My Top 10 That Turned To 12 ~

Most of you, who know me personally or from following my blog, know or may remember that my husband has been dealing with illness for a long time.   We, in recent years, spend a lot of time at the VA – to much so!  In fact, if we were without having a outlet to channel our pent up energy, thus being the Lord, it would be so much harder to deal with.   Another way is laughter.  It’s important to laugh  ~ finding humor in a situation helps and I believe God has a sense humor and He’s pasted that onto us.  I sometimes when I think I've lost my laughter - there it is again!  In fairness, it is a choice.

We’ve been on this particular journey for some time but for the sake of argument let us say - since I started blogging in 2008.  Many of the things that we’ve been through stem from illness; looking back I can see the Lord working and how He’s blessed our lives.  Much of my posts are there for others to be inspired and maybe even find help with what they are going through themselves.  Reading over my posts I see how the Lord has used many, if not all of the stories to minister right back to me.  

Saying that my husband has been dealing with an illness is by no means saying he’s giving up believing he’s healed (exercising his faith) believing Jesus did exactly what He said did at the cross. One day that healing will manifest, for our hope is in the Lord.  Nor am I underestimating the power of prayer for He answers ours prayers.  I’m not even questioning the fact why some believers are healed miraculously and why others aren’t - just that our hope is in Him.  He has blessed us and He is getting us through this.  Especially now when dealing with stomach and esophageal cancer another new bend on our journey. 

So while recently at the VA and being cared for in the ER, Jim’s feeding tube that was placed in April, came out.  Yes came out! We were told we had just a short window of opportunity to shove another in without having it done surgically again.  Naturally off to the VA we went.  After finally getting a room – Jim even called in ahead of time to Surgical Oncology, explaining the situation as told, (remember a short window here) and apparently no big deal.  The saying most common at the VA is,  "You know? Hurry up and wait."

I’d like to say we got a window with a view – nope, well of course it was the ER - but they fixed him a place that was left.  Detox  - lol!   Not to go there and get side tracked off the reason for the post, he was in so much pain with that particular tube that came out and that room was bare, only a gurney that rolls right out, a rubber mat folded up from the floor, plugs were covered and IV was even battery operated, the only thing getting power was the over head light.  .  .  .  and my sense of humor! 

As we sat there in detox, with Jim being a good sport, I started thinking.  Not just that I might need a rubber room myself being my mind was heading in that direction, but a top ten list that went right to a top twelve: 

You know you're spending too much time at the VA when?

12. You know where all the vending machines are.

11.  You know when they replace fixtures that barely have a significant ding.

10.  You are there so much you know where everyone works - including when they happen to be filling in for another clinic.

9.  You think it's Christmas when you get to take surgical stuff home.  

8.  You can stand at any given spot and direct people to the correct clinic; call me information station!  That's me.

7. You think of new and creative ways to get to where you're going like counting how many steps to bathrooms or how fast you can get from here to there whilst skipping.

6.  You no longer gag at elevator music and actually start humming along.  Of course I need to add I know most of the songs (thanks gram) ~

5.  When you can tell the newer staff how to load something or troubleshoot equipment getting it back in working order or why it isn't working properly to begin with; Though you yourself have not been trained.

4.  Other patients recognized you or think you actually work there from that air of confidence you seem to have.  Maybe its frustration ~ 

3.  The smell from the kitchen starts smelling pretty good.  Hmmm .  .  . Salisbury steak with gravy!

2.  When you recognize patients (ground hog day comes to mind) and know what they're being treated for.  Yes, too much information.

1.  You're there enough times that the doctor's feel confident that you can replace a feeding tube that was placed surgically. With you realizing once home the surgeon handed you a Urethral Catheter tube not feeding, and is this something I’ll need to Google?  Right - maybe I can put that thing in! 

No kidding and all kidding aside, one doctor did in fact asked me and having that puzzled look when I answered no, if I was given a replacement tube to insert.  Are you kidding!  When they were done, after "numbing" the area - shoving one in painfully then suturing it on, gave me one to place if this one came out like the first!  I did bring up a rooster I helped my dad operate on getting a banana peel stuck in its crop, with mentioning I had the same needle for stitching since it was obvious I didn't need anything to numb the area.  They didn't wait for it to numb up they started right in with big upholstery needles.  I wanted to ask if this had something to do with all the budget cuts but felt it better that I held my tongue.  I had already went into my advocate mode as a caregiver.   However, the doc was curious about the rooster and I told him.  Actually what got me to mention the surgery performed on the bird in the first place had something to do with being asked something, sorry can't remember what, I just remember answering kind of snarky like - I don't know but I could probably find something out in the chicken yard that might work! Of course then the mention of the rooster.  I think the old doc liked me at that point but who knows it could have been that look of an old poker face ~  he was smiling.

The important thing to take from all of this is to laugh and I don't think I could do that if I didn't know where and who to place my hope.

"And now, Oh Lord, for what do I wait?  My hope is in you."  Psalm 39:7 ESV

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.  Job 8:21 NIV