Pre-op Prep: body and mind and emotions

Awesome In This Place - Dave Billington

Today has been a good day.  Up and at 'em this morning to send the kids off on their days.  Shawn and I took them to the bus stop and then had a nice walk in the sunshine-and-winter weather.  Yay for our cozy winter parkas, it was brisk!  Had two dear friends stop in for a visit.  Pulled our biggest kids from school for a Ditch Day movie matinee.  Got home and I fell into a too-deep nap, woke up with a shakey-headachey yuck feeling.  Time to hydrate and then drink the magic pre-op potion and stay close to the toilet for the evening.  Not a fan of the rules of this whole thing.  So many timelines and so many different meds to balance and to keep on top of ... and I've only got three or four things.  Kudos to those of you who are medicine-reliant or who have kids who are.  You are clearly a time management whiz!

Feeling the light-headedness of no food today.  Going to try consumme to see if it helps any.  My body likes protein and the meat-free of today is feeling as yuck as I figured it would.  Grateful I made it to 5:13pm before the shakes hit.  Today was a good day.  This evening will be a good evening.  Low key, no wild partying for me, but that's okay.

The hospital called:  I check in at the surgery ward at 8:00am tomorrow morning.  Am feeling calm about that.  I feel that this evening will be a bit of work, to keep my emotions in check.  I am grateful that I will get to see the kids in the morning before we head to surgery.  An extra kiss and cuddle with those four will be good.  And difficult.  But tears are okay.  I'm stronger than I think.  I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

Please, pray for the surgery, the medical team.  Pray for clear margins and a clean surgery with no complications.  Pray for a gentle recovery.  Pray for my husband as he waits.  Pray for my parents and sisters and in-laws as they wait.  Pray peace over this entire situation.  Pray success and health and healing.  Pray for my nerves, all of our nerves.  Pray for whatever God lays on your heart as you are thinking of me.  I am greedy, so greedy for your prayers.  I also know that God has got this.

Me, I have shake my foot or bounce my leg as a coping mechanism.  Always have.  It's something my Dad does and he starts all the babies in our family on this leg-shaking thing early on.  It drives Shawn nuts but he kindly tolerates it because he recognizes it as me struggling and me trying to cope.  Here's the verse I am clinging to, "The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still." Exodus 14:14

I have prayed.  You have prayed.  I know that so many of you have risen early, prayed me through these days, held me and held my family up to our Heavenly Father in prayers.  I can't help but think that God is beaming for all the time we all have spent with Him these last 22 days.  I love it.  Thank you so much.  May you feel peace as you wait to hear.  May you feel peace in whatever else is going on in your own lives.  You are amazing and I am so grateful for the loving kindness and prayer warrior-ness you have shown me and my family.  Thank you.  So very much.

My sister will post an update after 8:00pm tomorrow night.  I want to be sure that you aren't all panicked or worried if the day drags out longer than we hoped... sometimes surgeries get bumped, sometimes this girl takes a loooong time to wake up from anesthesia. 

Psalm 27:13

¹³ I believe^[a] that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!

Proverbs 31

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.