THE lucky one

somehow, by God's grace and lots of prayers, i am THE lucky one.

my voice didn't have to get better. it did.

my palate didn't have to show progress in healing. it did.

my hypernasality didn't have to improve. it did.

my hoarseness didn't have to get better. it did.

this freak accident experience may not seem like much to you, but it could have been. it isn't anymore.

after 3+ weeks of trying to speak to a class of 5-year-olds all day long with not much to work with in the throat, i can now speak. in my eyes, it's a miracle. i can speak without being worn out. it is not painful to speak anymore.

how did i get so lucky when so many people live in pain or live with a disability? i don't really know. i just know that i am forever grateful to a healing God who gives us hope.

note: the right side of my palate (the top of my mouth) isn't fully functioning and moving quite yet, but it sure is on its way!

amp it up

Meet my new friend, "Ampie." Ampie is a such a loyal, helpful friend. We just met yesterday and we've already really hit it off! Ampie helps me talk louder while I am teaching class and waiting for my voice to come back.

I lost my normal voice as a result of a tonsillectomy. I have paralysis of the right side of my palate. It was a total freak accident and is VERY rare especially as a result of a tonsillectomy. According to dictionary.com, the palate is "the roof of the mouth, consisting of an anterior bony portion (hard palate) and a posterior muscular portion (soft palate) that separate the oral cavity from the nasal cavity" =I.E. the reason I sound so nasal.

I will begin speech therapy on Wednesday and if that doesn't repair my throat, I will have palate surgery. I will also be seeing a neurologist to make sure that there isn't any possible brain damage. Please, God, let there not be any brain damage, I need every single brain cell in tact that I was given! Hah. Luckily, brain damage is HIGHLY unlikely. The doctor just wants to check everything possible.

I am also hoping to not have surgery again as that would mean another 3 weeks out of work. Hopefully, the speech therapy will do the trick. I am just glad that this shouldn't permanent. My voice has gotten so much better, all of the sudden, in just the past 2 days so I really believe that speech therapy will do the trick!

Although it has taken its' toll (considering that I talk for a living as a kindergarten teacher), I believe that I will learn so much from this experience. I will learn how to better relate to others that have medical problems and injuries due to surgery, how to appreciate the essence of time, how to be more patient, more thankful, how to relate to students with speech problems. The list goes on and on.

Please keep my voice in your prayers!

Popcorn and a Movie...Or Two

i don't watch movies that often but in the past month, i have seen a few, all of which i enjoyed! one that CANNOT be missed is...

SLUM DOG MILLIONAIRE. i don't want to give it away, but the directors did a beautiful job of adding some humor to a very dramatic movie that takes place in the slums of india. watching it was such a cultural experience. it really opened my eyes to extreme poverty and made me so appreciative of my american life.

just a cute movie.
another drama and cultural movie about asain immigrants. again i couldn't help but be thankful for my american life. movie version of the broadway show. great music. at first, i didn't know what to think of the singing but ended loving it. plus, the setting is greece--got to love that!

wElCoMe BaBy ChArLiE

on monday night at approx. 11:39pm, precious baby Charles James Miller was welcomed into the world...

on thursday night at approx. 8pm, i got to meet him!
*what a gift from God*such a beautiful, healthy baby*a lucky baby with wonderful parents*cute as a button*little charlie*

i can't wait to get to know this little guy more! to see more of him go to deb's page at http://miller-crew.blogspot.com/.

perspective

how does your salary compare to others?

for a nice perspective on how much you make and how that compares to others' salaries in the world, go to http://www.globalrichlist.com/. very cool site.

tonsil update

just updating to share more about my tonsil removal adventure!

it has been 18 days since my tonsils were removed and i still have the following symptoms: sore throat but not TOO bad, achiness/tiredness, can only eat soft foods such as yogurt, grits, soup, cream of wheat, bread, some noodles (this, of course, hasn't stopped me from trying other foods that aren't soft but whenever i do, it never fails to set me back), and an extremely unclear voice that mystified my students today. they had no idea what i was saying. needless to say, i had to leave work early and get a substitute. the hardest part is having to miss work.

i called the doctor, who conveniently went on VACATION for the past 2 WEEKS and therefore, hasn't been able to see me yet. he's finally back from his vacation (which i think christmas break is a bizarre time for an ENT doctor to take a TWO week vacation as the friday before christmas is probably the busiest time for an ENT). his nurse said he wants me to come in tomorrow instead of my set appointment on thursday to see if i have a possible infection. i wonder if possibly getting to see my doctor sooner like you are supposed to after a tonsillectomy would have helped any possible infection?? i am almost completely sure.

however, so is life. i am really not complaining because i know this is temporary. instead, i am thankful for my health and all of the luck that i have had. i certainly can't complain.