Stinkin' Stones

Yeah!  Stinkin' stones!  Would't you think they could have held off a little while and not pop up in the middle of a crazy few weeks of Sacraments, dances, birthdays and plays?  Ah well, not much we can do but say "yes" and accept these goofey burdens/crosses when they come our way.  Last Wednesday, I had to have a second "blasting" surgery.  It was not a BLAST, by the way.  Although I'm very happy to say that I did not react to the antibiotic and thankfully, had a normal recovery.  I actually woke up!  No hives or throwing up this time.  I was able to walk on my own, get dressed, sipped the sprite and munched on crackers.  I was such a good patient this time around!!  Go me!!!

++Thank you, God, for a smooth surgery the second time around!!++

A Young momma

Last Monday, after our beautiful blessed Sunday, I had a birthday.  My last year in the 30's.  Better enjoy it while I'm young, eh?  Because I was still recovering from my kidney stone surgery and the fun stent, I was feeling not so young.  But thankfully, God blessed me in so many ways - kids and hubby who loved me and jumped all day for me to make me more comfortable (Neil even had lunch delivered), sweet friends stopped over gifting food and a Catholic Russian Doll set.  My sisters gifted me with Bath and Body Works lotions and soaps.  My in-laws dropped off some morrel mushrooms to fry up and eat - yummy!!!  And I received many texts and phone calls wishing me a "happy birthday".  I felt so loved and blessed, despite feeling cruddy.  God's grace has a way of distracting your mind sometime to focus on and enjoy the love around you a little more on special days like this.  And, I sure felt the love.  It was a great day!

++Thank you, God, for the gift of life and all these birthday blessings!!++

A cross for me and a challenge for you

How fast things can change in a day, right?

We were praying for a friend's dad who was in a very bad accident last Wednesday night during family prayers and I mentioned that comment above.  Little did I/we know, it would soon happen in our own family....

I had an appointment Thursday at my urologist because I had passed a kidney stone a month ago, and my family doc wanted me to have a follow up with one and get this kidney stone problem and long history of them figured out.  When I got there, my doctor wanted to scan my kidneys and compare them to what they looked like a month ago. Upon reviewing the scans, he came in the room and started sketching on a piece of paper and showed how that one was gone, but there was one brewing back then that was reaking havoc currently and was in a very dangerous spot.  I had a 15 mm kidney stone right at the top of the ureter and blocking or about to block any output.  Bad, bad, bad.  He wanted to do a same day surgery, but said since I wasn't showing any symptoms or pain, he'd let me wait til the next day.  

Lots of scrambling on Thursday when I got home.  .  Tried to get Lady to take a bottle, since she is a 100% nursing baby.  Every attempt was failed.  What would we do?  She had to eat, right?  And it's very likely she can't nurse with me having surgery the next day.  Yikes!!  We did what we could and had to trust God in the rest that He would help our little girl and work all that out.  

Friday rolls around.  Surgery not til afternoon.  No eating after midnight, so of course, I was a starving girl.  No biggie.  Definitely didn't want to chance an icky belly and getting sick there.  We show up to the surgery center.  Get my IV.  Find a nursing baby safe antibiotic.  All is good!!  Right?  Not right...  When they cranked up the antibiotic on me, I immediately started throwing up and broke out into hives.  Minutes before surgery!!!!!  They wheel me back.  I"m still yacking.  I'm laid on the table in the OR.  And they give me Benadryl via IV since I'm covered in hives.  And then I'm out....  45 minutes of surgery.  Blast the frickin' stone and placement of the stent.  If you don't know what a stent is, just be thankful you don't.  2+ hours of recovery (which was only supposed be 20 minutes!).  The surgery center is about to close and I'm Miss Dopey Thing.  I'm still getting sick.  They threaten to take me to the hospital, but I can't make myself wake up - lol!  Hubs says he'll play nurse and is comfortable taking me home and take care of me there.  Thankfully they send these handy dandy disposal containers, because of course, the yacking continues.  Fun!  Kids come home.  We pray our family prayers with me zonked on the couch and I'm sure everyone laughing at Miss Dopey Mommy.

Saturday comes bright and early and I'm awake.  And hungry!!  Hubs graciously grabs a yummy breakfast from Caseys - breakfast pizza and donuts (my favorite white frosted ones even!).  He really does make a great nurse for me. "In sickness and in health", eh?  He's great at living out that part.  Did I mention I've had multiple surgeries, including 9 c-sections?  Yeah, he's got that part down!  

Fast forward through some pretty big things on Sunday and another special day on Monday (more posts coming!!).  I had been having some complications yesterday and today and I went back in today.  Got re-scanned.  The big monster stone is broken up in pieces, but still not ready to pull the stent.  Gotta make it do its thing and give it more time.  Grin and bear the pain and other fun things that follow (I'll spare you the yucky details).  

Anyways, so what am I rambling about?  What is the challenge?  I'm yucky.  Miserable.  So so so so so so unomfortable.  But doing my best to choose joy and still be loving. My health issues are minor compared to what they could be.  I'll accept this cross chosen especially for me.  For some reason, God really likes blessing me with these stones, and for some reason they have something to do with my sanctification.  So my challenge for you comes from this quote I came across today, which is God's perfect timing and planning....  

"We can cure physical diseases with medicine but the only cure for loneliness, despair and hoplessness is love."

~St Teresa of Calcutta

St. Teresa of Calcutta was around death and sickness all long, and knew that many health issues have a cure through medicine.  But she also knew there was a very heavy cross that she faced on a regular basis and knew there was a cure for this one as well.  This type of cross affects SO many people daily.  Lonely, sad, left-out, despairing people.  People I know.  People you know. And how do we help them?  LOVE.  Yes, love.  Reach out and love them.  Step out of your comfort zone.  Step out of your group of friends and open up your heart to them.  God will guide you and show you how.   

Please join me in prayer for these people who are forgotten about by others that they will always know Our Lord doesn't forget them.  He loves them.  He is there.  Always!!  And, through many of you kind and loving people, I know you will be His hands and feet and heart to share his love with the world!!  

A "not so perfect" end of Lent and Holy Week

Phew!  It truly is Holy Week and the end of Lent, huh?  We started this week (or rather ended last week) with me fighting severe hives and an allergic reaction and I ended up being hospitalized Saturday and Sunday evening.  I came home Monday, but am fighting symptoms still, not to mention the nasty side-effects of being on steroids.  I had a kidney stone (blasting) surgery two-and-a-half weeks ago, and it's still unsure if medication given to me from that is what triggered my body to explode like this.  I am a mystery to the doctors right now and have many follow-up appointments in the next couple weeks to try to figure things out.  I was covered from head to foot in hives (literally!) and here a two pictures of my legs to show you how beautiful they were and a picture of my sweet little visitor who came in to say "hi" and bring me good cheer.... 

sweet smiley Rose....   it was SO hard being away from her those 2 nights while I was in the hospital! 

God is so amazing and wonderful, and comes to us "in flesh" when hard times and CrAzInEsS like this hits.  My family was amazing -- helped with kids throughout the day and overnight.  My mother and sister took me to the ER after my family medical doctor shooed me out of her office and sent me there right away.  My mom even stayed the night with me the first night (like she says - "once a mother, always a mother" - thanks, Mom!  I love you!!!!).  My older sisters ran Ariel's birthday party, which had to change last minute and only include cousins.  My sister-in-law brought a meal to feed our crew, a sweet friend stopped by to visit while I was in the hospital and left food/goodies at our house, another friend made a yummy meal, and not to mention, the countless emails, phone calls, messages from all our other family and friends.  God truly made His love and presence known and made bearing this cross much lighter and easier.  Thank you, God!!!

Now, like I said, all that happened at the start of the week....  Then we were hit with many deaths as the week went on.  Two of them were sisters that our children train with and are part of our TKD family - truly heartbreaking!!  Please pray for their family - their mother just gives and gives of herself for our TKD family and is almost always present when we are there for classes.  Her girls were always bouncing around and bubbly as ever, and will truly be missed.  The other death was the husband of our local Pro-life NFP doctor, and had a tragic death as well.  And, then we also found out that a sweet friend of mine lost her brother-in-law and we lost a wonderful lady from our parish.  May God send His love and presence to all the families involved in these deaths and may the faithful departed rest in peace....

We really went "all out" last year for both Holy Thursday and Good Friday, and enjoyed our Liturgical Teas to bring such beauty and meaning to these Holy Days.  But, being on survival mode all week and still today, we had to simplify our plans quite a bit.  For Holy Thursday, we thankfully made it to Mass and our sweet baby Olivia was one of the twelve to have had her feet washed.  It was absolutely *precious*!  She totally lit up when Msgr went to wash her piggies and of course, Msgr and the two deacons were all smiles as well.  What a beautiful bonding and gracefilled moment this was.  Probably similar to the gesture of love that our new Pope Francis made when he washed the feet of two women and shocked the world on the same day.  For today (Good Friday), I made a breakfast egg "crown" (made from crescent rolls and scrambled eggs), the kids colored some pictures and we were able to pull off a very simplified version of a Good Friday Liturgical Tea for dinner.  This added some comfort and tradition to our celebrations and although was served on paper plates (again -- we are still on "survival mode"), it was still very nice. 

a breakfast egg "crown" bake

crucifixion coloring pages

crucifixion coloring pages

crown of thorns (see this link from our 2012 post for more details)

crown of thorns refried bean dip (see this link from 2012 post for more details)

Here are some more pictures that show our "not so perfect" end of Lent and Holy Week.... as you can see, we became WAY behind on our Jesus tree with the CrAzY last couple weeks.  And, not all the kids got their coloring done on our REPENT cross....

2013 Jesus tree (looks like we'll still be adding a few pieces throughout the Easter season)

our 2013 REPENT cross and calendar

Although the last couple weeks haven't gone according to *our* plans, we still give our thanks and trust to our wonderful God, because all is perfect in His eyes and He always works everything out according to His plan.