Z Good Life

good riddance

After more than 2 years of fighting with my gallbladder, I said "sayonara" to it yesterday afternoon. I even have a lovely pair of non-slip hospital socks:

The doctor was convinced that my surgery would be completely straightforward. In fact, he scheduled it for an hour, when he would normally schedule 90 minutes for gallbladder removal. While I'm not sure exactly how things went down, I do know these things: My surgery was more than 2 hours. At least one gallstone was the size of a golf ball. I went under at 3:00, and did not wake up until 7:00. I don't know why, but I had an incredibly hard time coming out from under anesthesia. In fact, the nurses nearly admitted me to the hospital for overnight observation. When I heard that, I did everything I could to get HOME!!

I am still bloated from the carbon dioxide gas, and the skin around the 4 incisions is bruising beautifully. My best friends right now are ice packs for my abdomen, a hot pack for my shoulder (common pain from carbon dioxide gas), and Vicodin. I am lucky Erich was able to take 2 days off. His mom is here for several days, and my mom has been in and out several times already.Thank the Lord for so much help around the house.

While I have been on a restricted diet for more than 2 years, I'm content to stay low-fat until my body becomes accustomed to digesting food without the aid of my gallbladder. Did I ever mention how much pain I had whenever I tried to exercise? I look forward to getting back up on the treadmill once I've healed!

I still can't get over how surreal it was to walk myself into the operating room. I was nervous before, but my anxiety went through the roof when they asked me to get up on the operating table! Let's hope I don't have to do that again. Like, EVER.

Now that I have some down time on my hands, I'll try to catch up on some autumn blog entries.

 

 

a miracle

Yesterday afternoon, I happened to look down at my left hand and noticed my diamond was gone. The entire prong attachment broke off, taking my diamond with it! While realizing a diamond is just a thing that can be replaced, I kept replaying Erich's tender marriage proposal in my mind. You could say I have quite a sentimental attachment to THAT particular diamond!

During the day I walked Lily to and from school, went out to lunch, and ran a couple of quick errands. The diamond could have fallen off anywhere. I prayed desperately for a miracle. I texted my prayer warriors. I cried. I searched. Meanwhile, Summer talked Jay into walking our usual route to the elementary school -- in the rain. (Awwww!) After about 40 minutes, they came home with incredible news! THEY FOUND IT ON THE SIDEWALK!

We were overflowing with thankfulness to God. Our home was filled with the sounds of laughter, thanksgiving, and tears of joy. Talk about finding a needle in a haystack! This was nothing short of a miracle. We prayed. God answered. And in His almighty wisdom and mercy, God used this miracle to teach His daughter a lesson.

I've been having trust issues. Sure, I believe God loves my children. I believe He wants the very best for them. I confess that I have been unwilling to let go and TRUST God with them. I want control, and oh, how I fight deperately for it. What an incredible Father. He chose to gently and mercifully show me that I can trust Him. When I saw the diamond in the palm of Jay's hand, I heard a quiet voice in my head. It said, "See? You can trust Me." (Yeah, I totally fell apart.)

Now, you need to understand that I realize my children are millions of times more important than a diamond. The two cannot be compared. God is the only one who knew of my struggle with control and trust. Yesterday He showed me that I can trust Him in every single thing. He loves my children more than I ever could. They are His before they are mine! How could I NOT trust Him with them?

I choose to trust God. I choose to surrender control. I choose to obey. And I choose to give Him the glory for His loving hand in our home.

Do YOU trust God? I mean REALLY trust Him? In every single thing? Leave a comment or email me. I would love to hear how God has been working in your life -- in big or small ways!

 

the tale of my tooth

Summer made gluten-free brownie bites, and everyone loved them -- especially her daddy!! I'm very impressed with the variety of g-free mixes available in the g-free section of nearly every grocery store.

 

The surgery to remove my infected tooth took place on Wednesday, April 28. Erich's parents came to town so that Linda could drive me to/from the appointment, and so that Gary could take Lily to school on time. Their help was so necessary and so appreciated!

To begin with, the "twilight sedation" drug didn't work out very well for me. I took 1 pill an hour beforehand, but I was still nervous before I got numbed up. The assistant put another 1/2 pill under my tongue for quick absorption, but that didn't really do much either. It made me sleepy, but I was still VERY much aware of what was going on the entire time. It seemed like it was taking a long time, and it was -- She needed 90 minutes to remove a particularly challenging tooth, remove infected bone from my jaw, and do a bone graft. I sure was happy to hear her ask the assistant to prepare the sutures!

When we got home, I slept for 2 hours. It didn't seem that long. By then the numbness was gone and the pain set in! Linda made sure I had fresh icepacks all day long. She made sure I was sipping iced water or iced tea, and she bought 3 flavors of sorbet. She even made soft food so that I could eat with the family at mealtimes. It's a good thing she was here to take care of the kids AND me, because I could not have done it on my own. It was all I could do to hold an ice pack on my jaw on that first day...!

Here's an interesting tidbit: The oral surgeon prescribed anti-inflammatory medication, but no pain medication. She called at 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday night to ask how I was doing. In a word, "Ouch!" She offered pain medication at that time, but I opted to wait until morning to see how I felt. I was definitely better the next morning, even better the next, and 3 days later there was only minimal discomfort from the wounds on my gums. I had painful muscle aches on Friday, but a get-well basket and a visit from two super sweet friends worked wonders! (Thanks, friends!)

I'm headed back this week for a post-op appointment and removal of stitches. Thank you for your prayers. I am so glad the worst is behind me. Please pray that the bone graft "takes" and produces new bone for the placement of the implant. If the graft doesn't "take," it needs to be cleaned out (eek!) and redone. The mere thought makes my knees weak.

the dentist

No, Michelle isn't my dentist. She's one of my best buddies, though, and this picture was taken on her 40th birthday! Michelle, I love ya, Man! 

I don't like going to the dentist. In fact, I like it SOOOO little that I completely bailed on going for 6 years. (I'm back on track for visits twice a year as of right now, so give me a break.)

Why do I dislike it so much? I'm not sure. I've had horrible experiences with one particular tooth (3 root canals and 2 surgeries), and one dentist who literally yelled at me as I sat in the chair.

Once my sister Mindy became a hygienist, she cleaned my teeth twice a year for free during her lunch hour. She was great! Once she passed away, though, I found it difficult to go to any dentist. For years, I got choked up every time I sat in a dental chair. (Actually, that still happens sometimes.)

OK, fast forward to the present. I have a sore spot on my gums, so I went to my sister's niece, Julie, who followed in Mindy's footsteps and became a hygienist here in town. (Talk about getting choked up... Mindy would be so proud of her!) Julie did such a great job. Maybe making that first phone call was the hardest part of getting back on track.

I digress. Julie took some xrays and instantly discovered the reason for that sore spot -- an ongoing and persistent infection in the tissue and bone surrounding my "nightmare tooth." There hasn't been any pain because the tooth has no nerves. Both Julie and the dentist agreed that it is time to extract the tooth. Unfortunately, because of the 2 previous surgeries to remove (read: scrape out) infected bone, there's not much bone left in the socket. Some of the bone that remains is now infected and needs to be removed. Did you know a specialist can do a bone graft onto your jaw? The specialist will use platelets from my own blood, mixed with bone material (read: cadaver bone), and the bone regenerates in 3 months. VERY cool.  

I'll be saying good riddance to "nightmare tooth" in 2 weeks (sooner if there's a cancellation) and getting an implant in a few months. I am anxious for BOTH procedures. Fortunately, my dentist and the specialist are very understanding. It turns out lots of people are fearful of scalpels in their mouths and blood running down their throats. I've never experienced "conscious sedation" before, but I think it's going to be my new best friend. Well, that and my iPod Touch. I hope to be off in my own little world while all this extracting, scraping, and grafting is going on!

Prayers appreciated.

my favorite things

In honor of my blogiversary, I am giving away a few of my favorite things. Congratulations to the winner! Do you see your name on the Starbuck's gift card? :o) 

  

- $5 Starbuck's gift card - My drink of choice at this time is a double tall Americano, black.

- I found this cute phone message notepad in my favorite bargain bins at Michael's.

- Good & Plenty are my favorite sweets. (Until the day I'm cleared to eat chocolate again!!)

- I love that back-to-school smell of school supplies (must be the teacher in me!), so I enclosed a package of cute pastel plaid pencils.

- I've rediscovered my favorite scrapbooking item -- multicolored gems -- since I have been catching up on Summer's "Just Dance" scrapbook. (Hey, Winner, I know you don't "retro scrap" anymore, but these self-adhesive gems can be used to decorate anything!)

Hilary, are you going to be around this weekend? I can drop this by for you! :o) 

blogiversary!

It seems as though my second blogiversary came and went. Yesterday, to be exact. How about a little blogiversary giveaway?

But first, how about a random photo of this blog's author?

 
Apparently it's not just the kids who have fun on Grammie's Baja Bike. *grin*

Leave a comment and you'll be entered into a drawing for a little care package of some of my favorite things. I haven't decided what all will be included, but you can count on Good 'n Plenty candies -- and maybe a coffee gift card. I still have to steer clear of chocolate, but I've been cleared for the occasional cup of coffee. THAT, my friends, is worth celebrating!

"the cousins" and goodbye "psycho diet"

Erich's brother, David, brought the girls up for a little visit a while back. Our kids are the girls' only cousins, so Dana (7 1/2) refers to them as "The Cousins." It's apparent how much Dana looks up to her big cousin Summer, and how much Lily looks up to Dana! They all get along great. Wish we spent more time together.

 
Summer (almost 12), Lily (5 1/2), Katie (2), and Dana (7 1/2)

On another note, my health has been improving steadily since starting "the psycho diet" early this Spring. It's taken a lot of willpower to say "no" to foods that could potentially irritate the inflammation in my stomach and gallbladder, and it has taken a lot of creativity to feed everyone. At times, I felt as though I was cooking 3 different dinners, which I basically was. Erich is still gluten-free, Lily is dairy-free, and I was essentially a vegan (a vegan who couldn't eat any oils, acids, beans or soy, I might add). Eventually I got more creative and made 1 meal with several small modifications, but it certainly took a lot of planning.

The good news is that my hard work has paid off! I was SO surprised at the results of my food sensitivity testing at a recent appointment with my naturopath. Big former "no-no's" that are now OK in small amounts: chicken, turkey, oils for cooking, beans of all varieties, coffee (I almost cried tears of joy), and some varieties of raw/unprocessed nuts. Friends, these additions open up a SMORGASBOARD of delicious meals for me! I think I danced my way out of the naturopath's office...

Some of my remaining big "no-no's" are avocados, olives, dairy (with the exception of a couple items), beef, pork, soy, and egg yolks. TOTALLY no big deal compared to what I've been doing the past several months.

The best news: I haven't had pain from an overly acidic stomach in months, and the pain in my gallbladder is a rare and mild "referred" pain in my back. I haven't felt this great in years! I'm thankful to the Lord for healing my body and giving me the strength to take charge of my own health.

I'm pleased to be 30 pounds lighter, and I'm excited to start my running routine again!

happy mother's day!

Today after church we went to my mom's house for a Mother's Day BBQ with my sister and her family. We had BBQ'd salmon, grilled asparagus, watermelon, salad, and angelfood cake with berries. It was a great day of relaxing and visiting with dearly loved family!

 
As soon as we arrived at Grammie's house, Jay made a beeline for the Baja Bike. Grammie has a nice, long driveway!

 
Even Summer took it for a spin!

 
When I saw how much fun the kids were having, I decided to give it a whirl. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face if I tried. It was a HOOT!!

 
"Please will you humor Mommy for a Mother's Day picture?" This one turned out pretty cute. Most of them looked like the one below! ;o)

 
Erich said, "You HAVE to post this one. It's classic! Jay has his eyes closed, Lily looks adorable, Summer is being a goof, and you're looking to Heaven for help!"
Here's a sweet picture of myself, Mom, and Kristal. We were laughing about our "Easter Egg" colors, but I like how bright and cheerful it is.

 
This is a "before" picture of my shade garden.

 
And this is the "after" picture with my Mother's Day fountain! After we came home from Mom's, Erich and I got right to work. The fountain was in place and a couple of new plants were planted before the big, fat drops of rain started to fall. Perfect timing!

What a wonderful Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all of my readers who are moms! We have the awesomest job EVER!

On another note, thanks to all who have called or emailed with concerns about my health. I am still pretty much "status quo," and would very much like relief from the pain of gallstones. I'm under the care of my general practitioner and a naturopath, and I will be consulting with a surgeon tomorrow (Monday) morning. Your prayers are MORE than appreciated, friends. Pray that God gives me very clear direction and peace with decisions regarding my health. I am still on the same restrictive diet, but I'm starting to get a little more creative with the foods I am able to eat (all veggies, all grains, and most fruits are OK). I love you all!

forty, fit, and fabulous

I've needed a long break from blogging. Without going into the boring details, I'll just say I was diagnosed with too much stomach acid and gallstones. I did not know that gallbladder pain, when it occurs, can be a constant pain. Now I know.

I would like very much to keep the organ God gave me, rather than follow my doctor's advice to have said organ removed immediately. The past couple of weeks have been long. I've been on a super-restrictive diet (no acids, oils/fats, meat, fish, dairy, or legumes) for several days, and will get a second opinion tomorrow morning. Actually, I'm hoping to get more than two opinions, but it takes a long time to get in to see a specialist! Please pray for wisdom for myself and for the doctors I have seen and will be seeing.

OK, moving on!

Something about turning 40 flipped a switch in my head, and I decided to make a habit of exercising. It was definitely a habit until I started having pain under my right rib. (Hellooo, gallbladder.) I started walking 6 days a week in January, and eventually I worked up to running 3 and 1/2 miles. I can see and feel that I've lost inches and weight, which is an AWESOME feeling. I think the "runner's high" for me is slipping into clothes that haven't fit me for 5 years!  

We had a great Easter and a great Spring Break. It's been such a treat to have lovely Spring weather, don't you agree? I have been doing some gardening, we had a great daytrip to the island to see Erich's parents, we visited the tulip fields down south, and Jay started baseball!  Last night I finally downloaded the pictures off the camera memory card. I think there were nearly 200. I have some catching up to do! 

So, now you know what I've been up to the past several weeks. Hoping and praying that this "forty and falling apart" body will soon be back to "forty, fit, and FABULOUS!" (Whether my gallbladder is along for the ride or not!!)

My love to you all!

40th birthday open house

Sorry it's taken me awhile to post. I'm still under the weather with some sort of cold, and it's been nearly 2 weeks! I hear a lot of people have the same bug. It sounds like it keeps hangin' on. Ugh. I can attest to that. On to the birthday post!!   

Erich planned an open house last Saturday in celebration of my birthday. All I had to do was clean the house -- and I even had help with that! Erich's mom and dad helped me clean house all day Friday! (No, you can't have my in-laws. They are MINE.)

 
Erich's mom and dad took lots of pictures for us. This one was taken before people started arriving. The decorations are courtesy of Summer (the visionary) and Erich's dad (the tallest person available). 

 
(Me, Janet, and Rachel.) 

The food was amazing. Thanks to my mom, my mom-in-law, my grandma, and my sister for helping Erich put out quite a spread of savories and sweets! And Erich, well, he was the Espresso King. He made delicious drinks for anyone and everyone! I had a wonderful afternoon, and I hope everyone else did too. (I didn't even have to clean up!) 

 
(Jay and his mama.)

I'm thankful for the beautiful weather. The children had so much fun playing outside! (And eating handfuls of brownies, lemon bars, cookies, and candies.)  I'm also SO-O-O-O thankful for my family and my friends! Thank you all for you birthday wishes, goodies, phone calls, flowers, and just taking the time to celebrate with me. You ROCK!

I can say with certainty that my 40th was the best birthday of my entire life. :o)