Stressed AND Blessed

 My emotional capacity is overloaded.

·         My car has broken down three times in the past few weeks: two sensors and my battery failed, all at different times, of course, but fortunately all at home.

·         I’m giving my seven-year-old cat back to ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation), where I adopted her as a kitten: it was a hard decision, but for the best. I’ve become allergic to her fur; plus, I don’t want to take the chance of her hitting my incision when she jumps up on my lap.

·         In addition to a pre-op appointment, this past week I had a physical therapy appointment which went over post-surgery instructions. I need to do one breathing exercise plus a few leg exercises three times a day and walk around in my house every couple hours. These things will help prevent blood clots and make the amount of time I’m draining shorter.

Drain instructions and not using my right arm are the biggest concerns for me. The thought of emptying my drain twice a day worries me. Not using my right arm (and, of course, I am right-handed) is going to make for a dull couple weeks: no writing, no reaching, no lifting. Well, I am allowed to lift a maximum of five pounds with my left hand, but the less lifting the better. The point is that the more I use my right arm, the longer it will take for the drain to run dry, which is the goal. To prepare for being one-handed, I’ve cleaned and decluttered my bedroom and made changes: pajamas and outfits (must be button-up) are hanging in my closet; underwear and socks are in two containers on the bench at the end of my bed because my antique dresser is hard to open.

Before my son leaves for college or work each morning, he will need to pour my water for the day (I use a water purification pitcher and container with spigot.) and two cups of iced coffee from the cold brew pitcher. If I want to have my bed made, he will have to do it. In the evening, he will have to fill the water chamber for my CPAP machine. There are probably other details I’m forgetting, but I’m sure I will remember them after he leaves each day. Plus, of course, he will have to do grocery shopping, laundry, dishes, etc. while I lounge around in my bed or the new lift recliner.

And that leads to the many blessings that have come my way already, which include these:

·         My pastor made me a purple prayer shawl.

·         My brother and his wife sent me a soft throw and a Ninja air fryer.

·         My daughter and son-in-law’s church purchased a lift recliner for me since I will be unable to pull the handle on my regular recliner.

·         My daughter has taken care of phone calls and arrangements for my cat, Tango, and for setting me up for housekeeping services through Elder Care, a local nonprofit.

·         She and her girls gave me a lovely pink box filled with snacks, personal care supplies, a soft throw, and a panda bear. The next day she gave me some additional clothing for my post-surgery recovery.

·         People from my church have already provided rides for me and signed up last Sunday to take me to my four post-operative appointments. One couple is taking me to surgery this Wednesday. And another person has offered to pay a local errand and transportation service if I’m in a pinch to find a ride to a medical appointment.

·         Hopestone Cancer Support Center is providing gas cards and meals. I also received a large cloth bag filled with all kinds of useful things for this cancer journey.

I feel loved and taken care of by family and friends. And by God, of course. I keep getting reminders from him in daily devotional readings that he is near. For example, today’s reading included Isaiah 30:15, “in stillness and in staying quiet, there lies your strength.” That pretty much describes the next month to six weeks of my life.

Whether I blog or not for the next few weeks depends on if I am successful in using the speech to text feature in Microsoft Word. Thank you, friends, for your prayers and your encouraging words.