Wisdom & Perspective

So December has been an interesting month for me and the family.

Here's the nitty gritty for those who want to know; I am not blessed with wit and storytelling talents so bear with me...

Sunday I started feeling really sick, like flu sick. Summer was also getting sick so I thought we had the same thing. I slept all afternoon after church and still felt yucky. I was also getting a migraine (nasty things). Tom gave me a long massage and a blessing (SO grateful for those!) During the night I got up with Zoey and could hardly move, pain in my abdomen, pounding migraine, and fever. Summer threw up and slept in our room the rest of the night.

Monday morning got up and things were worse! Summer also had a fever and was really sick. So logically I thought we both had the same thing. It felt like food poisoning and bad flu! I couldn't stand up straight the pain and cramping was so bad. The day goes on, Summer and I lay on my bed ALL day, intermittently I clean up her puke while trying not to myself! Tom came home a little early to take care of us. My fever kept getting higher and my cramping worse.

I finally thought maybe this is an infection from the miscarriage...I called my mom and sister Emma (the family Doc) and they both told me to go to the ER. I resisted still because I didn't want to pay the ER bill. My parents came over to take care of the kids while Tom took me to the ER. We were thinking maybe I need a D&C, worst case scenario. Doc comes in and starts pressing on my tummy and each time I grab her arm to stop her! I kept apologizing, it was like a reflex! "Don't touch me there!" is what I wanted to say, but instead I kept grabbing her hand. I was doing a lot of apologizing, and that's when they gave me morphine...haha. I also had to apologize for not having glitter toes and my legs waxed!

I had a CT scan, with the awful contrast IV that makes your body feel on fire, Tom got to see all my insides! They said I had to be admitted to the hospital, that I had appendicitis or this other thing called diverticulitis and may have to have surgery! WHAT!? Oh my favorite part was when they told me this "diverticulitis" was something they see in people over 60. Nice! So they ruled out appendicitis. I spent time Google-ing info about DT (I don't want to spell diverticulitis out anymore) and won't describe it all here, you can google it if you want, basically it's a weak part of your colon that pops out and gets infected, it can rupture the colon. They treat it with antibiotics (and surgery if the antibiotics don't work.) I really didn't want to have part of my colon removed.

I got morphine for the first time in my life, that was nice. I compare the pain I felt to labor. It was bad, bad, bad. Morphine is good. :) Tom stayed with me until I was all settled in my hospital bed, around 1:30am. My parents were so good to be with our kids. The kids did FHE with them, Savannah did the lesson, they played Who, What, Where Jr (GREAT game!), and had ice-cream. We really have sweet kids.

The waiting game started to see if the antibiotics would work or if I would have surgery. I was also on a clear liquid diet, which was fine with me because I didn't want to eat anyway, I still don't! Luckily my fever went down, my pain went down, things were looking good.

I had nice visits from friends and neighbors, I may even get my book read in time for book club! Laughing hurt my tummy but was good for my soul. Tom brought the kids to see me Tuesday night. I missed them so much! Zoey loved my IV tubes! It's sad that kids think if you're in the hospital it means you could die, they kept asking me and Tom if I would die. Poor things.

GREAT blessing, I got to come home on Wednesday. No surgery! Yay! I'm on antibiotics for 10 days and I have to eat soft foods and take it easy. I asked how I was going to get my Christmas shopping done (because I have done ZERO!) and the Doc said, "That's what wheelchairs and motorized carts are for." Great! :)

More good news, I have to eat a low fat, high fiber diet from now on....ummmm, come again?... Funny how it takes a life changing event to kick my butt in gear. But there is NO WAY I want to go through this again! That's my motivation, to live, and not have a colostomy bag! It will be good for our whole family. It will be good. I have to keep telling myself that.

Something else to think about, the Docs said it would NOT have been good for me to have been pregnant. It is dangerous for the mom and the baby to have DT during pregnancy, they can't treat it the same.

I just feel looked after!!!! All things in wisdom and order. Keeping things in perspective.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support!

I'm also thankful for wonderful doctors, nurses, and staff at the hospital! I got to see a cute therapy dog too!

And thankful to be home for Christmas!

♥