Active Recovery

So I'm back! And yeah, there's a food picture on my blog! Thank you, Jenna, for encouraging me to get back to it. Not only does it give me something else to think about, but it's also more "normal"! Yay for normal! Breakfast was an oatmeal and egg white pancake (hadn't had one in awhile and it was fantastic) and some mixed berries and vanilla yogurt. Delish and just as filling as I had remembered!

I have been busy recovering since the last time I posted. Active recovery, with a hubby and 3 kids...but recovery nonetheless! We have been going to Tyler's basketball games like crazy, the season actually winds down in the next 2 weeks. They have done pretty well! Tyler has grown up so much this year, there's something about Jr. High that will do that to ya! He has these girls that text him all the time, and are now saying "hi" to me at his ballgames (what?) and trying to play with Katie, too. Uh huh, trying to get it with the 'rents...I see. I may be young, but I was not born yesterday! *lol* It's quite a trip.

I have also spent the last week completely immersing myself in a new Bible study. I decided to do Beth Moore's Believing God study offered on Lifeway's website. It is all online, so that is very cool! I am so psyched about it. I find myself wanting to do the daily "homework" and am anxious to see what God is going to reveal to me everyday. And, boy is He working! My new favorite verses are:

• "Do not be afraid...just believe." Mark 5:36
• "...Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:10
• "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

And these aren't even the tip of the iceberg of the great strength and joy I have gained from fully trusting in the LORD. My hubby told me the other day that I was so strong and he admired me so much...I just had to point upwards, because that is where my strength come from. I'm not necessarily strong...I am stubborn! So maybe God has used that stubbornness to turn into strength and positivity for me and my family and friends. Yay for Him to use it for His Glory!

I have also stumbled across another positive thing this last 2 weeks. I have been a little spoiled! My friend, Lacey, who is a stylist, has been washing my hair for me (cause I can't raise my right arm above my head until they take the drain out, grrr), and Kim has been washing it this week at Lacey's shop because Lacey is in Mexico on vacay, Kim has also cleaned my bathrooms (poor girl, boys bathrooms are the worst!), Michelle has been my caretaker by changing bandages, cleaning wounds, and just being THERE, and to top it off my sister, Layne and her precious boy Ethan were here for a little over a week; there's nothing better than sister time! My girls, I tell ya, they are the best! I don't what I would have done without them. So, yeah there has been many positives of being post-op!

This Friday we go back to St. Louis to the drs. First is the surgeon who will be taking out the drain...can you say WOO-HOO! I am SO excited about the drain being gone. I feel like I am tethered down with this darn thing...even though I am clearly not. It safety pins to my sports bra and has all but quit draining, so I'm not even having to empty it that often, but it's THERE. And that's enough. I am so excited for them to take it out on Friday! I think the first thing I want to do on Saturday is try to go for a run! Oh, I hope I can! I haven't been able to do ANYTHING for the last 2 weeks. It's been 2 weeks today since I have went for a run...I miss it soooo much! I miss the endorphins, strength, and time to think. So I am hoping I will be able to at least walk/jog some on Saturday. So, anyway, we will do that and we will talk about the next clean-up procedure set for next Wed. Ugh. But at least it is same-day and they will give me something for the post-anesthesia nausea (which was the worst part). Then we will go meet the oncologist. I am anxious to meet him. I hope he's nice. I mean like, warm and fuzzy kind of nice. I need that as a patient. His picture looks nice and my surgeon says he's "very cool." That's good. "Cool" will do, too. And he's the medical director of the whole cancer institute (Siteman Cancer Center)...that HAS to be good!

Anyway, now that my breakfast is posted, it's almost time for lunch...ha! Hope you all are having a great day!