Hey guys. It's a tough week for me, but I have found ways to get through it. For instance, I decided to write my first song EVER! I wrote it about my mother, of course, and particularly the journey I have had in letting go over these past few years. Well, you never truly let go. Losing a parent is never easy, especially at such an early age. It is never something you can get over. It is, however, something you can get through. It has taken me a while, and I have handled my mother's death in my very own way. There are still days that are difficult. There are so many things I miss about her. Yet, there are so many things I have learned from this. To say that I have grown from this experience would be an understatement. I have truly embraced the fact that God had better plans for her, and my sister and I have both become more than something for her to brag about in Heaven. I could only imagine how proud she is of us right now. Of course, it would be so nice to hear her say it, but she doesn't have to because we know. We feel it. There are no words to describe the love my mother had for us. We were her world, and she was ours.
Blogging is amazing! When trying to gather ideas for my first song, I was able to read back through my old blogs and found that I had written quite a bit about my fear of the unknown. You can refer to my earlier posts if you haven't read them already. I do believe that I have somewhat conquered this fear, and I am freely walking down the path of the unknown. I couldn't do this without my Angel Mother by my side. She is good. God is good. Life is good.
Here is a video of my very first attempt at song writing. It's a bumpy recording because I'd just written it 3 days ago and haven't had much practice. But it is, nonetheless, a song. :) I hope you enjoy!
Path of the Unknown -Lyrics
Verse 1:
You picked me up when I was just a child
You held my hand once I had grown
My feet were unsteady
And I wasn't ready
To do this on my own
Verse 2:
I didn't get the chance to say goodbye
And I was angry for a while
I needed a glance
Just one last chance
To see you smile
Chorus 1:
I used to ask you why you'd leave me
Here in this world so alone
But now I know that you're still here
And you're not letting go
So walk me down the path of the unknown
Verse 3:
Oh, how I longed for what's been missing
Then I found hope inside of me
You gave me faith
And now I can't wait
To be all that I can be
Verse 4:
Angel Mother please walk me on stage
Cause it's my chance to shine
Your little girl
Can take on this big world
With you by my side
Chorus 2:
I used to ask you why you'd leave me
Here in this world so alone
But cause I know that you're still here
I won't stumble at all
So walk me down the path of the unknown
Chorus 3:
I used to ask you why you'd leave me
Here in this world so alone
But though I know that you're still here
You can let me go
I'm walking down the path of the unknown
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
New Face, Same Heart
Another week come and gone. Still cannot believe how quickly these weeks pass, but that's a good thing. I had a smooth week at work, especially with Monday off. I wore hats all week to cover my very unnatural looking eyebrows, but as you can see in this new photo they are looking mighty nice I must say. All of the scabbing & ink has fallen off (along with a lot of the hairs which will grow back), so this is actually a sneak peak at what they will actually look like -but much fuller. Again, click on the photo for a larger view. I honestly could not be happier with the appearance and shape. Yay for eyebrows!!! :o)I thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine and great weather this weekend. It has been in the high 60s and 70s the past couple of days. Yesterday, Stacie & I took Arnie to the beach and rented bikes for a few hours.
I stuck the pooch in a basket and strolled along the beach, not saying a word, taking in the fresh air, and enjoyed seeing people out in the street/yards/sidewalks doing the same -only playing football, corn hole, reading, baking (obviously themselves), rollerblading, or just sitting on the porch. Yes, in WV we call it a porch. Gosh, the sun sure does make me smile. I had a couple of friends come to town this weekend, so I was able to meet up with them for a few hours yesterday evening. It was great to see familiar faces, reminisce, and talk about old times. There's nothing better than being from a small town; I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love where I'm from, and I love the fact that I love where I'm from. Logan. West Virginia. Home. I spent my entire life trying to get away. Now that I have, I love and appreciate that place more than I could express. Ok, now I'm getting cheesy on you and probably not making a bit of sense to anyone but myself. Sorry. :) By the way, God is good. Great, actually.
Today was just as nice of a day for me. I spent time with Josh & Laura, my awesome neighbors & friends. We went to Sonic and got slushies & then went for a walk on the beach. It was 75 degrees this afternoon, but the beach was cooler because of the wind. It was, again, relaxing and refreshing. We went to Super Target & did a little shopping afterward. What is nice is having neighbors that I can share stuff with & save money. For instance, Target had a deal on 30 rolls of toilet paper for $16!!! Problem: all 30 rolls are in one package. Solution: they buy the 30 rolls, I give them $8, and we split the deal! I would never buy $16 worth of TP, but $8 for 15 rolls is a hell of a deal, HAH! Anyway, they are great people who make me laugh constantly. Good friends = happy me. Ok, this is a shorter post, but I plan to write again this week. There's a lot on my mind.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Recovery Day #2
This is a much quicker update than usual considering it typically takes me at least a week in between blogging, but I'm spending a lot more time in my apartment this weekend. It's nice to take it easy and relax. The pain is decreasing, but the swelling is increasing. My eyelids and brows are pretty bruised and swollen, as you can see in these pictures I took today. However, it doesn't really hurt. 
I took some close-ups of the eyebrows so you can actually see the implanted hairs before they fall out & start to grow back. You can also see the tiny holes where they were planted. Click on the photos to see a larger view. Sorry if it grosses you out, but I think it's pretty dang cool! haha 
Random thoughts I ponder while I sit in my cozy apartment:
1. Why does the refrigerator have a light and the freezer does not?
2. If ham and eggs can be considered appropriate for breakfast, can french toast and mashed potatoes with gravy make for a good dinner? I think so...
3. Why is it so difficult to admit when you are wrong and so easy to judge others?
We are wrong at least 50% of the time, and while we are judging others they are doing the same thing to us at the same exact time....one way or another. Think about that.
4. Do we sometimes set goals, subconsciously, with no intention at all to accomplish them? I'm thinking yes.
5. How come there are days of the week dedicated to the label of a "weekend" but not days dedicated to a "weekstart"? I know there's usually nothing exciting about starting a new week, but shouldn't we be more positive? HAH!
Okay, I'll stop rambling. Just food for thought....
The recovery continues. I will keep you updated! :)
Friday, February 12, 2010
Just Clowning Around
Hello, fellow bloggers! So it's pretty late, but I've slept all day thanks to Benedryl, Tylenol 3s, Aleve, Antibiotics, Prednisone, Vitamin C, and lack of Starbucks. Arnie slept well today too because I doped him up on children's Benedryl as well! :) I know that's probably wrong, but I was afraid that he would be too playful and touch my face which is a big No-No right now. He is still pretty tired, but I'm awake until the new dosage kicks in here shortly.
Anyway, the surgery went really well. The doc called me on Wednesday and told me that they had to move my appointment up to Thursday morning at 7:15 instead of the afternoon, so I had to call Expedia and have my hotel accommodations changed (after being on hold for, no lie, two and a half hours). Luckily I told them I needed to switch nights because I was having surgery, so they were very helpful and broke the rules for me. Turned out that my friend Erin couldn't go that night, but I got a hold of my friend Amber who was able to ride down to Miami with me with last minute notice. The ride down was quick and easy -we took I-95 straight down until we hit the Florida Turnpike and ended up paying about $10 in tolls each way. We arrived at our hotel around 11pm and had to get up at 5:30. The funny thing is that it took me about 15 minutes less time to get ready that morning because I didn't have to draw on eyebrows, haha! Oh the excitement escalated there! :)
Here is another "before" picture:
We got to the doctor's office at 7 after eating a light breakfast at Panera. We were up too early for the continental breakfast -LOL. I properly followed all of my preoperative instructions, so there were no complications from the start. I met the doctor once I got there, and he went over some paperwork, took before photos, and asked what I wanted and what my goals were. Then he asked me what happened to my eyebrows...... I told him that I was born and that maybe my parents were related since I am from West Virginia. Bahaha -I had to crack one WV joke at least. it was too good not to!
Turns out Dr. Epstein is not only an amazing doctor but an uber famous doctor as well. He is ranked one of the top 25 surgeons in world. They call him the "doctor's doctor" because he has done surgery on other doctors and famous people. He has been on the cover of many well-known magazines and inside many others. The magazine covers were hanging in frames on the walls in his office -very cool! He is in a book that was on the table too! I got to read several of the emails people have sent to him, including people from other countries, and looked at many more before/after photos of different procedures he has performed over the years. The best photos were the ones of chest hair implants (why in the world, I don't know.....?), facial hair implants, and even one pubic hair implant (yikes!). Quite entertaining during our two hour wait. Dr. Epstein has an office in Miami and one in New York... and is opening one in Los Angeles. Very cool. He was amazing, and I couldn't have felt like I was in better hands.
All of the nursing staff & med assistants (the entire team) were comforting. They danced around the office & sang out loud, spoke Spanglish (mixed a little English & Spanish at times), rubbed my arms & legs, petted me when I was shaking & when I was getting the 20+ shots to numb my entire head & eyebrows..... honestly a great team of people. First the medical assistant drew in my eyebrows (about 10 times) until we got them right. I was lucky to have Amber there to give her advice on how I wanted them because I couldn't see my own face to tell. Amber has gotten to know me well enough to see what looks good on my face. Of course, the professionals have all done this enough to know what would look good as well. So, it was a success in the end.
The doctor came in and made a few adjustments with the bright-purple, permanent marker before beginning the procedure. I thought they were drawn too high because they set them above my actual eyebrow, but they explained to me that it would decrease the size of my forehead (HELL YEAH!!!!!!) and that I would want the pretty arch they were forming to be above the eyebrow bone to give it a nice shape. I trusted them. After they filled in my brows with the marker, I was able to begin the actual procedure.
I wasn't put under, but they gave me a Valium to help me relax and calm my nerves. I wasn't at all nervous, surprisingly, but the anticipation of the numbing needles were much worst than the pain. I was so tense that my jaws hurt from clenching my teeth together so hard, and my entire body was shaking. I lost count after 12 needles in the back of my head (so I'm assuming there were probably around 20) in addition to about 10 more between both brows. Don't get me wrong -it stung, but it wasn't quite as bad as the anticipation of knowing I was getting needles stuck in my face. YIKES! haha After the numbing, I felt like there was a sack of potatoes sitting on my forehead. It was weird but painless.
Dr. Epstein then made the incision in the back of my head, which turned out to be MUCH bigger than I thought it would be. Don't get grossed out by the picture, but it's about 3 and 1/2 inches long. However, my hair completely covers it when it's down. The hair that was cut around it will grow back to hide it even more after it heals. The sutures (it's a running stitch) will dissolve in a couple of weeks, so I won't have to go get them taken out. This is by far the worst part now that the numbness has worn off. The pain pills help, but when I don't take them my entire head feels like hell. I have a low pain tolerance, so that doesn't help. It's not intolerable pain but definitely enough to make me uncomfortable or draw attention to the huge cut in the back of my head. Anyway, it only took him a couple of minutes to cut in the back, remove the strip of hair follicles (graphs), sew back up without me even knowing it, and ask me to lay my head back down. Very quick!
Then, he began with the eyebrows. YAY -EYEBROWS!!!!! There were four nice ladies all under microscopes whose sole purpose was to dissect and cut the graphs while finding/saving all "useable" follicles. They had to find some "twos" (duh-2 hairs growing from 1 follicle) and even more "ones" and separate them. The doctor said that they don't normally like to use twos because they grow in different directions, but I had practically "no" eyebrows and required more of these graphs. The doctor used some type of pointed blade to cut/poke holes in the purple area where my brows will grow. He carefully formed the holes in different directions according to which way he wanted the hairs to grow in those areas. For instance, the hairs closer to my nose will grow straight up, and the ones further toward my ears will grow more slanted, etc. It didn't take him long to poke approximately 600 holes in my eyebrows for the hairs to be placed. His medical assistant then implanted the hairs individually in each side. The doc ordered & bought Amber & I lunch from a yummy cuisine place, so I got a little break. After eating, we proceeded. He came back in and poked more holes in my brows to fill in some spots. The med assistant then implanted more hairs (you get the point, I'm sure). I ended up with over 700 graphs between the two eyebrows. That's a freakin' lot! That just shows, however, how little eyebrows I actually had before. I wasn't exaggerating about my insecurity. No lie. The eyebrows don't hurt at all now -it just feels similar to what I would expect botox to feel like because I can't really raise or lower them because my forehead and brows are so tight.
Ok, so the procedure was scheduled for 3 hours but ended up taking 5. We were there from 7am until around 2:30pm, but it was more than worth it for them to really take their time & do a good job. I didn't care how long I had to sit in that chair to get a good result. I definitely get what I pay for there. The doctor even said that if I end up wanting them thicker or a touch up at all a year or so down the road, I can come back in with no additional charge because I have already paid for satisfaction, and he wants me to be satisfied. Again, a great great great doctor. Anyway, I left there looking like I stenciled eyebrows in with a brown magic marker, but it will get better. I am not allowed to touch or get my eyebrows wet at all because if I do, the hairs will shift and start to grow in crazy directions (completely messing up the work they did). The purple marker is still there along with blood. I can't wipe the blood off because that is what forms the scabs that are holding the hairs in place until the skin on the inside forms around the follicles to hold them in place. I can wash my hair, but I to tilt my head backwards and use a cup -being careful not to get my face wet. I got towelettes to wash my face around the brows.
NOTE: THIS IS NOT WHAT THEY WILL LOOK LIKE!!!!!!!!!
They won't be this wide/thick/brown/huge!
I know the photos look funny, but I want to share this entire experience with you guys because you are too far away to see me in person. I love the shape that they gave me, especially the arch that goes above my eyebrow bone. It will look so nice when I can put some pretty, shiny eyeshadow up in there like everyone else does! :) They are definitely higher than my normal brows, but when the ink & blood comes off and we can actually only see the eyebrow hair -it will look very nice. I'm certain of it, even though I look ridiculous now, haha. I'm not discouraged at all because I expected there to be an awkward, funny-looking, healing stage. I'm just glad that I get Monday off for President's Day! Yay for great timing! I'm not allowed to wipe this stuff off until Wednesday, but hopefully it will wear off a little by Tuesday when I have to go in to work. Honestly, though, I don't care much of what people think of me at work because I am already more confident -even though I look like a CLOWN at the moment! :) It should make for interesting conversations with my middle school kids, haha.
Amber & I did get to drive over to South Miami Beach before returning home yesterday evening, so I got to scatter some of my Angel Mother's ashes into the pretty, blue ocean. I can't miss a step. Anywhere beautiful is where my beautiful mother deserves to be. It was a great end to a great day!
Needless to say I will be taking it easy over the next couple of days. I will keep you all posted on my progress, and I can't wait to share the ending result. All I ask is that everyone be patient because it will take a couple of months to actually see what they are supposed to look like. No laughing, only encouragement allowed. I'm staying positive because this is truly a blessing to me.
Thank you, Dr. Jeffrey Epstein. Thank you, Friends. Thank you, Family. Thank you, God.
Love,
Missy
Anyway, the surgery went really well. The doc called me on Wednesday and told me that they had to move my appointment up to Thursday morning at 7:15 instead of the afternoon, so I had to call Expedia and have my hotel accommodations changed (after being on hold for, no lie, two and a half hours). Luckily I told them I needed to switch nights because I was having surgery, so they were very helpful and broke the rules for me. Turned out that my friend Erin couldn't go that night, but I got a hold of my friend Amber who was able to ride down to Miami with me with last minute notice. The ride down was quick and easy -we took I-95 straight down until we hit the Florida Turnpike and ended up paying about $10 in tolls each way. We arrived at our hotel around 11pm and had to get up at 5:30. The funny thing is that it took me about 15 minutes less time to get ready that morning because I didn't have to draw on eyebrows, haha! Oh the excitement escalated there! :)
Here is another "before" picture:
We got to the doctor's office at 7 after eating a light breakfast at Panera. We were up too early for the continental breakfast -LOL. I properly followed all of my preoperative instructions, so there were no complications from the start. I met the doctor once I got there, and he went over some paperwork, took before photos, and asked what I wanted and what my goals were. Then he asked me what happened to my eyebrows...... I told him that I was born and that maybe my parents were related since I am from West Virginia. Bahaha -I had to crack one WV joke at least. it was too good not to!
Turns out Dr. Epstein is not only an amazing doctor but an uber famous doctor as well. He is ranked one of the top 25 surgeons in world. They call him the "doctor's doctor" because he has done surgery on other doctors and famous people. He has been on the cover of many well-known magazines and inside many others. The magazine covers were hanging in frames on the walls in his office -very cool! He is in a book that was on the table too! I got to read several of the emails people have sent to him, including people from other countries, and looked at many more before/after photos of different procedures he has performed over the years. The best photos were the ones of chest hair implants (why in the world, I don't know.....?), facial hair implants, and even one pubic hair implant (yikes!). Quite entertaining during our two hour wait. Dr. Epstein has an office in Miami and one in New York... and is opening one in Los Angeles. Very cool. He was amazing, and I couldn't have felt like I was in better hands.
All of the nursing staff & med assistants (the entire team) were comforting. They danced around the office & sang out loud, spoke Spanglish (mixed a little English & Spanish at times), rubbed my arms & legs, petted me when I was shaking & when I was getting the 20+ shots to numb my entire head & eyebrows..... honestly a great team of people. First the medical assistant drew in my eyebrows (about 10 times) until we got them right. I was lucky to have Amber there to give her advice on how I wanted them because I couldn't see my own face to tell. Amber has gotten to know me well enough to see what looks good on my face. Of course, the professionals have all done this enough to know what would look good as well. So, it was a success in the end.
The doctor came in and made a few adjustments with the bright-purple, permanent marker before beginning the procedure. I thought they were drawn too high because they set them above my actual eyebrow, but they explained to me that it would decrease the size of my forehead (HELL YEAH!!!!!!) and that I would want the pretty arch they were forming to be above the eyebrow bone to give it a nice shape. I trusted them. After they filled in my brows with the marker, I was able to begin the actual procedure.I wasn't put under, but they gave me a Valium to help me relax and calm my nerves. I wasn't at all nervous, surprisingly, but the anticipation of the numbing needles were much worst than the pain. I was so tense that my jaws hurt from clenching my teeth together so hard, and my entire body was shaking. I lost count after 12 needles in the back of my head (so I'm assuming there were probably around 20) in addition to about 10 more between both brows. Don't get me wrong -it stung, but it wasn't quite as bad as the anticipation of knowing I was getting needles stuck in my face. YIKES! haha After the numbing, I felt like there was a sack of potatoes sitting on my forehead. It was weird but painless.
Dr. Epstein then made the incision in the back of my head, which turned out to be MUCH bigger than I thought it would be. Don't get grossed out by the picture, but it's about 3 and 1/2 inches long. However, my hair completely covers it when it's down. The hair that was cut around it will grow back to hide it even more after it heals. The sutures (it's a running stitch) will dissolve in a couple of weeks, so I won't have to go get them taken out. This is by far the worst part now that the numbness has worn off. The pain pills help, but when I don't take them my entire head feels like hell. I have a low pain tolerance, so that doesn't help. It's not intolerable pain but definitely enough to make me uncomfortable or draw attention to the huge cut in the back of my head. Anyway, it only took him a couple of minutes to cut in the back, remove the strip of hair follicles (graphs), sew back up without me even knowing it, and ask me to lay my head back down. Very quick!Then, he began with the eyebrows. YAY -EYEBROWS!!!!! There were four nice ladies all under microscopes whose sole purpose was to dissect and cut the graphs while finding/saving all "useable" follicles. They had to find some "twos" (duh-2 hairs growing from 1 follicle) and even more "ones" and separate them. The doctor said that they don't normally like to use twos because they grow in different directions, but I had practically "no" eyebrows and required more of these graphs. The doctor used some type of pointed blade to cut/poke holes in the purple area where my brows will grow. He carefully formed the holes in different directions according to which way he wanted the hairs to grow in those areas. For instance, the hairs closer to my nose will grow straight up, and the ones further toward my ears will grow more slanted, etc. It didn't take him long to poke approximately 600 holes in my eyebrows for the hairs to be placed. His medical assistant then implanted the hairs individually in each side. The doc ordered & bought Amber & I lunch from a yummy cuisine place, so I got a little break. After eating, we proceeded. He came back in and poked more holes in my brows to fill in some spots. The med assistant then implanted more hairs (you get the point, I'm sure). I ended up with over 700 graphs between the two eyebrows. That's a freakin' lot! That just shows, however, how little eyebrows I actually had before. I wasn't exaggerating about my insecurity. No lie. The eyebrows don't hurt at all now -it just feels similar to what I would expect botox to feel like because I can't really raise or lower them because my forehead and brows are so tight.
Ok, so the procedure was scheduled for 3 hours but ended up taking 5. We were there from 7am until around 2:30pm, but it was more than worth it for them to really take their time & do a good job. I didn't care how long I had to sit in that chair to get a good result. I definitely get what I pay for there. The doctor even said that if I end up wanting them thicker or a touch up at all a year or so down the road, I can come back in with no additional charge because I have already paid for satisfaction, and he wants me to be satisfied. Again, a great great great doctor. Anyway, I left there looking like I stenciled eyebrows in with a brown magic marker, but it will get better. I am not allowed to touch or get my eyebrows wet at all because if I do, the hairs will shift and start to grow in crazy directions (completely messing up the work they did). The purple marker is still there along with blood. I can't wipe the blood off because that is what forms the scabs that are holding the hairs in place until the skin on the inside forms around the follicles to hold them in place. I can wash my hair, but I to tilt my head backwards and use a cup -being careful not to get my face wet. I got towelettes to wash my face around the brows.
NOTE: THIS IS NOT WHAT THEY WILL LOOK LIKE!!!!!!!!!
They won't be this wide/thick/brown/huge!
I know the photos look funny, but I want to share this entire experience with you guys because you are too far away to see me in person. I love the shape that they gave me, especially the arch that goes above my eyebrow bone. It will look so nice when I can put some pretty, shiny eyeshadow up in there like everyone else does! :) They are definitely higher than my normal brows, but when the ink & blood comes off and we can actually only see the eyebrow hair -it will look very nice. I'm certain of it, even though I look ridiculous now, haha. I'm not discouraged at all because I expected there to be an awkward, funny-looking, healing stage. I'm just glad that I get Monday off for President's Day! Yay for great timing! I'm not allowed to wipe this stuff off until Wednesday, but hopefully it will wear off a little by Tuesday when I have to go in to work. Honestly, though, I don't care much of what people think of me at work because I am already more confident -even though I look like a CLOWN at the moment! :) It should make for interesting conversations with my middle school kids, haha.
Amber & I did get to drive over to South Miami Beach before returning home yesterday evening, so I got to scatter some of my Angel Mother's ashes into the pretty, blue ocean. I can't miss a step. Anywhere beautiful is where my beautiful mother deserves to be. It was a great end to a great day!
Needless to say I will be taking it easy over the next couple of days. I will keep you all posted on my progress, and I can't wait to share the ending result. All I ask is that everyone be patient because it will take a couple of months to actually see what they are supposed to look like. No laughing, only encouragement allowed. I'm staying positive because this is truly a blessing to me.
Thank you, Dr. Jeffrey Epstein. Thank you, Friends. Thank you, Family. Thank you, God.
Love,
Missy
Sunday, February 7, 2010
No More Insecurities
Happy Sunday, again! It seems like this is always the best day for blogging, which is great because I can actually take the time to sit down and gather my thoughts before beginning a brand new week. It's quite rejuvenating, really. Well, a lot has been going on for me in these past couple of weeks. A lot more is about to go on for me!!! Seriously, I'm beginning to think that my ducks are lining up & that everything in my life is finally starting to fall into place. I guess to break everything down into a single blog, the best method may be numbering (sort of in random order -however, I'll begin with what has already happened and then move on to what is about to happen).
1. My job at the elementary school has improved in terms of myself being a wimp & afraid to walk into the school. There are security officers now in addition to people cutting down all of the trees & bushes around the property. Although, some kids did vandalize a teacher's classroom Thurs. evening after school hours. They scattered yellow paint everywhere, all over the walls & such, stole a bag of candy & a Hannah Montana video camera, & basically destroyed the place where 2nd graders come to get a safe and free education. Pathetic. It happened to the same teacher who was robbed a couple of weeks ago; however, we are pretty certain it was only coincidence that this happened to her as well because her classroom was convenient at the time compared to others. I'm still loving my job there, so I'm glad my company didn't pull me out.
2. Next is an update on some of the details pertaining to my move out west: I got a moving company to move my furniture & all other stuff out to San Diego which will be picked up on May 28th. I'm staying with Stacie until June 5th & then will be flying out myself. The same moving company will be hauling my car out there as well so I don't have to add to the many miles I've already added to Ruby since I got her in April. :) Loring & his brother Derek are going to go look at apartments for me & take pictures so I can see them before moving out & offered to let me stay with them if I need to for any time during this transition. They are being so helpful.
3. I talked to Kara Dodds & Assoc. where I did my summer practicum a couple of years ago (wow, already?) & she will be needing help this summer & would love to have me work for her. I'm holding out hope that my company can staff me in there because I absolutely loved that job. My fingers are crossed.
4. My best friend Kayla found out she is having a baby girl, and they are naming her Delayne Ryen Boggs. It's a unique name, but I love it. She is due on June 8th & is all belly thus far. She's only gained 5 lbs. Amazingly beautiful. She & Wesley will make great parents.
5. I booked my dad & sister's flight to Orlando for Thursday, April 1st! We are getting a hotel for 2 nights in downtown Orlando & going to Sea World & Universal City Walk on Friday. Then we will head over to Walt Disney World on Saturday & spend 3 days in the magic!!! They will be flying back home on Tuesday the 6th. I know I've said this a million times, but none of us have ever been to Disney so we are all pretty darn excited about this trip. Another family vacation in itself is awesome to look forward to (especially because my family never traveled while I was growing up due to our mother's condition), so a new experience for all of us will be something that will mean a lot to us. What better way to spend my spring break than being a big kid with my sister & Dad?!? Yay!
6.
Melissa had an impulse yesterday to purchase a plane ticket to Jacksonville, Florida -where I happen to live! Haha, yay my roomy is coming to visit me! She will be here in only a few weeks -on Feb. 26th and stay that entire weekend. I swear, one good thing happens & then they seem to just keep rolling on in. I am so happy to see a forever friend again. Like, this means the world to me. What is even more amazing is that this just verifies that everything does happen for a reason because February 26th is my mommy's birthday. This is one of the 2 days out of the year where I still break down, cry, and mope around. Now, I won't have to spend this day alone. I will be able to enjoy the day in happiness with my lovely friend -YAY!
7. Now to the BIG NEWS..... the news that is changing my life forever. The news that I still cannot believe is happening to me. Of course, I have to have a dramatic introduction before giving you the details of this miraculous news. This is news that I have not told many people about, and all of you know me well enough to know that I do not keep anything a secret, haha. I usually shout to the world when something good happens. Trust me, I am still doing that, but I'm keeping it a secret right now from all but those close enough to me to know my one and only insecurity -which is all about to change. AHHHHHHH! Okay, I'm sorry........... on to the point......
I am getting EYEBROWS! That's right, folks. I am having an eyebrow transplant done this coming Thursday in Miami. I know, you're thinking, "Does this thing even exist?" Let me tell you that YES, this thing actually exists. In fact, I just found out about it on Wednesday and everything has fallen right into my lap ever since. Amazing. I'm still in shock, and it hasn't even happened yet. I know, I know, I'm continuing with the dramatic effects, but I'm trying to portray my true emotions right now -and the dramatic expressions do not even begin to explain to you my excitedness & happiness I feel. Anyway, I googled eyebrow makeup at work on Wed. because I was bored & aggravated that I had to wash off all of my makeup after the first application that morning because I drew my eyebrows in completely lopsided. I then looked up eyebrow tattoos which I already knew I would never ever get -just curious to see photos. Somehow I came across (probably because Google is the bomb) a doctor in Miami who does eyebrow and eyelash transplants. I read about the procedure & the doctor, looked at before & after photos (in awe) and immediately contacted the doctor's office for more info. They got back with me right away, so I sent them photos of me with my eyebrows drawn in the way I normally do them and without -the way I never go out in public, as you all know. They explained the process to me in detail. I got approved almost immediately for financing (quite costly but more than worth it to me), and the last part was to schedule the procedure. What else could fall into my lap at that point? Well, a patient called that day & cancelled an appointment for this Thursday, so they put me in that spot. Ahh, still cannot believe this.
I am posting these photos on my blog for you all to see (even though I hate them) so that you will get to see before and after photos of me as well. Keep in mind that these are both before photos. The photo on the left is with my eyebrows drawn in. The one on the right is obviously without. I cannot wait to post pictures after the procedure! 
Okay, what does this procedure consist of? They are taking the hair from a donor site on the back of my own head and individually implanting the hair follicles into my brow. Because my hair is quite thin & light, it will take approximately 600 graphs (300 per side). He is studying my facial features to create a shape for me. The surgery will take about 3 hours. The most discomfort will come from the donor site where I will have stitches. Luckily, Dr. Epstein has an associate here in Jax who can remove the stitches, so I will not have to go back down to Miami after the procedure. My friend Erin is riding down to Miami with me Thurs. morning. The surgery is that afternoon, and I got a hotel room for that night. I will see the doc one more time on Friday before driving back home. And guess what?!? I will have eyebrows!!!! They will swell a bit & be a little pink, but that will go away. The hair that he implants may fall out after a couple of weeks but will grow back in a few months. It will continue to grow forever, and I will need to trim them once a month at least. I will explain more of the procedure after I have it done. I have a lot of pre-op/post-op instructions I have to follow before then. For instance, I will be drinking kool-aid instead of beer at the superbowl party today! :) The ocean will wash away my eyebrows no more! bahahahaha :)
I am blessed.
Dear God,
I don't know what I did to deserve all of this, but whatever it was I pray that you will hold my hand and continue to lead me down this path. Open my eyes so I can see, but don't let my vision cloud my decisions. Open my ears so that I can hear, but don't let the music and lyrics overpower words unspoken. Please continue to restore the faith I thought I had lost hold of. Help me to become a leader but to remember I am a follower in your footsteps. And last but not least, remind me that it is okay to stand still and let you move, even though standing still is so difficult to do.
Sincerely, with true and honest love,
Missy
1. My job at the elementary school has improved in terms of myself being a wimp & afraid to walk into the school. There are security officers now in addition to people cutting down all of the trees & bushes around the property. Although, some kids did vandalize a teacher's classroom Thurs. evening after school hours. They scattered yellow paint everywhere, all over the walls & such, stole a bag of candy & a Hannah Montana video camera, & basically destroyed the place where 2nd graders come to get a safe and free education. Pathetic. It happened to the same teacher who was robbed a couple of weeks ago; however, we are pretty certain it was only coincidence that this happened to her as well because her classroom was convenient at the time compared to others. I'm still loving my job there, so I'm glad my company didn't pull me out.
2. Next is an update on some of the details pertaining to my move out west: I got a moving company to move my furniture & all other stuff out to San Diego which will be picked up on May 28th. I'm staying with Stacie until June 5th & then will be flying out myself. The same moving company will be hauling my car out there as well so I don't have to add to the many miles I've already added to Ruby since I got her in April. :) Loring & his brother Derek are going to go look at apartments for me & take pictures so I can see them before moving out & offered to let me stay with them if I need to for any time during this transition. They are being so helpful.
3. I talked to Kara Dodds & Assoc. where I did my summer practicum a couple of years ago (wow, already?) & she will be needing help this summer & would love to have me work for her. I'm holding out hope that my company can staff me in there because I absolutely loved that job. My fingers are crossed.
4. My best friend Kayla found out she is having a baby girl, and they are naming her Delayne Ryen Boggs. It's a unique name, but I love it. She is due on June 8th & is all belly thus far. She's only gained 5 lbs. Amazingly beautiful. She & Wesley will make great parents.
5. I booked my dad & sister's flight to Orlando for Thursday, April 1st! We are getting a hotel for 2 nights in downtown Orlando & going to Sea World & Universal City Walk on Friday. Then we will head over to Walt Disney World on Saturday & spend 3 days in the magic!!! They will be flying back home on Tuesday the 6th. I know I've said this a million times, but none of us have ever been to Disney so we are all pretty darn excited about this trip. Another family vacation in itself is awesome to look forward to (especially because my family never traveled while I was growing up due to our mother's condition), so a new experience for all of us will be something that will mean a lot to us. What better way to spend my spring break than being a big kid with my sister & Dad?!? Yay!
6.
Melissa had an impulse yesterday to purchase a plane ticket to Jacksonville, Florida -where I happen to live! Haha, yay my roomy is coming to visit me! She will be here in only a few weeks -on Feb. 26th and stay that entire weekend. I swear, one good thing happens & then they seem to just keep rolling on in. I am so happy to see a forever friend again. Like, this means the world to me. What is even more amazing is that this just verifies that everything does happen for a reason because February 26th is my mommy's birthday. This is one of the 2 days out of the year where I still break down, cry, and mope around. Now, I won't have to spend this day alone. I will be able to enjoy the day in happiness with my lovely friend -YAY! 7. Now to the BIG NEWS..... the news that is changing my life forever. The news that I still cannot believe is happening to me. Of course, I have to have a dramatic introduction before giving you the details of this miraculous news. This is news that I have not told many people about, and all of you know me well enough to know that I do not keep anything a secret, haha. I usually shout to the world when something good happens. Trust me, I am still doing that, but I'm keeping it a secret right now from all but those close enough to me to know my one and only insecurity -which is all about to change. AHHHHHHH! Okay, I'm sorry........... on to the point......
I am getting EYEBROWS! That's right, folks. I am having an eyebrow transplant done this coming Thursday in Miami. I know, you're thinking, "Does this thing even exist?" Let me tell you that YES, this thing actually exists. In fact, I just found out about it on Wednesday and everything has fallen right into my lap ever since. Amazing. I'm still in shock, and it hasn't even happened yet. I know, I know, I'm continuing with the dramatic effects, but I'm trying to portray my true emotions right now -and the dramatic expressions do not even begin to explain to you my excitedness & happiness I feel. Anyway, I googled eyebrow makeup at work on Wed. because I was bored & aggravated that I had to wash off all of my makeup after the first application that morning because I drew my eyebrows in completely lopsided. I then looked up eyebrow tattoos which I already knew I would never ever get -just curious to see photos. Somehow I came across (probably because Google is the bomb) a doctor in Miami who does eyebrow and eyelash transplants. I read about the procedure & the doctor, looked at before & after photos (in awe) and immediately contacted the doctor's office for more info. They got back with me right away, so I sent them photos of me with my eyebrows drawn in the way I normally do them and without -the way I never go out in public, as you all know. They explained the process to me in detail. I got approved almost immediately for financing (quite costly but more than worth it to me), and the last part was to schedule the procedure. What else could fall into my lap at that point? Well, a patient called that day & cancelled an appointment for this Thursday, so they put me in that spot. Ahh, still cannot believe this.
I am posting these photos on my blog for you all to see (even though I hate them) so that you will get to see before and after photos of me as well. Keep in mind that these are both before photos. The photo on the left is with my eyebrows drawn in. The one on the right is obviously without. I cannot wait to post pictures after the procedure! 
Okay, what does this procedure consist of? They are taking the hair from a donor site on the back of my own head and individually implanting the hair follicles into my brow. Because my hair is quite thin & light, it will take approximately 600 graphs (300 per side). He is studying my facial features to create a shape for me. The surgery will take about 3 hours. The most discomfort will come from the donor site where I will have stitches. Luckily, Dr. Epstein has an associate here in Jax who can remove the stitches, so I will not have to go back down to Miami after the procedure. My friend Erin is riding down to Miami with me Thurs. morning. The surgery is that afternoon, and I got a hotel room for that night. I will see the doc one more time on Friday before driving back home. And guess what?!? I will have eyebrows!!!! They will swell a bit & be a little pink, but that will go away. The hair that he implants may fall out after a couple of weeks but will grow back in a few months. It will continue to grow forever, and I will need to trim them once a month at least. I will explain more of the procedure after I have it done. I have a lot of pre-op/post-op instructions I have to follow before then. For instance, I will be drinking kool-aid instead of beer at the superbowl party today! :) The ocean will wash away my eyebrows no more! bahahahaha :)
I am blessed.
Dear God,
I don't know what I did to deserve all of this, but whatever it was I pray that you will hold my hand and continue to lead me down this path. Open my eyes so I can see, but don't let my vision cloud my decisions. Open my ears so that I can hear, but don't let the music and lyrics overpower words unspoken. Please continue to restore the faith I thought I had lost hold of. Help me to become a leader but to remember I am a follower in your footsteps. And last but not least, remind me that it is okay to stand still and let you move, even though standing still is so difficult to do.
Sincerely, with true and honest love,
Missy
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