It's been a while and life can change in an instant

Soooo, It's been quite a while since I have sat down to write and I miss it.  Recently I have had the lesson about how life can literally change in an instant reiterated in my life.  About 7 weeks ago I was in a fairly serious car accident.  One moment I was driving to work down a semi-back road (they are usually safer, right???) and the next thing I know I am on a different road facing a different direction and there is pain.  I know people's first thoughts in an accident are usually along the lines of "OMG!"  Not mine.  My thought was, "You've got to be kidding me.  Someone needs to call Isaac and my mom.  Oh and can't forget to tell the boss I won't be in today."

Let's back up a little bit.  Before the accident, life was going pretty well.  I was doing great at work and learning new things.  My back pain was minimal and pretty stable.  Husband and I had just gotten back from our anniversary trip to see Mickey (where else would we have gone?).  We had booked our cruise for the week before Christmas and came up with a payment plan.  My pups were sweet as ever and having a great time playing fetch at the puppy playground.  Life was good.

Then I see something out of the corner of my eye and focused on this teenage boy's face with a look of shock as he is barreling toward me and careening into the front driver side of my car.  **Insert info given above** At first I thought the kid had driven off.  Apparently when he realized that there were at least 5-10 witnesses of road work crew right there, he pulled over in a drive way.  My body instantly hated me and shortly there after I found myself being pulled out of my car and onto a backboard.  They are less fun than they look.  :)

As I'm lying in the ambulance, the EMT leans over me (mind you my head is strapped down to this board along with the rest of my body) and says, "Some guy just tore in here on a small scooter thing. Do you know him?"  I laughed and announced that he was my husband.  She responded, "What? You didn't want to be transported to the hospital on that?"

At the hospital I was poked, prodded, and drugged.  Since then I have seen 3 different specialists and had 3 different MRI's.  Next up: Nerve conduction tests (I can't feel much in my arm) and more nerve cauterizations. Yay for me!  LOL.

I share all of this to say, "Life happens".  One instant life is peachy.  The next, you now have 2 herniated discs in your neck, have a lower back that's worse, and have almost no strength or feeling in your arm and it's turning funny colors.  I could sit here and be cranky and all "woe is me", but I don't play like that.  Yes, I have my down right painful and crappy days sometimes where I just can't muster a smile. It happens to us all.  On those days where we have the strength to fight the "crankies" that come one, we have to fight with all our might.  I was born a fighter.  My body is messed up.  I know that.  The difference is, I'm not going to let these possibly life long issues (I say possibly because I'm waiting on my miracle) get me down and make me a cranky pants.

One of my awesome aunts sends me letters every so often.  A few years ago she jotted something down on one of those cartoon with a saying notepad things you stick on the fridge.  You know what I'm talking about.  Well, this one had a great saying.  "Put your big girl panties on and get over it."  I laughed when I got it and she said she didn't even realize she sent it on that.  I loved it and now apply it to as much of my life as possible.  Everyday I have a choice.  I can A) let the pain take over and catch the crankies OR B) Put my big girl panties on and take on the world.

Life can and will change in an instant.  How bad that change can be partly depends on how you choose to deal with it.  Today, I put my big girl panties on!