A Note From Shea

This is the first time I have posted and I have really wanted to write all of you. I told my parents that I was writing the next blog. Problem is . . . four months later I am finally gathering up the courage to do it! I was nervous to write because I have a lot to live up to considering some of the writers on this blog have actually published books! They say I'm dealing with a lot of anxiety that will hopefully diminish with time, so I'm sorry that I haven't at least written something. I guess I don't see my life as all that interesting right now, so I don't want to blab on and on about my life when things are, what I perceive as somewhat normal now.

First of all, I want to thank all of you who are still following this blog for continuing to remember me in prayer. I wish I could thank each of you personally. It seems kind of trite to thank you via a blog and I will never know how many people prayed for me. It's pretty overwhelming. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your earnest prayers for me. If it weren't for all of you lifting me up to Jesus I don't know if I would be here today.

A number of people have asked how different my life is now since the accident. I was going to school and working so my family pretty much saw me flying in and out the door. Life was busy, stressful and crazy. I don't remember much about the day of the accident except that morning I used Crest White Strips. I looked in the mirror, smiled and thought, "My teeth look goooood." Over a month later I woke up, looked in a mirror and didn't recognize myself. A couple days later I was taken to a brain injury unit, and I felt like I was living the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Actually, I've never seen the movie, but I've heard a lot about it! Ever since then I have had various surgeries, recuperated and pretty much stayed home with my family most of the time.

I have had the opportunity to visit some of my extended family which has been really good for me. When you have to take out five teeth when eating, family is the best crowd to be around! I have had many close calls with my teeth - almost throwing them away at restaurants and asking the waiter to bring back my plate. A couple weeks ago our family went to Connecticut to visit my aunts, uncles and cousins. We took a boat out for the day, and I was relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather. All of a sudden, my brother lost his footing and I screamed, "Luke!" Down fell my teeth, sliding down the side of the boat practically in slow motion, they slipped into the Long Island Sound. Once again, a great crowd to be around when you have to spend the rest of your vacation toothless! I got another set of teeth and sang in church recently. Betweeen the services I laughed backstage and out shot my teeth. Unfortunately, they broke into pieces. We gathered up the teeth, ran to Walgreens for Super Glue, glued them back together and walked on stage just in time for the next service to start. Just this weekend it happened again! I was at our family reunion and was outside in the woods walking to my cabin. I sneezed and out they came. It was midnight and I couldn't see a thing. Minutes later, the whole Anderson search party arrived with cell phones, lap tops and car headlights to help me find my dentures! They only broke in two places this time, but fortunately, I now carry Super Glue in my purse along with my lip gloss!

In a few minutes I am heading off to another surgery. This time they are detaching my upper lip from my gums. In my last surgery they had to use my lip to cover over the new bone they grafted. Now that it is healing they can separate the lip from the gums. They will also graft skin from the roof of my mouth to place on my gums where the previously grafted bone has shrunk. I guess it will appear to look like bone but gum tissue works as well too.

Thanks so much for all your love and prayers for me. I am so blessed and I know God is using all that has happened in my life to deepen me spiritually and to allow me opportunities that never would have happened.

"And we know that in all things God works to the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Love,

Shea