Post Surgery Report

So, I had surgery on March 2nd to remove an ovary and the baseball sized mass that was attached to it. I am doing well. That being said, here is what I have learned from my first ever surgery:

• Operating rooms are FREEZING cold. I think it is to distract you from the procedures they are about to perform. FREEZING cold, everything they connected to me, made me JUMP it was so cold. My TEETH were chattering in the recovery room.
• Anesthesiologists are funny people
• The surgeon likes to talk to you in RECOVERY because they know that you are not yet coherent enough to ask questions and then they tell your family the important details so that all of your information is second hand and therefore questionable.

Things I learned during my time off for recovery:

• Local anesthetics work well and therefore when the doctor suggests taking it easy, you SHOULD take it easy because when the local anesthetic wears off - you pay for it if you haven't.
• Moms still like to be Mom for their children at ANY age.
• I can be perfectly content with my house in a state of disaster so long as I am busy within the clutter. However, if I am still long enough to look at it and I am not tired....I CAN NOT STAND IT.
• My husband thinks that I don't mind clutter at any point.
• Either I do not know how to ask him or instruct him or my husband really does not know how to take care of me when I am "sick" / recovering. (I learned this once before when I had pneumonia but had forgotten until now) OR
• I don't want my husband to take care of me so I try to do it myself
• I need to learn how to be still
• I need to learn how to ask for help
• I need to find someone to take care of getting my kids up and off to school when I am sick or if I ever need surgery again because it really screwed me up to have to wake up at 6am and drive them to school (I know I have a husband but he does have to be to work before 6am.)
• Dogs want to go out more often when I am home.
• Dogs want to come in more often when I am home.
• Cats like to snuggle with me when I am in bed.
• The phone only rings when I finally get to sleep.
• Lots of people love me

I know I learned more, but those are the highlights.

Frustration of the day...

The South Bend Tribune reported today about two totally different topics and the combination made me CRAZY. I know that I have been frustrated by it before but never had it so CLEARLY frustrated me than the way it was presented to me today.

#1 NASA craft successfully enters Mars' orbit. It's expected to gather more data than all previous missions combined. In the fall, the orbiter will begin exploring the Martian atmosphere, scan the surface for evidence of ancient water and scout for future landing sites to send robotic and possibly human explorers. The $720 million mission is managed by JPL in Pasadena. Click here for the whole story

#2 (I can't find the story but I know it was there) There was once again a story about the South Bend Community School Corporation needing to cut money from their programs. It was the Head Start program but still an educational program cut...$52 million. (wonder if we could borrow some funds from NASA)

Why I love the work of Dean Koontz...

"I'm happy." I assured him....

"You're at peace, son. There's a big difference."

"Which would be what?"

"If you're still, and if you don't hope too much, peace will come to you. It's a grace. But you have to choose happiness."

"It's that easy, is it? Just choose?"

"Making the decision to choose isn't always easy."

"This sounds like you've been thinking too much."

"We sometimes take refuge in misery, a strange kind of comfort. But no matter what happens in life, happiness is there for us, waiting to be embraced."

"Sir, did this come to you after three bottles of Negra Modelo, or was it four?"

"It must have been three. I never drink as many as four.

-Dean Koontz, Forever Odd
(a conversation between Odd Thomas and
Chief Wyatt Porter)