Becoming Bionic: Adventures in the OR (Season Premiere, 9/17/12)

Episode 1: "Indepedence Complex"

I'm realizing that the prayer with which I closed my last blog entry, about learning how much I need despite how much I already have, is a little bit of a dangerous one. Mostly because I hate needing anything. I hate relying on other people. I dislike asking people to help me, because I'd greatly rather do it myself than trouble them with anything. In this arena, I'd much rather be the giver than the receiver.

That's not always possible in life. It's time to face up to the fact that I won't be okay on my own, this time. I need my mom and my sister, my Colorado family, my friends, my other family members on the home front in Michigan. I'm going to need to be an inconvenience, and I'm sorry, but that's the way it is! :)

Haha. That still doesn't mean I like it.

I've let the days slip by until this one is almost a surprise that sort of makes me backpedal a little. "Ack, it's today! Do I really want to do this? It's a bit late now!" And, of course, I do want it, or at least the results of it. But I guess I can't help second-guessing just a little. But no, no, I do want my life back, as much as I can take it. I'm just sort of dreading the recovery-path on the way.

A bit strange indeed to wake up in the morning and feel fine--absolutely normal, in fact, aside from the few aches and pains that have actually become normal too--but to know that in another five hours I'll be on my way to unconscious, and then when I wake up, "feeling fine" will have headed out the window for the direct future. Though, with any luck, I'll have traded the usual aches and pains for a different but temporary set. And... I won't have my own original God-given hip anymore. Now that's a weird one.

This from my email/Facebook update I sent out earlier:
I check myself in at Penrose Hospital downtown (2222 N. Nevada, Colorado Springs, 80907) at 10:45 a.m., and the adventure begins. The surgery's scheduled for 12:45pm. It should be a two-hour-ish procedure, and depending on when they finish, I may be up and about the same day. We'll see. It's weight bearing immediately; they just want to make sure I'm stable. I will probably be in the hospital until Wednesday or Thursday, determined by how I progress. After that, for the first phase of recovery and first couple weeks, I'll be staying at the house of Jeff and Peggy Doney, my previous host family/adoptive Colorado family, since their home has fewer stairs than mine. The hope is to be able to return to work in 2-3 weeks. I'll have restrictions on my movement for the next six weeks, but after that point it's just regaining my muscle strength and teaching my new hip what life as usual looks like. God's given me an excellent support network (family, friends, and work) in the meantime, and I feel really blessed. I'm also really thankful for my mom's parents, who are keeping an eye on my dad and brothers back on the home front. :)

So yeah... The hospital just called to find out if I can come in half an hour early, so I guess that means my quiet time's complete. My Perspectives homework isn't. Well, I guess I'll have time to catch up on that afterward!

Prayers still appreciated very much, friends--yep, that's me, asking for help and support. It's huge to know that you're thinking about me.

Love you all!