" ... become as a little child ..."  --3 Nephi 11:36

This is a sequel to a previous post on June 30. If you have not read that post yet, do so before reading this one.

Just a reminder--you were supposed to guess which of these items doesn't belong.

                             

Jeff was correct in his guess of the computer, but his logic wasn't quite what we were looking for. The computer is the object that doesn't belong because all the other items are helping Arline with her therapy or just life in general.

The glass and straw

Did you know a straw can be used as a kind of kazoo?

As many of you know, back in March, Arline got a terrible cold and racking cough that lasted for weeks. She lost her voice and our granddaughter Emily gave Arline's talk in church before we left. The problems lingered and lingered. Two doctor visits in Salt Lake didn't help. One doctor said it was a mild sinus infection (treated) and another one said it was a virus (untreatable) and she'd get over it. Nope. She had a Covid test (negative, yay!). Surely resting her voice would help. Nope. And some of the dizziness and cold symptoms hung around.

While we were in Branson, she started feeling worse, so we went to an urgent care. They sent us next door to the ER for a scan. First they tested for Covid, Strep, and Influenza A&B, then they told us to sit in the waiting room. So we sat in the waiting room. And sat. For over 6 hours. And were exposed to measles before getting the scan. Good news: everything came back normal (yay again) and we never came down with measles. Bad news: everything came back normal so we still didn't know what was wrong.

After we settled in Nauvoo, we visited the mission doctor (very knowledgeable but not licensed in Illinois) who sent us to the local clinic. The nurse practitioner figured out it was severe seasonal allergies and told her to take a double dose of Zyrtec (one pill every 12 hours--a normal dose is once a day).  Her "cold" symptoms gradually eased and her world no longer tilted. However, for the voice we had to go to an ENT.

Through this, we've learned that no, silence is NOT golden. And she really had no voice at all. In the temple she was complimented on her nice temple voice, and at church she was told she didn't still need to whisper and could speak louder. She countered with a whispered, "Nope. I can't," but it was said so softly that no one took offense. She still hasn't had to speak in church. It was very hard for Dave to hear her, and some of our pantomime sessions got to be a little crazy!

Five doctors, an ER visit, an MA, and a nurse practitioner, all spouting off various guesses and some scary possibilities. We were relieved that it wasn't a growth on the thyroid, cancer, or a stroke, but we had to live with those doubts for a few weeks.

We finally got in with an ENT in Quincy, an hour away. He scoped her throat. Everything looked fine except for one teeny little problem: her vocal cords couldn't be bothered to move. Our next step was to get physical therapy. What?! Have you ever heard of PT for a voice? It turned out it was speech therapy.

We got in to the therapist three months after Arline got sick. The first exercise Arline was given was to put a straw in water and blow bubbles. Just blow bubbles. After a while she graduated to blowing bubbles and saying "ooo." She did the same thing and then pulled the straw out of the water while still saying "ooo." Almost two weeks later she started talking. Her voice fades in and out now, but most of the time people can hear her. 

Who thought blowing into a straw would be the start of getting her voice back?

The scripture at the top wasn't referring to voice issues, but seemed appropriate under the circumstances.

The desk chair, crutches, blue stretch band, and footstool

Five weeks ago Arline woke up one morning with a very swollen leg and foot. It went from her thigh down to her toes, and she couldn't put any weight on that foot at all. We don't know why or what happened. For the first few days, Dave pushed her around our apartment in the desk chair as a makeshift wheelchair or she inched her way by rocking back and forth (which was difficult in the carpeted areas). She struggled to balance on one leg on the crutches, so it was nice when she could start using her big toe to balance a little. Still, the temple presidency didn't want her to be an ordinance worker while she used crutches, and she had to find subs for many of the shifts she was missing. Since all of the temple missionaries work every day the temple is open, we can't ask any of them. That leaves the locals, called District Workers, to get as subs. Since many of them live an hour or more away, there weren't a lot of people to draw from. Fortunately, she was able to gets subs as needed. The members here are wonderful and giving and faithful and dedicated.

After almost two weeks, when it became evident she wasn't going to bounce back quickly, they reassigned her to work in the office temporarily. She's loving that.

The blue stretch band is for her PT exercises. The footstool is to help elevate her leg a little as she's sitting for long periods.

And yes, she's seen a doctor and therapist for it. She gets asked that almost as often as what's wrong.

Last week the temple missionaries included her in their fast, and things have gotten better. She can now put her foot flat on the floor, but walking is not quite doable yet because there's still some swelling around and below the knee. There's been so much progress, she wishes that instead of fasting for her leg to get better (which it's in the process of doing), that they'd fasted for her to "take up her bed and walk." That day is coming. 

Dave has had his own set of struggles as he cares for her and does most of the meal prep, laundry, housework, and running her to appointments. It's not what we expected, but together we're making this mission happen.

Dave recently spoke in church and even got an investigator we've met with to come a couple of times. We're not proselytizing, just making visits to some part-member families.

In spite of all the problems, we feel this is the place we're supposed to be and we're doing what we're supposed to be doing, even though it's not what we expected. Together we're making this mission happen.

Arline can really relate to the thought: Sometimes God puts a Goliath in your life so you can find the David within you.