It's back to work I go went. Monday, 3 hours a day to start, with breaks every hour if I'm doing something continuous. My bosses are easing me back into my role. We have a new computer system and programs have all been upgraded during my 5.5 month absence, so I am learning how to do things again. Monday all I could access was e-mail... Because I wasn't there to use the system the IT guy didn't set me up for most of the necessary programs... Oh well, it was fixed by Tuesday. Today I used one of the new search programs with my boss and we're very happy - it's easier and faster than the old way! Hurray for change!! (Usually I don't like change...at all!) So I'm settling in... a little at a time. I'm sure there are still a handful of people who don't even know I'm back at work. I startled a couple of the lawyers - hey! Wait! You're back! That's a good thing - at least they haven't forgotten who I am!
My orthopaedic surgeon basically discharged me from her care at my appointment last week. My shoulder is not a surgical issue and she does not need to operate on me, therefore discharged with instructions to get back in touch with Dr. Gentili. The ortho is fairly certain that my brachial plexus injury occurred when I had my decompression surgery and will be sending a note to my family doctor stating the same. So I'm being referred back to Dr. Gentili.
Kinda scary... my physiotherapist and I were going through my return to work plan last week... she told me that if I do too much I could injure the brachial plexus further, resulting in permanent nerve damage. I have to be very careful at work. No overhead lifting. Nothing over 5 lbs (basically, a pack of copy paper is too heavy). And breaks when needed. If I'm in pain for more than an hour after I finish work I've done too much. Today, I've done too much. I have sharp pain in my shoulder and upper arm, my wrist is sore, my hand is sore and I can feel pain up my trapezius into my neck and back of my head... I picked up a minute book today - and knew right away it was heavy. But some are full, some are empty. How am I to know unless I pick it up off the shelf?? The last thing I want to do is have permanent nerve damage... Guess from now on I will have to ask someone to get my minute books down... (insert heavy, feeling useless sigh... pffff!)
In other news, I've made is quite successfully through another craft show season. I had my last show last Friday and Saturday. It went quite well. The day before the show my mother-in-law and I took my crafts to her old office (she retired in May). The ladies there cleaned me out of my Christmas spiders! I took 27, came home with 3! Yikes! I had to go to the consignment shop and pick up some I have for sale there and then scrambled to make some more Thursday night for the weekend show. They are my biggest seller at any show. But I didn't expect my m-i-l's colleagues to completely clean me out! Happily I had enough for the weekend and sold 8 more. And I've sold 9 or 10 at the consignment shop too! So now that you're going "what's the deal with the spiders" here's a pic....
And there's a legend which goes with each one on a scroll...
The Christmas Spider Legend
A long time ago in Germany, while a mother was busily cleaning house in preparation for Christmas, the spiders that usually stayed in the living room corner fled upstairs to the attic to escape from her broom. From the attic they could hear all the excitement from the living room as decorations were being made for when Santa was to come on Christmas Eve and bring gifts for the children.
Frantic to see the decorated tree, the spiders slowly crept downstairs for a view. Oh, what a beautiful tree! In their excitement, they scurried up the trunk and out along each branch. They were filled with happiness as they climbed all through the tree to see the glittering beauty.
But alas! By the time they were through climbing all over the tree, it was completely shrouded in their dusty-gray spider web.
When Santa came, he smiled as he saw how happy the spiders were. However, He knew how heart-broken the mother would be if she saw the tree covered with the dusty webs. So He reached out and touched the webs, blessing them and turning them to silver and gold.
Thus, the custom to have a spider ornament amongst all other decorations with tinsel of gold and silver on the Christmas tree was born.
And on that cheery note... ta ta for now!!
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