Sunday, March 18, 2012

Let the Healing Begin

The first few days I was home I felt great.  My mom is a nurse so I had my own private one.  She made sure in between meds via the phone that I was breathing deeply on my triflow, coughing until it hurt, and walking several laps around the house.  On the third and fourth day I was feeling the effects of a not so happy tummy and a fever that came in the evening.  I could not seem to get warm and lived between a blanket and laps around the house.  My poor husband worked himself to a frazzle taking care of me and would absolutely fall out at night.

Getting out of bed was a chore since I was getting up every couple of hours and I was afraid I was going to rip wide open. Also, I am a belly sleeper and sleeping on my side was yucky!  Every little thing I did pulled on my tummy muscles.  I could not believe I had been using my tummy muscles all this time to blow my nose.  It was crazy!

The second week,on Friday night, I noticed that my incision was oozing between my staples.  That didn't bother me I felt like it must have been something that needed to come out.  I just started placing gauze and bandages over it to keep it sterile.  On Saturday night a stream of something started to ooze and I started to become very concerned.  At 11:00 P.M. I did not want to alarm my mom who would have gone willd.  Tim convinced me to contact my recovery nurse who had been checking on me and she suggested I called the doctor just for safety purposes.  I really didn't want to go to the E.R. because the next day was Sunday and I didn't want Tim to have to miss church or be up all night and then have to preach.  So, I called the doctor who was so sleepy it was not a big deal to him.  He told me just to watch it and if it was still draining a lot on Sunday to call him.  I changed dressings about once every hour and was exhausted the next morning. 

At 4:00 A.M. Sunday morning Tim makes trip to get more bandages and gauze.  I had used a box of 25 overnight and feared I would not have enough until he returned from church.  He returned with lots of bandages and concern about leaving me.  I assured him I would be ok.  I ended up telling mom what was going on only to be sent my little brother to baby sit me.  LOL!  He was so sleepy I watched him sleep. 

God moved that morning that let Tim and I both know everything was going to be ok and he was free to go and preach.  I lay in bed very drowsy as he got ready for church.  A sermon came over the television entitled "The Woman With the Issue of Blood."  Through that message God gave my husband and I both a peace.  He prayed with me, we chatted about the message, he went to church, and I had no more oozing to the extreme measure.  Look at God! 

The next Tuesday I had a doctors appointment.  I had developed a siroma which is a pocket of fluid that didn't absorb which is quite common during abdominal surgery.  That is the main reason the doctor didn't want to cut me because he said that often happens whereas that is not something that usually occurs with the laproscopic procedure.  He informed me that he had to cut me because my uterus was the size of a large cantelope and weighed two pounds.  The normal size is the size of ones fist.  That day the nurse opened my incision and literally squeezed the extra juices out of me.  Thank God I didn't feel a thing because I was still numb around my incision.  Then, she packed my open wound with saline and gauze.  She told Tim to watch her and he could do it when we got home.  He felt very uncomfortable so we opted to get a home health nurse. 

Much to my surprise insurance only paid for 3 days of services.   On the day of the tornados the nurse was caught between storms and could not make it. I knew Tim was not quite ready to take on such a big task.  I prayed about it and asked God to work it out.  The next morning after the first round of storms mom called and said she would come to take care of my incision.  God is just AWESOME like that!  Mom used to work the surgical floor at Huntsville Hospital. She came to fill me in. Hahaha (literally)!  Two days later the home health nurse returned to train and watch Tim to make sure he could fulfill the task.  He was great!  He has been stuffing me like a build-a-bear every since.  My incision is almost closed and I'm feeling stronger each day.  I am hoping to be able to do a few more things like picking up more than five pounds and lotioning my own feet after my next appointment on Tuesday. 

I am blessed to have a marvelous husband who took on many task like cooking and caring for a patient.  He has never once complained and even told me when I am well he will do more chores than before to help me out.  This journey that we have been on has taught me to be still and know that He is God and there is none like Him.  I knew it before but now I really know it.  We never know what for better or for worse will be but we vowed to be there through it all. I'm thankful that even through the uncomfortable spots my partner never left me in the fire (Fireproof).  He stood strong for me even when he was feeling weak.   Finally, I have learned that God has purpose in everything that He allows to occur in our lives.  Don't question....... just know that "All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose."  I don't know what is written in the next chapter of my life but I do know that I've been blessed to be a blessing and I'm annointed for such a times as this.  I know God has healed me because there is a great assignment on my life that I needed to be whole to fulfil. 

Thanks you for all the prayers, visits, flowers, gifts, cards, messages, meals, money and time that you gave to us during this time of healing.  Each one was greatly appreciated and we love each one of you!  Remember whatever you are experiencing you can heal from it but you absolutely must trust God! Phillipians 4:13 says,  "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

1 comment:

  1. You are such a strong and wonderful woman. You know you can call me if you ever need someone to sit with you! You've always been there for me.

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