Monday, June 30, 2008

Queasy feelings in the hospital

During my surgery, they had to place a drainage tube in my stomach to take out the additional fluids that my body was producing after surgery. Now anyone who knows me, knows I do not have a strong stomach for that type of thing. (I passed out watching a movie about giving blood when I was a senior in High School.) So everyday I would ask the surgeon when she would come in and check up on me, "When can we take this thing that is hanging out of stomach out?" To which she would reply, "After you have tolerated solid food and had a bowel movement." Okay, something to work toward. I am a goal oriented person. I can do this. So we started down that long road. I'm thinking, "how long should this take? I should be able to breeze through this process one to two days tops. Besides, I have been the model patient, doing what they tell me to do." Yeah. Well, it takes a llllllllllloooooooooooooooottttttttttt longer that I think it should and my patience with this thing hanging out by stomach is really starting to bother me. Then it occurs to me. Heah, I wonder how they get this thing out. I promptly ask the surgeon the next morning to which she replies, "Oh, we distract you." This gets me to thinking, I wonder how they distact me. I'm thinking I would notice my mid-drift laying bare and someone towering over my body to pull a tube out. Maybe they say, look at the little birdie with their hand up in the air mimicking a bird. Maybe they tackle you in the middle of the hallway and yank it out as you stroll by. Maybe they hit you somewhere else so as to not notice the pain coming from the abdomen. Well when all was said and done. The pain was short lived and I didn't faint. This is a plus for me. Of course Andy had promptly left the room when this little procedure was going on. I am just thankful and happy to not have to deal with the tube anymore.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Home from the hospital

I am home. Yeah!!! I had wonderful care at Henry Ford Macomb, but I am so happy to be back at my own house. I was able to get a shower, wash my hair and shave my legs. Life doesn't get much better than that at the moment. I had a few humorous experiences during my week long stay at the hospital that I will blog about a little later. Just thankful to be home and all is well.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Going quiet for a while

For the thousands of people who sit at the edge of their seats waiting with baited breath until I post again, you will need to wait at least a week or maybe even longer. I am going in for surgery and will be in the hospital for a while.

This is all new for me. I am not usually sick. It will be a good time to take it easy and be blessed by those around me. The elders of the church had a prayer time with Andy and me last night. What a great experience. I love the church here at Macomb. These are my friends and my heart is knit together with theirs. It is a humbling experience to be lifted before the Father. Our God is good!

Love ya.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I am a Ballet Dancer

Yes, believe it or not. I take ballet lessons. Here's the funny part. Until last year, I had never taken a ballet class in my entire life, all 43 years. Last fall, my daughter's dance studio had a poster up for an Adult Intermediate Ballet Class that meets during the day. I have always dreamed of taking dance lessons, but certainly I am way past my prime. Did I tell you it also said you should have experience. So I ask at the desk if watching my children dance for the past 9 years counts as experience. The girl was sweet and said,"sure go for it." Well I contacted the teacher and she said I could come and try out one class and see what I thought. So I borrowed my daughters dance slippers and off I went to my first ballet class.

Can I tell you what I did that first lesson would not be what I would call ballet. The hippos from Fantasia definitely were much more graceful than I was, but I was hooked. I love ballet. So I jumped in head first, I bought my own tights, ballet slippers and even picked up a leotard at a mom to mom sale, so I could look authentic.

When I have told friends I decided to take a ballet class, their reactions are humorous. Quite a few are like, "way to go! I have always wanted to take a class." Others ask if I am going to participate in the recital, because they would pay money to see me in a tutu. My oldest daughters best friend's reaction is probably my favorite. She has told her mom that she (the mom) better not do what Aunt Denise is doing to Danielle. The horror of it all, that her mom would even think about doning a leotard and be seen out in public.

I have so enjoyed this past year taking the class. The teacher has been fantastic and encouraging. She always finds at least one thing that I have done during the 1 1/2 hour class. That was quite a feat, because for quite a while, I was only doing one thing correctly. The other students are all experienced, most have been dancing for years. Yet, they encourage me and explain things when I don't quite get it. I love it.

The other reason I love it, is that they have accepted me with all my inadaquacies. My clumsy moves and my lack of knowledge and grace. But they encourage me to press on and continue the quest of becoming a ballerina. Isn't it that way with God. He accepts you right where you are. With all your shortcomings, but He doesn't let you stay there. He builds strength and endurance through your lifetime of challenges.

So next time you see a ballerina, think of me, but more important. Dwell on how God has accepted you and moved you beyond what you thought you were capable of handling.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Waiting

This is not one of our finer quailities as Americans. We barely wait for the stop lights to change to green. We inch forward, until finally the light turns green. We all hate to wait in lines. We have express lanes, fast food and even fast track passes at Disney. We do not like to wait. We want to the information now and even yesterday.

Sometimes it comes down to a pride thing. We think so highly of ourselves that we think we are more important than everyone else so we zip though traffic light or pass on the left at the last minute to get into the line of cars. Other times we are waiting for important information, but the waiting is painful. We get anxious about the future possibilites.

God tells us we need to wait on Him. That thought at times seems difficult. It's a surrender that reminds us of who is control. When we wait on Him, we are ultimately reaffirming God's sovreign control.

So how do you wait? Are you trying to hurry up the process or hurry God? I will admit, I don't always get this one right. God's still working on me.