Skip to main content

life will go on...eventually

     I genuinely believed after having this major surgery, my quality of life would greatly improve. Don’t get me wrong-the surgery did relieve me of my headaches and for that, I am truly grateful. But it seems to have brought on another set of problems that I wasn’t prepared for. It has been frustrating, discouraging and most of all, very painful. My numerous doctors seem to believe that the surgery exacerbated a problem I began having before the surgery-arthritis in my hands. Now, it’s throughout my entire body and some days, it is hard to get out of bed, much less walk. It takes more strength than I knew I had. Pain meds and arthritis meds don’t seem to help much and some days are far worse than other. But I keep going, regardless because I have to. I pray daily for healing but I find myself asking why…why after going through such a traumatic event in my life, believing I was going to move onto something better, does this have to happen now? What am I supposed to be learning for this? So I pray for guidance, understanding and hope that one day I will get some relief from this.

     Asking for help seems to be the least of my concerns anymore…I can’t even open a bottle of water without asking for help. There is no sense in being prideful there. Matt has to help me get up stairs. Just getting out of my car after a 45 minute ride takes my breath away from the pain in my knees and ankles. I cannot describe how much this upsets me…how ashamed it makes me. Yes, ashamed. I can’t do anything that requires strength without asking for help. So if that’s my lesson…so be it.

     I began to think God was being cruel…I tried to believe that for a while. Why would you get me through this surgery to take away one pain only to give me another pain far worse than anything I have ever experienced? (And I’ve given birth twice-I know pain.)  What are you supposed to be teaching me? Not to be prideful? Done. It’s okay to ask for help? Done and done. That it’s okay to be weak? Done. What else? The idea of a brain tumor never scared me for a moment. I cried once; the day I found out. I was more anxious than anything and that was to have the surgery, get on with my life and be pain free. Was that asking too much?


     I am angry. I am beyond frustrated. I’m also tired of going to doctor after doctor after doctor. I now have a specialist for everything! Heart, ENT, brain, nerves, endocrine…I wonder if I collect them all, maybe I’ll win a prize. I am tired of being in pain. I cannot move a single muscle without hurting somewhere. Even my toes hurt. But I will keep going…because I am far too stubborn to let anything defeat me. Somehow, I will find a way to enjoy life again, pain or no pain. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

courage

My life really only started when I turned 30. Sure, that sounds crazy. But there is a significant difference in “life” and actual living. It is having the courage to walk away from something so painful and so toxic. It is having faith that no matter what foot you step out on, God is going to be in step with you. It is taking that first deep breath, exhaling all the negative and nastiness in your life and going forward, reassuring yourself you will never have to look back. And I didn’t. I have this tattoo on my shoulder. I put it there so I’d see it all the time. It’s a constant reminder to me. It says “courage is fear that has said it’s prayers”. I don’t remember how I came across it but it was not long after my brain surgery. That one quote means everything to me. The course of events that has taken place in my life over the last seven years has been nothing short of a miracle. February 17th is an important day to me and one I will remember like my birthday or my anniversar...

every day

Sitting in the parking lot of Hardee's today, I turned my radio off and just looked around. I watched the numerous cars as they passed by. I watched clouds roll in from the rain. I just stared off, thinking about this place that I call home. It has been my home for the better part of 20 years. It brings me comfort and peace. I feel safe here. Growing up as a military kid, I never knew what home was. I hold on to that sense of safety and security but not naive to the fact that we do not live in a perfect world. Violence can be seen in the news daily; so much so that I grow tired of watching. It's depressing. This morning was no different. Senseless killing of innocent people has been happening in our world for generations. Why is it only recently that more and more people take notice? Because it's hitting way too close to home and people are beginning to realize that life is precious and cannot be taken for granted. Sadly, most people figure that out when it's too late...

His Legacy

In the summer of 1997, I showed up on his doorstep with a three-month-old baby on my hip. After explaining that this was his grandson, he welcomed us both into his home and our lives forever changed. From that moment, the sun rose and set on his grandson and he could do no wrong in his eyes. As my son grew, it became obvious that he felt the same. Where you saw Andrew, you saw Nathaniel. Andrew was so proud of his sweet boy. He took Nathaniel with him everywhere. To the cow fields, where they would feed the cows together; to church where he grew to love his “Preacherman”, and even on the tractor. McDonald’s was always his favorite trip; he couldn’t live without his chicken nuggets. They were two peas in a pod, as their grandma used to say. That never changed. Andrew always made me feel apart of the family, even when I felt like an outsider. One of the conditions to coming to live with him was that I went back to high school and graduated. He made sure he had a front row seat ...