It Is Just Worth It!

What do you do when a family has been struck by tragedy? This word "tragedy" falls too short in describing the reality of the situation. Even more so, words are often not enough to express the thoughts one would like to express. Sometimes words come out wrong. Sometimes words are heard different than the speaker intended. Sometimes there just are not the "right" words. When it comes right down to it, there is often only one thing to do - extend your arms and embrace.
This week I found myself in this situation. Standing across from each other, little words were expressed, while the eyes did most of the "real" talking. The encounter ended with an embrace. The hardest part for me was that there was a caution both from the giver and the receiver. Both were too aware of the physical pain I was experiencing from the reconstruction surgery. For that one brief moment, all I could think and say was "sometimes the pain is just worth the hug!"

Life Is So.... You Fill It In!

Sometimes life is so.....
There is a passage in the bible that truly sums up life, it is in Ecclesiastes 3:1 -8. Here are it is:

There is a time for
everything,

A season for every activity under
heaven.

A time to be born and a time to
die.

A time to plant and a time to
harvest.

A time to kill and a time to
heal.

A time to tear down and a time to
rebuild.

A time to cry and a time to
laugh.

A time to grieve and a time to
dance.

A time to scatter stones and a
time to gather stones.

A time to embrace and a time to
turn away.

A time to tear and a time to
mend.

A time to be quiet and a time to
speak up.

A time to love and a time to
hate.

A time for war and a time for
peace.

Sometimes it is just hard when all those times are squeezed into the short time frame of only a day or two.

Up and Moving!

I am up and moving ever so slightly.

The first night home, I played a new version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." I was Goldilocks even though I truly don gray/brownish locks. However, I do have my own three dear little bears. While I did not try out different bowls of porridge, I did try out a number of chairs and especially the beds in order to be comfortable.

Being in a hospital bed has its advantages. It mechanical nature eases the movements in and out of the bed. Elevating the head of the bed makes it easier to sit up when your stomach muscles have been compromised. Lowering the height of the bed makes it easier to get into for short-legged creatures like myself. Finding the right "unmovable" bed at home is not so easy.

While I love our pillow top mattress, it is not good for the "vertically challenged" with limited rolling/sitting capacity. Sarah's two twin beds were the next option. The one bed is only one foot off the bed. While it addresses the "vertically challenged" issue, I may get down that low but my stomach muscles would not appreciate trying to get me up from that level. Sarah's other bed was the next option. I could sit on the edge of the mattress, lower on my side, flip up both legs and roll over on the back with a little effort and pain, but it was "just right."

True to the story, the littlest bear also lost out for a couple of days.

The Count UP!

Today marks the "one" week later after my tram flap breast reconstruction surgery.
I have been relatively quiet on the blog scene. I have had a lot to say in my head but not too sure that there was individuals who dared to read about my thoughts. But now I find myself in a position once again where I need to journal this part of my life once again. This is more for myself but I am trusting that at sometime God will be using these words to touch/open the heart of someone who He is desiring to reach. May these written words not only be a way for individuals to identify with the struggles in life but also be a way in which individuals understand that we are never alone - He is always present!
The hospital stay was interesting to say the very least. The first three nights, I was under the careful watch of the nurses every hour. Each hour, the nurses would take a peek to make sure that there the transplant was successful, that tissue was not dying. In order to monitor,the nurse would come with an ultrasound machine. The surgeon had placed a couple of stitches in strategic places in which the "pen" would need to be lined up at the just the right angle to hear the THUMP THUMP. Each hour, I could feel the nervousness of the expectation of hearing that rhythm of the beat - I was like an expectant mother once again. It is funny to think that I was still have my abdominal checked, they had just been repositioned.
My hospital room housed four beds in which two nurses monitored the progress of the surgical patients. The first night my neighbour had visitors throughout the night. The 24 hour nursing staff was coupled by 24 hour family care. It was through the night that I would hear continuous whispering of words. While there was times in which I did not understand the words uttered in the foreign tongue, I was sure that I knew where they had been written before. In my medically induced fog, I knew that I had heard or read these words in the scriptures. While there were moments, especially between 3 and 5, in which I desired complete peace and quiet, God was demonstrating a wonderful lesson. How blessed I was to be close enough to hear His words!

Marked Up and Ready to GO!

Yesterday I met with Dr Amanda Fortin to get ready for the reconstruction surgery.
I am now doning lovely purple and black permanment markers mark showing where the surgery will take place.
Ready to go.....