I’ve heard this all my life, “Patience is a virtue.”   Having said that, I do have patience when it comes to a lot of things.  Long lines in the grocery store, other people’s children misbehaving in public, traffic jams, etc., haven’t really caused me a lot of problems because I realize it’s a temporary thing, and it will pass.  I try to occupy myself with other things to get my mind off of it, like grabbing the Inquirer as I wait in line OR checking my phone until the line moves.

Having a major surgery really tests your patience because you want so badly to have your life back.  Yet, you are restricted from some of your daily activities.  Getting out of the recliner, getting into and out of the shower, putting on your shoes, these are just some of the little things we take for granted.   Having a hysterectomy limited my activities since the doctor did not want me to do anything that would engage my core muscles.  My family has been wonderful, and they have helped me without complaining, even in the wee hours of the morning when they are deprived from sleep while helping me to the bathroom.

Being nervous and scared prior to the first surgery, I was known to say to my family and friends, “I just want to be on the other side of this.”  When I started having those setbacks and required an additional surgery, I said it again.  I was so desperate to be on the other side of this thing knowing everything was going to be okay.  My husband reassured me that I would get there, but it would take time.

Time.

Meanwhile, I was held hostage on my couch and ordered by my doctor to be an official couch potato.  He did not want me doing anything at all but resting.  That was great for the first few days, but then I felt like I had enough couch time and wanted my life back.

And then, I developed the flu, in which I was absolutely miserable.  Waking up one Sunday morning feeling as if my bones were aching, I felt sure I had the flu.  Sure enough, as I dragged myself off of the couch and into the shower, with the help of my husband, I eventually made my way to the doctor’s office where they confirmed it.  Type A flu was making me ache in places I didn’t even know I had!

Fast forward a week later, and the flu is a thing of the past.  Hallelujah!  All that was left to remind me of the week from hell was a lingering “crispy” cough, as my daughter describes it.  Thankfully, that is now better, too!

Patience.

Did someone say patience?

I have to laugh as all things that happened were completely out of my control, so I was forced to be patient as I went through two surgeries and then the flu on top of everything else.

Finally able to return to the doctor’s office for the ultrasound, I was reassured with the outcome there.  Everything was “stable,” and the doctor did not find anything of concern last Monday!  Praise The Lord!  AND … ~drum roll, please~ I was released to return to work!!!   The land of the living!  Woo-Hoo!  What’s more is I was finally allowed to DRIVE again!  I’m telling you, it’s the little things we take for granted that are stripped away from you to where you want to celebrate when you’re able to finally do them again!

There was one more obstacle in the way preventing me from having complete reassurance, and that was the hematologist appointment I still had to face.  Knowing I was going into an oncology office was completely unnerving!   Yet, I was told I was seeing the doctor solely for the blood disorder piece.

Thursday came, and I made my way to his office with clammy hands and a racing heart.  As I sat waiting on the doctor to appear, the nursing assistant noted my elevated heart rate and blood pressure.  Yes, I was nervous!

Then … he appeared.

This tall, gentle, black giant entered the room, shook my hand, and began to express how he did not feel I would be needing his services.  He further went on to explain that I had a major surgery before when I had the rupture ectopic pregnancy.  Since I didn’t have significant bleeding after that surgery, he did not feel I had an underlying blood disorder, although that was why I was referred to his office.  He expressed that while I did bleed after the hysterectomy, it was not immediately.  He felt it would have been an immediate respond to the major surgery if I did, in fact, have a blood disorder.  Being that it was two weeks after the first surgery that I developed the bleeding, he concluded that there must have been a problem with the sutures themselves.  Maybe a suture wasn’t secure on the corner of the vaginal cuff, and when I walked, it caused the suture to come undone more thus resulting in the bleeding I experienced.   Having the sutures reinforced seemed to solve that problem, with the exception of the bleeding a week later due to the blood clots the ultrasound revealed.

The long and short of it is, I went to see the hematologist, and he had GREAT news!

While he did additional blood work to be certain, he does not think I will be needing him further after the follow-up appointment in February to review the results of the tests he ordered.

Yeah!

I felt like the weight of the world was lifted right off of my shoulders!  Thank you, Lord!

I am happy to report that I AM on the other side of this now, and life continues to improve daily!   I’m back to work and loving every single minute of it!  I’ve been able to slide back behind the wheel of my Volvo C70 hardtop convertible with the bass thumping as I roll out of my driveway with a huge smile on my face.  Each day proves to be better than the day before and the pains are less and less now.  I’m so grateful to God for being with me every step of the way, even when I faced way more than I wanted to during this whole ordeal.  I’m not sure why I had to go through all that I did, but I’m feeling so much better now.

LIFE IS GOOD!!

And my God is GREAT!

I’m finally on the other side!!