Back Update +

Attractive, isn't it? But, this has been me the past few days. And then this morning little Cass woke up with a cold. She usually wakes up at 7:30 or 8, but we had to go wake her up at 10:15 this morning (wow...and she went to bed last night at 7:45). After laying with me for a few minutes, she went to eat breakfast and walked around for a little while...ate a few bites of lunch too. By 1:00, she was standing at her crib, crying and begging us to put her in. ;) Poor little chicken. Joel changed her diaper and then just laid her in her crib, keeping her door open and not turning on her noise maker or her fan just yet. We were all making our usual noises in the house, but Joel went back to her door after a few minutes and she was out. So, say a few prayers for her as well, if you don't mind. ;)

Alright, so here's the deal with my back...

I last wrote on Wednesday. My friends from church who are physical therapists worked me in where they work that afternoon. They hooked up a TENS unit to me and shocked me some. ;) Seriously, if felt good, but didn't give me any lasting relief at all. The best part...I got a massage. I have never had a massage before. Sure, it was only on my lower back...and a physical therapy massage is not quite the same as an actual masseuse massage I'm sure. But, it felt great. I think I might have to get me one of them there massages someday. ;) Hmm, maybe that's the root of all my problems...I haven't ever gotten a massage. Sounds like a good theory. To prevent this from ever happening again, I must have a weekly full body massage. What do you think, Joely poo? ;)

We left the physical therapy place and went to my doctor's appointment with the orthopedist that our friends recommended. I liked him. He got x-rays done and said that everything looked fine structurally. Looked to be muscular. He prescribed rest and also a couple of pain meds....neither of which even touched my pain. Codeine does jack for me...this I know now.

So, basically the rest of Wednesday and all day Thursday I was in misery. We ended up getting essentially a full cabinet's worth (slight exaggeration, but you get the point) of over-the-counter pain meds that I tried one by one and found, one by one, to be completely ineffective in alleviating this pain. We couldn't just call the doctor back and ask for something stronger...Thursday was a holiday in Brazil and when there is a holiday, everything is closed. We tried to call...no answer.

We even hit up some of our doctor friends for suggestions, but they were a bit at a loss as to the codeine not working. I'm quite sure there is better, stronger pain medicine here (surely), but did you know they don't have Vicodin?!? I sound like such a junkie writing this. ;) But, I know that Vicodin has worked for other pain that I've had in the past (in high school when I had my wisdom teeth pulled, when I had a D&C after my miscarriage in 2002...really those are the only times). I just wanted some Vicodin!! Ha ha ha. Yeah...junkie. So not like me...I promise. ;)

Well, for whatever reason, on Friday morning (that would be yesterday, wouldn't it?) I woke up and was able to actually move...not the case the 2 days before. I laid around in the bed all day, just keeping those muscles still. I had hoped to make it to a wedding of some friends that started at 8pm. I planned to try to just rest all day and then take a 2 hour break from the bed to go to the wedding. Well, it worked out. About 7:30, we decided I could do it. ;) Thankfully this is Brazil and you don't have to be on time to anything because usually it's not going to start on time anyway. Sure enough, the wedding didn't really get underway until around 8:45 (actually pretty impressive for an 8pm wedding)...we ended up being a tad bit early. ;)

So, we went to the wedding and stayed for most of the ceremony and then made a break for it to get me back to the bed. Right now I'm just taking Ibuprofen. I am not hurting nearly as bad as I was. I can actually get up without being in excruciating pain, but if I do, my back starts hurting worse. So, I'm still taking it easy in the bed. Even in the bed it hurts (it feels so very tight right now as I type this), but what else can I do?

Chiropractic is not practiced here. When we moved here, we were told that there were no chiropractors. And there wasn't. But, just this week (on Thursday actually) we were told about a chiropractor in Goiania who was trained in the United States. We tried to call for an appointment yesterday, but as stated, it was a holiday. So, we are hoping to get in with her on Monday...that is if my back isn't 100%.

Until then, it's bedrest and Ibuprofen for me. It's so frustrating. I have no idea what the deal is...why such pain and why it's lasting so long. So irritating!! But, hopefully at least on Monday we will know more.

And, Joel has been ON full-time since Wednesday. Say a few prayers for him. He and the kids are just hanging out...school is out the window of course. But, it's a lot to take care of 4 small children full-time. He'll deserve a nice break once I'm all better. ;) He's the best Daddy ever. He doesn't just survive...he does fun things with the kids and everything. He's awesome!! Seriously...so blessed.

I'll give you another back update on Monday or Tuesday. Thanks so much for the continued prayers. This has probably been way too long and boring for some of you, but hey...here are some pictures as a reward. ;) Or, as making up to you for the long and boring monologue...whichever.

Remember this little guy? And this post about when I met him the first time last summer?
Well, this is him now. I went the other day to the orphanage to visit...specifically to see him actually. He's unhappy because I put him down to take this picture. He woke up and I was there by his crib...so was the sweet helper that works there. He looked at me, then looked at her, then looked at me again. Then he walked over to me with his arms raised up to me. Ahhhh...so want to just bring him home with me.
Even if he is not the one that we end up adopting in time (I don't even know if he's adoptable...don't know his story, if there are family members present, etc.), he has at least urged me on, sparked a fire in me again (although, it was always there)...rushed things along in our minds maybe. We are trying to get all the necessary things in place quickly so that we can adopt when the time comes.
He's no longer in the nursery area...he is in the little boys' house. I think he's about 18-20 months old.
Last Monday night, my back was feeling much better (than it had been over the weekend) and we thought we were in the clear. So, we rode over to Goiania to celebrate with a friend, Marcelo. He owns a restaurant and had a big cocktail party type thing there (invited guests alone). Along with the restaurant, he also runs a tourism magazine all about Goiania and it was recently named the official tourism guide for Goiania. It was the 2nd birthday of the magazine and lots of important people were there. Marcelo was given a key to the city. Really cool. So excited for him.
Us with Marcelo. What a big night for him.
Us on the red carpet. Not lying...red carpet.
This is Marcelo's restaurant, Cafe Cancun...the only Mexican restaurant I know of in this area (or Brazil for that matter...ha ha ha)...he bought it just for me. ;) Kidding. They also sell typical Brazilian food there too, because God forbid a Brazilian be without their precious beans and rice option for even one meal. Ha ha ha. I love to laugh with them about this. ;)
Tuesday night my Portuguese teacher, Kelma (in yellow) and a good friend, Stephanie (also American and with Asas de Socorro) went out to supper. Fun-ness. This was right before my back started killing again. Eeesh.
At the wedding last night. Look at gorgeous little Maira. She had the job of carrying the rings down to the bride and groom during the ceremony.
Our sweet babysitter, Carol, was the Brazilian equivalent to a bridesmaid.
And the beautiful bride, Lanna. She is very good friends with Carol. And the guy she married is also the son of our neighbors...the Bachellers (who live in the first house we lived in here at the seminary...where Cass was born). It's all a tangled web, isn't it? ;) We're all related somehow. ;)

And the rest are just some pictures taken around the house the past few weeks...

The kids were watching some cartoons. I looked over from feeding Cass and Eissa had set up a place for her kiddos to watch too. ;)
Some mid-morning hammock play.



Such helpers we have now!! ;)

Getting a little trim. He gets so "itchy" and hates that part. Hadley and Eissa were helping to get all the hair off, so as to not be itchy. ;) What sweet sisters. And Cass was very curious! ;) What a cutie!
The kids watched their first ever 3-D movie (Fly Me To The Moon, or something like that). The glasses were too big though, of course. I had to tape them on their faces. ;)

And they ditched the glasses about 3 minutes into it. They were so not into it. ;) But, at least I got a cute shot of them beforehand.