5/04/2018: "May the Fourth be with you."

5/04/18. Mid morning.

I retweet a tweet that states,

I know it's cliché, corny, and a tad over-done, but it's what Yoda would have wanted:
So, May the 4th be with you!!

*~*

5/04/18. Late morning.

"Hello," I answer my cell phone knowing it's a call from the lawyer's office.

"Hey Carol. It's Crystal...."

Crystal works for the law firm that's handling my case regarding my defective hip implant. She's not the lawyer; his name is John. I'm not sure what Crystal's professional position is, maybe a paralegal. She and I have communicated regularly since July, 2016, after I discovered in June that my hip implant had been leaching cobalt and chromium into my body.

We exchange hellos and how-are-yous, and then Crystal gives me the news.

"We received the award for your delayed recovery and will have your check in the mail to you soon..."

I'd received an email in March from John, the lawyer, sharing that I had been awarded the highest settlement amount allowed for my delayed recovery from my revision hip replacement surgery, which I underwent (more like suffered through; I'm still not fully recovered from that surgery) in 2016 to replace the defective, metal-leaching implant from 2008. I like lawyer John; he seems like a really good guy. We had been communicating since 2017.

Both he and I were surprised because we weren't really sure if I'd get anything for delayed recovery. The highest amount still isn't a big settlement in terms of lawsuits, but it's a significant amount for me and will help put a dent in the mortgage. (I'd already received an award previously, just for having to go through a surgery to replace the defective implant. Again, not a huge amount but significant for me.)

When I'd opened that email in March from lawyer John, I was stunned. My response was...OMFG. The amount was over four times what I thought I maybe, might, maybe, might have had a maybe-chance at winning. I had to sit with the news and only shared it with Hubby, at the time. And I didn't allow myself to fully believe it, until I actually got the check and deposited it.

*~*

5/04/18. Suppertime.

I get home from somewhere. I can't recall where now. Maybe I'd been biking. Hubby was already home from work, so the time must have been around 6:45PM.

I walk into the kitchen and see two pieces of mail on the counter. One was an envelope from the US Treasury holding what looked like a check. The other was a larger envelope from the Social Security Administration.

I stare at them. Could it be? Oh my gosh...

"Is this what I think it is?" I say aloud as Hubby stands behind me.

"I think it is," Hubby answers.

Just the day before I'd had another bout of anxiety regarding my disability application process. I really thought I was in for a long haul and would have to end up going before a judge.

I opened the envelopes. My disability was approved, and I received my first check with five months backpay. (I got six months backpay, but the lawyer got one of those months. A different lawyer than lawyer John.)

Hubby and I just stare at each other, in a state of quasi-disbelief at the happenings of the morning and evening.

The Fourth had been with us.

***

I'm thankful for the settlements and the disability. But I'd much prefer to have my health and to not have endured the circumstances of the last seven years.