Did you do your exercise today?

I have.  They are special exercises and they HURT.  But worth doing, apparently.

Surgery was a relatively smooth procedure.  For our first surgery one month ago, Dr. Dabbs was running almost an hour early, so it is only fair that we make up for that hour this time.  I was supposed to be at 12:40, and at 1:30 the porters were delivering me to the OR.  I do have to say (again) that I have REALLY been feeling the prayers of everyone who has taken time to pray for a good surgery and for peace of mind.  I am prone to anxiety - not necessarily anxiety that can be detected on the outside.  Just the kind that occupies my thoughts and dreams and steals my restful time.  I didn't have any of that.  On the drive into the city yesterday I just felt like I was heading out for coffee.  Lying on the table I simply enjoyed the sense of humour that belonged to my anaesthetist ("So we're working on your left pit today, eh?" and "Did she tell you about the hack who took 5 tries to get the iv in her last time?").  I was being protected by your prayers and I thank you all for it.  As I was going under I remember praying and thanking God for feeling so sheltered and grateful at a time I could have been scared, tense, and focused on myself.

Surgery took 2 hours, and I remember waking up in recovery at 4:00, then again at 4:30, and then again at 5:00.  I'm prety sure at this point I was being wheeled into my room (which was supposed to be shared but ended up being completely private - yay!) and Jon appeared.  So nice to see my handsome husband, but as much as I thought I was awake to be sociable with him, I kept falling back to sleep.  A delicious smelling supper of barbeque chicken was brought, and I couldn't muster up the energy to move towards it.  At about 7:00 I finally told Jon that he could go home as I wasn't going to be much company any time soon.  He made sure I had tv (which I also couldn't muster up the energy to watch until 4:00 am) to keep me occupied when I was awake in the dark.  By 6:30 the doctor's were making their rounds and were impressed with my recovery.  They said I could go home after breakfast with the idea that homecare could make sure things were healing properly for the rest of the week.  Jon was at the hospital by 9:00 and we were on the road shortly afterwards.  He even went out of his way on the drive home to pick up some lattes from Second Cup (my new favourite).  Try the dark chocolate... it's fantastic.

I had some stiffness after the last surgey.  I had been told to exercises, and I did, for about one week after surgery.  I was feeling great with very limited movement, so I stopped doing those exercises as normal life took over.  Oops.  Scar tissue knit together, forming a tight band so I couldn't straighten my arm out.  They cut through that "rope" this time, so I get to start fresh, WITH a sheet of instructions that I WILL follow.  These exercises are HARD.  Lifting my arm up feels like it would if I had a 50 pound weight tied to it.  But I shall press on.  Apparently it should get easier as I go??

The boys (mostly Owen) really seemed to notice that I was gone.  He didn't sleep well last night; he crawled into my side of the bed with Jon and whispered "Auntie Trish" a few times.  When mom brought the boys back from Bev's at 4:00 today, Owen came into the living room and just sat with me on the sofa for a while.  It was lovely.  I missed my boys.  Mom spent her time baking - butter tarts, sugar cookies, chocolate/peanut clusters... yummy.  Bless her!  She's also a good part of the way done the second stocking.  We were thinking that if she got two done before Christmas she'd be doing great.  She's only had the yarn since Monday and she's almost done the two already.

Seriously - I can not post without sharing my love for my family and friends.  Notes and letters, messages on facebook, meals, thoughts, travel mugs, snacks, flowers, gift baskets... You are all overwhelming me.  Your support means so much and ALWAYS puts a smile on my face and a prayer of gratitude in my heart. 

We were talking at church on Sunday with some great friends who reminded me of something I have told myself many times since this trial began.  God has chosen our family to experience this road for a reason.  It's a hard road.  He suffers with us and rejoices with us.  But because we have faith in His goodness, we know that He has a greater purpose in all of this.  Something great will come of this - and we may be fortunate enough to witness it, or maybe we won't in this lifetime.  But it's comforting nonetheless, isn't it?  Meanwhile, my dear Cindy reminded me of Psalm 91 and it's a perfect reminder of how God, the Creator of all things, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, is with us in the OR, in the recovery room, in our house as we struggle through painful exercises, and in our homes as we pray.   He is in this battle with us.  He gives us hope of victory in His name. 

9  If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
 ¹⁴ “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”

"Bye, Mrs. Friesen!"

Today was my last day of teaching for... well, who knows.  Maybe until March.  Maybe longer.  Anyway, it was a special day.  The kids made my heart smile today in many ways - from asking the question "Move if you think Mrs. Friesen is the BEST TEACHER EVER!" in a game of All-change, to handing me cards signed by the two language arts classes and even one signed by teachers.  I was very touched.  Oh - I was even given several notes and even a batch of cookies from students.  Parents - your children are so special. 

Tomorrow I will go in for my last day of work - a PD day to collaborate with current teachers and my replacements.  I am going to have to try to remember all of the little things throughout the day that they are expected to know and do.  Right.  I hope they are forgiving because I'm bound to forget something(s).

Mom wrapped more presents for me today and organized my pantry cupboard.  She is so good to me.  I think my next mission is to get my Christmas cards in the mail.  I'm so glad I had most of my shopping/card prep done before now.  I should be able to relax and enjoy holiday prep from the comfort of my couch and in the glow of the Christmas trees - inside and outside.  I'm actually really looking forward to it.  That might be strange.  For some reason (I'm fairly certain it has mostly to do with all of the prayer and support I've been receiving) I am feeling remarkably calm about the whole thing.  Even excited to be home.  I am throwing LOTS off kilter by leaving work like this, but I don't feel guilty or sad.  I will enjoy the pre-holiday time with my mom, and then CHristmas with our many family members, and then I will be happy to start treatment after I have healed.  There will be Christmas parties, church services, more browsing and shopping (even though I'm done because it's fun), mornings with tea and a fuzzy blanket, and of course, Christmas music and programs.  Christmas is my favourite time of year.  I am very ready to start enjoying it.

I did some pre-screening for my surgery on Tuesday - I will not know what time surgery will be until the day before, but I do know that I will be home on Wednesday if all goes well.  I will have a drain in my arm for a week or so afterwards, and I will be needing to do physio afterwards to maintain proper function of my left arm.  Honestly - I am not worried about it at all.  Now that they know to just put my IV in near my elbow joint instead of down nearer my wrist, I won't have to stress about how many times it will take them to get that sucker in.  I hate needles.  I'm fairly certain that there are others who dislike them more and end up fainting or something when they see them, but I just really hate them.  Not scared, just "blech".

In happier news, my house smells like a spruce tree.  (p.s. I have a fake tree.)  (p.p.s.  I have spruce-scented candles.)

Thanks for encouraging me to blog.  I am thinking that I need to treat this more like an outlet for my thoughts, rather than a journalling of my day-to-day activities.  I just think it will be easier to infuse my writing with personality when I don't feel like I'm listing off the things that have been accomplished each day.  Agree?