This was to be my week. My week to finish up the Christmas shopping, get the presents wrapped, write our Christmas letter, and take care of all of the other things that make Christmas happen. Then, of course, there is the laundry that is falling out of the hamper, the grocery shopping, some work to complete, and the regularly scheduled appointments, etc. I even had some blog writing time in mind. But, there was an interruption in the regularly scheduled programming.
Monday was my day to wrap the gifts that need to be mailed. It didn’t get done as quickly as I’d hoped but at least when the day came to a close, they were sitting by the back door waiting to go to the post office. As I finished this project around 11:00 PM, I noticed a sudden, excruciating pain in the lower right region of my back. I’ve had pain there in the past, usually due to muscle strain, so I took some ibuprofen, grabbed an ice pack and went to bed. It didn’t help. By midnight I was considering a trip to the ER, but seriously, it was 9° below zero in our neck of the woods, and who in their right mind would want to go out? By 2:00 AM, I cried “UNCLE!”, and proceeded to drag my husband, the doctor, and as it turned out, the x-ray tech and lab tech out of bed in the sub-zero temps for a little “please make me better party” at the hospital. The doctor is my new best friend. Within five minutes of her assessment of my condition she said “let’s get her some pain meds.” I’m fairly certain I proclaimed an undying love and debt of gratitude at this point, but I can’t be sure.
After two and a half hours, four x-rays, numerous lab tests, a CT scan, and another shot of some wonderful pain medication, it was determined I had a kidney stone. And yes, they are as painful as people describe them. I left the hospital with prescriptions, a handful of pain killers for the next day, and a few other items that probably fall into the category of “too much information.”
I’m happy to report that I only needed three of the pain pills they sent home with me, though I might need some more when the bill comes. I’m almost back to normal, but what about Christmas? As you may have guessed, nothing has been crossed off my list since Monday, and December 25 is closing in. Now it seems that snowstorms are on their way to add to the festivities.
Today, I got an email from a friend. She too has been quite sick and she wrote that instead of asking God “why?” she is asking Him to show her what she needs to learn during this trial. She is WAY more holy than I am! I’m just trying to survive, not figure out life’s lessons. But, of course, there are always lessons to be learned, and mine actually came as I started typing this blog. You see, I seem to be under the mistaken notion that Christmas will only happen at our house once I’ve wrapped the presents, made the cookies, sent the cards, etc, etc, But the truth is Christmas will happen even if none of that gets done. Christmas actually happened over 2000 years ago when a tiny babe was born, who would be the Savior of the world. That’s all that really matters; the rest is just a sweet way to remind those that we care about how much they are loved.
Which reminds me, what can I give my new best friend, the doctor?
I’m glad you found some relief! I don’t mind if my package is late! Merry Christmas!
You have a daughter-in-law who will be glad to help with whatever you need. And as I told you the other day, don’t worry if EVERYTHING doesn’t get done. You needed the time to rest and get better. Maybe this was God’s way of showing you that you needed to slow down and take a breather. Love you and I’m glad you are feeling better!
Erin