Claimed By Grace

Well I am heading home from the hospital today. I have been doing very well here. They say the most important thing after bowel surgery is to get up and walk to gain your strength back and I guess I've been bored because I've been walking non stop.
I am learning a lot about myself and my new lady friend princess peachy poo who will be with me for The next 6-8 months.

I've learned that I have this strength within me to push myself further then I think I can. My first day was awful. I could barely make it out of bed.. But its important to get out of bed so you don't get blood clots and the more you move the more your body heals. The nurses have told me I have a fantastic attitude towards everything.
I admit.... Pooping into a bag sucks but it certainly beats the alternative. I did a lot of research between YouTube videos and online forums before surgery, I discovered so many people have ostomy bags and usually they are life time! I attribute my being able to handle measuring my poop and counting intake vs. Outtake to working at Christian horizons. I love my job and I've dealt with a lot of poop during my 6 years there. It doesn't bother me at all so getting used to that aspect isn't hard.

I've learned that its okay not to always be in control and to manage everything. I can rely on my husband and my family to take care of things when I can't. Zoey has been sick all week and I have felt so useless being here in the hospital. Even when I go home I'll have to put myself first and her second for a while but in the long run knowing its all for her.

I've learned that the hospital staff is unbelievably caring and wants the ultimate best for you. My day nurse Angela has been amazing. She has comforted me when I've been emotional and was easy to joke around with.

My room mate has kept me in stitches all week with some crazy bed head and a great personality!

This is just the beginning for me... I've been learning so much already... Like princess peachy poo likes to make the most embarrassing sounds especially when people are around.
I've learned that you can be going through the roughest time but to trust in God and everything will work out... Not necessarily the way we think but the way God sees fit and just because we can't see what's happening down the road or around the corner if we trust in his plan for our life we will overcome.

Please also keep my friend Carmen in prayer. Carmen is an amazing friend who has recently gone through a huge life change is is currently in the hospital in Ottawa. Please donate if you feel led to do so. Her story is so compelling and her family faces many challenges in the future.  See her story here...

This is the fundraising campaign for Support Carmen Hartgerink!: http://de.gofund.me/cpur1w

Anyways that's it for now... I have so much more to learn and I'm growing stronger.... I'm bustin out of here

Jess