After lots of phone tag with Amy's local primary care doctor and the Mayo Clinic, I'm a bit frustrated to say that things aren't looking good for a December visit with pain management. Evidently the only thing we can sign Amy up for is a 3 week "how to live with pain" clinic. Seriously? They won't schedule a pain consultation, which I don't understand at all. We were really hoping someone there could tell us whether or not we'd exhausted our options as far as pain treatments go. Our PCM said they'd be very specific and ask for a consult, but it's been several days and I haven't heard anything else from Mayo. Recently Brian brought home a 5280 magazine (a Denver magazine) and it listed the top Dr's in the Denver area. There were 3 pain mgmt ones, so perhaps that's where we should try next. I find it hard to believe that Amy's pain is getting so much worse and there's not a darn thing that can be done about it. For goodness sakes, she's only 19 years old and has her whole life ahead of her!

On November 1st Amy will meet with administrators, the head chef, and the disability office lady, Jean, to see if the school will approve a different kind of internship for her. The normal requirement is 35-40 hours weekly in a kitchen, but there's just no way Amy would be able to do that. So she's asked to be approved for a food writing one instead with minimal kitchen time. Whatever they decide to do here will set a precedent, so they're taking their time and thinking it all thru. I'm not holding my breath, but then again, I am. If they approve the adjustment, she'll be allowed to graduate (assuming she makes it thru labs.) If they tell her no, then she won't be able to graduate with a culinary degree. So we're hoping and praying they'll see what an asset she can be to the culinary world despite her challenges...that it would make them look good to have her graduate. That's my prayer for our girl.

The other news for the Anderson family is that it appears we'll be moving to Utah next summer shortly after Laura & Ian's wedding. The company Brian works for asked him to be the site director for a new division they want to stand up at Hill AFB in Salt Lake City. He loves new challenges and he's excited about the possibilities. We'll all rally around him and this great opportunity. Timing will be a bit nerve-wracking, but we'll make the best of it. In the springtime we'll be planning the wedding, going to bridal showers, going to graduation at Mines and JWU, putting the house on the market, and having a wedding. Shortly afterward Laura & Ian will head to places unknown, and we'll head south so Bethany can start her senior year in a new place. We're hoping to take Amy with us so she can look for a job there and possibly work on some English classes at Weber State University. So many changes! If I think about the details too much, I don't sleep too well at night. I'm learning to do my best praying in the middle of the night!

And there you have it...the many crazy things going on in our lives. Never a dull moment, eh?!!