Dear Reader:

Late Monday evening…I had settled in with WV (Wound Vac machine) ….plugged in on one side with another cord running from the opposite side across my body ( counting the electrical cord to recharge WV during the night.) A sleeping situation I still hadn’t adjusted to…since WV “snores” loudly during the night.

As I tried to lay perfectly still so I wouldn’t accidentally unplug any cord my mind was wandering (which it has a tendency to do the night before a “wound” doctor visit.) It is a time when all the “What if’s, “Suppose this“, “Maybe that” thoughts rush to the front of my mind.

It should just be a regular check, un-swaddle, change bandages and re-swaddle procedure. Then hopefully if the wound had filled in and leveled off by the following Tuesday after Thanksgiving…it could possibly be time to add the “lattice’ bridge to cover the wound and send WV machine back to Atlanta.

Instead I was surprised with the news that the skin had filled in a lot in the five days since my last visit and the wound vac would be temporarily removed to see if the wound will start building skin over the “invisible” (to the naked eye) lattice-looking material this upcoming week. If things don’t go well…I am back on WV…if things look good…it gets shipped back.

I was in shock…trying to mentally take in this sudden change in procedure in stride…I, obviously, was elated about the departure of WV for however long…but didn’t realize that the process of preparing to stuff the lattice in the wound after being scraped out  again…was going to be painful. It wasn’t as bad as the first time by any means…but enough that both the nurse held my hand and Walsh came running to rub my back and help me through it.

Later my nurse, Lin, asked what happy place I mentally took myself to while the painful procedure was underway and I laughingly told her I was trying to get to the Chapel of Hope in Trust, NC but I kept hitting a detour through dark, fearful woods filled with pain. Everyone laughed…it was only as I reflected later that I remembered my last thought was sitting on one pew in the little chapel at peace again.

God Wink. Faith over fear….faith over fear. I had just seen Kelly Rae Roberts’ angel painting of this concept on her website Monday evening when I couldn’t sleep and I loved her explanation of the painting she wrote beside it.

FAITH OVER FEAR

Faith Over Fear is a meditation on choosing faith, on what happens when we gently, firmly say to fear, “I see you, I acknowledge you, thank you for your service. I am now letting you go.” To be in faith is to know that we are held, and choosing faith over fear is a practice that calls us to lean into the wisdom of our highest selves.

I have gotten so close to this medical team at the Comprehensive Wound Center that they feel more like family now than simply medical specialists. I had been given my Thanksgiving early…free to sleep without cords in my bed without my snoring companion…WV.

On the flip side…I must keep my foot elevated more than ever and off of it as much as humanly possible in order for the skin to do “its thing” this week and not get infected ….which would send me back on to WV. So this is going to be a “be good to foot” week. I want to see only continuing progress again next Tuesday and no more WV!.

So until tomorrow…

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Walsh and Mollie had a busy day yesterday…Mollie had Eloise trying to make two Thanksgiving dinners….at Lachlan’s preschool and Rutledge’s kindergarten class while Walsh took me to my appointment. After my procedure..we stopped by the house to pick up the boys so they could ride to Summerville and play at Boo Boo’s for awhile to give Mollie time to hit the grocery store and get food supplies for their Thanksgiving weekend (while Walsh ran errands with the boys) at Fripp with her uncle and aunt. Here are some pictures from the busy day!

I love little boys  like Jake who love dressing up in big sister’s clothes… John attended Eva Cate class’s Thanksgiving performance. A busy day for all!

From my wonderfully crazy family to yours….Happy Thanksgiving!

*

Well Kaitlyn…I got it half right…got your gift to you two days ahead of time and then forgot to put Happy Birthday in the blog yesterday. Kaitlyn’s birthday was Tuesday, November 20! And what a special day it was for our family…when her birth, her existence connected us when she married Tommy.

*Unfortunately Tommy came down with the flu at work Monday so a lot of their Thanksgiving and birthday plans are currently on hold… so please remember Kaitlyn’s birthday! So far she is well and we are all praying this will continue…that in itself would be a great birthday present! We love you Kaitlyn!