Thursday was a good day. My mouth feels so much better as does the rest of me. I felt like I could run so I tried. I went about 5 minutes and it felt pretty good to move my legs. The only problem is that I cannot breathe through my teeth enough to run to far or fast or uphill. Thats okay I guess. Maybe I will try again in a couple of days.
After George's nap we had some FaceTime with Grammy. Thank goodness for technology!! It was so good to see her face! We then went to the Farmers Market in search of some supper. I have to be honest, I did not expect to find a thing that would suffice for myself. I hoped I would find a fresh juice at least. While George was in line for his rotisserie chicken and potatoes - does anything smell quite as good as Rotisserie chicken and onion and potatoes?- I sauntered over to the Gastrobus where I usually find someone absolutely wonderful to eat. I only went to check out the menu and drool. Well, wouldn't you know it, they had a soup and a smoothie tonight. Literally the menu is about 10 items at the very most, so to have soup and a smoothie was something! I asked if the soup was pureed and the girl said sadly it was not. But the smoothie I could eat, so I got it. Banana, kale and dates!! What a combo. It was really good but a little chunky and seed ridden (This reminds me of something that happened yesterday to me: if any one ever has their mouth wired shut here's a word to the wise -Chia seeds expand. Do I need to explain? Just don't do it.)
So once again, the Lord showed he cares for me by the way he placed a unique and fun smoothie on the menu just for me. Thanks God!
So we had fun and then went home. Although the smoothie was good, I was still hungry so ate two more mugs of the soup I made most recently. Butternut Squash and apple! Try it, its wonderful!!
Friday morning George woke me up and said, "I'm leaving, but little George is eating breakfast- just wanted you to know". So I took about 5 minutes to get out of bed and then walked into the kitchen to find George perched in our recliner with his Halloween basket. He had retrieved it himself. It's like 6:30 in the morning y'all. Too funny. I said, "What on earth are you doing?" He replied, "I ate my lunch, so I'm getting a treat". Duh Mommy... Since I was not awake enough to protest, he proceeded to eat his treat while I poured my first cup of coffee. I looked over and there was his plate, empty except for the crust of his egg sandwich, exactly where I tell him to put it on the side of the sink. He's a good boy and a crunch bar at 6:30 am never hurt ANYBODY.
The first week of an injury like mine is definitely the worst. The second week is hard for different reasons but nowhere near as bad as that first week. Here's hoping that the third and fourth weeks fly by!
Friday, November 8, 2013
Divine Nature, Eternal Power
The conversation I overheard yesterday at the Natural History Museum did not mean very much at the time. Later, as I read in the first chapter of Romans, verses 18-20, it began to fit into what the Lord wanted to teach me today.
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
As we approached an exhibit that explained evolution of man and the similarities and differences between man and ape, I heard a women as she spoke to a young boy. Later it became evident this was not her son, maybe she was an Aunt or a good friend or a Nanny possibly. As the boy studied the exhibit, she said to him- and this is paraphrased just to give you the gist- "Now, this is explaining that humans came from monkeys. Its not what I believe happened. I think that humans were created separate from all other animals. This is the kind of thing your mom would not want me talking about with you so its just my opinion but there is absolutely NO evidence that this is so. All of this is propaganda...."On and on she went. The poor boy could not have been more than 8 years old. I have been interested in the field of science since I was in kindergarten. I learned about Darwin and evolution in the tenth grade and I can remember the front of the text book as it depicted "ape becomes man" exactly. It was a hard time in my life because my faith had already become very important to me so it caused me to ponder deeply about this evolution vs. creationism debate. I will be the first to say that none of us knows with absolute certainty how we, the human race, found ourselves here, on earth. We simply were not present, however to say that there is absolutely no evidence... Okay, before I get bogged down in an evolution vs. creationism debate this is not a post on evolution. The point is, none of us really knows. What we do know and what is important is found in verses 19 and 20 of the first chapter of Romans- "Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them for since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse"(emphasis mine).
Through God's creation- from the gigantic dinosaur bones, to the black bear, the brown bear, the grizzly bear, the polar bear, the walrus, the elephant seal that each amazes us with their size, to the smallest most delicate of insects, to the opossum, yes even to the opossum that I joked about yesterday- through all these created things he has revealed to us (made plain to us) everything that we need to know about him. His invisible qualities - eternal power and divine nature are seen clearly through what has been made (i.e. his creation).
His eternal power makes me think of the time lapse between dinosaurs and humans. Possibly millions of years in between, like 65 million maybe? Is that what I read? Seems eternal to me. And to breathe life into just one of those enormous animals - thats power. And to wipe them all out completely- again, powerful.
His divine nature is proven by the fact that humans have not yet figured out how to bring a single animal into existence and God put every single thing that we saw in that museum yesterday into being. Hundreds of thousands of species He put here. Us- not one species. He is divine. His nature is divine.
These two qualities of God can be seen through what he has made so therefore we are without excuse (so the bible says). So are you sitting over there thinking (like I was), "Oh yeah, totally, I believe God made all those things and I totally respect that so.... I'm good to go, right?"? Hold up, wait, go back to verse 18. That one makes it a little more complicated. Am I wicked? Do I suppress the truth? I sure hope I am not godless....
Here's where it gets tricky but also where we can challenge ourselves. Since we believe in God as creator and king of the universe, we are held to a higher standard, we hold more responsibility to avoid wickedness and godlessness, to avoid the suppression of the truth. In fact, it is our purpose to do quite the opposite- to spread the truth, to strive for righteousness, and to make our God a part of everything we do and say (God-fullness if you will). But how do we go about this? I do not have all the answers but I do have one answer. It may not be complete or the best way but its a start. Each decision we make in our daily lives either stifles the truth or begins to set it free. Each story you tell, each phone call you make, every text you send tells the other person more about who you are and if you are a believer in Christ, it tells a little about the God you serve. This is a huge responsibility- about as huge as a T. Rex skeleton and as complicated as a whale's digestive system. So my advice and prayer for myself is as follows:
Lord, he me- help us, not to persist in sin. Help us instead to turn from it with all our measly might and may all your eternal power help us. Help us in each and every decision we make so that we move closer and closer to your righteousness and so that we do not stifle the truth. Help us Lord not to be selfish and not to believe lies that lead to a selfish lifestyle but to instead steer our longings toward the worship and pleasure of your divine nature.
Through your creation you have left us no excuse Lord. In your mercy help us to open our eyes, ears and hearts. Fill our mouths with less excuses and more worship and thanksgiving for the things you have revealed to us, the things you have made plain to us about your eternal power and divine nature through your stunning creation. Amen.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Ohhhh, Possum!
Two things happened Monday night:
1. I dreamed I ate a teddy graham
2. I woke up in a panic because I could not seem to open my mouth
This tells me two things:
1. I have had these wires long enough
2. I slept really well for the first time in a week
Tuesday was a school day and I dropped George off with no problems, got an oil change and treated myself to a manicure while I waited for the oil to be changed. I had a coupon for it so it was the perfect opportunity.
We happened to see our friends Jennie and Evie when I picked George up from school. They were headed to the park so we joined them. All of that may have been too much for me because when we got home, I went right to sleep after I got George down for his nap. He woke up around 5pm and it was completely dark. He is so confused by the time change especially because he takes really long naps. I am pretty sure he has no clue that he has not slept all night and that he thinks it is a brand new day. Since I was so tired from the long day and big George would not be home for dinner I decided to cheat and sat him in front of a new movie we borrowed from Evie as we ate dinner (or drank it in my case). We watched Disney's Brave and it was SO good. We snuggled the whole time and it was one of those nights we'll remember forever. As I put him to bed I started to read a story, which I dread these days as it hurts my mouth. He said, "Remember mommy- we don't read stories on movie nights". Alrighty then! Off to bed with you then. As I turned off the light he said, "I want Daddy". This was a Mozart symphony to my ears. He has been so attached to me his whole little life, which I love in a lot of ways- don't get me wrong. But to hear those words.....man it was so good. Since I have been out of commission, the Georges have spent a lot of quality time with each other and wow, has it paid off! I told him I would send Daddy in when he got home. When Daddy got home guess what he said in a hopeful tone...."Is he (George) still awake?---Good, I wanted to see that little booger". Another symphony to my ears. If I had to go through all this so they could have a chance to bond- I would do it again.
Wednesday we went to the Museum of Natural History. It was the 100th anniversary so the museum was free! I am all over "FREE". But alas, ten bucks to park. It turned out to be worth it. They have just redone the museum and they did a great job. I did not see it before, but it was very interactive for a history museum. George loved the Dinosaur BONES. George will tell you, "They are not dinosaurs, they are dinosaur BONES". Smart young 'un. He was so excited that he would bounce from one exhibit to the next. It would have been so much more informative if I had time to read each plaque but hey, I would not even be there if it were not for him so I think I got as much out of it as I could. And I overheard a conversation that melds very well with some scripture I read this morning too, so you will hear about that in the next post. While we were there it should be noted that we were lucky enough to witness a live animal's first appearance in public at this museum. Her name was Avocado and about 20 or so middle school age children waited in great anticipation for her to come out of her cage. The two museum employees seemed excited to share this experience with us and were surprised at the crowd that had gathered there to see Avocado in all her glory. Now before I go on, I want to say something for any readers who do not know me very well. I LOVE animals, I've never owned a fur coat, I think humans have driven several animals into extinction and for that I am horrified and not proud of our human race. On the other hand, I grew up in a family of hunters and fishermen (and women) so I appreciate nature as it takes its course with some species. I think that overpopulation of some species is worse than the alternative, especially if we hunt to use the animal for food. Okay, now that you know I am not just a mean animal hater, let me tell you about what animal they brought out of that cage....A 'POSSUM Y'ALL! The first question she asked the crowd was, "Have any of you ever seen an Opossum before?" I wanted to retort, "Is that the same thing as a Possum? and do you mean alive or dead? I've seen plenty of dead ones". The next was, "What do you know about the Opossum?" All I could think of was how glad I was that my mom was not here right now. She would have really embarrassed us with her response. I can hear her now..." PURPOSE??? They have no purpose, they are the dumbest animals on the planet and they serve absolutely no purpose". I can also see the looks we would get from the "trainers" who adore this opossum, little Avocado. I had to leave before I said something I would regret. All in all it was a great time, possum and all.
1. I dreamed I ate a teddy graham
2. I woke up in a panic because I could not seem to open my mouth
This tells me two things:
1. I have had these wires long enough
2. I slept really well for the first time in a week
Tuesday was a school day and I dropped George off with no problems, got an oil change and treated myself to a manicure while I waited for the oil to be changed. I had a coupon for it so it was the perfect opportunity.
We happened to see our friends Jennie and Evie when I picked George up from school. They were headed to the park so we joined them. All of that may have been too much for me because when we got home, I went right to sleep after I got George down for his nap. He woke up around 5pm and it was completely dark. He is so confused by the time change especially because he takes really long naps. I am pretty sure he has no clue that he has not slept all night and that he thinks it is a brand new day. Since I was so tired from the long day and big George would not be home for dinner I decided to cheat and sat him in front of a new movie we borrowed from Evie as we ate dinner (or drank it in my case). We watched Disney's Brave and it was SO good. We snuggled the whole time and it was one of those nights we'll remember forever. As I put him to bed I started to read a story, which I dread these days as it hurts my mouth. He said, "Remember mommy- we don't read stories on movie nights". Alrighty then! Off to bed with you then. As I turned off the light he said, "I want Daddy". This was a Mozart symphony to my ears. He has been so attached to me his whole little life, which I love in a lot of ways- don't get me wrong. But to hear those words.....man it was so good. Since I have been out of commission, the Georges have spent a lot of quality time with each other and wow, has it paid off! I told him I would send Daddy in when he got home. When Daddy got home guess what he said in a hopeful tone...."Is he (George) still awake?---Good, I wanted to see that little booger". Another symphony to my ears. If I had to go through all this so they could have a chance to bond- I would do it again.
Wednesday we went to the Museum of Natural History. It was the 100th anniversary so the museum was free! I am all over "FREE". But alas, ten bucks to park. It turned out to be worth it. They have just redone the museum and they did a great job. I did not see it before, but it was very interactive for a history museum. George loved the Dinosaur BONES. George will tell you, "They are not dinosaurs, they are dinosaur BONES". Smart young 'un. He was so excited that he would bounce from one exhibit to the next. It would have been so much more informative if I had time to read each plaque but hey, I would not even be there if it were not for him so I think I got as much out of it as I could. And I overheard a conversation that melds very well with some scripture I read this morning too, so you will hear about that in the next post. While we were there it should be noted that we were lucky enough to witness a live animal's first appearance in public at this museum. Her name was Avocado and about 20 or so middle school age children waited in great anticipation for her to come out of her cage. The two museum employees seemed excited to share this experience with us and were surprised at the crowd that had gathered there to see Avocado in all her glory. Now before I go on, I want to say something for any readers who do not know me very well. I LOVE animals, I've never owned a fur coat, I think humans have driven several animals into extinction and for that I am horrified and not proud of our human race. On the other hand, I grew up in a family of hunters and fishermen (and women) so I appreciate nature as it takes its course with some species. I think that overpopulation of some species is worse than the alternative, especially if we hunt to use the animal for food. Okay, now that you know I am not just a mean animal hater, let me tell you about what animal they brought out of that cage....A 'POSSUM Y'ALL! The first question she asked the crowd was, "Have any of you ever seen an Opossum before?" I wanted to retort, "Is that the same thing as a Possum? and do you mean alive or dead? I've seen plenty of dead ones". The next was, "What do you know about the Opossum?" All I could think of was how glad I was that my mom was not here right now. She would have really embarrassed us with her response. I can hear her now..." PURPOSE??? They have no purpose, they are the dumbest animals on the planet and they serve absolutely no purpose". I can also see the looks we would get from the "trainers" who adore this opossum, little Avocado. I had to leave before I said something I would regret. All in all it was a great time, possum and all.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Natural History Museum Pictures
He fell into the exhibit right after I took this picture. yes he did.
Monday, November 4, 2013
'Tis the Season for Soup
I thought of another thing I am thankful for....I am thankful that this accident happened during "soup season" because that is all I can eat. I cannot imagine how I would feel about the consumption of hot tomato soup in the middle of the summer but it sure does hit the spot on these cool fall nights. I mentioned my mom made me four types of soup. I gave her my favorite recipe cards and she made them happen with additions and substitutions of her own. She made my favorite-favorite Spinach Soup. She made Brocolli-Cheddar soup (which, honestly I rarely indulge in because its not the healthiest for you). She made Potato-Leek Soup and Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup. The only recipe I can give you is the one for Spinach Soup. For the others, she did her "thing" and mixed and matched several recipe cards with her own knowledge of how to put something absolutely scrumptious together. And they were all absolutely scrumptious.
Becca's Favorite Favorite Spinach Soup
EVOO
2 garlic cloves
1/2 medium onion chopped
1 stalk celery
1 medium potato peeled and cubed
2 cups chicken or veggie broth
2 cups milk
1 - 6oz bag of fresh spinach
Heat EVOO in large saucepan. Sauté garlic, onion, celery and potato for 5 minutes.
Add chicken broth and milk. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in half the spinach, cover and simmer for 10 more minutes. Cool slightly, then transfer soup to blender WORKING IN BATCHES. (DO NOT- under any circumstances- think you can put all this soup in one blender. Just trust me on this one unless you want to change the paint color in your kitchen, ceilings etc. to seaweed green). Or if you are a lucky duck and have a hand immersion blender, use that. Add remaining spinach and blend until smooth. I always add red pepper flakes at the end - just a little, you can ALWAYS add more but you can never take spice out. SO SO GOOD!
Today I tried my hand at a soup recipe I've had my eye on since before my jaw was broken and it does not disappoint! In fact at this moment I have a mug of it's excellency on my nightside table. If I did not need it pureed, I would have left it chunky but it is packed with flavor so I do not miss the texture quite as much. The recipe below happens to be from Slimming Eats. I added some "non-slimming" ingredients to get more fat and calories in. Either way, its delicious.
I added 5 oz chèvre, soy milk, and extra sweet potatoes. I deleted some of the spice because whereas I usually enjoy spicy foods, it burns too much with the way the wires have treated my gums, lips and teeth. I hope you will try this soup. Its amazing. I used a hand immersion blender that a friend let me borrow (Thanks LC!!). I added the goat cheese and extra water at the end to make it thin enough to drink and it worked great!
Today was my first Post-Op appointment and my first day home alone with George since all this happened. I asked a friend to watch George while I went to the appointment and she was happy to do it since our kiddos are great friends. You might remember her from a previous post- her dad is the one with the motorcycle! The appointment went well and the doctor said most likely these wires will come off November 25th. Yes, that is three days before Thanksgiving so hopefully I will at least be able to eat some mashed potatoes. Not sure if I will be able to open wide enough for a Turkey leg by then- we'll see. He said it will be an outpatient surgery so I will undergo anesthesia and need a ride to and from the office. So unless any of you want to come take me to the doctor that day George will have to take off another day of work. I sure hope they don't fire him!! Only joking, I am sure they will understand and we will be able to work it out. The appointment was quick, easy to find and uneventful- all that I hoped it would be. George had a wonderful time with his friend and we came home. He did whine and cry for some reason today until I put him in front of the iPad. I believe I will count on that tool for a successful week alone with him under these circumstances. Thank goodness for technology.
Now he is asleep and I may not wake him up until George gets home. I am sure I will get the energy I need because of this promise:
"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." (Jer.31:25)
Becca's Favorite Favorite Spinach Soup
EVOO
2 garlic cloves
1/2 medium onion chopped
1 stalk celery
1 medium potato peeled and cubed
2 cups chicken or veggie broth
2 cups milk
1 - 6oz bag of fresh spinach
Heat EVOO in large saucepan. Sauté garlic, onion, celery and potato for 5 minutes.
Add chicken broth and milk. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in half the spinach, cover and simmer for 10 more minutes. Cool slightly, then transfer soup to blender WORKING IN BATCHES. (DO NOT- under any circumstances- think you can put all this soup in one blender. Just trust me on this one unless you want to change the paint color in your kitchen, ceilings etc. to seaweed green). Or if you are a lucky duck and have a hand immersion blender, use that. Add remaining spinach and blend until smooth. I always add red pepper flakes at the end - just a little, you can ALWAYS add more but you can never take spice out. SO SO GOOD!
Today I tried my hand at a soup recipe I've had my eye on since before my jaw was broken and it does not disappoint! In fact at this moment I have a mug of it's excellency on my nightside table. If I did not need it pureed, I would have left it chunky but it is packed with flavor so I do not miss the texture quite as much. The recipe below happens to be from Slimming Eats. I added some "non-slimming" ingredients to get more fat and calories in. Either way, its delicious.
| Spicy Tomato and Lentil Soup |
Author: Slimming Eats
Serves 4
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (175ml) of uncooked red lentils, rinsed
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic crushed
- 1 stick of celery, finely chopped
- 1 leek, finely chopped
- 300g of sweet potato, chopped (like 2 or 3)
- some freshly ginger grated
- 1 tsp of ground cumin
- 1 splash of tabasco sauce
- 2 teaspoons of paprika
- ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 500g of ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped finely (or use a tinned chopped) ( I used one HUGE can of whole Romas since I knew I would puree)
- 2 litres of vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp of tomato puree ( I did not use because I put whole can of tomatoes and included juice)
- salt and black pepper to season
- low calorie spray
- fat free natural yoghurt and fresh parsley to serve
Instructions
- Spray a large saucepan over a medium high heat with low calorie spray. Add the onion, leek, celery and fry until softened.
- Add the lentils, sweet potato, garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika, cayenne and tomato paste and stir to evenly mix.
- Add the stock, tomatoes and tabasco sauce. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 40mins until lentils are soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- If you prefer a smoother soup, then you can blend it to your liking. I prefer to leave this soup as it is. (I ended up adding water and soy milk to make it thin enough for me to drink)
- Serve topped with a spoonful of fat free natural yoghurt and some chopped fresh parsley.
Today was my first Post-Op appointment and my first day home alone with George since all this happened. I asked a friend to watch George while I went to the appointment and she was happy to do it since our kiddos are great friends. You might remember her from a previous post- her dad is the one with the motorcycle! The appointment went well and the doctor said most likely these wires will come off November 25th. Yes, that is three days before Thanksgiving so hopefully I will at least be able to eat some mashed potatoes. Not sure if I will be able to open wide enough for a Turkey leg by then- we'll see. He said it will be an outpatient surgery so I will undergo anesthesia and need a ride to and from the office. So unless any of you want to come take me to the doctor that day George will have to take off another day of work. I sure hope they don't fire him!! Only joking, I am sure they will understand and we will be able to work it out. The appointment was quick, easy to find and uneventful- all that I hoped it would be. George had a wonderful time with his friend and we came home. He did whine and cry for some reason today until I put him in front of the iPad. I believe I will count on that tool for a successful week alone with him under these circumstances. Thank goodness for technology.
Now he is asleep and I may not wake him up until George gets home. I am sure I will get the energy I need because of this promise:
"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." (Jer.31:25)
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Some pictures
presurgery
chicken pot pie
my skeletons
George's class
right before trick or treating
right after trick or treating
my juicer!!!
the LOOT
wired shut.
see, its not as bad looking as you thought, but it feels a heck of a lot worse than it looks, be assured. What you cannot see are four screws that are hidden by my lips that attach the wires. Yippee!
Life Comes At You Fast
I, um, took the week off. Yea... decided that I just did not feel well enough to write. Oh- did I mention I BROKE MY FACE?! Well, I didn't exactly break it, someone else did. I finally feel good enough to write so here's the full version of what happened.
My mom often says that I am an "accident waiting to happen" or another favorite is that my head is like a magnet for things that are heavy, hard and/or fast. She's never really said it that way but I believe thats what she means. Well, last Sunday at my softball game that fact was proven yet again. I rounded third and came in to score. I stepped on home base after a pretty fast run, took two steps and that is when the heavy, hard and fast object smacked me in the face. BAM. Someone made a bad throw to get me out at home I guess. Well the run counted but they got me- thats for sure. George was there (Praise God) and he said I turned and gave him "the look". The look that means, get over here- now- something is not right. It did not hurt right away but my teeth on the left side were raised what seemed like an inch in my mouth. I was numb from all the adrenaline and if I were doing that November challenge everyone is doing on Facebook, the number one thing I am thankful for would be, "I am thankful for adrenaline". Think about it. God put our bodies together by grand design. It was no accident that he programed our bodies to give us a magical shot of analgesic the minute we first experience pain and/or shock. God is good. As I walked to the bench, I sure hope I was not rude because all I wanted was my husband. I think I had that line on repeat, "I just want my husband" each time someone asked me if I was OK. So- we iced it and in all the chaos something shook me loose of the focus on me and my jaw and let me see my child, my sweet child, who had his own phrase on repeat "What, Mommy? What?" I felt so bad and shook off my tears and explained to him in a way that a three year old could understand what had happened to mommy. Poor child. This is the same child who about a year ago saw his daddy fall down as he played beach volleyball and bawled his little eyes out. So we got to the car and George wanted to wait it out and see how I felt later. I think my face said it all because he quickly changed his mind and said OK- what ER should we go to? Out of desperation, we called some new friends of ours to see if they would take little George. This is about the third time we have had to ship our little boy out to another family in desperation. It turns out they were headed straight for the town where I play softball. They were on their way to a party to decorate pumpkins with their little girl. We stood there as George put the carseat in his car and I explained to the husband what happened. My son reached up for his hand and held it as we talked. This was such a gift from God. I was worried about my son being scared or uncomfortable with this plan, but not anymore. It was obvious that he was comfortable. And I will never forget Jennie's face once George was all buckled in his carseat. She took my shoulders and said with her angelic blonde hair and sparkly gold eyeshadow, "You are not putting us out, we will take good care of him, I promise. You go take care of yourself and don't worry". And she's not even Southern. This meant the world to me. We decided what ER to go to and after 5 hours, some X-rays and a CT scan, we had a diagnosis. My mandible (bottom jaw) was broken in two places and considered an "open fracture" because of the blood between my teeth. If it had been broken in just one place, they would have sent me home on antibiotics but no, two breaks makes it unstable and I would go to surgery on Tuesday. It would be up to the surgeon if I needed metal plates or fixation. Another miracle happened- the attending came in and said he wanted to do the surgery that night. Praise God. So by 2:00 AM I was under anesthesia after a discussion about my home state of North Carolina that I barely remember. The next few hours was a blur. George stayed with me all night and "slept" in a chair from 5:30-6:30 AM. Our friends let little George spend the night and we found out later that he stayed up until midnight. We felt SO bad but were also thankful we had arranged for him to be elsewhere. I ate two "meals" of chicken broth Monday in the hospital before they discharged me and headed to the pharmacy for all my scripts. Once George got me home and tucked into bed it was little George's nap time. I could not sleep but both Georges slept like logs for a good three hours. I was up and about, folded laundry and checked email, made sure to update my status on Facebook so that it was officially something that had happened to me. Before I go on, this was NOT a good idea. I should have just sat in bed. I was worn out by dinner time. And HUNGRY. Meet my new best friend, Hungry. Hungry, meet all my blog readers out there, you will hear a lot from each other in the next long while because I am on a liquid diet for at least four weeks. And everything I've read says even when the wires come off, you cannot dive into a hamburger right away. You have to retrain your jaw to chew so the first week is mostly soft pureed foods too. So change that to five weeks of hunger. My mom decided to come which made all three of us completely ecstatic. She missed her first flight which would have put her in LA around 7pm in time to fix my hungry boys dinner. That same friend who took George for the night texted me just in time to say that she would bring chili over. I just cannot get over the kindness and thoughtfulness of some people. Lord, help me be as giving and selfless as my friends and family. Her chili was perfect and she made cornbread too. It hit the spot for the boys and I admit, I blended some and it was good to me too. Mom arrived Tuesday. Need I say more? We didn't do much Tuesday except go to the grocery store in search of anything puree-able. That was also too much for me and I should have stayed home. Wednesday Mom jumped right in with the housework and began to cook meals. Before nightfall she had made four different soups, two chicken pot pies, and a huge pot of her famous spaghetti sauce. Not to mention she entertained little George, changed all the sheets and did about four loads of laundry. I lost count- maybe she did six. At any rate, we all had a hot meal and a clean bed when we hit the hay Wednesday night. Thursday was one of the worst days for me. Headache, nausea, tired, weak, my old friend hungry....all were present on Thursday. I could not miss little George's show at preschool for Halloween so we went to that and I had to talk to everyone about what happened. It was nice to have support so I should not complain, but it just simply hurt my mouth to smile and talk. But his show was super cute and all the kids were dressed up and they sang the most precious little songs. Well, they did not really sing... they listened to the poor teacher sing by herself. That night I pulled myself together and walked down the street to trick or treat. George had such a good time. I really do not care for the holiday myself but I have to admit, it is fun to see your child experience it. He got lots of good candy and chose Nerds and Twizlers as his two treats for the evening. Big George never made it home to see him in his costume. That was a little sad, but like I said, its not my favorite holiday so if he has to miss something, I'm happy with Halloween getting the raw end of the deal. The best thing that happened Thursday, was a box that came in the mail. My friends, my sister and my parents split the cost of a JUICER and sent it to me. One question. What kind of friends buy a juicer for their hurt friend? Answer- MY friends. I have - without a doubt - the best friends and family ever. I was speechless when I opened it. How thoughtful and generous. I mean. So mom and I got right to it and juiced everything in sight. It was a good pick-me-up for this rough day. Friday I turned a corner. Maybe it was the fresh juice. Mom cleaned my entire house top to bottom. She's a professional. How come when I clean my sinks they still look dirty and when she cleans them they look like the Comet commercial? So bright you cannot even look straight at it. So now I have a freezer full of food, a clean house, clean laundry, fresh sheets, and a smoothie in my hand. Friday night we had pizza- well, they had pizza- and watched The Prince of Egypt. Saturday morning George had to take mom pretty early to the airport. When she got there they told her it would probably be Tuesday before she got home. She was able to fly standby as a favor from my uncle who is an airline pilot so no flight is set in stone. Since there was a shooting at LAX Friday all the flights were overbooked for Saturday. I prayed for a miracle because as much as I wanted her to stay, she needed to get back to her life which includes helping a lot of other folks. I think her gift is giving. She gives and gives and gives to anyone and everyone. She never thinks about what she will get out of the deal. She never stops to check her energy gauge to see if she might be wearing herself out. She keeps on giving everywhere she goes, giving the first fruits to everyone she meets. Sometimes I am intimidated by her love and her sacrifice for me. How can I ever repay her, no- not even that...How can I ever tell her how much I appreciate her? If I can be one eighteenth of the person my mother is, I will be proud of myself. And if I can ever get her spaghetti sauce recipe down pat, I will make my husband a happy man. We thought we would have to go back to LAX to pick her up but miraculously, she got on. And she got on her connection in Charlotte and then called me from her bed in Wilmington to tell me all about her trip and to make sure I got enough protein today. So she is home, and about to rest her head and body for whatever tomorrow brings and whomever God calls her to help. Our little family was sad to see her go but glad she was able to make the trip. Its hard to say who will miss her most; will it be me- who needed a lot of practical help and love, or my husband who benefitted with hearty meals and a clean house or will it be little George who had a constant playmate and buddy? Today is Sunday again, one week from my injury. All I can think of are the blessings that came from this.
1. Six inches above or below where the ball hit me would have been traumatic
2. George was at the game
3. Our friends' ability to pick our son up and take him for the night
4. Speedy (ish) care in the ER and immediate surgery instead of a two day wait
5. Out of the hospital the next day
6. My mom was able to come
7. George was able to take two days off because of his co-fellow being so willing to cover
8. My friends sent me a juicer to help keep nutrients in me
9. Cards, flowers and well wishes from loving friends and family and my team
10. George being a doctor and a perfect father and husband through all this. All my meds are in liquid form and he has to mix them correctly. So thankful for all the ways he has made me and our son a priority. So thankful for the patient way he encourages me and tells me to hang in there. He tells me he's proud of me.
I can make it through this.
My mom often says that I am an "accident waiting to happen" or another favorite is that my head is like a magnet for things that are heavy, hard and/or fast. She's never really said it that way but I believe thats what she means. Well, last Sunday at my softball game that fact was proven yet again. I rounded third and came in to score. I stepped on home base after a pretty fast run, took two steps and that is when the heavy, hard and fast object smacked me in the face. BAM. Someone made a bad throw to get me out at home I guess. Well the run counted but they got me- thats for sure. George was there (Praise God) and he said I turned and gave him "the look". The look that means, get over here- now- something is not right. It did not hurt right away but my teeth on the left side were raised what seemed like an inch in my mouth. I was numb from all the adrenaline and if I were doing that November challenge everyone is doing on Facebook, the number one thing I am thankful for would be, "I am thankful for adrenaline". Think about it. God put our bodies together by grand design. It was no accident that he programed our bodies to give us a magical shot of analgesic the minute we first experience pain and/or shock. God is good. As I walked to the bench, I sure hope I was not rude because all I wanted was my husband. I think I had that line on repeat, "I just want my husband" each time someone asked me if I was OK. So- we iced it and in all the chaos something shook me loose of the focus on me and my jaw and let me see my child, my sweet child, who had his own phrase on repeat "What, Mommy? What?" I felt so bad and shook off my tears and explained to him in a way that a three year old could understand what had happened to mommy. Poor child. This is the same child who about a year ago saw his daddy fall down as he played beach volleyball and bawled his little eyes out. So we got to the car and George wanted to wait it out and see how I felt later. I think my face said it all because he quickly changed his mind and said OK- what ER should we go to? Out of desperation, we called some new friends of ours to see if they would take little George. This is about the third time we have had to ship our little boy out to another family in desperation. It turns out they were headed straight for the town where I play softball. They were on their way to a party to decorate pumpkins with their little girl. We stood there as George put the carseat in his car and I explained to the husband what happened. My son reached up for his hand and held it as we talked. This was such a gift from God. I was worried about my son being scared or uncomfortable with this plan, but not anymore. It was obvious that he was comfortable. And I will never forget Jennie's face once George was all buckled in his carseat. She took my shoulders and said with her angelic blonde hair and sparkly gold eyeshadow, "You are not putting us out, we will take good care of him, I promise. You go take care of yourself and don't worry". And she's not even Southern. This meant the world to me. We decided what ER to go to and after 5 hours, some X-rays and a CT scan, we had a diagnosis. My mandible (bottom jaw) was broken in two places and considered an "open fracture" because of the blood between my teeth. If it had been broken in just one place, they would have sent me home on antibiotics but no, two breaks makes it unstable and I would go to surgery on Tuesday. It would be up to the surgeon if I needed metal plates or fixation. Another miracle happened- the attending came in and said he wanted to do the surgery that night. Praise God. So by 2:00 AM I was under anesthesia after a discussion about my home state of North Carolina that I barely remember. The next few hours was a blur. George stayed with me all night and "slept" in a chair from 5:30-6:30 AM. Our friends let little George spend the night and we found out later that he stayed up until midnight. We felt SO bad but were also thankful we had arranged for him to be elsewhere. I ate two "meals" of chicken broth Monday in the hospital before they discharged me and headed to the pharmacy for all my scripts. Once George got me home and tucked into bed it was little George's nap time. I could not sleep but both Georges slept like logs for a good three hours. I was up and about, folded laundry and checked email, made sure to update my status on Facebook so that it was officially something that had happened to me. Before I go on, this was NOT a good idea. I should have just sat in bed. I was worn out by dinner time. And HUNGRY. Meet my new best friend, Hungry. Hungry, meet all my blog readers out there, you will hear a lot from each other in the next long while because I am on a liquid diet for at least four weeks. And everything I've read says even when the wires come off, you cannot dive into a hamburger right away. You have to retrain your jaw to chew so the first week is mostly soft pureed foods too. So change that to five weeks of hunger. My mom decided to come which made all three of us completely ecstatic. She missed her first flight which would have put her in LA around 7pm in time to fix my hungry boys dinner. That same friend who took George for the night texted me just in time to say that she would bring chili over. I just cannot get over the kindness and thoughtfulness of some people. Lord, help me be as giving and selfless as my friends and family. Her chili was perfect and she made cornbread too. It hit the spot for the boys and I admit, I blended some and it was good to me too. Mom arrived Tuesday. Need I say more? We didn't do much Tuesday except go to the grocery store in search of anything puree-able. That was also too much for me and I should have stayed home. Wednesday Mom jumped right in with the housework and began to cook meals. Before nightfall she had made four different soups, two chicken pot pies, and a huge pot of her famous spaghetti sauce. Not to mention she entertained little George, changed all the sheets and did about four loads of laundry. I lost count- maybe she did six. At any rate, we all had a hot meal and a clean bed when we hit the hay Wednesday night. Thursday was one of the worst days for me. Headache, nausea, tired, weak, my old friend hungry....all were present on Thursday. I could not miss little George's show at preschool for Halloween so we went to that and I had to talk to everyone about what happened. It was nice to have support so I should not complain, but it just simply hurt my mouth to smile and talk. But his show was super cute and all the kids were dressed up and they sang the most precious little songs. Well, they did not really sing... they listened to the poor teacher sing by herself. That night I pulled myself together and walked down the street to trick or treat. George had such a good time. I really do not care for the holiday myself but I have to admit, it is fun to see your child experience it. He got lots of good candy and chose Nerds and Twizlers as his two treats for the evening. Big George never made it home to see him in his costume. That was a little sad, but like I said, its not my favorite holiday so if he has to miss something, I'm happy with Halloween getting the raw end of the deal. The best thing that happened Thursday, was a box that came in the mail. My friends, my sister and my parents split the cost of a JUICER and sent it to me. One question. What kind of friends buy a juicer for their hurt friend? Answer- MY friends. I have - without a doubt - the best friends and family ever. I was speechless when I opened it. How thoughtful and generous. I mean. So mom and I got right to it and juiced everything in sight. It was a good pick-me-up for this rough day. Friday I turned a corner. Maybe it was the fresh juice. Mom cleaned my entire house top to bottom. She's a professional. How come when I clean my sinks they still look dirty and when she cleans them they look like the Comet commercial? So bright you cannot even look straight at it. So now I have a freezer full of food, a clean house, clean laundry, fresh sheets, and a smoothie in my hand. Friday night we had pizza- well, they had pizza- and watched The Prince of Egypt. Saturday morning George had to take mom pretty early to the airport. When she got there they told her it would probably be Tuesday before she got home. She was able to fly standby as a favor from my uncle who is an airline pilot so no flight is set in stone. Since there was a shooting at LAX Friday all the flights were overbooked for Saturday. I prayed for a miracle because as much as I wanted her to stay, she needed to get back to her life which includes helping a lot of other folks. I think her gift is giving. She gives and gives and gives to anyone and everyone. She never thinks about what she will get out of the deal. She never stops to check her energy gauge to see if she might be wearing herself out. She keeps on giving everywhere she goes, giving the first fruits to everyone she meets. Sometimes I am intimidated by her love and her sacrifice for me. How can I ever repay her, no- not even that...How can I ever tell her how much I appreciate her? If I can be one eighteenth of the person my mother is, I will be proud of myself. And if I can ever get her spaghetti sauce recipe down pat, I will make my husband a happy man. We thought we would have to go back to LAX to pick her up but miraculously, she got on. And she got on her connection in Charlotte and then called me from her bed in Wilmington to tell me all about her trip and to make sure I got enough protein today. So she is home, and about to rest her head and body for whatever tomorrow brings and whomever God calls her to help. Our little family was sad to see her go but glad she was able to make the trip. Its hard to say who will miss her most; will it be me- who needed a lot of practical help and love, or my husband who benefitted with hearty meals and a clean house or will it be little George who had a constant playmate and buddy? Today is Sunday again, one week from my injury. All I can think of are the blessings that came from this.
1. Six inches above or below where the ball hit me would have been traumatic
2. George was at the game
3. Our friends' ability to pick our son up and take him for the night
4. Speedy (ish) care in the ER and immediate surgery instead of a two day wait
5. Out of the hospital the next day
6. My mom was able to come
7. George was able to take two days off because of his co-fellow being so willing to cover
8. My friends sent me a juicer to help keep nutrients in me
9. Cards, flowers and well wishes from loving friends and family and my team
10. George being a doctor and a perfect father and husband through all this. All my meds are in liquid form and he has to mix them correctly. So thankful for all the ways he has made me and our son a priority. So thankful for the patient way he encourages me and tells me to hang in there. He tells me he's proud of me.
I can make it through this.
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