Back in the Stat

Well, I'm back in College Station! It's been an interesting week...I've gotten to see my church family which has been BEYOND exciting! I'm working half days at school-but don't worry, I'm not disciplining AJ or playing football right now.

New developments/Observations...I can stand and walk for decent amounts of time, but then I need a rest.
My cloth strips over my scar have all come off, so it is officially in the open-to me that is:)
Wearing a seatbelt is getting a lot less painful!
I can drive successfully and don't feel too ADD.
I'm getting lots of reading in because I'm sitting a lot.
I am cooking a little bit but standing by the end of the day is really tiring
Aj didn't believe I had surgery, so I had to show him my scar.
I've read 300 pages in the last 2 days.
Now that I can see my belly button, I know that they didn't change the shape of it through surgery...it's cinammon roll shaped...and I like it:) I was concerned. I mean who wouldn't be?
I am healing more everyday. Thank you Jesus!
I'm not quite as slow as 80 year old people any more.
I've only gotten one hug from a kindergartner where he put his face on my stomach...that was a scary moment but it was ok!
I still feel like I'm in a bit of fog mentally right now
One day at a time...

Today I'm at 75%! Whoop!

Sweet Mary Margaret

Mary Margaret Malloy
MALLOY, MARY MARGARET Mary Margaret Malloy, 20 years of age, attended Highland Park High School where she had a deep passion for academic challenges. She served as an editor of the high school newspaper, she enjoyed dancing as a Belle, and she was an enthusiastic and caring mentor who spent many hours with her Best Buddy. She took great pride in matriculating at the University of Texas in 2005 but in spite of many successes she soon returned home because of a deeply painful personal struggle. Throughout her life she preferred to be known as "Mary Margaret," perhaps a hint of the gracious, generous and somewhat reserved person we knew. She always laughed at little jokes and she loved music of all kinds. Near the end of her life she reflected on her family whom she loved dearly, her faith, and the many friends she cherished, kind and supportive friends that had been with her throughout her illness. We have lost, tragically, an intelligent, beautiful, intense and very sensitive child. She is survived by two grandmothers, Frances and Dorothy, her mother, Debbie, her father, Craig, loving brothers William and George, and many aunts, uncles and cousins in Texas and California. Memorial Services will be held at 4:00 p.m., Friday, January 18, 2008, at Park Cities Presbyterian Church, Rev. Mark Davis officiating.

This is an obituary today from one of Chaney's best friends (my little sister) who died the other day after a 10 year battle with anorexia. Please pray for her family and that the Lord would show His face mightily in all of this. She's a believer and she is home with the Lord after a long battle.

Woo for 3 Weeks!

Welp, today is 3 weeks after surgery, and according to the doctors I'm at 50%. I've gotten to where I have "outings" every day to hopefully increase my stamina. Today my outing was particularly exciting because I got to go to church! Sadly not LH, I miss you people!!!!! But nonetheless, I got to hang with believers and worship Jesus with them at the church I grew up in. I held up pretty well and it was just so exciting to go and be with other believers and worship. I haven't been to church in a month because I either was in the hospital or couldn't sit in a church seat for that long (not enough cushion).

Chaney's back at A&M so my house is a little bit more chill with just the parentals and me. I can somewhat function normally in the everyday things which is good. Mom and Dad still win the awesome caretaker awards. I had steak last night!!! That's the first beef I've had. It's funny, the staples I had on my scar leave dots and I figured out that they aren't in line with the dots I have from my surgery when I was 7. So I now have multiple dot lines on my stomach...I find it funny, but then again, I'm very easily amused, especially right now.

I'm not going to lie and say everything about this is easy, because it's not. I would much rather be in Cstat hanging at Kemp and chilling with my LH family and rock climbing buddies but I'm not.

However, this morning the Lord just overwhelmingly confirmed what he's been telling me this whole time. He's here. He's not leaving. He loves me. This has purpose. It's ok that I don't understand the why behind this exact thing. We will be tested on this earth in every way, but we've been told from Day 1 that we'll be tested in this world. We're also told that as the sufferings of Christ flow into our lives, the comfort of Christ overflows. And it does. Only God can explain how my pain the last few weeks has been hard, but not unbearable. Only God can explain how I was able to get off Vicatin cold turkey, two days after leaving the hospital because it was making me throw my guts up. There's so much more but that's just a start...

He's sovereign. I'm thankful it was fixable. It didn't have to be. That's all I got. One day at a time.

Doctor Check Up

Today I went to the doctor, and in 10 days I'm cleared to do anything that feels "good" (and if it doesn't, don't do it again). Those were his words at least! 10 days from now will be the 4 week marker. This is when I think we're going to attempt the move back to cstat.Her Hands starts that Sunday, so I'll be there, don't worry Heather!

Yesterday, I got my haircut, which was my first outing since leaving the hospital! Thus the straight hair-I don't have the motion to dry and straighten the hair myself right now. Just like every day, I'm a little stronger today than the day before! Let me tell you, those doors at the hospital are heavy! I almost couldn't get in the bathroom because I couldn't open the door. Going to the gastrointestinal doctor is entertaining at the age of 24, everyone else is at least twice my age. They all stare at you, wondering why you're there. I find it hilarious:)

I've moved out of only being able to sit in the recliner to being able to sit in all chairs in our house-the padded ones longer than the stiff ones of course.

I can stand up 90-100% straight for 2/3 of the day now, so I don't look like quite so much of a hunchback! Chaney really likes to make fun of how I look like an 80 year old lady.

I've also done away with my 5 pillows on my bed and am down to the normal 1 and can sleep on my left side wonderfully-still working on the right side.

I'm also cleared to shower without Saran Wrapping/masking taping my stomach which is nice. That means my Steari Strips (cloth strips currently holding my stomach together over the stitches) will get to fall off soon and I actually get to see my gash. It reminds me of a cantaloupe that got dropped and has a crooked break in it. (My mom groans every time I say that:)

I got to eat fajitas today which were wonderful! Food is staying down and I'm feeling good. I'm so thankful that my pain has been minimal and taken away any need for Vicatin (probably the cause of my New Year's throw up disaster).

Everyone medical keeps thinking I should be hurting much more than I do, and I just am not hurting that bad! Not that i'm necessarily wishing to hurt worse, but I'm so thankful that I have not been in tons of pain. I just thought it would be worse.

I keep looking at Job a lot right now and something in 2:10 keeps going through my head as I'm still processing all of this in my brain...the whole why me? what's going in with all this Lord kinda thing? After his material things and family have been destroyed and he's been covered with sores from head to toe, his wife says "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

I LOVE how Job responds...

"You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" It's given me a lot to think about... The Lord gives us all tests, and He doesn't waste his tests. Each one has purpose.

Two Weeks!

Today marks 2 weeks after surgery! Whoop! 6 weeks equals full recovery-February 3rd my friends! I'm getting more mobile every day, moving around my house and all. Tomorrow I may make the move toward real clothes and not pjs...we shall see. Thanks for the prayers about my cough, it's still around but SO much better. I go to the doctor on Wednesday to get a report as to how I'm doing officially. Food is going good, still trying to make sure my stomach can stomach everything so a little bit of new food at a time!

My Daddy is wonderful and got all the extra tape residue from IVs and tubes left on my arms off, so my arms look relatively normal now.

I can almost stand up straight again so I'm thankful for that.

The Lord is cultivating in me a heart of thankfulness. We take so much for granted. Praise the Lord for health! I feel really blessed that every day I wake up and I feel a little bit better, a little bit stronger.

So many people can't say the same thing about their lives and their health. Jesus keep making me thankful for my reminder!

Meckel's Diverticulum

Wikipedia it! If I was cool and Internet savy, I would link it, but alas, I am not! Here's the background on all of this. When I was born, I was born with Meckel's Diverticulum. It actually has a name-I didn't know that til 2 weeks ago. It is a "small bulge in the small intestine present at birth" according to my friend Wikipedia. It's a malformation of the gastrointestinal tract. (This is all Wikipedia right here-I am not medically inclined really).

So, an hour after I was born I was moved to the children's hospital in Dallas to get rid of my bulge, called an oomphalacle (try and say that one:). They made a tiny incision by my new cinammon roll belly button and did whatever they needed to.

Other than that, I had my share of ear infections and such as a kid but nothing happened until I was 7, in 2nd grade. One night I had the most painful stomach ache and couldn't fall asleep all night...My dad thought I had gas and spanked me and everything for being a brat (my translation, not his:) That morning, I still felt awful and so Mom took me to the doctor and then promptly to the ER. We thought it could be an appendicitis but the doctor said, "No way! Go to the ER!"

My colon (part of the small intestine) was twisted in a knot so I was in the hospital for a week and recovered for a week or two at home and then headed back to school. This actually made me miss so much school that I repeated 2nd grade...little known fact.

From 7 to age 24 nothing's happened at all, minus what I now realize were some foreshadowings junior year at A&M that I thought were food poisoning episodes. I got better so I thought that was all it was.

I got home from cstat Dec. 21st and felt a little puny but ok. The morning of the 22nd I went and worked out with Chaney and around 6:30pm started having a bad stomach ache...it got worse and worse and then I started throwing up. Around 12:30 that night Mom put me in the car and inbetween heaves, we went to the hospital. After an hour in the waiting room, and being the girl gasping for help from Jesus, (that was all I did in the waiting room) they put me in the ER on a morphine drip to get me ready for a CAT Scan...After getting my Nasal Gastric tube (NG) from the nose to the stomach and my CAT Scan, they told me I had an obstruction in the bowels and they needed to operate.

My reaction? Go for it! The sooner the better. 10 am on the 23rd we went to operate for 2 hours and they took out all 22 feet of small intestine and cut away the webbings of scar tissue that were wrapped around them so I my bowels could be "free" :)

It's something that 2% of people deal with and most are males apparently. It's only 5% chance that it happens again according to my doctor-so I'm actually in the 2%!

6 weeks is the full recovery but I'm not sure when I'll actually get back to cstat-February 3rd is 6 weeks. Hopefully I will return before then...

Today, my cough is really painful. Please pray for that, I feel like my guts want to pop out...literally:) I kept down all food which included some new stuff so that's good! My people in charge of me at my job have been so gracious and said not to worry about a thing...we'll talk when I get better. That is definitely something to be thankful for!

Little by little, I think I'm getting better. According to my timeline, I should be a little further along than 25-30% healed right now. That's about it at the moment!

The GRIPMASTER

Today, there's not a whole lot of change...Sadly I have a cold and it is rather painful coughing and sneezing with a gaping wound on your belly. Prayer for that would be greatly appreciated...I need gentleness for this cold. I can't take medicine because my system can't handle it, ingredient-wise. Violent sneezing and coughing are just not fun and I need help having a thankful heart on this and just how slow the healing process is in general. Today I bulked up on all the stuff from yesterday and added in a baked potato and lipton soup with crackers-and it's STILL DOWN! And I actually have an appetite. Whoop!

My mom found a pocket-size bible in our house which is so great because I don't have the strength to lift my big one for long periods of time. I am so excited about this, because now I don't have to solely depend on having someone orally read the Word to me every day. Both get to happen!

Also, I slept a lot last night and only woke up a few times...it's less and less each night. Yes!

Today has been funny because I feel a lot more like myself which is wonderful, yet I have a cold, a slight oxymoron, but whatev. The photo of the day includes my Gripmaster...one of my last minute Christmas presents from the parents...it works out the fingers and it's been my toy the last few weeks. My arms and legs have been so bored because my middle can't do anything, so I play with my Gripmaster. Best Christmas present ever. Tomorrow will be the full background on this story-i realized I don't think I've fully explained how this all started. Don't worry, I'll get ya up to speed. Thanks for reading and praying!

Pride Taking A Beating...

Yep, my pride has taken a beating.

I haven't been able to do practically anything by myself until recently.

And I realized yesterday and today how embarrassed I've been about it.

I am ridiculous.

When I am weak, He is strong.

Oh how slow to learn I am.

I am so blessed by parents who will do anything to help me get better!

They help me shower, fetch my computer for me (my macbook is too heavy), put in movies for me, unscrew my juice tops, read Scripture to me (even Psalm 119-thanks mom:), rinse out and switch barf buckets for me, etc...you get the picture.

I stepped on a scale today and the official weight loss so far is between 10-15 pounds, which is funny. I could care less about my weight and am so much more concerned about just being healthy and living in a way that pleases the Lord. But still, I thought that was interesting, because I'd been wondering... I think I look emaciated:) I can't do a whole lot about it!

I'm staying far away from Vicatin b/c we think that may have contributed to my throwing up new year's!

Today I had rice, bread, applesauce, and a banana, with lots of juice and gatorade-and it's all still down. Thank you Jesus!

I've been feeling puny some today but food totally redeems. I have a hard time being restless at home and sitting in one place all day with laps around the house once an hour, but the Lord is making me thankful. Like I said, I'm SLOW to learn. Thank you so much for your prayers...you have no idea how much I need them/appreciate them.

And Kathryn, THANK YOU for putting up Psalm 34 on your blog a few weeks ago...I was blog stalking you :) and it's stayed in my mind and been at the forefront of my mind through all of this!

Oh Good Times!

Well, yesterday and today have been interesting...I threw up bile about 10 times last night, along with all I ate yesterday. Combine that with a 5 inch scar and it equals a lot of unpleasantry. Basically last night was kind of scary, because if I had been in pain and throwing up, we would have gone back to the hospital. So we called the doctor and he said that most likely my stomach just hadn't caught up to all the food I'd eaten. I did have a bowel movement though! Today we went back to square 1. Juice and Jello. BUT no more throwing up! Praise the Lord! Now, we think I may be getting a cold because my immunity system is so out of wack. Thank you for your prayers and please keep praying. Sitting in one place all day and then getting sick and not being able to move gets really frustrating sometimes. I still have about 4 1/2 weeks until I'm completely healed according to the doctor. Highlights of the day do include seeing Elise and Jonny (the newly engaged couple!) and actually getting some good sleep in the LA-Z Boy last night-I think I may sleep better in it than in my bed right now... Now for the things to be thankful for list:

1. I had a bowel movement!
2. I stopped throwing up!
3. Throwing up made stomach muscles that hadn't been stretched yet, move some extra so I've had more mobility today (not the way I would've done it, but you know)
4. I have wonderful friends.
5. I have wonderful family who will even help me shower and dress when I am too weak.
6. I have a wonderful Jesus family too that loves me and prays for me too.
7. Elise brought me really pretty tulips (I'm kind of a flower freak)
8. I can turn over onto my side to sleep now!!!!
9. I can open my laptop (that magnet opening on the macbook has been killer!)
10. My laps around the house (my exercise) are becoming more frequent and longer (than like 1 minute)

Please continue to pray for a heart of thankfulness! Thank you for reading this and for praying!