Time to Rest

It's amazing where we are able to find moments of rest, especially when we least expect it. Last Sunday I noticed a pain in my belly that was abnormal for me, but it wasn't awful and the rest of my stomach was upset, so I assumed I had a bug of some kind and pushed through. On Wednesday afternoon, it finally let up and I was able to relax. I was very energetic, actually, and got a lot of class work done and cleaned the house a bit. But when I woke up  in the early morning on Thursday, the pain was back. It was a bit stronger, but Ella had to get to school and I had to take a few things to our Mops meeting in Hermantown. It's not like you can just ignore the kids when mama's not feeling well, right? So off we went.

vintage Samsonite bag as a carry-on for Kenya! (Salvation Army $1.50)

I didn't stay at Mops. I didn't want to share my stomach bug with anyone since I didn't actually know what it was. Instead, Sam and I went to the Salvation Army (not standing close to anyone) where I found some fantastic treasures. It was a great way to distract myself from the pain. Eventually, I got to rest a bit during the kids' naps and I stayed home when our nanny arrived so I could rest in my bed and work on class work at the same time. I had been very hot all day, so I eventually dug out a thermometer. I discovered I had a slight fever, something I knew might not be a good sign with severe right side pain. I paged Pete, got right in at the clinic, and at about 11 Thursday night, I had surgery to remove...you guessed it...my ruptured appendix.

Sammy came for a visit

I'm thankful it happened here in Duluth rather than in two months when we're in Kenya. We have great help here and Pete knows most of the doctors and nurses. The ultrasound tech and radiologist couldn't guarantee it was my appendix, so I also had a CT. When the surgeon finally went in, she said it took her a while to find my appendix since there was so much yuckiness around it. Thank you, Jesus, for skilled surgeons and strong antibiotics. I know that this is not a successful surgery in all places throughout the world.

Unfortunately, all this action may play a role in pushing my thesis work back a bit, but really, that's not a big deal. All will be just fine.

It's amazing how good clear liquids can taste.

Today I'm resting. I've asked that only a very few people visit. I love seeing friends, but it takes a lot of energy to have long conversations in the hospital. Instead, I've slept, sipped chicken broth, shopped on Etsy (dangerous), pinned on Pinterest, and watched a marathon of Say Yes to the Dress on TLC. It was not a restful night with hourly checks of my vitals, so maybe this morning will be better. I'll continue to rest today and may be able to go home on Sunday. If not, it will be Monday. I'm going to soak in the quietness and the beautiful city view from my window and get as much sleep as possible. I truly want this to be a time of rest.

Thank you, friends, for your prayers. I'm grateful for each one of them. Really.