I am sorry I haven’t updated sooner.

I had surgery on the 16^th of July and it went as well as I could have hoped. They had to remove my left ovary which is what I thought would have to happen. Unfortunate. I was in the hospital from Monday until Friday. I would have gotten out sooner but I have learned that really strong pain medication makes you sick if you have an empty stomach and then I wasn’t allowed to eat because I had gotten sick. It was a bad cycle. I will say that I think morphine is an amazing drug. However, I was fairly flaky when I was taking it so that isn’t the best.  I must say that Community North is a great hospital. I want to go back there if I ever need to be hospitalized again. Prayerfully, that will not happen again anytime soon.

From the surgery, I ended up with six-inch incision and 18 staples. My favorite day was when the removed all the staples. Now I just have some special kind of tape on the wound for the next week and half. I feel like a piece of office equipment with all the tape and staples. I am supposed to be off work for six weeks but we will see how that goes. I feel much better but I still limited in what I can do and get tired fairly easily. The pathology on the growth came back saying that it was a serous cystadenoma. This means that it was a benign tumor. This is good news!  I am excited that I do not have more cancer screenings in my near future. They stress me out. I think that three is enough for now. I am grateful that it is not cancer. I cannot fathom what that would be like.

On another note, I would say that my doctor is an example of God’s provision in my life. Since I moved to Indy barely a month before I noticed the tumor I had yet to find a doctor in town. This caused some serious problems once I realized what was going on. The earliest I could get into any of the doctors that had been recommended to me was August 16^th. So, I went to the neighborhood Marsh to get checked out…no really. (To all my non-Indiana readers Marsh is a local supermarket chain) Several Marsh stores in our area have Med-Checks in the lobby. I walked in, was examined (yikes), given a prescription for two separate ultrasounds and then the Nurse Practioner made a doctors appointment for me that was just six days away. This all happened in the span of two hours. That was the best $49 that I have ever spent. However, I was a little concerned about getting a referral from the checkout aisle of the grocery store. Therefore, I called my friend Katie who graduated from Ball State and was involved in CRU as student who is now a Labor and Delivery nurse at Community North. She said that doctor that I was referred to was good so I went through with the appointment with him instead trying to find someone else. I am so thankful that I did. He was a great doctor after having had a bad time with the ultrasound technician. Also, I found out later that he is a Christian. It was comforting to hear him talk about trusting God in the midst of my life being out of control. This has all been a great reminder that Jesus is in control of my life and not me. I am ever grateful that He is in control.

Currently Listening Passion: Hymns Ancient and Modern By Passion Worship Band see related

Out of Control

 A few weeks ago I turned thirty. It was a fun day and I felt loved. The next day I went to the doctors because I had felt something in my abdomen and it wasn't going away. It turns out that I have a large, and I mean large, pelvic mass. Wow! I am having surgery tomorrow to remove it. Prayerfully it is a cyst and not a tumor. Then I should be in the hospital for two to six days and then I'll be recovering at my mom's for up to six weeks. Craziness.

In the midst of this process my friends and family have been amazing. The people that I work with have had to step in and help in some crazy ways. I've asked what it means to trust God and believe that He loves me and is looking out for my good. I think that I am learning what it looks to walk with God when everything is out of my control. I think that I am flunking this lesson. I really like being in control...obviously I have a lot more to learn.

Details

• Surgery: Monday, July 16th at 2:30
• At: Community North Hospital on the north side of Indy
• The mass: 17cm x 14cm x 8cm...people love knowing this fact for some reason...a guy in my office likes to call it my football...it is about the size of a nerf football
• You can pray that it is a cyst not a tumor and that it isn't cancer
• That I give up control and turn to Christ in the midst of craziness
• That I engage my heart and soul with what is going on around me and don't turn to numbness
• That I love people well in the midst of this
• and that I don't believe lies during this especially while I am at my mom's.

Coming Soon...

Hey all...soon I'll be publishing some details of the crazy summer and how you can pray.

Currently Reading To Kill a Mockingbird By Harper Lee see related

Vienna

Slow down you crazy child

You're so ambitious for a juvenile

But then if you're so smart

Tell me why are you are still so afraid?

Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?

You better cool it off before you burn it out

You got so much to do

And only so many hours in a day

But you know that when the truth is told

That you can get what you want or you can just get old

You're gonna kick off

Before you even get halfway through

When will you realize

Vienna waits for you

Slow down you're doing fine

You can't be everything you want to be before your time

Although it's so romantic

On the borderline tonight

Too bad but it's the life you lead

You're so ahead of yourself that you forget what you need

Though you can see when you're wrong

You know you can't always see when you're right

You've got your passion, you've got your pride

But don't you know only fools are satisfied?

Dream on

But don't imagine they'll all come true

When will you realize

Vienna waits for you

Slow down you crazy child

Take the phone off the hook and disappeaar for a while

It's alright

You can afford to lose a day or two

When will you realize...

Vienna waits for you.

Out of the mouth of Billy Joel comes such sweet wisdom.

My blind date

Well...I got your attention didn't I. Sorry, I am not referring having been set up with a guy but my experience finding a new church to attend now that I've moved to Indy. Now, I feel like I'll be going on blind dates with the body of Christ. I should probably explain why I think it is like a blind date. Hmm...the whole idea is a little awkward, you don't totally know what to wear and you don't know if it will work out but you step out in faith based on the recommendation of a friend. Sounds like a blind date to me. My least favorite part of the morning was the end. Just like that awkward first blind date it is strange to figure out how to leave. I have to remind myself that perfection doesn't actually exist. Over all I enjoyed the church that I went to this morning. There are a few more that I want to check out around the city.

Hmm...strange Indy note of the day...this place is obsessed with the Indianapolis 500. It is like a cult.