24 Day After Surgery

Just look at her friends!  All dressed up and nowhere to go.  Actually, she has made a trip out to her mail box with her trusted walker.  I can testify to the fact, that destination is not a short distance.  Well done my sweet friend, well done!  Can you believe it has been 24 days since surgery?  Look at the difference in this woman.  Through our talks I know she is having a difficult time seeing the daily improvement in her recovery, but it is there. It is often hard to see the changes going on in our life, even when we aren't recovering from surgery.  It is hard to be still and heal either emotionally, physically, or spiritually.  Maybe it is because of the society we live in; a society of fast fixes and instant everything.  We begin to think that our prayers and petitions to God should be fixed fast and instant as well.

As you can see, Joy still gets very tired from just doing the simplest of tasks, so taking a big walk really exhausts her.  Her husband and son have been taking very good care of her.  She has been blessed beyond measure with meals, cards, gifts, and well wishes from dear friends in Canada and the USA.  She's expressed to me, and I'm sure to many of you, how much she has been touched by your love.  I asked her if I could post this picture because to me it symbolizes that she is wrapped in so much love and truly resting.  On Joy's last trip to the States we ventured to Colonial Williamsburg where she saw this blanket with the American flag design.  There was no doubt that Joy was going home with that blanket.  As you can tell it has seen a lot of love.  On her head are a set of Bose headphones and some great music.  This combination has become a great prescription for her relaxation and rest.

Joy is happy to report she is off all pain medication, although she does experience some discomfort from time to time. All staples have been removed and her incision is healing. She has just started using cream for scar massage and she's praying it will help with the recovery process.  She ventured to step on the scales this morning and was happy to see the numbers decreasing.  On June 1st she returns to see the surgeon who performed her operation.  At this appointment she will be given the full results of surgery, and a treatment plan for chemo will be discussed.  This will require riding in a car one hour each way to Toronto.  This is a huge prayer request.   Joy has not travelled in a car longer than 15 min. since the day she came home from the hospital, and this trip could be very hard on her body.  Simple grooming and daily care still makes her weary, along with talking and visiting with friends.  Needless to say our little social bug has more than experienced cabin fever.

Over all, Joy is doing great considering she's 24 days into recovery.  It's never easy when you are the patient and you want be further along than you are now.  Keep the cards, e-mails and all your prayers coming.  They are working and God hears and is answering each one. 

Praising and standing with "Faith
Diane "Hope"