Shifting Focus
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
If you made it through my entire last post, CONGRATULATIONS!! That was a long, wordy compilation of thoughts. Here I am in week 2 of my recovery already, and it still feels surreal. I have shared with some friends that when I woke up from surgery I felt like I was living the movie Groundhog Day! “I have done this before, but where am I and what is going on?” I am also waiting for Thanksgiving break… Hahaha! It is hard to believe that today is December 7th already and Christmas is only 18 days away!!
I did have one minor setback last Friday. My right arm had been feeling a little sore from the IV that was removed and I figured it was residual bruising or something causing the discomfort. Unfortunately, that was not the case. While I was showering I noticed that there was a bump and some significant swelling in my lower arm. It was sore to touch and I had a difficult time straightening and bending my arm. Darn it! I knew right away that I needed to call my clinic so we could figure out what exactly was happening. The triage nurse recommended that I come in to the Emergency Department so I could have an Ultrasound on my arm and make sure it is not a DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis). Those are the more dangerous blood clots that cause strokes and such.
I was feeling incredibly disappointed. First of all, I did not want a repeat experience of waiting in Emergency for hours before I could be seen. Secondly, Darek was finally having a full, productive morning of work, and here I was again interrupting him. Finally, I really didn’t want to have more drama to report. I am ready to move into the season of “Healed!”
We loaded the car and headed down the Highway toward the hospital (again). Thankfully, we were only a few miles down the road when my nurse called me to discuss the symptoms again. She recommended that we return home and set up a Video telehealth visit with the clinic PA. We did just that, which turned out to be a wonderful alternative. The PA was able to see that the clot was most likely in the superficial vein beneath the site of the IV. She prescribed an antibiotic so I would not end up with cellulitis or some other infection, and she ordered an Ultrasound of my arm. Monday morning I went in bright and early to have the ultrasound, and the report showed that there are two clots in superficial veins. No DVT, praise God! I was then prescribed blood thinner shots, which I will be on for a month. The Ultrasound will then be repeated to ensure that the clots have completely dissolved.
Now, to set minds at ease, I will say that clotting is a risk factor post surgery, and is heightened for people with cancer. I am not exactly sure why that is the case, but it is. It is because I already knew this, that I was not completely surprised when we learned that the arm pain was caused by a blood clot. I have been keeping hot packs on my arm as often as possible, and that combined with the blood thinners has already shown much improvement. I am able to full extend and bend my arm, and the pain has fully subsided.
Goodness!
I’m trusting that this is the last of the drama. Going forward I plan to report the wrap up of appointments which will lead us into a peaceful, fulfilling 2023. I would love to move into more uplifting reports of HOPE and Victory!
My faith has been tested time and time again. I admit that I have had moments of doubt and anger. I have wrestled with God as I try to understand how I can use my story to be a light for the world.
During this time of Advent, I am shifting my focus from my personal journey, to more of Jesus, and who HE is!
“Every Heart needs Him. Few are willing to receive Him.” -Susie Larson"
Jennifer Kennedy Dean wrote a Bible study called, Secrets Jesus Shared. She writes,
“Every step that Jesus took on Planet earth, the spiritual realm was shouting: “This is what God is like!” As He healed and taught and touched and laughed and loved, “This is what God is like!” As He hung broken on the cross, “This is what God is like!” When He rose from the grave and triumphed over death, “This is what God is like!”
Jesus came to Earth so we would have the opportunity to know God in person. If we seek Him, we will find Him. Let us seek Him more this Advent season, and focus less on the trappings of commercialism and busyness!
“Jesus came to earth on a rescue mission with YOU on His mind. REJOICE!”
