Low's and High's of Life

Monday morning started out like any other Monday. I had big plans to get a lot done, do some shopping and get ahead of the game. As my morning progressed I started to notice a pain in my upper abdomen. I tried ignoring it, chalking it up to gas pains. After trying to massage and pump(laying on my back and pulling my knee to my chest; which ended up be extremely painful) the gas out, the pain only intensified. I eventual called my good friend Amy, by the time she came over to get Grace the pain had intensified even further. I had called Brent and got him all worried. By this time I couldn't even stand up straight, I was sweating, nauseous, and my breathing was labored. Brent insisted on Amy taking me to the insta-care on main street but they didn't even open until 1pm. How lame is that. With some super sweet driving skills(passing a super slow truck on the right side shoulder), which I was still aware of while writhing in pain in the passenger seat thinking to myself "She's driving like a bat out of hell!" and "What if she gets pulled over?!!". Amy got me to the Payson Hospital in record time.

When we arrived I, with much support from Amy, walked into the ER and they immediately got me a wheel chair and wheeled me into Trauma Room 1. One of the nurses instructed me to take off everything from the waist up. She literally ripped my clothing off, and I was left sitting there loosie goosie until she got the gown on me. What a shining moment that I still remember while writhing in pain. They got me on the bed and started asking me all sorts of questions, like my height, and when they got to the weight part my response was "too much!". They told me I could thank Obama for that stupid question. During the question the nurse tried to find a vein in which she could put in an i.v. That nurse could not find a vein to save my life. She first tried in the arm and that was painful, I could feel her moving the needle around in my arm. She gave up on that and moved to my hand, and that hurt even worse and I started to cry even more. The other nurse walked in and said the other hand had a good vein and she tried while the other nurse was still prodding around on the other hand, all the while Amy is trying to tell me to "just relax". Ya right, how in the hell am I suppose to relax when I think I'm dying and both my hands are getting polked with needles by one nurse who doesn't seem to know what she's doing. Luckily, the other nurse found the vein without much pain and they quickly injected me with some Morphine. That stuff is great. Makes me slur my words a bit.

The nurses asked Amy if she was my sister. She said no, but that we've known each other for 7 years. The nurse thought that was pretty cool that we were as close as sisters. It is awesome to have such a fantastic friend like Amy who can drop everything, use sweet driving skills, answer questions, make phone calls, hang around to comfort and calm, basically be a rock. She is truly one in a million. I'm lucky to have her as my friend.

To not drag this out any further, my pain was caused by gallstones. Which pretty much confirms that yes, I'm fat, and yes, I have some improving to do with my eating.

Brent and my Mom finally made it to the hospital at about 2:30 and were there to help me through the ultrasound and to get home. Another great neighbor, Betsy brought us dinner which was such a blessing. I feel so blessed to live around such stellar people. My other neighbor took Grace without even flinching. Thanks to Sallie for that.

I had planned on going on a hike the next day with another good friend. I woke up the next day feeling like normal. I decided to clean out the fridge and move on with my life. Even though I thought I was going to die the previous day. The fall colors have been out of this world beautiful and didn't want to lose out on an opportunity to hike amongst the splendor of Autumn.

So a hike I went on. I decided to implement the exercise part right away. And it
was worth it. I realized that I have been lucky up to this point to have no major health problems to keep me from doing the things I love best. This was a wake up call for me to really start taking better care of myself. Life is too short to spoil it on yuckiness. And by yuckiness I mean the things I eat that make my body feel yucky, and not work as God intended. So now I really must move onto the fruits and veges. Which gives a lot more meaning to the Food of Life.

The hike was amazing, the colors spectacular, life is grand. Especially when you feel such extreme highs and lows in a matter of 24 hrs.

Just look at what I experienced yesterday on my hike. God truly does love us. He expresses his love in so many different ways. One way I feel of his love is through the changing leaves of Autumn Time. The warm air, and cool breeze that accompanies this season makes my skin feel even more alive. It really is a magical time of year and I am not going to allow it to pass me by without enjoying every day in it's splendor. Life is too short for that.




















I am so grateful that I didn't allow gallstones to keep me away from this experience.