HI! I’m April
and I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a lot of sCraps in my life
lately. I choose to find joy amongst the
scrap, and I hope this Blog brings some joy and inspiration to you as well.
To
give you a little bit of background, 2011 was by far the hardest year of my
life. The previous year I had been injured at work because of a not so funny
attempt at a joke by another person. I
was assured the injury was healing and only temporary. My husband got a new job
offer, and though it was exciting, it would be life changing. This job would
require us to be apart for several weeks, the first in our 4 years of
marriage, and for me to handle
a move all by myself while injured. Sadly, we would have to leave Southern
California, (where I spent most of my life) our friends, our real and church family,
and move to a suburb North of Phoenix. Lastly, it would mean a lot of travel for
my husband, and therefore a lot of time by myself. We took the leap and moved to Arizona. My husband truly enjoys and excels at his new job. God really laid the groundwork for us in this new adventure,
and it was obvious we were following the right path. (Oh yeah, did I mention, I
am a Christian? This is a big part of my life and my journey.)
In
the beginning of 2012 I found a new doctor and continued treatment on my foot,
ankle, and lower leg. The treatments
were not working. And my pain continued to be incredibly high. In February, I received the devastating
news. I had CRPS (RSD) a rare,
permanent, and debilitating pain disorder caused by my injury. Ever since, I have continued to battle a lot
of challenges regarding treatment, work comp, and most of all PAIN. Also in February, a member of my family was
thrown in jail, a long drama filled story.
I have a crazy family, I know everyone says that, but trust me some of mine are
Looney Tunes at times. In March all of
my Grandmas were in the hospital, and my beautiful Grandmother passed away at
the age of 92. She was my inspiration for my hostess nature and my creative
spirit. I was heart broken, so my hubby bought me a puppy (our 3rd
dog and 5th pet). I named him Tamsus, a Lithuanian word that means
Dark, in honor of my Grandmother’s heritage.
My
disease continued to progress, and in June I began treatments after my official
diagnosis and long-overdue treatment approval.
The treatments included many life altering medications, painful
injections, and difficult physical therapy.
With this diagnosis came another heartbreaking change, my dream of
becoming a Physical Therapist myself was over, and all of my schooling (I have
a BS in Kinesiology, graduated Cum Lade, and was one class from entering a doctorate program for PT)
wouldn’t lead me down the path I expected.
I am still fully disabled and unsure what career path, if any, the Lord
will lead me to now. Because of my pain and weak leg, I was no longer able to
live the active lifestyle I had before. I couldn’t walk, sit, stand, or sleep
without pain. The medications were
affecting my body and my mind, and I would spend a lot of days sleeping and
watching TV. I had lost my lifestyle, my
hobbies, my future career, my support system, my grandmother, and my joy. I was so depressed and in so much pain,
crafting was the furthest thing from my mind. I had lost my sparkle.
I
was going through all of this in a new home, with a new church, and new friends,
and a wonderful husband who was often absent.
At the end of the year I received a call from my sister saying that she
was in rehab and getting a divorce. This led to me becoming an Insta-Mom of my
10 year-old niece who moved in with us in December. Though this was a huge life
change and learning experience, it has been the best thing that could have
happened for all of us. She is a bright
and shining star in my life, and brings out the sparkle in me. I’ve always wanted to be a mom, and one day
hope to have my own children, but being Aunti is wonderful as well. Recently,
my medications have been changed and I have begun behavioral therapy for my
pain, anxiety, and loss. This has brought me back to me, and one of the first
things I started doing again was crafting.
I have found this is a great distraction from my pain, and it gives me a
feeling of purpose and accomplishment. I
enjoy sharing my crafts and feel that my life can be an inspiration to others
who have been and are struggling. If I
can find the joy amongst the scrap, than so can you!
Love ~ April
