Today was beautiful! The temperature was 80 degrees and a light breeze. Just wonderful.
On top of that, I have been working on my research (faculty-student interaction) since I started this PhD process. However, since the end of January, I began trying to make significant progress. I was using one woman to try and solicit participants...and after months of trying...I decided to change my targeted population. After working with one of the student workers in my office, she gave me names of students who would fit my new criteria.
Since my research project is qualitative, I only need six to eight students to interview. Well...after today, I have four of the six completed...and another scheduled for Monday afternoon. I am really hoping that I can find and squeeze another in before surgery (it would be ideal).
So today, after months and moths of standstill, I made a gigantic leap forward!
Coupled with the beautiful weather and getting to walk a dog (pets are great therapy), today was a good day!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Major Life Change #3.2
On Tuesday I had a pre-op appointment for my upcoming surgery. Yes folks, it's official. September 14th at 10:30am (EST) I will be having surgery to remove my left ovary. The pre-op appointment lasted four hours (yes, I typed that right). During that FOUR hour appointment I had my finger pricked for iron, peed in a cup (twice), had three viles of blood drawn, a chest x-ray, and an EKG. They also had a nice woman (Maggie) come in and present me with a goodie bag. The goodie bag is filled with four different types of things to 'flush' my system the day before...fun. :/ The highlight of the appointment was the anesthesiologist...he was cute. But not cute enough to discount all the other discomfort I went through ;) But gotta look on the bright side, right?!
So I will go into the hospital at 9am on Wednesday morning...oh and I can't get sick between now and then (and everyone seems to be getting sick). From there they'll prep me for surgery. The anesthesiologist said I may be under general anesthesia or maybe a spinal (like an epidural), but that will be decided on Wednesday between me and the dr.'s. I will stay overnight in the hospital at least one night, maybe two.
The doctor seems to think I will be just fine to travel 10 days later for my grandpa's memorial service. I am hoping and praying he's right. The doctor said that part of recovery is mental and that I need to prepare myself for the pain. To be honest, I don't know that I have much mental capacity right now. Thus, this is a great opportunity for God to show up in a big way :) Here is my list of prayer requests:
Wisdom for the doctors during the surgery
That my other ovary is perfectly healthy (no cysts, no nothing)
Pleading with God for strength (mental & physical) to make it through this
That I will feel peace leading up to the surgery
I am sure there are others too, and I covet your prayers during this time. I know I serve a God who is bigger than all of this (death, grief, surgery).
Matthew 6:25-34
That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
So I will go into the hospital at 9am on Wednesday morning...oh and I can't get sick between now and then (and everyone seems to be getting sick). From there they'll prep me for surgery. The anesthesiologist said I may be under general anesthesia or maybe a spinal (like an epidural), but that will be decided on Wednesday between me and the dr.'s. I will stay overnight in the hospital at least one night, maybe two.
The doctor seems to think I will be just fine to travel 10 days later for my grandpa's memorial service. I am hoping and praying he's right. The doctor said that part of recovery is mental and that I need to prepare myself for the pain. To be honest, I don't know that I have much mental capacity right now. Thus, this is a great opportunity for God to show up in a big way :) Here is my list of prayer requests:
Wisdom for the doctors during the surgery
That my other ovary is perfectly healthy (no cysts, no nothing)
Pleading with God for strength (mental & physical) to make it through this
That I will feel peace leading up to the surgery
I am sure there are others too, and I covet your prayers during this time. I know I serve a God who is bigger than all of this (death, grief, surgery).
Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 22:24
For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from her but has listened to her cry for help.
For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from her but has listened to her cry for help.
Matthew 6:25-34
That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Major Life Change #2.2
So after almost six months of grieving the loss of my relationship with Shelton, with lots of prayer, love, and support, I felt like I was in a decent place...and then I got a call from a dear friend. She started asking unusual questions about where I was, who I was with, how long I'd be there...you know the kind; the kind that mean something has happened and your friend wants to know that you're in a place to hear it.
Well, I finally made her spit it out. My gut blurted out, "does it have something to do with Shelton, is he dating someone?" She paused and then replied, "well, he's engaged."
My heart sank. What? Really? There weren't many other details she knew other than he had been dating her 'on and off' for seven years. Questions filled my mind and my heart hurt. I was confused, a bit angry, but really more hurt than anything else. Hurt because the timeline seemed so quick, hurt because he didn't have the decency to tell me, and really hurt because in the back of my heart, I had secretly hoped after some time, he would realized what a great thing he had lost in me.
Ironically enough, the morning before I got the news I was in the shower crying and pleading God to take away my desire for him. Not that I believe God orchestrated this (fill in the expletive) situation, but I do believe (and cling to) that he works all things together for good (hopefully my good included). Additionally, I just heard a MercyMe song, that is now on repeat. The lyrics are my prayer. Please continue to pray for me as I wrestle with so many emotions (hurt, doubt, fear, frustration) and also as I seek to find closure and healing.
Move by MercyMe
I'm not about to give up
Because I heard you say
There's gonna be brighter days
There's gonna be brighter days
I wont stop, Ill keep my head up
No, I'm not here to stay
There's gonna be brighter days
There's gonna be brighter days
I just might bend but wont break
As long as I can see your face
[Chorus]
When life wont play along
And right keeps going wrong
And I cant seem to find my way
I know where I am found
So I wont let it drag me down
Oh, I'll keep dancing anyway
I'm gonna move (move)
I'm gonna move (move)
I'm gonna move
Ive got to hold 'er steady
Keep my head in the cage
Everything is about to change
Everything is about to change
This hurt is getting heavy
But I'm not about to cave
Everything's about to change
There's gonna be brighter days
I just might bend but wont break
As long as I can see your face
[Chorus]
No matter what may come
Gotta move to a different drum
No matter what life brings
Gotta move gotta move to a different beat [x2]
I just might bend but wont break
As long as I can see your face
Well, I finally made her spit it out. My gut blurted out, "does it have something to do with Shelton, is he dating someone?" She paused and then replied, "well, he's engaged."
My heart sank. What? Really? There weren't many other details she knew other than he had been dating her 'on and off' for seven years. Questions filled my mind and my heart hurt. I was confused, a bit angry, but really more hurt than anything else. Hurt because the timeline seemed so quick, hurt because he didn't have the decency to tell me, and really hurt because in the back of my heart, I had secretly hoped after some time, he would realized what a great thing he had lost in me.
Ironically enough, the morning before I got the news I was in the shower crying and pleading God to take away my desire for him. Not that I believe God orchestrated this (fill in the expletive) situation, but I do believe (and cling to) that he works all things together for good (hopefully my good included). Additionally, I just heard a MercyMe song, that is now on repeat. The lyrics are my prayer. Please continue to pray for me as I wrestle with so many emotions (hurt, doubt, fear, frustration) and also as I seek to find closure and healing.
Move by MercyMe
I'm not about to give up
Because I heard you say
There's gonna be brighter days
There's gonna be brighter days
I wont stop, Ill keep my head up
No, I'm not here to stay
There's gonna be brighter days
There's gonna be brighter days
I just might bend but wont break
As long as I can see your face
[Chorus]
When life wont play along
And right keeps going wrong
And I cant seem to find my way
I know where I am found
So I wont let it drag me down
Oh, I'll keep dancing anyway
I'm gonna move (move)
I'm gonna move (move)
I'm gonna move
Ive got to hold 'er steady
Keep my head in the cage
Everything is about to change
Everything is about to change
This hurt is getting heavy
But I'm not about to cave
Everything's about to change
There's gonna be brighter days
I just might bend but wont break
As long as I can see your face
[Chorus]
No matter what may come
Gotta move to a different drum
No matter what life brings
Gotta move gotta move to a different beat [x2]
I just might bend but wont break
As long as I can see your face
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Major Life Changes #1-3
Lord, help me to believe in beginnings.
The last 416 days have been a struggle. Although there have been some high moments, they have often been accompanied by sadness, grief, loss, and pain. I know this PhD journey is a long and treacherous path, but if the next two years are anything like this last one...with all the major life changes (MLC), I think I may throw in the towel.
And yet, most of this pain, sadness, grief, and loss have nothing to do with the PhD program. When I first moved here, I went through the normal transitional issues (loosing professional identity, making new friends, becoming a student) not to mention the struggle to simply get out here (remember this?). From there, my grandfather was diagnosed with terminal cancer in early August. (MLC #1) This was hard for me to reconcile. I was angry and frustrated with doctors who didn't find the cancer earlier. The Lord, however, was gracious and gave many opportunities to visit with my grandpa before he went to be with Jesus in July.
As I mentioned earlier, there were also joys throughout this last year. I moved to Athens in a committed relationship to someone I worked with and had been seeing during my last semester at Baylor. During that time of transition he was extremely gracious and supporting. Although we knew distance would be a struggle, we were both committed to the relationship. However, in November, I felt like our communication began to suffer. It was difficult to connect, but when we did, it was good! The holidays brought more challenges as he was in Texas and I was in California and Oregon. Shortly into the spring semester, we had some good conversations about the direction of our relationship. Although I was feeling the stress of distance and other factors, he was quick to affirm me and the priority that both I and our relationship held....then February came and things crumbled very quickly. I wanted so desperately to believe his intentions, but his actions and words didn't align. It was one of the hardest things I had to do, but I broke up with him while he was out in Atlanta for a conference (MLC#2). The months after were somewhat disastrous. It was hard to focus, hard to concentrate, and hard to grieve the loss of a long-term relationship that had marriage potential.
Then a few weeks ago, after my tests to determine my tailbone pain, they discovered a dermoid cyst. The cyst (most likely) has nothing to do with my tailbone, but is serious enough to put the tailbone pain on the back burner. The cyst is about the size of an egg and resides in my ovary. The most recently doctor I saw wants to remove my entire ovary (MCL #3). At word of this, I began to cry. I asked him about chances for getting pregnant in the future. The conversation went like this:
Me:What does this mean for having kids?
Dr: Are you trying to get pregnant?
Me: No
Dr: Are you married?
Me: No
Dr: Are you just thinking long term?
Me: I just wanna keep my options open
Although this conversation makes the Dr. out to sound insensitive, I think he was actually trying to be understanding. From here, he said that my other ovary should kick in and I should still have no problem getting pregnant (minus other factors; thyroid, age, etc). We talked about lots of other medical type things and scheduled the surgery for September 14th (as of now). This may change as I am suppose to be on a plane 10 days later for my grandpa's memorial service...I should know more after my Tuesday appointment.
All this to say, this year has been rough and filled with many major life changing moments. And through it all, there are many songs and verses that have been reminders of God's faithfulness to me throughout this extremely trying year. I know and believe God will work all things together for his good, and yet...I am SO ready for this year to be behind me and to welcome in a new one.
Lord, help me to believe in beginnings.
The last 416 days have been a struggle. Although there have been some high moments, they have often been accompanied by sadness, grief, loss, and pain. I know this PhD journey is a long and treacherous path, but if the next two years are anything like this last one...with all the major life changes (MLC), I think I may throw in the towel.
And yet, most of this pain, sadness, grief, and loss have nothing to do with the PhD program. When I first moved here, I went through the normal transitional issues (loosing professional identity, making new friends, becoming a student) not to mention the struggle to simply get out here (remember this?). From there, my grandfather was diagnosed with terminal cancer in early August. (MLC #1) This was hard for me to reconcile. I was angry and frustrated with doctors who didn't find the cancer earlier. The Lord, however, was gracious and gave many opportunities to visit with my grandpa before he went to be with Jesus in July.
As I mentioned earlier, there were also joys throughout this last year. I moved to Athens in a committed relationship to someone I worked with and had been seeing during my last semester at Baylor. During that time of transition he was extremely gracious and supporting. Although we knew distance would be a struggle, we were both committed to the relationship. However, in November, I felt like our communication began to suffer. It was difficult to connect, but when we did, it was good! The holidays brought more challenges as he was in Texas and I was in California and Oregon. Shortly into the spring semester, we had some good conversations about the direction of our relationship. Although I was feeling the stress of distance and other factors, he was quick to affirm me and the priority that both I and our relationship held....then February came and things crumbled very quickly. I wanted so desperately to believe his intentions, but his actions and words didn't align. It was one of the hardest things I had to do, but I broke up with him while he was out in Atlanta for a conference (MLC#2). The months after were somewhat disastrous. It was hard to focus, hard to concentrate, and hard to grieve the loss of a long-term relationship that had marriage potential.
Then a few weeks ago, after my tests to determine my tailbone pain, they discovered a dermoid cyst. The cyst (most likely) has nothing to do with my tailbone, but is serious enough to put the tailbone pain on the back burner. The cyst is about the size of an egg and resides in my ovary. The most recently doctor I saw wants to remove my entire ovary (MCL #3). At word of this, I began to cry. I asked him about chances for getting pregnant in the future. The conversation went like this:
Me:What does this mean for having kids?
Dr: Are you trying to get pregnant?
Me: No
Dr: Are you married?
Me: No
Dr: Are you just thinking long term?
Me: I just wanna keep my options open
Although this conversation makes the Dr. out to sound insensitive, I think he was actually trying to be understanding. From here, he said that my other ovary should kick in and I should still have no problem getting pregnant (minus other factors; thyroid, age, etc). We talked about lots of other medical type things and scheduled the surgery for September 14th (as of now). This may change as I am suppose to be on a plane 10 days later for my grandpa's memorial service...I should know more after my Tuesday appointment.
All this to say, this year has been rough and filled with many major life changing moments. And through it all, there are many songs and verses that have been reminders of God's faithfulness to me throughout this extremely trying year. I know and believe God will work all things together for his good, and yet...I am SO ready for this year to be behind me and to welcome in a new one.
Lord, help me to believe in beginnings.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Quick Update & Prayer Request
On Tuesday, I went to the doctor to have the MRI read. To my surprise, the MRI revealed a cyst. It's pretty amazing they found the cyst before it began causing me any pain (it's about 2.3 inches around) and a little shocking. From there the doctors worked with me to scheduled ultrasounds and other appoitments to determine additional information. After meeting with the obgyn, and after having the radiologist read the ultrasounds, they recommended I see a surgeon to have the cyst removed.
Again, a bit of a shock.
But since Tuesday, I've had lots of people praying and I've had peace. The doctors are pretty confident it's benign, although it is an unusual type of cyst. I have an appointment scheduled for the 30th with a surgeon. Depending on the type of surgery it's a 2-4 week recovery. It's very inconvinient, but what a blessing that it was found before it caused pain or worse...burst.
Please pray for my appointment on the 30th, that the less invasive procedure is an option or surgery, that it can be done quickly (as the semester will get more complicated), and that God will use this to bring him glory in some way.
There are so many ways I've seen God go ahead of me in this situation already. This is no surprise to Him even if it was to me!
Again, a bit of a shock.
But since Tuesday, I've had lots of people praying and I've had peace. The doctors are pretty confident it's benign, although it is an unusual type of cyst. I have an appointment scheduled for the 30th with a surgeon. Depending on the type of surgery it's a 2-4 week recovery. It's very inconvinient, but what a blessing that it was found before it caused pain or worse...burst.
Please pray for my appointment on the 30th, that the less invasive procedure is an option or surgery, that it can be done quickly (as the semester will get more complicated), and that God will use this to bring him glory in some way.
There are so many ways I've seen God go ahead of me in this situation already. This is no surprise to Him even if it was to me!
Magnificent Massage
After a long academic year, I knew I needed a break, and I had been talking about getting a massage for awhile. I looked into many places. The health center would do an hour massage for $50...great price, but not the experience. For my first massage, I wanted the experience! So then I began looking for day spas. These massages began to run $90-100. The price made me more convinced that I wanted my money's worth. I found the Chateau Elan. It's a local winery with a hotel and separate spa. I was sold when I found out that when you get a service there, you can use any of the facility for free.
The options included:
a workout facility
fitness classes
hot tub
robes & sandals
pool with jets for swimming
steamroom
sauna
afternoon tea and snacks
showers with all the necessities
lockers
and all the little extras that made it special
The massage itself was wonderful...although with the way my back was hurting she could have spent the entire time on my back and I would have been a happy camper. The room was softly lit, quiet instrumental music, the bed heated from beneath me, and after the massage I sat in a quiet reflection room with dim lighting, flickering candles, wonderful lounge chairs and warm blankets.
I made a day of the experience and it was lovely. AND just what I needed, a day of quiet relaxation and pampering. I wanted to go around and take pictures of the place but thought it would be odd, so I took a few when I could. ;)
Friday, August 12, 2011
MRI
Back in October, my mom came to visit. On a three hour car ride, I noticed my bum began hurting. Figuring it was probably just from spending too much time in the car I paid little attention. As the month went on, and the pain continued, I scheduled an appointment with the doctor. The woman said there wasn't much they could do and sent me home with some drugs.
Skip forward to June when my bum was still hurting. Yeah, pain in the butt...literally.
So my new doctor at the University Health Center (Joy Ford...who is awesome!) recommended I see a specialist. Of course, nothing is just that easy...right?! Unfortunately, Joy recommended I see a specific doctor and the administrative woman made the appointment...with the WRONG doctor. But I didn't realize that, until I was back in Joy's office for a torn ligament in my toe. Yes friends, I tore a ligament in my toe by tripping on my pajama bottoms. But that's another story. Back to the bum. After seeing the wrong doctor (a physical therapist), Joy set up an appointment for me with Dr. Doerr, a back, spine, and neck specialist.
I saw him a couple weeks ago. He is...quirky, but thorough. After looking at the xrays, he decided we needed more information. The exam revealed my tailbone is sensitive, and the xrays show my lowest disk may be smaller than should be. Either may be causing my pain, thus he scheduled me for a pelvic MRI. Its kind of like a buy one MRI get one free...we'll get more detailed pictures of both my lowest disk and my tailbone.
So the MRI.
I have had lots of friends who've had MRI's before and everything they told me was...not like my experience. They took me to a private dressing area and handed me a set of scrubs (much nicer than the hospital gown). Additionally, I was allowed to keep on any clothing that didn't have metal. Honestly, getting my cartilage piercing out may have been the worst part of the whole thing. :) That or just trying to remain still through the loud clicking and beeping. But really, they did everything to make the experience comfortable. They allowed me to keep all my things in the room (locked with my own key), gave me ear plugs, offered me a blanket, gave me a pillow for under my head and knees...during one of the tests, the sound was kind of white noise like...and I could have probably gone to sleep if that test hadn't been one of the shortest.
The whole thing lasted about 45 minutes and I'll go back to Dr. Doerr next week to have the MRI read and discuss options.
Until the next update.
Skip forward to June when my bum was still hurting. Yeah, pain in the butt...literally.
So my new doctor at the University Health Center (Joy Ford...who is awesome!) recommended I see a specialist. Of course, nothing is just that easy...right?! Unfortunately, Joy recommended I see a specific doctor and the administrative woman made the appointment...with the WRONG doctor. But I didn't realize that, until I was back in Joy's office for a torn ligament in my toe. Yes friends, I tore a ligament in my toe by tripping on my pajama bottoms. But that's another story. Back to the bum. After seeing the wrong doctor (a physical therapist), Joy set up an appointment for me with Dr. Doerr, a back, spine, and neck specialist.
I saw him a couple weeks ago. He is...quirky, but thorough. After looking at the xrays, he decided we needed more information. The exam revealed my tailbone is sensitive, and the xrays show my lowest disk may be smaller than should be. Either may be causing my pain, thus he scheduled me for a pelvic MRI. Its kind of like a buy one MRI get one free...we'll get more detailed pictures of both my lowest disk and my tailbone.
So the MRI.
I have had lots of friends who've had MRI's before and everything they told me was...not like my experience. They took me to a private dressing area and handed me a set of scrubs (much nicer than the hospital gown). Additionally, I was allowed to keep on any clothing that didn't have metal. Honestly, getting my cartilage piercing out may have been the worst part of the whole thing. :) That or just trying to remain still through the loud clicking and beeping. But really, they did everything to make the experience comfortable. They allowed me to keep all my things in the room (locked with my own key), gave me ear plugs, offered me a blanket, gave me a pillow for under my head and knees...during one of the tests, the sound was kind of white noise like...and I could have probably gone to sleep if that test hadn't been one of the shortest.
The whole thing lasted about 45 minutes and I'll go back to Dr. Doerr next week to have the MRI read and discuss options.
Until the next update.
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