I Walk By Faith

Yesterday they took care of the other side of my neck at the skin Dr.  "Taking care" is becoming a pain.  I do only have one more known surgery to go, but the way the Dr. talked, I might be frequenting his office more.  I know they want me in there every 6 months.  I'm good with wellness checks. . .  but I'm running out of good neck space.

I feel like I did when I learned all our children needed glasses.  It seemed like the day before, they were perfect.  Then, the school nurse tested their eyes the next day and poof!  They were wearing glasses!  Their perfect bodies needed adjusting. 

Last night I was supposed to go to Enrichment.  I was really looking forward to it.  But I had come home from the Dr. with a huge scarey bandage.   I didn't have the nerve to tramatize all those women.  So, I cancelled out.  We were supposed to bring shoes that represented our lives.  I could have worn any shoes in my closet, because at this point in my empty nest life, I find myself walking by faith every day.   "Lead thou my feet.  I do not ask to see the distant scene.  One step enough for me."   I know that if I walk uprightly, my prayers will be heard for the needs (like glasses) of those I love, and even for the faith to know that a Dr.'s hands will be guided. 

 
 

What I've Learned

It's been almost a week since my little neck surgery.
Some of the things I've learned:

1.  The big padded gauze bandage tape was not what was stretching my skin.  It was those tight little stitches.  When I tried to hang a left to get out of the parking lot, I felt like a board!   I couldn't look left without turning my whole upper body left.  I honestly was still in the parking lot when I realized I should've just ask for a full face lift.

2.  There is not a bandage in any Walgreen's that sufficiently covers my stitches.  I've filled the trash with band aid papers from big "skin" colored (not!) patches that stuck to my poor hair, to craft project clusters of 10 regular band aids with the pads all lined up in the shape I needed, to a big bandage secured across the back by a regular bandage, to finally the success of a big bandage with translucent waterproof edges, except for the back edge, which I carefully cut off so my hair would be free of the sticky.

3.  I also have been up on the latest scarf tying / draping techics.

4.  Getting ready for church requires extra time.  After 3 changes of clothes, knowing the key accessory would have to be the scarf, I finally was satisfied.  Then, sitting in choir practice I couldn't feel my slip, so I stopped for a double check on the way to the chapel.  I was right. . .  slipless!  My luck, the choir was singing.  Great!  I suddenly remembered my 80 year old, prim and proper friend, Dorothy, in our family ward. When asked to say the closing prayer at church, she wouldn't have declined, even though she had forgotten her slip.  It wouldn't have been so bad except that it happened the last time she prayed, too!

5.  I recommend scheduling this sort of thing in the winter months, when high collared clothing is perfect for camouflage.   Summer in Arizona just doesn't work.

Or maybe Halloween . . .

Today Was a Day

Today was a day I was not looking forward to.  It was the Skin Dr. appointment day that has been on the calendar for a couple of months.
 
I had had two little places on my neck looked at in June, and sure enough, I was a candidate for surgery (outpatient, thankfully).  After 2 appointments, three biopsies were taken (one of the irritations I was completely  unaware of).  Sunscreen is the keyword, here.  I experienced a couple of bad burns in my youth; enough to know that my only pale skinned remedy for life, would be to steer clear of the sun for too long.

As I sat in the empty waiting room for them to call me today, I quickly bowed my head, praying that things would go fine.  It made me recall other waiting rooms throughout my life that I had closed my eyes and  silently pleaded in prayer for things to go fine.  It's funny, how many times and places those kind of prayers occur, and how meaningful they are. 

They called me back and proceeded to make small talk, relieving some of my anxiety.  But, I did have a question or two.  Since they would be working on my neck, I wanted to make sure the Dr. knew how delicate some of those veins are (in case he forgot).  I had been practicing at home and had come up with some crafty pinches to hold the skin away from my "life".  I was prepared to show him.  When he described his own pinching the skin away, I knew we'd be OK.  He assured me that he had never had problems before and let me know it was his goal to never have those problems in the future.  I felt better knowing we were both on the same page about that.

He also told me the surgery today would be on the mystery spot I hadn't detected, because it was the biggest (sheeeesh), and if I could get through this one, the other 2 would be a breeze.

It took him 2 tries before he was done.  I went from a quarter size scar the first try, to a half dollar size.  Then it was stitch up time.  More numbing, etc.  He would have made a great seamstress, I think, because when I ask how many stitches, he told me - 25.  He held out his hand when we were through, for a friendly handshake.  I shook it with a sigh of relief.  The nurse continued to patch me up.  She held up her hand in a sign language "C" with the fingers 4 inches apart to show me the size of the scar.  I'll be fine.  It's over.  I took my prescriptions and walked to the checkout window.   I scheduled the next surgery in two weeks.   I hustled to the car in the blazing sun and bowed my head gratefully again.

Only 2 more appointments  to go.

Attitude

"Attitude is the mind's paintbrush.  It colors every situation."

(This hit the spot today.)