Precious document
Amy brightened my hospital room with these lovely flowers. April, 2019
“The most precious document in the world is a clean bill of health.” — Ashleigh Brilliant
I just got out of the hospital, where I spent most of last week. It’s ironic that last week’s post was about not feeling sorry for oneself, because that pre-scheduled post published on a day when I was feeling quite sorry for myself, curled up in misery in a hospital bed wondering what was wrong with me.
It turns out that I had a perforated abdominal abscess, secondary to diverticulitis. They gave me medication to control the pain as IV antibiotics addressed the abscess, but I was not allowed anything to eat or drink all week until the last day, when I was allowed clear fluids for 24 hours before they sent me home. I’m a person who drinks fluids all day long (water, or my precious tea) so going without anything at all was like torture. Sometimes a sympathetic nurse would bring me ice chips, and I cheated a good bit in that way, but it still was hard.
This was the first time ever that I have been a hospital patient, and I’m not very good at it. Other hospital procedures, even my appendectomy, saw me happily on my way home in a day. Not so this past week. I had been admitted from the ER, so I had not brought anything with me other than my phone and Kindle Fire. I didn’t have any of the cozy comforts I might have packed for a scheduled stay. I didn’t know any of the doctors and would not have chosen them myself, but an ER admission brings no choice about anything, as I discovered. The nurses were more agreeable and sympathetic, but they can only do so much.
Perhaps the most painful part was that the hospital setting triggered many sad and emotional memories of Jeff’s long battle with cancer and the weeks we spent together in a hospital room. I thought again and again of all he had suffered, and how bravely he endured it all. I was a total wimp in comparison. Being there alone, in pain and unable to eat or drink, was almost unbearable.
My friend Mary Ann had to cancel her planned trip to see me. This is the 20th year of our friendship, and we have not seen each other for 15 of those 20 years, so that cancellation was part of the crushing sadness of the week. I appreciate my friend Amy for coming by to see me several times and bringing the lovely flowers pictured above.
I’m doing much better now, but I have a lot to digest — or more accurately, NOT to digest — as I face more appointments and a restricted diet. It seems I’ll be giving up many of my favorite foods. For all who have left comments, I apologize for my delay in responding and I hope you have not felt ignored or disregarded. I’ll get to the comments as soon as I can. I’m moving pretty slowly and trying to catch up with all that accumulated while I was out of commission. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
If you are facing illness of any kind, you have my sympathy and more understanding than I could have offered before. If you are in good health, treasure it! It’s a precious gift that we tend to take for granted until it vanishes.
This post was first published seven years ago today. The blog is not designed for viewing on cell phones, but you can get a less distorted version of the photos if you click on the “view on blog” link at the top right of the screen. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, at the individual post views. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
Defeat Despair 
Good morning, Julia!
As always, I wish you a good morning. Doing so also reminds me to have a good morning insomuch as is possible, and that the opportunity to have a good morning is largely about choice.
You said it better in your previous post about not feeling sorry for oneself.
I just woke up from having a dream where a strange woman asked me first if I was pregnant and then after I explained the reasons that pregnancy was not possible for me at this point, she asked me, “is that why you’re depressed?” I was in the midst of explaining why I am perfectly fine with not having more children, when I woke up.
The dream did get me to asking myself what is keeping me down. An honest assessment is a good idea since I probably can’t make any meaningful changes if I’m in denial.
I might not have mentioned that my family room and kitchenette flooded again, which is twice within roughly the past 2 years. Both were due to a “frost-free” outdoor faucet freezing, which theoretically can only happen if one leaves a hose attached when it’s below freezing outside. So it is discouraging that it happened again, after learning my lesson two years ago.
This situation is a contributing factor, but one that will in time be corrected thanks to insurance. I fully expected them to say, “Didn’t this just happen two years ago?” But so far, they haven’t. I will have to change insurance companies, however, since they use a demerit system to increase rates. And I did slide gracefully across the ice into a Tesla this past winter.
But, Spring is coming! Shoots are coming up for my hosta plants, lilies of the valley, and peonies! And although it’s only 36 degrees now, it will get into the 50s later today!
Love and Blessings to you, and Apologies for my very lengthy complaint!
Susan, I’m so sorry for these hassles and problems. I always find it particularly annoying and discouraging when the same problems happen repeatedly, like a Whack-a-Mole game that’s NO fun. I share with you the ability to be inspired by the blessings of springtime. I was checking my peonies yesterday afternoon, eagerly anticipating the blooms that are about to appear. I love these days when it’s sunny and cool, not yet hot. Let’s enjoy them to the fullest!
Julia, I hope you’re doing well today!
I read earlier this morning that we ‘should glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.’ May we all remain strong in our troubles, knowing that they have a purpose: perseverance, character, and hope.
Blessings to you and Matt! ❤️
Thank you Chris. I’ve reminded myself of that verse many times over the years. It’s a “tough love” sort of promise, isn’t it? But no less comforting for that. Matthew and I are doing OK and hope that you and Jeanne are too! Thanks for being here!