This convalescence has to come to end soon before I either go crazy or drive my family nuts.

I’ve made huge strides in my healing!  I just have a long way to go.  When I signed up for this surgery, my mind was worried about the surgery itself and the immediate aftermath rather than on my ability to handle being a lounge lizard for such a long period of time.

The Bright Side (Thank you, God!!)

• I’ve officially passed the time of the month where I would have had a series of very painful days.  Slowly the reality is dawning on me that I’m through with that phase of my life.
• Chronic low back pain is gone!
• Who needs ProActive anymore to control adult acne? Dial soap works just fine!
• Books, books, books!  My favorite past-time is reading, and I’ve been able to indulge in it as much as I want without feeling guilty that I’m neglecting the laundry…or cooking…or chores of any kind.
• Movies!  I’ve seen some old favorites and stumbled upon some new ones.
• Driving a car is like riding a bike: I didn’t forget how and have even been able to take my daughter to a couple of her weekly events.
• Fibrocystic breast disease pain isn’t an issue anymore.
• No more bladder pain!
• Restaurants!  I now have enough stamina to go out to eat with my family.
• My hormones are regulated…probably for the first time EVER!
• Due to said hormone regulation, the wild mood swings are no longer part of my life.
• My fibromyalgia pain appears to be lessening.
• I’ve gained four pounds since I got home from the surgery.

The Other Side (Thank You, God…I’m trying to count it all as joy!)

• There’s a loop of something sticking out of one of my incisions.  Don’t know what it is…don’t want to know what it is….but probably need to find out.
• Bleeding is my body’s way of telling me when I’ve overdone it…and I’m bleeding again.  Dad-gum-it!
• Laughing, coughing, sneezing, peeing are still causing pain.
• Everything that I want to pick up weighs more than five pounds…
• But even lifting five pounds hurts. I didn’t realize flour could be so heavy!
• Occasionally the Nexium isn’t working quite as well as it was.
• Which led to a couple nights of insomnia.  And panic attacks.
• I still haven’t started my antibiotics for H Pylori.
• My daughter has a bad cold.  Cough. Cough. Cough.  This means no church for us…again!

On the Unconventional Trailblazer Road

Instead of shopping on Black Friday for crock pots, mixers, and fishing poles, I spent the day ordering my daughter’s school uniform online. This was a task that literally took me All Morning Long.  Unfortunately there were no sales on school uniforms.  No joke.  I guess there’s not a run on plaid skirts, khaki pants and oxford shirts for holiday gifts. 🙂  The size charts were a bit wonky, so I hope I ordered the right sizes.  My girl has the waist size of a girls size 12 but the leg length of a size 16 or a junior size…so I’m pretty sure I’ll need to find someone to alter these lovely uniforms before her first day of school in January.

Gulp.  First. Day. Of. School.  I take comfort in knowing I won’t be relinquishing her to school for five days a week.  Instead, I’ll have her every other day for homeschooling.

I also spent the day on Pinterest looking up ideas for homemade Christmas gifts and decorations.  I have found some awesome ideas!

Yarn wrapped around empty beer bottles make beautiful vases:

Beads or pearls placed in clear ornaments make elegant ornaments:

A beautiful wreath made of felt:

I think a trip to the craft store and possibly the dollar store will be on tomorrow’s agenda if I can rope my ever-patient hubby into going with me to push my cart.  I found so many ideas that it’s going to be difficult to narrow them down!  Making beautiful gifts for the people I love will hopefully keep me blissfully occupied as I continue my lounge lizard confinement to the couch for a few more weeks.