Bionic Woman

Yesterday I went for my 10 day postop visit to have my sutures removed and follow-up x-rays taken.

I don't know why they only gave me one AP view.  They did take a lateral but I didn't get it.  :-(

There was something wrong with the disc and I couldn't copy it electronically so I had to have dad take a picture of the screen.  That's why it's not very good quality.

Anyway here is my new bionic femur with the intramedullary nail and four screws visible.

They said they placed five screws so I'm assuming one screw is up near the femoral neck.  Not in view.

Now that I have hardware in my neck and leg you can call me the bionic woman.  :-)

This recovery is brutal.  I had no idea how hard it was going to be.  :-( Anyway, the skin looks good.  Sutures removed.  The leg is still quite swollen but hopefully healing slowly but surely.

Just wait... elaborated

Here is the full context of the quote I posted previously:

"We live, brothers and sisters, in the days preceding the Lord’s Second Coming, a time long anticipated by believers through the ages. We live in days of wars and rumors of wars, days of natural disasters, days when the world is pulled by confusion and commotion.

But we also live in the glorious time of the Restoration, when the gospel is being taken to all the world—a time when the Lord has promised that He “will raise up … a pure people”4 and arm them “with righteousness and with the power of God.”5

We rejoice in these days and pray that we will be able to courageously face our struggles and uncertainties. The difficulties of some are more severe than those of others, but no one is immune. Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said to me, “If everything is going perfectly for you right now, just wait.”

Although the Lord reassures us again and again that we “need not fear,”6 keeping a clear perspective and seeing beyond this world is not always easy when we are in the midst of trials."-- Thy Kingdom Come, By Elder Neil L. Andersen, Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2015 General Conference

Today is one of those days that Elder Maxwell warned about. :-( Sometimes I think I'm not very good at courageously facing my struggles.  Mortality is a mess.

That's my two cents.

Just Wait

This is how I feel today:

"Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said to me, “If everything is going perfectly for you right now, just wait.”"  -- Thy Kingdom Come, By Elder Neil L. Andersen,Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2015 General Conference

Last Words of Wisdom... Perhaps :-)

If everything goes as scheduled, I am in the middle of surgery right now.  I was contemplating what I might say if this were my last blog post.  The following is what popped into my head.

Live your life without regret,
and if you don't remedy it.

Obviously I wasn't an English major.  My skills as a poet leave a lot to be desired.  :-) I'm not even sure that's grammatically correct. Perhaps I should elaborate a little bit on what I meant.

Live each day as though it was your final exam in your test of mortality.  Don't do things you will regret someday.  When you do mess up, fix it right away.  Don't procrastinate.  Repent and make things right with the Lord.

Each day here on earth is a gift from God -- treat it as such.  Don't squander your time and energies doing stupid, useless, irrelevant, destructive or harmful things. Life's too short to be stupid.

Surround yourself with good people and choose your friends wisely.  Who you choose to associate with says a lot about your character and who you are.  If you don't like who you are or have become, associate with those who will be able to help you to become who you want to be.

Lastly, I want to share with you a secret.  The secret to a happy and successful life.  Isn't that what everybody wants?  Well I know how to obtain it!

It's really quite simple -- read your scriptures and pray EVERYDAY.  That's it.  If you do those two things you will nourish your spirit every day.  You will then be more receptive to the Holy Ghost and his promptings.  When you carry the Spirit with you, you will want to follow the Lord and keep His commandments.You will be more inclined to choose the right.  That is the key to happiness and success.

It requires daily effort.  Just as our bodies need nourishment daily, so do our spirits.  Spend as much time nourishing your spirit as you do your body. I promise you if you do you will find much joy and happiness in life. And be immeasurably blessed. That's not to say you won't have trials, for that's the purpose of mortality, but you will find happiness in those trials. Or perhaps I should say despite those trials.

People look at me and think my life is full of pain and suffering and limitations.  And yes, to some extent that's true.  Overwhelmingly though, my life is full of joy, happiness, and freedom.  I am extremely blessed.  Even with my physical limitations, which are temporary, by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and knowing the plan of salvation, my life is more free and joyful than most people's.

Living Gospel standards and keeping God's commandments brings freedom and joy not captivity and restriction as the adversary would have you believe.

As you continue on your journey through mortality, don't just hang in there -- Endure it well! Get your priorities straight, don't be casual or weak in your obedience and faith. That's not going to cut it in these last days.  Be strong, be valiant, be faithful. Continually work on coming unto Christ and being perfected in Him. And as Elder Pearson said, "Don't just hang in there -- Endure it well!"

My hope and prayer is for exaltation in the kingdom of God for all of my loved ones.

Live your life without regret,
and if you don't remedy it.

That's my two cents.

No Regrets

There are innumerable things in life that we may end up regretting some day. But there are two things you will never regret doing.  They are: receiving formal education and serving a full-time mission.

I have done both. And I'm so happy I did!

There's not much you can take with you when you die except the knowledge you've gained while here in mortality.  Both formal education and missionary service help to increase your knowledge and learning dramatically.  And both are a privilege that not everybody gets.

The opportunity to receive a formal education used to be a prized treasure that many people would go to great lengths to be able to obtain and those who were lucky enough to have the opportunity recognized it as a great privilege.

Nowadays, especially in this country, it seems as though many people take for granted the opportunity for formal education and don't recognize its value.

For instance, many athletes are given full ride scholarships yet squander the privileged opportunity to obtain education because all they care about is playing ball.

And then others choose to forego college not because they don't have the opportunity but because they choose not to take it for whatever reason.

I have never heard anyone say that they wish they would have skipped college to start working, get married, start a family, etc. but I have heard a lot of people say they wish they would have gotten their education before or while doing those other things.

Even if you never use your degree to earn a living, it is still knowledge that you will always have and carry with you through the eternities.  Education is never a waste.  Higher education is a privilege that few people in the world have the opportunity to obtain.

Anyone with the opportunity would be wise to obtain a higher education.  And it is something you will never regret!

An even rarer privilege that even fewer people qualify for is that of serving a full-time mission.

Just for fun I did a few calculations.  Back in 1992 when I was a full-time missionary, there were only 46,025 full-time missionaries.  The world population in 1992 was 5.448 billion.  That computes to one missionary for every 118,370 people on earth. Or  236,740 people per companionship.  That's a lot of people to try and teach.

Using today's numbers--  Currently there are 7.321 billion people on earth and 85,187 full-time missionaries.  Even with the recent missionary surge that is still 85,940 people per missionary or 171, 880 people per companionship.  Obviously there is still a lot of work to do.  The Lord needs our help in hastening His work.

Even though serving a full-time mission is a commandment for every worthy young man, every worthy young woman is also granted the opportunity/privilege should they so choose.

I fully believe that those who serve missions gain much more than they could ever get back.  Serving a full-time mission is an education you cannot receive anywhere else.  It truly is a privilege that not many people qualify for and those who do qualify would be foolish not to jump at the chance to serve a mission for the Lord. Indeed it is a privileged honor.

Just yesterday I read about one young man who recognized what a rare, precious opportunity it is, and he went to great lengths to qualify to serve a mission.  I will paraphrase his story.

A young man from New Zealand who is a convert to the church decided he wanted to serve a mission as he was approaching his mid-20s.  His mission application was rejected because of a visible tattoo on his neck. This young man was heartbroken yet still determined to serve a mission. He was willing to do whatever it took to qualify to serve a full-time mission for the Lord.

He tried laser tattoo removal several times which didn't work and was extremely painful.  He was nearing the cutoff age of being able to serve and was getting discouraged. But he persevered and prayed for the Lord's help and continued going to Mission prep classes.

His Mission prep teacher ended up being his answer to prayer.  He helped him by connecting him with a dermatologist who could cut the tattoo out of his neck.  And he also was kind enough to fund the surgery for him. The surgery was a success. The young man said that it was a miracle that he had absolutely no pain during the recovery process. He now qualified to serve a mission.

His mother was so inspired by her son's dramatic change and determination that she was baptized shortly before he left on his mission. He served honorably in the Dallas-Fort Worth Mission.

That young man truly recognized the tremendous value and privilege of serving a full-time mission.  And went to great lengths to qualify to do so.

Yes, serving a mission is a rare opportunity granted to those who qualify.  It is also a great responsibility and commandment given to every worthy young man.  But as always, those who choose to accept that privileged opportunity are blessed beyond measure as are their families and those they serve.

The knowledge and experience gained in those few short 18 or 24 months provide a solid base you will use throughout your life.  And you will draw on those experiences to guide you and help you throughout your life.  It is an education you cannot get anywhere else. Based upon my own experience I can easily say that my mission was a much better education than was my college education.  But I treasure both.

 Serving a full-time mission for the Lord is something you will never regret.

Anyone with the opportunity to serve a mission and receive higher education would be wise to do so.

Life is too short to be stupid.

"O be wise; what can I say more?" -- Jacob 6:12

That's my two cents.

Mercedes' Graduation

Today my niece is graduating from high school.

Where did the time go?  I remember well the day my sister called to tell me she was born.  I had just started my first year of medical school.

Mercedes will also be getting an associate's degree from Pierce College as she participated in the running start program during high school.

Sunday she graduated from seminary which is quite an accomplishment that requires dedication to get up early every morning to attend seminary class.

I designed her graduation announcement -- with a little help from Lisa in changing the fonts.  :-)

Real proud!

Congratulations Mercedes!  I'm so happy you'll be pursuing your education by attending BYU Idaho!

Elder Perry's Last Dying Wishes and Advice

I just read an article in LDS living which states Elder L. Tom Perry's last dying wishes and advice for church members.  I always say mortality is a mess -- I guess I'm in good company.  :-)

This is wonderful advice and counsel from a beloved apostle of the Lord.  We would all be wise to heed Elder Perry's sage counsel.

Elder Perry's Last Advice to Church Members, Jake Healey, LDS Living Magazine, June 6, 2015

At Elder L. Tom Perry’s funeral in the Tabernacle today, Elders Dallin H. Oaks and M. Russell Ballard both delivered heartfelt tributes to their colleague and friend. During his address, Elder Ballard related the following:

“Three days prior to his passing, Elder . . . Oaks and I called on Elder and Sister Perry. We had a tender visit, and as always, Elder Perry spoke of his love of the members of the Church, and his great anxiety and concern for their spiritual well-being.” 

Elder Oaks remembered Elder Perry saying, “I just worry about what is going on in the world! How did we get mixed up in this mess?” Elder Perry continued, “Worldwide morals are declining. At the same time, we have populations all over the world that are suffering. We have lost our good, strong Christian beliefs—it is just a tough time.” 

Then Elder Oaks said, “As was typical of Elder Perry, he did not linger on the negative.” He smiled as he recalled these words from a dying apostle: “We have a lot of great talented help in the Church! These young kids who come along—I just love them. They’re strong!” 

Elder Ballard recounted the advice that Elder Perry wanted the people of the Church to hear. “[I wish I] could get every member of the Church to go and partake of the sacrament, and when they took the bread, they’d ask themselves, ‘Who am I? What am I doing? How am I living? Where am I going? What should I be accomplishing?’ as they renew their covenants with the Lord.” He finished, “The minute they’d pick up the bread, something [would] happen.” 

In those final quiet days, Elder Perry delivered this testimony to his brethren in the apostleship. “Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. Everything depends on Him. We’d better find a way to stay close to him, and if [we] can’t, there’s not much hope. [He] is what we need.”

Teachers Are Crybabies

This probably won't be one of my more popular opinions -- everybody seems to love teachers and are always on their side. Do you think I give a hang?  I'm going to state my opinion regardless.  :-)

Good thunder, things are getting out of hand.  Juliet informed me this morning that Kingston has to go one extra day of school now because the teachers are walking out on Wednesday to bawl their necks off about smaller classrooms.

It seems like they are always crying about something.  More money, smaller classrooms, more paid time off, more paid time for lesson preparation, etc. I know of no other profession that whines so much and is constantly demanding.  It's absolutely ridiculous.  Like the Rattlesnake said to the man after he bit him, "you knew what I was when you picked me up".  Teachers knew what they were getting into when they chose that field. Why are they constantly walking out and whining like little brats? I mean really, they act like three-year-olds pulling tantrums.

Teachers nowadays have it so much easier than when I was in school or when my mom was teaching.  Back then teachers actually had to plan their lessons on their own time and we actually went to school every day all day. And parent teacher conferences were afterschool.  So why are they constantly complaining about how bad they have it now?

Every year that I have lived here in Washington, without fail, the news will announce in the fall which school districts are not starting school on time because of teacher tantrums.

Kids are constantly having early days or late starts or days off so that teachers can trim their fingernails or whatever excuse they happen to give.

The kids are receiving less and less education and the teachers are receiving more and more money and time off.  Okay maybe teaching isn't the easiest job in the world and doesn't pay as much as some other professions but that is what they chose.  So deal with it. Quit being bawl baby chicken guts and just do your job.

That's my two cents.