Oh, the Loss of It All...

I'm wrestling with a new loss. This loss is totally unexpected. What I took for granted for years has suddenly been whisked away. There were no warning signals... All I can say is that sometimes life hands you a woeful, life-altering, painful surprise.

It all started when my great-grandchild came up from Georgia to celebrate his first birthday with the family. My daughter-in-law, the new grandma, put out an amazing spread of food. I was very careful about what I chose because of my cancer protocol: no sugar (argh), no processed food, etc. I chose a helping from the healthy salads she served and had a half-hamburger, no bun.

I didn't mind limiting myself. After all, my attention was wholly on the cutest one-year-old on the planet. (I'm not prejudiced, it's true!) Shiloh Thomas Stevens broke onto the scene with such immeasurable cuteness, who wants to eat? Every time he looked my way, I could feel my face contorting into a bigger-than-normal smile, complete with sound effects and even a few car engine noises. It was embarrassing. I was over the top. He just studied me. "Hey Mom, is this that thing you call a great-grandma?"

Everything was perfect. Then, it hit! A sudden stomach ache that stopped me in my tracks.

"Ooo, Robert, my stomach..."

"You probably ate too fast."

"But I didn't..."

Forty-five minutes later: "OOO, ROBERT... take me home NOW!"

In the car, my conscientious, law-abiding husband dutifully followed the speed limit!

"CAN'T YOU DRIVE FASTER?! YOU MUST HATE ME!"

"I'm five miles over the speed limit - I'm not getting a ticket."

"Am I not WORTH one lousy ticket?"

By the time we got home, the pain was an 8. "Want me to take you to the emergency room?" he said patiently.

"Driving the speed limit? Not on your life."

Here it was the Fourth of July weekend! (Great timing, Marj.) If we drove to the hospital, I could only imagine how long we'd have to wait to be seen. Besides, Robert would have to endure me hanging out the window, screaming, "DRIVE FASTER!"

The pain was soaring to a 10. So we called an ambulance. "On a scale of 1 to 10, Mrs. Stevens, how would you rate your pain?"

"A TEN... GIVE ME DRUGS!"

After three different pain meds, the pain was finally tolerable. The ultrasound revealed that my gallbladder had a BIG stone and was inflamed and infected. Praise God it didn't burst. I've had some tough hospital experiences, but I have to say God's grace was all over this time. I got right in. The staff was great. (How was the food? I won't go there).

In celebration of our nation's birthday, I had my gallbladder removed!! I went home the next day a few ounces lighter. After all those pain meds, plus surgical meds and blood thinners, and five holes in my abdomen, I was nauseous and sore. Plus, they pump your stomach full of air. (Oh, the loss of it all!)

On the writing of this blog, I'm past most of the detoxing, and my pain is minimal. The whole ordeal left me a bit more emotional than usual. I was sitting on the couch, having another good cry, when Robert came over, sat down next to me, and said...

"Sweetie, what's the matter? Do you miss your gallbladder?"

"Oh, the loss of it all..." The end.

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