Pressure...we all have it in our lives. Sometimes we encounter it at work.
Hypothetically speaking, sometimes it can be associated with parenting a toddler.
And for others, it comes in the form of your sinuses.
I've been on a several month journey with my Allergist and Ear, Nose, Throat doctors to find out exactly what was causing my raspy voice, incessant cough, and constant sneezing.
Part one was being put on allergy shots for the next five years. A little inconvenient, but no biggie. The second part was a little more (ahem) invasive.
After a sinus xray that could have bought everyone in Belk a free pair of shoes the doctor told me that the tissue in my sinus passages developed aggressively and that there wasn't much room for me to breathe. Therein lied my decade long battle with sinus infections, facial pain and pressure, which overall is SNOT a good combination.
See what I did there?
He then told me that I was a candidate for a newer, very common and successful surgery: balloon sinuplasty and other words that I can't pronounce. I'm convinced that the more syllables you add to a procedure the more they can justify charging.
So for all intensive purposes I had super-cali-fragil-istic-expi-ali-nose-sious.
"Cha-CHING!"
Truthfully, my doctor was phenomenal and said that he only recommends this in patients that he believes will have the greatest benefit from it. I was one of those candidates.
Naturally I celebrated the day before my surgery with a visit to Marble Slab. You know, in case I was never able to taste anything again, which is an extremely rare but reported symptom.
Be safe. Eat sprinkles.
That night my precious Mom came to town, and she and I took a little shopping trip to Versona. This was in case I was never able to see again after the surgery, which also was a very rare yet reported result.
I mean, I've gotta make sure I can see to pick out my clothes. Better get one last shopping trip in in case things don't turn out well.
You mean this doesn't match!?
I didn't rest so well the night before, because I didn't have much room. I wonder why.
At 9:15 that morning I reported to the surgery center. As usual, I was calm and collected during the pre-operation process.
Peas in a pod...
I started to get a little nervous about the "rare" things that have happened during this surgery. What if I lost my sense of smell or sight?!!? But, my sweet mother reassured me that the surgeon (Tab Thompson), who came highly recommended by her best friend, wouldn't do this if I were not a candidate and that based on my test results, it would benefit me.
Still, I had no shame in taking a huge sniff of Emerson's hair that morning as we dropped her off at daycare.
One of the sweetest smells in the world is your little girl's hair.
I am always as kind as humanly possible to my nurses. After all, they hold the keys needles to your success or demise. I made good friends with the anesthesiologist, too. Soon enough, they whisked me away to the surgery room that shared the same climate as my new refrigerator.
Would you like that crushed or cubed?
Then they transferred me onto the operating table, which -I kid you not- was about this wide.
My arms were actually falling off. Was I in the pediatric room? Fortunately they swaddled me like an infant with warm blankets. I kept asking them questions as they cranked up the juice to put me out. It freaked me out that the fluid running through my body was about to block my brain receptors from any state of awareness. Then I panicked, because I couldn't feel myself breathe.
But soon enough I was crossing over into the great beyond and didn't know a thing that was happening to me. I thought of the most beautiful places possible in case something were to happen to my sight. These places included Heaven and Disney World.
Before I knew it came a combination of extreme nausea, fingers in my face (can you see, Mrs. Moody?), and rapture-like lights in the recovery room. I was so sick and out of it that I sat there for over an hour begging not to be moved, and my legs felt as stable as Kanye West's emotions.
What's hilarious? Earlier that morning I told my Mom that we could go to Sam's and run some errands when the surgery was over.
Miss? We're having free samples today. Can you hear me??
Who was I fooling? I stumbled to the car in an uncoordinated fashion and slept the entire afternoon in between crying. Later that night I decided to read my recovery instructions: little or light activity for the week. Here's my example of light activity.
24 hours after surgery I was moving tables and chairs and decorating for Karen's baby shower. In hindsight perhaps I should have thought more carefully about the timing of the surgery, but I guess I just think I'm Hercules.
We are SO happy for Karen and James! Their families are loved by so many people, and Baby Upshur has already been covered in so many prayers.
Here is a prayer tree with specific Bible verses for many aspects of the baby's life.
And here are many of the guests.
Will the baby be a boy or girl? WHO 'NOSE!' That title couldn't have worked out any more perfectly.
I spent that afternoon snuggling with my mini-me before singing at a CONCERT with our Praise Band that night!
Selections included "Amazing Grace, My Pains Are Gone," "Mighty to Sneeze," and "All the Poor and Stuffy."
Miraculously I made it through church the next morning and then subsequently crashed.
There are four people in this picture!
This past weekend was wonderful, too! We had an "Inspire Renewal" weekend and kicked off on Saturday evening with a church fish fry, which I like to call "hallelujahs and hush puppies."
And we had special services on Sunday morning and evening. I love these people so much!
Afterwards we enjoyed the Oscars with Dorothy.
Dr. Sonny Holmes spoke to us this weekend, and he and his wife experienced a devastating loss when their son was murdered a few years ago. Yet, they are a true testament to what Jesus can do in and through us and despite the worst of circumstances. Sonny made many fantastic points this weekend, but one thing in particular will always stick with me...
Often in a terrible situation we ask, "How can I get out of this?" when we should be asking "What can I get out of this?" People accepted Jesus at their son's funeral and are now sharing the Gospel with many others. Nothing is an accident, even if it's a tragedy. God knows all and sees all, and He IS working. He is always working. Have you ever been to a theme park or in a mall and run across the "pardon our progress" signs? Sometimes work is messy. Windows are taped up, building materials are scattered everywhere, and temporarily things can be less than desirable. But the end result is beautiful, and all beauty and glory comes from the Father.
Sometimes life is just a mess...perhaps even created by the unexpected.
Like this morning when Emerson discovered post-its and tore off approximately 100 of them in Jay's room.
Toddlers: making messes out of organizational products since the beginning of time.
Be kind. Be giving. Be grateful for your messes.
