My New Favorite Word: Procedure

The day before yesterday I had my EDG (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy) it wasn't really a bad test as far as tests go. The worst part is getting to the point where you actually go in and take the test. They give you what they call twilight anesthesia, you're out enough that you don't give a rip that they are putting a tube down your throat and not under long enough that they have to keep you for any length of time. I got watched for an hour afterward. You do have to have someone who will drive you to and from. I was fortunate enough to have my sister. We traded favors. She was my driver for my 'procedure' (Lord, forgive me but I crack up using that term as I sound just like my grandmother. I have to have some fun with this getting old and falling apart nonsense) and I drove her to the Lexington airport yesterday. It was a fair trade.

She and I got the giggles in the hospital. I wore a coral colored shirt and it turns out so do the volunteers who walk you to and from waiting rooms and pre-op rooms. My little sister thought that was funny for some reason. I thought if I were a volunteer I would be running the place a whole lot better. For one thing the surgery waiting room would have a bathroom in it, it wouldn't be across the hall where if you step out to use it, you upset the volunteers who think you ran out on your procedure. I guess volunteers didn't have any part of that. Anyway, they took me in and made me answer all the same questions they had asked me at the 7 previous check stops. Name, date of birth, chief complaint, allergies etc. The nurse said I was a fun patient, I told her I wasn't stupid. I wanted her to like me. She told me I would be surprised at how some people treat nurses and then the anesthesiologist came to get me to sign papers. He asked me if I had any questions, I said, "Are you available for parties?" The nurse laughed and said, "I told you she was fun."

Then they went to wheel me away to the next holding place and this time another anesthesiologist came to chat. He went through everything again. He was more fun the first guy. As he and the nurse wheeled me down the hall to the OR I said in a low voice, "What if I start yelling, 'No! I change my mind! Take me back! I will be good!'" as we passed all the other patients-in-waiting on their gurneys in their open stalls. Instead of begging me not to this young man chimed in, "It didn't happen like this last time! Help me!" The nurse chastised us and said, " You're not nervous at all, are you?" I wasn't. I never have been. God ordains how many breaths I take and no matter the competence level of the doctors, they don't get to change that.

It only took 10-20 minutes for the doctor to have a look and take some biopsies. He told me once he thought I was coherent that he did find some polyps, which he removed. He found some inflammation in my stomach and what looks like it could be Barrett's Esophagus. He didn't find cancer or Crohn's disease, which were the two biggies I was hoping to avoid. So in three weeks I go and find out the results of the biopsies and see what to do to get rid of this pain in my guts. Meanwhile, my regular doctor has told me my blood tests came back abnormal for connective tissue diseases and she's referring me to a rheumatologist. So the hunt is still on to find out why I am so miserable physically.

I want my three readers to know I am not miserable spiritually. I am tired of being exhausted, I went to bed at 9:30 last night and got up at 5:00 am. I normally go to bed at 11-12:00 and get up the same time. I fed the dogs, sat in my chair for a moment and the next thing I knew it was 9:00 am. I am thinking of napping again and it's only 11:00am. I am tired of not getting things accomplished, but I am hopeful and know that God is in control. Apparently He thinks I need some down time.

I have managed to watch some decent movies, though I tend to have a nap attack part way through the best of them. I watched Unstoppable. I am such a sucker for true stories as long as Oliver Stone doesn't get ahold of them. I have listened to some good sermons. I just don't get to do much else. While I am anxious to find out what is going on so we can manage it, I am not frightened of whatever it is....unless it means giving up coffee and chocolate.

Character Flaws, Sin and Remediation

I have been thinking about my last post in which I offered to talk about how having a job has shown or magnified my character flaws. Before I do though, I want to distinguish between character flaws and sin. My character flaws predispose me to sin in certain areas more readily than in others. Indulging in my character flaws is sinful. Entertaining the idea of indulging my character flaws is sinful. They are the weaknesses in me where my flesh makes itself known by screaming, "You know you want to!!" Too often I hear Christians lamenting that they "make mistakes" or are victims of their genetic make-up and intimate that they should, therefore, be excused from culpability for being prone to certain activities. Our cultural dependence on a medical model to define our behavior has given many what they see as a plausible excuse for sin. I don't see that caveat in the Word. For Christians, the Word is always our standard. It is the standard by which all will be j

Fear Down, Hope and Peace to Go!

Last night I had the honor and privilege to present some information to the women of my church. I cannot begin to tell you how much I love and appreciate them. The seminar I did was on fear. God is clever and He had me present the information to them because I needed it. It's not that I don't want to study things for my own benefit and growth, but whenever I do a topical study to teach it, I see how badly I needed it and how much more I have to repent of than I realized. Sometimes you don't know what you don't know. That's a topic I want to return to in another post. I want to talk about the ladies for a moment. They are an incredibly loving group of women. Women who seek God and are teachable. They have gone out of their way to include me and love on me, which speaks volumes of their characters because I am not all that lovable. I am not being self-deprecating here. I am a mix of endearing and maddening qualities like anyone else. What I am telling you is

Super Church a song for the Emergent-sy

In the early 70s I was in a youth choir at my church. Our youth pastor was a musician and his way of connecting with us as a group was through the choir and music. Somehow there was an affiliation between him and The Continental Singers, New Hope and Jeremiah People. He was worked with Moishe Rosen of Jews for Jesus too, I think. Are any of these names familiar to you? Though I remember the church fondly I was a profoundly lost and troubled young woman during my years there. That and time have muddled the memories quite a bit. Today I was digging through some old paperwork and one of the books to the musical we did. It's Getting Late For the Great Planet Earth, a folk rock oratorio by Cam Floria. Yes, that's right. Cam Floria put Hal Lindsey to music. There's a lot to laugh about and some to groan about but as I was looking through the songs and remembering, I found this little ditty and I only wish I could sing it for you. Just remember that this is circa 1972 and even th

rambling rosemarie

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