The surgery that performed a miracle.

The surgery went smoothly despite my pesky cough, otherwise known as bronchitis.  According to my surgeon, the anatomy of my nose is perfect for this surgery.

Every girl’s dream.  A doctor complimenting her perfect anatomy.

Except it’s of the inside of my nose.

Yep, that’s my luck.  So me and my nose with its large navigable nostrils are resting comfortably (ha-not so comfortably on my couch.  Well, we are now.  I’m not very good at sitting still.  I tried to handle some laundry and wrap some gifts and putter around the house, but a few nose bleeds and some dizziness later, and here we sit.  Now swollen and not so comfortable.  (I guess why the doctor kept stressing the importance of resting after the surgery.  If it was THAT important, he should have prescribed something stronger that would knock me out!)

I learned several things this week.

1.  Obviously, the unseen inside of my nose is perfect for navigating sinus surgery.

2.  Morphine doesn’t work for me, but demerol is AWESOME.

3.  I am not alone.

Before the surgery, I had quite the little pity party.  I was overwhelmed trying to get everything taken care of before the surgery – housework, Christmas shopping, etc.  The addition of bronchitis doubled my stress and my fear.  By the time my surgery was postponed, I had not only completed my shopping and cleaning, I had also prepared for the worst.  Like the absolute morbid worst.  While everyone else was preparing for the end of the world according to the Mayans, I was worried about the end of my world.

I wrote my boys letters, telling them how proud I am of them and what they mean to me.  I gave my attorney contact information for the Executor of my will because they are directed to fight to keep my boys with my mother.  I emailed a friend to tell her where certain documents are kept, including my Christmas list of the boys’ gifts.

I was so afraid.  And that fear made me feel so alone.

But I’m not alone.  I am surrounded by the most amazing people who I am lucky to have as friends.  One friend took off work two Tuesdays in a row to drive me to the hospital at the butt-crack of dawn for my surgery.  She calmed my nerves and contacted my family about the progress.  She picked up my prescriptions and fed me lunch and stayed with me and then made dinner for me and the boys.  Just a week before the first scheduled surgery, another friend came to my rescue when my fever spiked and I couldn’t move.  She fed my boys and force-fed me Tylenol and Gatorade.  After the surgery, she brought me flowers and made dinner for me and the boys for the next night.  (Home-cooked meals two days in a row.  Some people over here might get spoiled!)

Friends have shuttled my boys and brought me cupcakes and made sure that the boys were taken care of and didn’t miss a beat of their lives.  I felt so loved.

In this season of giving, my friends have given me the best gift that I could ask for.  Their time.  Their love.  Their help.  I couldn’t feel more touched and blessed.  And very much NOT ALONE.

My surgery might not (yet) have performed the miracle of freely breathing through my nose, but it gave me the miracle of love.

Thank you to my wonderful friends.  I have appreciated it so much that I might even consider having another surgery.

Wait a minute.  [touches nose] Ouch.  No, maybe not.  But I love you anyway!