Can you CanCan??

Well, I'll get right to the point.

On Monday, I went into Skopje to see the Peace Corps doctors. The pain in my hip was still really bad, and they wanted to give me a proper evaluation. Well we ended up at the hospital, and they gave me an MRI to rule out any possible spinal problems. Although I have some scoliosis in my lower spine, they couldnt find anything wrong that would be causing my hip pain. I was definitely relieved, but at the same time, we were all a little frustrated with not knowing the root of the problem. They wanted to keep me in Skopje to see another doctor to rule out some other possibilities, but I REALLY wanted to just go home and rest in the comfort of my own home with proper pain medicine. After being given some pain meds and muscle relaxers, I got a ride back to Kocani with a local family I know (and now love).

Seriously, this family is awesome. One of their daughters just got accepted into the YES program, which allows students from here to travel to the US and study in an American high school for one year. Their daughter, Elena, is SO sweet. She is going to do an awesome job while she is there. We talked a lot about her thoughts on leaving, and it's really very interesting, because her and I will be in VERY similar situations. She will be missing her family, friends, and home, much like I do here. I also spoke some with her parents, and I offered for them to meet my mother when she comes (in only a couple weeks!!!!), so that the moms could talk...they, too, will have a lot in common. Anyways, this family took me, free of charge, into Skopje with them. Along the way, they treated me like I was one of the family..bought me food and drinks and insisted I didnt need to pain any money. Most people in Macedonia are hospitable, but some people are exceptional. The care they showed me really made my day and my pain so much better....it may not seem like a lot to any of you, but it meant a lot to me.

So I've been stuck on my couch since Saturday. I've watched a lot of movies and TV shows online. I've managed to make food and drink plenty of coffee and juice. I booked my travel plans for the summer trip I will have with Chad. We booked tickets to go to Corfu, Thessaloniki, Athens, Zakynthos, Milan, and Venice. Along the way, we also want to hit up Rome and maybe Florence or something. All together, our flights cost UNDER $400 total per person, which is remarkable!! Living in Eastern Europe sure does have its perks. :D I'm really very excited about this trip.

In other news, I had a some really great things happen today. This morning, 3 of my dancing ladies came by my house for a visit. I was SOOOOO happy to see them. I missed them!! They brought me bananas and juice. We sat around talking for a while, and it made me so proud to hear that they'd been still holding Zumba classes, even when I wasnt there. Furthermore, they did a great job and had an excellent turnout. I couldnt have been happier.

As the girls were leaving, I was at the door, and my neighbor from across the street waved for me to come over for a coffee. Seeing as how it was a couple of feet away, and my only other option was to go back up to my couch, I decided to seize the moment to get to know my new neighbors better. I'm so glad I did, b/c I had a great time meeting the family. The grandmother and mother dont speak English, but we communicated just fine in Macedonian! The son of the family came home near the end. He is 24, and last summer he worked in Gatlinburg, TN. SMALL WORLD, RIGHT?! He spoke excellent English, and the whole family offered an open invitation for me to visit whenever I want. Oh, and they had a big beautiful white dog, which I got to pet and love on the whole time, which also made me really happy. :D

After resting on the couch for the rest of the day, I took some more medicine so that I could tolerate going to the school's French show. I had helped a group of 4th year girls put together a CanCan dance for the show, and my French friend, Arnaud, and his girlfriend offered to drive me. We had a great time!! Honestly, I was embarrassed by everyone seeing me limp so badly. I felt like I looked ridiculous. And I think a lot of people were just confused as to what was even wrong with me, but it's just hard to explain. It doesnt matter though, b/c the girls did an EXCELLENT job. Check it out:

After the show, I really wanted to just go home and rest my hip, b/c I was in pain, but Aleksandra and Arnaud offered to go eat. I love sharing meals with them, so I agreed. We had a feast of frog legs, fried onion rings, and salads. It was great!! Stefani also found time to swing by, which made me so so so so happy. She gave me her senior photo with the sweetest note written on the back, and IN ENGLISH!! I love that girl, and I'm going to really be sad when she goes off to college this summer. 

I wont be back at work tomorrow. Honestly, I want to try to go to school on Thursday, just to observe the Zumba class and see all my ladies and Emilija. This weekend will just be resting, and hopefully I'll be feeling much better. If the pain doesnt get better in a couple of days, Ill need to go back to Skopje to see another doctor, but let's all think positive thoughts. :D 

Ugh

It's always something.

Yesterday morning, I woke up in my new apartment. I sat up in my new bed, threw my housecoat on, and slid my legs off the side of the bed. As I began to stand, I fell back onto my bed, because the weight of my body caused an intense pain shooting from my hip down to my foot. Panicked, I tried again and again to stand, until I finally could.

For the rest of the day, the mysterious pain from my hip kept re-emerging. Often times, it would happen right after I'd been sitting down for a while. Other times, it happened out of nowhere, while standing. I even found myself stranded in the grocery store, unable to walk. Not even a limp was possible, but each time it came, it also found time to pass.

By last night, I'd began taking some medicine for the pain. I had a great night with Elena, Arnaud, and friends, but my hip continued to send me spurts of pain. After getting home, I immediately placed myself in bed, but I found myself so uncomfortable while sleeping, I just knew it would be there again in the morning. Sure enough, I found myself immobile in the morning, and only after some time was I able to walk again. I was beginning to panic a little. I knew it felt like a nerve, but the pain was more consistent, so I wasn't sure if I should contact PC about it.

Well today was a big Model UN workshop in Stip. Thankfully, I now live only 2 minutes from the bus station (as opposed to 15 from my old place), so I had no problem walking to the station. Soon after I got there, I felt the pain beginning in my hip again, and it spread across my side and butt. The pain shot down my leg to my foot, so I forced myself to sit. I suddenly realized I would not be able to attend the workshop in Stip. I didnt think I could walk to the bus, much less be able to walk off the bus. The pain began to spread across my lower region, and the next thing I knew, I was in tears.

To make a long story short, I probably embarrassed the hell out of myself at the station. I cried. A lot. PC told me to get to a pharmacy, so Lilika helped me get a cab, b/c I couldnt walk there. I spent about an hour talking with the doctor and the women, and after getting a lot of pain medicine, I got in another cab and went home. They said I have sciatica, which is just a fancy word for the extreme pain I'm having from a nerve, but we still dont know what is causing it. I've been having lower back pain for sometime now, so it could be something relating to a disc. But for now, I was told to just stay at home...to not do anything...and to just rest. So that's what I am doing.

Really, Im just frustrated with being stuck at home. Im so busy lately, and I like being busy. I hate that I cant go to dance practice tomorrow, or Zumba on Monday, or even begin my new ballet class on Monday night. I simply cant. And I HATE that. Last week, I had so many girls come to class...am I going to lose their interest if I miss a week?? My kids want me there...they want to work and dance..and I hate that Im being told to stay home. : ( I feel like I'm letting everyone down if I stay home, and I dont want to disappoint my kids.

If the pain is still bad by Monday, I'll probably go to Skopje for the doctor. I'm hoping it'll all go away in a couple of days though....I just dont have time for this problem. The one good thing about all of this, is that Im in the comfort of my new apartment, and THANK GOD for that!!