Nurses Week

Thank you to my dearest sister, Theresa, who surprised and thrilled me with a note thanking me and recognizing me as a nurse. It was such a fantastic way to start Nurses Week.

We have had celebrations at the hospital and needless to say, it has been filled with food and fun. The diet is really taking a hit this week. Seems like food is a common way to say thank you.

I have been receiving links that show how great nurses are and what we do for our patients. The video is one example of how we inspire our cancer patients and how they inspire us. Truly, it is a wonderful relationship. These nurses LOVE what they do. And as you will see, the patients love their nurses.

Thank you to all those who help us nurses be who we are and inspire us to keep on being nurses!!

Old Or Young??

I cut my hair short about 6 months ago and I got tons of compliments at work about how young it makes me look. One nurse keeps saying I get younger and younger every time he sees me. Should I be flattered? How old did I look before?

My nephew asked if I was Grandma. Yes, I look a lot like my mother, especially now with the haircut, and because I don't dye my hair but my mom dyes her hair. My mom and I have been to restaurants together and they ask if we are sisters. No, doesn't bother me but is of great amusement to my sisters who are after me to dye my hair. Not gonna happen, coloring your hair is too much hassle for me. Sorry, get over it.

This past weekend we were chaperoning a retreat for 9th graders and one of the team leaders, visiting from Baylor, asked about Amy. (Amy stayed home to meet Cardinal DiNardo at Rite of Election at our church) I told him she was going to graduate this year and then off to college. He laughed and said, "Wow, I feel really old!" He is a senior at Baylor, so old, Hah! I then could not resist saying how much he had grown up since I had seen him last @ 4 years before. Then common sense kicked in for him and he said "I haven't changed that much, really."

I don't feel old or young. I feel like me. I do have aches and pain but they are in different places. I used to have a lot of back pain when my kids were little, I think from all that picking them up and swinging them around for fun. Now, it is my feet. I have grown bone spurs, small little protrusion of bone sticking out from my heel that cause tremendous pain when I get up to walk from sitting or lying down. I got new orthotics to help with the pain to the ball of my foot from fallen arches. I sometimes look like a crippled person when I first stand up because I hobble from foot to foot trying to assimilate the discomfort of my feet. THAT is when I feel old.

However, all that being said - old is over 70 according to medical standards and older is over 80. I have a ways to go.

Trust

I help at our teen Bible study on Wednesday nights, it is called WOW - Word on Wednesday. We started a new group of classes on Trust and following God last week. The kids made bracelets of three colors of string to remind them of the three types of friend ship - pleasure, utility and virtuous. Pleasure someone you love hanging out with and doing things of a common interest, Utility, people you have to work with or do a project with - you kinda have to get along or suffer the consequences. Virtuous - those friends who share the belief in God and His works and inspire you to be a better person.

Last night we talked about trust and had and exercise where you are in the middle of a circle of people and closing your eyes you fall to be caught and shifted to others who catch you. Then we took the kids on a trust walk with their eyes closed and lined up behind one another hanging on to the person's shoulders in front of them,  walked around the parish grounds to end up in the chapel.

Most hated the trust fall, but loved the trust walk. They said they felt most safe in the dark as we exited the building and walked in the prayer garden in the dark. One person alluded to the fact that in the dark we do not have to hide who we are and what we feel and that it is easier to feel closer to God at that time. I mentioned how I loved going to confession in the dark little confessionals we had growing up.

Yes, it was still the priest on the other side of the curtain/screen, but it felt like i was really taking to God. I am sure the priest, Fr. Kelly knew it was all the Kurzy kids coming up to confess about disobedience and torturing their siblings and hating Kelly Poole, the little girl at school, but I really felt like it was God hearing my plea for forgiveness. I always felt forgiven and cleansed. I dislike the current face-to-face confession or the behind the screen - you saw me walk in  - you know who I am. I digress - oops.

Back to the trust issue, I mentioned how I love working nights because that is when I can be a minister to those who have doubts. I can let those people know that even though everyone has gone home, they are still being cared for and cherished as one of God's children and I will offer to pray with them. This is why I do not work days. I am a better person for my opportunity to do sacred work with a servant's heart at night. And I trust my Lord's will of placing me where I am. I often thank God for the many blessing of my work, but not nearly enough, so thank you, God, for trusting me with Your work to others.

Stupid Me

Well, I had posted using a title " Foot and a half" and what do I get but some obscene comment from some sex website.
I changed the title of the post. I feel violated and stupid. Jeesh!

Surgery

That is what they took out on the 16th of this month, 1 1/2 feet of colon with several diverticulum. No other issues on the pathology of the tissue and now I should not have any more diveticulum flare ups.
I think things look pretty good as does the doctor. Only off for a full three weeks and READY to go back to work!!
Cover your eyes if you do not want to see anything:

It was done laparoscopically with a small incision centrally to removed the excised portion. Luckily, I have lots of colon so no big deal to reattach things back together. The incision above is numb. Most of my discomfort is to the right at one of the trocar sites where the surgeon went through a muscle.

I am now back to my HIGH high fiber diet and am gradually increasing my activity.

My apologies to those of you who do not like to see scars. It happens - we get older and things have to be fixed or removed.

Christmas, Belated

Just wanted to share, albeit late, what I got for Christmas.

I wasn't sure what to say, so I thanked my spouse for his thinking of me. What did I get??

First, I love bells, so my sweet husband got me a string of silver bells on a cord that can be hung on a door.

Then, I got a silver wrap-around of gypsy dangles that jingle when you walk, oookkkkaaayyy. I was thinking when would I ever wear that?

Finally, I got a purple cloth with the dangling silver bells attached that wraps around your hips. Again, I was wondering, where would I ever wear this contraption? Was my husband trying to tell me something?

After pondering this issue for a few weeks I finally asked him last Friday. "Hey, you know the gypsy belts you got me for Christmas? Why?"

In reply, my loving husband stated, "Because they were pretty and I know you like the bell sound that those thing make. I know you won't wear them except for at the Ren Fest but I thought maybe you could get some pants and tunic to wear with them next year. No real reason, I just thought you would like them and the purple color was so pretty."

So there you have it - no ulterior motive - not a gift for him to watch me wear - just the noise that he dislikes but knows that I like - to make me smile. I did smile - like a "what was he thinking?" smile of amazement at first, and then a true smile of joy for such a thoughtful husband who put my likes ahead of his own.

Ren Fested Out

I don't work there but I think I have had enough Rn Festival for 2011. Vernon loves this stuff and he had a great time working out there this year. I am sure this will be come a regular thing for him. But you can only see so many shows before they become routine, nothing new to inspire you. I do like the improv shows that follow a formula but the show is new each time as they improv the production. You never know what they are going to say.

Both the kids got to bring friends with us this year and they loved those weekends. Amy brought her significant other and they are henna tattooed half on each of their hands with a Celtic knot. NOT Amy's idea but one she went along with.

The weather has turned cool and those dratted Texans in my house insisted on turning on the heat. Pansies!

Don't they complain enough about the heat then when it gets a little chilly they turn off the fans and refuse to put on clothes that cover their limbs and say they are cold.

Pish Posh, get dressed you foolish people!

I am off to the groery store with my list and menus for the next week and then back to bed for some sleep before my last night for 7 days!!! It will be like a mini vacation.