Week in Review March 13

Still struggling with my emotions this week, hoping that I will be able to get back on top of them again very soon.  I'm seriously looking forward to lots of sunshine this spring and summer.

However, even though I am fighting emotional battles within myself, I am very much aware of the fact that I am very blessed.  I have so much to be grateful for and I don't take my blessings for granted.  This week has reminded me again how blessed I am.  Apparently this week I have had a sign on my door that says, "come, share with me all of your troubles and I will listen" because it seemed like everywhere I turned someone was confiding in me of hard things they are facing. And let me say, there are a lot of weird situations going on in the world!  Not to mention really sad and horrific situations.  I feel very good that people view me as a safe place to vent and explore their feelings, I guess I have a good shoulder to cry on.  However the down side to this is that I then worry about each of those who have confided in me.  I stress and feel bad for them, yet all I can do is pray for them. It is hard to see people going through so much.

Friday Kim had his gallbladder surgery as well as colonoscopy.  He prepared for the surgery by wearing his Operation pants.

Here is a collage of his surgery.  He had told everyone that he was going to deliver a two pound gallbladder that he was going to name "Gall-Bob", so of course he had to pose in the pre-delivery position!

The pic on the upper right is his first time up and walking after surgery.  He had quite the parade.  The lower right picture shows that after returning to his room he had me climb up on the bed and lay with him.  I laid with him for several hours.  It felt so good to know that he was there and healthy and had no problems in surgery.  

Since I had been given permission to go back to the OR to observe the surgery I grabbed a quick bite to eat so that I would be less likely to pass out during the surgery.  Luckily Jalyn was working so she clocked out and ate lunch with me.  I just LOVE Jalyn.  It was so great to catch up with her, even for only just a few minutes.

 Here I am in the operating room.  The man on the left is Jerry the surgical tech, Dr. Bryce is on the left.  I had a great view of the monitor during the laparoscopic procedure.  It was SO interesting!  I was fascinated during the entire procedure.  It is so amazing to me how they could do so much through little tiny incisions.  I was so glad to have the opportunity to observe the surgery.

 As part of the procedure dye is injected into the artery and ducts near the gallbladder and x-rays taken to ensure that there are no stones blocking them.  Each of us in the room were given lead aprons to wear for protection.  Ed, the CRNA donned a lovely apron covered in ladybugs!  Nice!

The surgery and colonoscopy went well and soon Kim was recovering.  His pain has been well controlled but he ended up staying over night in the hospital just to make sure.  I stayed with him, sleeping in the recliner next to his bed.  He did get up several times so that I could take him for walks around the hospital.  After breakfast he was released and we left.  

We stopped by to visit his mother, Jody, Craig, Mickel and Kristiann.  Kim was feeling pretty good.  So, after heading home for a nap, we headed out to visit with his brother David.  

Kim calls them "Two Old Crips"  David still has a feeding tube because he can't eat much and he is really weak.  It was great to visit with him and Alicia.  Kim is planning to spend a lot of his recovery time off from work out visiting with Dave, with will be great for both of them.

After visiting Dave, Kim decided he wanted to make a run to Wal-Mart and then to Call's drive-in for dinner.  It was great, but I'm pretty sure that he did and ate too much because today he is really sore and exhausted.  He didn't make it to church today and got some great rest.

This morning Jennilyn and Dave Bott spoke in church on the subject of "doing God's will".  Both of their talks were powerful and thought provoking.  Jennilyn was recently diagnosed with rapid-progressing multiple sclerosis and 9 months ago Dave was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer and given two weeks to live (obviously he has beaten those odds).  One of the things that really stood out to me was Dave's declaration that part of aligning with God's will is allowing others to serve you.  I know just what he is talking about because I remember how hard it was for us at first when BJ passed to allow others to do things for us.  But it is truly a blessing to be at the receiving end of service.  It was a great meeting.

THIS WEEK I AM GRATEFUL FOR: medical miracles that make a major surgical procedure something that can be done with a tiny incision and require very little recovery.