This afternoon was a lost cause in productivity. I had a 2.15 PM appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. So I was told to arrive fifteen minutes ahead of time to have x-rays done on the two items in question, my left wrist and foot. I knew that wasn't enough time so I showed up half an hour early for the x-rays (that are done digitally!). That took half an hour so I arrived right on time for the appointment.
Not. I didn't get into the examining room until 4.00 PM and then once in there sat for another 15-20 minutes until the doctor arrived. I always bring work or a book with me so I wasn't exactly chafing at the bit and I had my cell phone so I kept rescheduling the meeting I had with the choir director to choose hymns. I managed to read 50 pages of Riverbend's second book, Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq (if you haven't read her books, you absolutely must because it is the most unvarnished view of life in Iraq post March 2004 you will get). Even the doctor noted the book (as well as saying she hoped I had had something to read).
The upshot of the afternoon? [I so wished I had had my camera to take photos of my x-rays :) ]
Last May, I knew I had broken something in my foot or toe just before going off to France. I wanted to confirm what I had done. Indeed, I had broken the second metatarsal at the joint (on the diagonal). That's why the natural crease in a shoe bothers it because it's right above where the injury was. Good to know I wasn't making that up.
Then the wrist was tackled. I have had a ganglion cyst there for two years. The wrist bones are a little askew from my having landed hard on it (falling on ice five years ago). The cyst wasn't big but since it's my dominant hand, it was getting in the way. The doctor aspirated the cyst, and then punched a lot of little holes in it ('It will look like a showerhead') so it won't close up and refill. I am to keep it wrapped up tightly to keep it from filling out like a balloon. They sent me off with soft cotton wrap that they put under casts and I have the sticky material that comes in a variety of colours. I have a big roll of purple wrap that someone got at a feed store (!, it's a lot cheaper that way) last year when I was complaining about my wrist bothering me, so I can sport a colour-coordinated wrist during Holy Week. Then I can go back to the pink I have here.
Then it was a mad dash back to meet with the choir director for 45 minutes to choose hymns. I have been doing that with his predecessor and now him ever since I arrived here. It's good to talk with him, to find out what his thoughts are, get a sneak preview of the liturgies and lectionary that lie ahead of us and think about what we'll sing. There's always a bit of side-tracking into other conversations, pastoral, theological, you name it.
Then youth group. Our seventh graders were kind of distracted tonight but we covered a wide range of subjects: racism, is there heaven or hell, is there God, what's so important about Jerusalem (we are making a model of Jerusalem), why were there the Crusades and occasional mutterings of 'I don't believe Jesus rose.' Is it labour intensive to have three adults and two boys? It doesn't matter. I think the adults seem to enjoy the time (largely) and the boys may not admit it but they keep showing up week after week.
So, now, it's time to close up shop for the day. One last thought... today was the fifteenth anniversary of consecration of the Most Rev'd Martín Barahona, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of the Region of Central America (IARCA) and Bishop of the Anglican Episcopal Church of El Salvador. The church has been richly graced by his leadership. It has been costly for his family and him what with all the travels he has to make but I am so glad he is where he is right now. May God continue to bless him and guide him in this important ministry. Asi sea. Amén.
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