Rewind a bit. Spring 2004, Salt Lake City, Utah somewhat freshly out of High School and thrown into the real world of work and school. I had known that I would be moving to Arizona some time in May, so for the time I found a job as a hostess and set out to make new friends.
During this time leg aches began in the right leg and I wondered what on earth could be causing the pain. It came at first as merely a nuisance, that same throbbing that was somewhat similar to growing pains. Then the point came where walking from the parking lot and up any stairs increased the pain. Speaking with my mom, she wondered if maybe there was a problem arising with the repair that had been done back in 1992 when I was 7 years old.
When May came and the move from SLC to Arizona was finished, I quickly settled into a routine, yet the leg aches never eased up. After seeing a doctor and receiving advice to continue to go throughout daily exercise to increase exercise, I enrolled in dance at the college. The leg continued to be a painful part of every single day. There were times when hip, thigh, calf and the foot would be so sore (lack of oxygen) that it would become debilitating. It is odd how I don't remember much of this, but I have it written in my journal. And I'm grateful I do.
Finally, in December of 2004 when my parents and I went in for a check-up of the leg and to discuss options with the cardiologist and receive a referral to a surgeon, we were informed that the heart needed another surgery. This is when the fifth heart surgery, previously written about, happened. Though the leg was causing a lot of misery, it had to wait.
While on my honeymoon, just a week after getting married, I received a call from my mom. We were to go home early because the doctor had called my parents. I needed to get back for surgery as soon as possible. I was married July 16th and had my pre-op evaluation and tests done on July 22nd and surgery on July 25th. A big worry was the breathing tube for this surgery as my voice had only been back for a month. If there was trauma to the one working vocal cord, I could very well be a mute forever. We discussed the concern with the surgeon and a smaller breathing tube was used.
This was a 6 week recovery and brought with it one scar laterally down my leg about 3 inches long. A second scar from above the hip wrapping down around my abdomen nearly 8 inches long. When I awoke the wound was extremely swollen and sore, yet I was happy to eventually heal and have the ability to walk and no longer be in pain.
Within 1 week after the surgery I received a call from Wells Fargo offering me an interview. A HUGE blessing. We (my husband and I) had been praying that I would be able to find a job with health benefits for myself and for him as our biggest goal was for me to forego going to school at the time and support us financially so that he could finish his bachelors and then continue into a masters degree.
I didn't know what to say to the manager on the phone, but went with the truth, "I just got out of the hospital from having a surgery done on my leg and can't sit for very long. I really want this job."
The manager didn't mind one bit. I wasn't allowed to drive for six weeks, and so my aunt picked me up on interview morning and drove me in. The interview went very well and on the spot they offered me a position. We discussed different start training dates (I had to drive to Phoenix and train). I was able to wait to train for a month and when I began I was fully healed.
This was an incredible blessing and I look back and am amazed how Heavenly Father had such a huge role in providing for me and my new husband at a difficult time.
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