I Get By With A LOT of Help From My Friends

So even though the Beatles got by with a little help, I've needed way more than a little help. Oct 26, I had my fourth surgery since Sept 10th. It was the least invasive I've had with only local anesthesia, but it knocked me sideways the hardest. I could not do ANYTHING after the initial anesthesia wore off except sleep and lay still in bed watching the rain out the window. I have learned things I never knew about the body as fluids from my swollen lymph nodes ran wild through my latest incision and a nerve got caught in a pain loop. Fun times. God bless my amazing patient husband who bandaged me repeatedly and took such good care of me.

During the slow healing, I have been blessed by family and many friends. One friend who is a massage therapist came all the way to my house ( a LONG drive for him) to work on me! Another friend carved a pumpkin in my honor as part of his annual pumpkin carving. I had to double up on pain meds just to be able to go out for an hour so I could see the pumpkins. My quotable quote when I saw it was "If I wasn't so high I'd cry right now." Once I was home and still, I did cry.


Several friends brought food, cooked dinner and sent gift cards for take out. Family members took Ian for a long weekend so he could relax with cousins, and friends took Ian on a night hike in the woods with legit park rangers and to IHOP to make pancake monsters for dinner. A friend who knows how much I love sweets brought me custom chocolates and pound cake. Amidst all that, there are cards and daily phone calls and texts. I can't say thank you enough.

It's amazing how much encouragement every small act of support has communicated to me. There have been a couple times the last couple weeks when I have struggled a little to stay positive. I straight up asked my surgeon "What is wrong with me? Have you seen all of this before? Be honest." He told me he had seen it all, but he had never seen all of the different things happen in the same person. "But you clearly are not daunted and know what to do with all of them." He assured me that he was good if I was good - and this conversation took place last week while I was being prepped for the fourth surgery which removed some disruptive scar tissue under the skin that was keeping me from healing. So here we are a little over a week later and for the first time at a follow up, we got great news. I'm healing. For real.

I walked into all this knowing that God is in control. I've physically been through the wringer and I know that none of it was a surprise to Him. Each day is filled with appointments and new challenges that I many times don't see coming. None of this has gone according to erika's plan, and that is just fine. I now appreciate each moment that I feel healthy and every hug I get from my hubby and sweet Ian. Life is good, really good. Breathe it in and let your friends and family know you love them and appreciate them - use words if necessary.