenly Father and has provided prophets who have the Priesthood power to administer in his name here on the earth.

Joseph Smith was called by God to be his prophet of the restored gospel. He translated the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Through reading the Book of Mormon, each one of us can gain a knowledge for ourselves through the Holy Spirit that it is the Word of God and that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God.

I love this knowledge. I love this gospel. I love my Heavenly Father. I love my Savior. I love that we have been given the gift of the Holy Ghost to help direct us while we are here on earth. It is our Heavenly Father's plan for each one of us to return safely back to him. How blessed we are to have this knowledge.

How wonderful it is for the young missionaries to be entrusted to take this message to all the world. It is life-saving knowledge--both temporally and spiritually. So inspired. So wonderful. We are so blessed to be a part of it.


ZONE CONFERENCE - DAY 3

Thursday we met with the Del Mar and Escondido zones in the La Costa building which is relatively close to our home.

We had been enjoying listening in on each district's break-out session. We couldn't find one of the districts. We walked around the church twice and couldn't find them. Mystery solved when they walked in from outside where they had been meeting. Can't blame them. The weather is amazing here.

I was sad I had missed getting a photo of them in their study group and asked them to strike a pose as if they were discussing something. The elder in the middle pulled out a photo of his grandpa holding up a huge fish and said he was somehow going to work it into their presentation to the whole group.

Sure enough he did! Actually three of them were able to work a fish analogy into their comments. It was creative and great!

When I posted this collage on Instagram that night, the elder's mother commented, "My dad is going to be so thrilled with Daniel showing his fish picture, haha!! That's funny you caught that. Thank you!" So glad it made her day!

The Relief Society sisters from the various stakes usually try to involve mothers of missionaries to help with the lunch. They always cry when the missionaries sing "Called To Serve" to them as a thank you for fixing us lunch. This particular day we had almost every lunch helper with a missionary out or soon to leave, so lots of tears during the song.

That day after zone conference, we had the assistants meet us at the mission office. Elder Radford joined us so we could keep working on trying to figure out what we are doing with technology. 

The assistants had phones and were going through the process Elder Radford had printed out of how to download the stuff they need onto their phones as the first step in the technology process.

Glen told them to work with their phones and with the apps that are on the phones and get comfortable with them so they are knowledgeable with them and can help out the other missionaries.

Elder Radford had been in touch with the Missionary Department and the phone company and has been getting his head wrapped around what he needs to do to make sure the SIM cards are properly tied to the right telephone number for each companionship and turned on at the right time. He is also tracking when the phones come into the office to make sure all the missionaries are getting their phones bought.

We are seeing the wisdom in assigning various people to be "technology specialists." Very sound wisdom!! 

After such a busy week, we found ourselves with some down time on Friday. We decided to do a robust hike for our morning exercise. We started our hike at Discovery Lake in San Marcos and began the walk up the mountain.

It was a well-marked trail and the view of the surrounding area was spectacular. 

Upon closer reading of the fine print on the sign posted on the trail, I was glad I was not hiking alone and I was glad we did not have young children with us. I guess I was also glad I wasn't hiking at night. 

We made it to Double Peak Park at the top of the mountain.

We had actually driven to the top of Double Peak another day. It was a different experience hiking vs. driving.

We looked down on the nearby homes being built and were deciding if we wanted to live there. We are always looking for options of where we could live after we are finished with our mission.

We made the trek back down the mountain to where we began, giving thanks that our knees held out the whole way for us. 

I checked my health app on my phone and found that we had already fulfilled our 10,000 daily step quota (which we rarely ever get these days).

The real thing to be thrilled about was we climbed 63 flights. That was quite the accomplishment considering my problematic heart and lungs.

Something to celebrate!! We did it!! *applause* Good for us!!

District Meetings, Glen Working In the Rain With Missionaries, Technology Coming

We went to the Bobier district meeting in the mission office church building.

We stayed at the mission office all afternoon so we could have a technology training Skype call with the Missionary Department in Salt Lake City. It was the beginning of our roll-out of technology to the missionaries in this mission. It is going to take a while to get fully functioning, but we've got to start somewhere. This was step one.

That day was momentous because it rained. Whenever it rains in Southern California, it's a momentous occasion as these elders were exclaiming over the rare occurrence. It was the first time either one of them had experienced rain on their mission. I wanted to capture the moment for them.

Glen had previously scheduled to go work with a companionship in the Escondido zone the rest of that day. Rain or shine, the work must go on!!

Once our Skyping was finished, he dropped me off at home and off he went to work with the missionaries. It rained the whole time he was gone. He came home drenched!!! His suit was a wreck. We put it in a soggy pile to take to the dry cleaner.

Glen got a call from the bishop of one of the elders he had worked with the following week saying the family was worried about the elder as he seems to be struggling. We feel it was a tender mercy that out of all the missionaries, one of the two companionships Glen chose to work with that week was the one that included the missionary whose family was concerned about him.

There was no indication to Glen of a concern of the elder while he worked with him, nor any indication of a concern in the weekly letters he had written to Glen. It made Glen so relieved to be able to report to that bishop that he is very aware of the elder and had, in fact, just gone out to work with that very missionary.

Elder David A. Bednar has taught there are no coincidences, they are tender mercies. "The Lord's tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ."

I was just re-listening to the last general conference talk by Elder Ronald A. Rasband about how there are no coincidences in life. "Coincidence is not an appropriate word to describe the workings of an omniscient God. He does not do things by 'coincidence' but ... by 'divine design.' What may appear to be a random chance is, in fact, overseen by a loving Father in Heaven... The Lord is in the small details of our lives."

There are so many times things happen and we just look at each other and shake our heads at how things work out. It is a continuing testimony to both of us that the Lord is indeed in the small details of our lives.

The next day we attended the Washington district meeting in Murrieta. I forgot to take a picture of all the missionaries in the district, but these sister training leaders had stuck around to eat their lunch, so I snapped one of them. Turns out that was a blessing as it gave them a chance to ask a few questions about a sister they were having questions about. See--tender mercies all around!!

Glen drove me home and then drove back up north to Temecula to work with two elders the rest of the day. That turned out to be a blessing as he had gotten a phone call informing us of a death of a grandparent and the parents thought their son would be upset about the news, so Glen was able to stop by and talk with that elder when he was finished working with the companionship since he "happened" to already be in Temecula that day.

The Kopenhefers have finished up their time serving as the car/housing couple and wanted to spend an extra month here going out and working with the missionaries.

They have been going around to all the district meetings and teaching the missionaries how to have a more effective baptismal service. They set up the room as they would for a baptismal service.

He has the missionaries practice how they would do the ordinance. They role play how they would talk to the friends and family of those coming to witness the baptism.

They had set up a display of materials on the table by the blackboard so the visitors would see and know they could take as many materials as they desire. They even had a refreshment table set up on the opposite side of the room.

It was a great meeting and it helped to have Glen there as this was a group of our Spanish-speaking elders. Glen could tell if they were saying the ordinance exactly right. It is a great learning experience as we have so many new missionaries throughout the mission.

Whenever we think we are going to have a few extra hours in the day, it usually means our schedule is free for a reason. This particular afternoon, Glen was able to go meet an elder in Escondido who had requested an interview and then we were able to go to the mission office in the later afternoon to meet with a troubled sister missionary who needed some reassurance and counsel from her Mission President.

We were glad to have an unscheduled morning the Friday of that week so we could enjoy a lovely walk in a new area we had found not too far from our home.

Despite the warning, we are happy to report we did not see any rattlesnakes during our morning exercise.

We were able to watch President Thomas S. Monson's funeral later that morning. It was a beautiful service. He was such a wonderful and loving man and prophet. Such a legacy of service for all of us to emulate. I feel so thankful for his many, many years of dedicated service.

At the mission office later that day we were able to see former Sister Kaitlyn Guiver and her parents who were back in the mission on vacation. She hadn't been gone from us for very long before she came back!

It reminded us of Abe who flew home from serving in the Nebraska Omaha Mission and then we immediately jumped in the car and drove right back to Omaha so he could visit and show us where he'd served.

Date night was dinner with the McBeths at Fish House Vera Cruz in San Marcos. It was nice visiting with them, but we determined the salmon and shrimp are much better at Red Lobster (in our opinion).

The McBeths had been called to serve last year as Mission President and Wife of the Mexico Torreón Mission--the exact same mission where Glen served as a young man. They have a teenage son still at home and after going to Torreón for a visit to check things out, she was terribly afraid to take their son there, so their names were put back into the mix. Need I even have to say how thankful I am we did not get called there???? Or to any other foreign mission????

They have now been called to duty this go round over the Utah Salt Lake City West Mission starting July 1st of this year. They were full of questions for us and wanted to share their feelings about the whole thing. We felt a little better prepared to share insights with them this year than we did last year when we were so new to the calling and when things were a lot more challenging for us.

Our executive planning meeting we have with the assistants every Saturday morning was a little bit different this particular time.

With the technology roll-out looming over us, Glen wanted to do a strategic planning session with them mapping out exactly each step in the process so he could make a timeline/flowchart/graph (whatever he technically calls it) so we know what we are doing and can keep on schedule.

He uses his favorite sticky-note process to do his project planning. He used this technique to plan his semester homework and projects for college. He used this technique to plan Rebecca's wedding. He used this technique to plan his work projects. It's a tried and true, proven method that he loves to use and was anxious to show Elder Jordan and Elder Eddins.

They were just grinning from ear to ear anticipating having technology in the mission that they were willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done!

We noticed a new plant is now in the spot where we pulled out the dead and decaying plant. I was a little surprised to see it is such a short little thing.

I thought they would put something in with a little more height to hide the yucky-looking wall. Now I'm thinking someone needs to come out and fix that section of the front of the house.

Rebecca sent a photo last weekend of her children enjoying scootering and rollerblading in the 50-degree weather saying they get to pretend it's spring. 

I just had to immediately send back a photo of our temperature. I give thanks in my prayers every single day that we are living in this lovely place with such wonderful weather year round!!!

Sarah sent a picture this weekend of our back deck showing the recent snowfall signifying our daughters are back in deep winter weather after the enjoyment of their 50-degree weather.

And that prompted me to compare their snow view to our yellow flower view here in this wonderful place where we live.  

As Glen so frequently says, "It's just another day in paradise!"