Blessings and Poop

Oh Lord this had not been a pleasant spring thus far.   My mother-in-law died and was buried on February 1.  She had been hospitalized for nearly a month and was suffering horribly for  a time.  Stan drove down to St. Petersburg just days before she died and I am so grateful that he had that time with her.  Becky, the kids, and I left that Saturday to drive and I woke up with an abscessed tooth.  I got my medication took it like a good girl and when I got back went to see my dentist....who referred me to a dental surgeon because of an impacted wisdom tooth.  I never had those little pesky things removed and they  lay dormant all these years just lurking under my gums.  It helped that the oral surgeon looked like Dennis Quaid.  I still was scared spit less. It took nearly two hours to complete the surgery and involved removing a small part of my jaw. I apparently sang and hummed "the sun will come out tomorrow" from Annie the entire time except when I launched into "when your a jet your a jet all the way....  lalalala from West Side Story. They thought it was hysterical.   Post op orders were soft and liquids for the next month.   My Boss had the right idea when he said it sounded like vodka and ice cream time! I started private Pilates class with Fiona to increase my core strength and to help my posture and also for weeks I had just not felt good.  Not bad just low energy, lack of motivation, and kind of an "eh" attitude.  I worked my 6 day stretch and then watched the twins for Becky.  We made big plans with Joshua's two babies and Becky's three for a weekend and had lovely things for everyone to do.  I got nauseated on that Monday and went to work on Tuesday and left after 30 minutes to go back home.  I had generalized abdominal pain and felt a good fart would relieve all symptoms.  I ended up back at my hospital that afternoon when the pain localized to my lower right side.  I cannot say enough about the staff at St Martin Hospital.  I know that I am part of the family but I have watched them give the care to others that they gave me.  I was coddled and pampered and cared for from the moment I walked in from the ER staff to lab and xray.  I had an appendicitis and needed to be transferred.    That night at LGMC South I had emergency surgery and it was discovered that my appendix had ruptured.  I thought I was tough.  I breezed thru a bilateral mastectomy in 2003  but this had knocked my socks off.  The surgeon told me that I was a little older this time around... duh.  The worst thing is the crying.  I cannot stop the tears and do not know why.  I do remember coming to in recovery hoping that my mom was there.  I fully woke up and that lingering thought made me cry.  Becky spent the first night with me and I was dreaming about my mom.  I awoke with the thought " I am there, in her hands" as I looked at the sleeping form of my precious daughter  and I realized what an awesome gift that I had been given.  Pooping becomes the obsession.  If you don't poop you cannot leave.  If you take pain medication you  don't poop.  I quit my last narcotic on Thursday and Friday morning requested a gram of Tylenol and 600mgs of Motrin every eight hours.  I also told them to get me a ducolax pill.  I gained my release Saturday after I could prove that I could eat and poo.  The only lingering problem I have is this incessant crying.  A car commercial just set me off.   I am walking almost upright and decided that my focus now need to be my many many blessings and not these medical problems that should have occurred in my 20s. 
I am BLESSED to be alive and to be able to see the humor in this whole mess including the crying.  I am blessed that I work for St. Martin and that the entire staff is like family.  I am blessed that I have 5 dogs that are not house broken yet(do not ask me to explain why that is a blessing).  I am blessed that I have not used my e-cig for a week.  I am blessed that I have little pain that is controlled by non narcotics.  I am blessed that I have a husband who is caring for me and waiting on me hand and foot.  I am blessed that I have a daughter that has the DNA of my mom and that she is so loving and caring.  I am blessed that my son is rediscovering himself and making a place in paradise. I am blessed that I CAN cry,  I am blessed that I have a strong connection to many people and they came out in messages and calls of support.  I can only hope that in their time of need that I can be such a blessing.  I am blessed that I am a believer and that prayer is just not a word for me but an actual activity.   And last but not least I am so very glad that I can poop... it opens all kinds of doors