My IPhone Valentine's Day.

A huge storm Thursday night covered us.

I was supposed to be at the hospital by 10 a.m.  My kind friend couldn't make the hour long trip to our house to babysit- so we brought the littlest with us.

They were really good.

Yes, we were finishing Valentine assembly the morning of Valentine's day.  Don't judge... :)

(See the plate of eggs in that picture?  Todd made me eggs, toast and juice.  And I did eat.)

My neighbor was in the waiting room of same day surgery.  Her husband was actually the patient right before me.  My other neighbor, and friend from church, was (rather, he would have been) my anesthetist.  Isn't that funny?  It is a small, urology world.  I try to be friends with every man who sees me naked.  Sigh.

My stent really needed to be changed (it has been painful and infected) and because protein is the worst thing to eat on surgery morning they couldn't drug me until 6pm that night. (Non-negotiable hospital policy- blah.)

We decided to go ahead with my procedure at the scheduled time, WITHOUT ANESTHESIA.  

Yes we did.  It was lovely. 

Bad, but not unbearable.

(Peeing afterwards was worse.)

I'm pretty tough and I love pain. :)

Without general anesthesia, I was awake and could feel how my surgeon operates.  (They did use local, cold, numbing stuff.)  

By feel, I mean physically and emotionally.  

The room felt good.  

He was calm and confident and gentle.  He didn't get flustered when my old stent was a bit stuck and he showed me around my bladder like a man giving me a tour of his garage.  :)

I really think my surgeon is great.  He knows my bladder/kidney well and gets a bit animated talking about my ureter.  

It was kinda cool to see inside myself by camera and X-ray- again. 

Human bodies are beautiful and amazingly resilient.  

(There was a box with wires above my kidney in the X-ray, I couldn't figure out what I had inside me.  When I asked, my Dr explained that was my finger, with the pulse/ox sensor thing on it.  My hand was resting on my chest and showed up in the X-ray.  Ha!  Nice to know.)

My dr is impressed by how well I've healed in just 8 months.  Although I'm still getting a 2nd opinion (from a surgeon at a more prestigious hospital) I could tell that this surgeon really wants to do my big surgery.  He feels confident that it will go well.  How I needed to feel his confidence!

(My friend is the duck dynasty guy, my surgeon is the cute Korean in the back.)

My old Oregon hospital felt like family.  This hospital actually felt the same way!! The nurses were sweet, kind motherly souls.  I felt like everyone was happy and that they knew me.  

I really needed this experience (sans medication) as a prelude to my big surgery.  It was a blessing in disguise... 

I just noticed my Dr spelled loBster wrong.  Lol

Surgery done we had to stop at BJs and Wegman's to get a few things.  

It is lovely to pee blood in a public bathroom... 

(Tip- if you're sore as you potty, pee right into a wad of toilet paper.  Then, wash your hands.  It really helps.  And use disinfectant spray before you sit on a public potty- love that stuff. Thank you for reading my TMI blog.)

Wegman's.  

Just FYI- this little man is worth every pain in my bottom!!  (They all are.)

Home to nap!!

Guess what???  

While we were shopping my kids got home from school.  

Before we left, I put Rocco (our 12 week old puppy) in his crate, in his pen.  

Somehow, he got out of his crate, jumped his pen and wrecked havoc in our house.  He chewed through a lamp chord, knocked over and ravaged the trash.  Chewed through two Bibles- just feasting on the word, holy pup.  

He pooped and peed behind my couch!!  

Grrr.  Dumb doggy. 

(We were gone a long time-- I wish I would have thought to put him in the bathroom.)

Gratefully, Jakob and Anna had it all cleaned (even shampooing carpets) before we got home.  Love those kids.

While I was napping Todd cooked dinner, straightened up the explosion of Valentines, got everyone in jammies, popped popcorn and set them in-front of a movie.  We had plans to go dancing, but opted for a nice Scotch and Steak (minus the scotch) Valentine's dinner.

I was wary... But actually had a nice time.  Lobster was in fact what my doctor ordered.  Plus- how many people get to double date with their anesthetist the day of their surgery?  Ha!

(I had a Shirley Temple in memory...)

Lily's kindergarten teacher was at the same restaurant- 45 minutes from our house.  

My kids called about 10 times.  I gently talked them through their "She told me I can't have another bedtime story...", I am over-tired and ate way too much candy- drama.

We had a really nice night.  Isn't it fun to chat with friends?!  I should have snapped a few pictures of our meal.

I had lobster, baked potato, salad, hot chocolate (with nutmeg sprinkled on the whipped cream- yum) and pecan pie.

Mmm.

Of course, my evening was (not really) full of romance.  Wink. Wink.

How I love that manly roll.  ;)

And that my friends, was a Valentine's to remember.

I love normal life.

(If my life is normal?)