Day 4: My BFFs

Jan 4, 2012

Day 4: My BFFs

January 4, 2012 By Jamee 6 Comments

Day 4: Your favorite photograph of your best friend.

My husband is most definitely my best friend. Not to go all Jerry McGuire on you but he most definitely completes me. In many ways we are total opposites which allow us to bring balance to one another. He’s a total extrovert where I am definitely an introvert so he helps draw me out of my shell and embrace new experiences whereas I help me to see the benefit of taking time to be quiet and still. I cannot believe that 10 years ago we were these young college kids running up our parents phone bill during Christmas break as we really got to know each other and talked about everything from how we liked our eggs cooked to how we understood the Trinity! We have definitely been through a lot together and God definitely gave me a husband that was everything I needed to get me through these hard times. I most definitely think that when God made John that He was thinking of me.

this picture was taken the week before my hysterectomy in 2008 for our adoption profile book as we were getting ready to start the application process!

I’m going to cheat and have two pictures but following behind my amazing husband as a best friend is my mom. I’m really close to both my parents and would have no problem spilling my guts to either of them (and have done so many times over the years). I wrote before about the trip my dad and I took to the Coca-Cola 600 last year and how much it meant to spend time one-on-one just the two of us. I share the same bond with my mom. Even as a teenager, I always felt extremely comfortable talking with my mom. Our bond has gotten even stronger now that I’m married and a mother myself. Even though there are things we don’t see eye-to-eye on necessarily, there is still that respect for one another. We talk almost daily. Whenever they come to town to visit, its common for us to go shopping together and while we both really enjoy shopping, it is more of a time to just be together and catch up. I cherish our relationship so much and hope and pray that one day Abby and I can have the same relationship that I have with my mother.

this picture was taken Christmas Day 2011 when Abby insisted that we all needed to wear tiaras

What is your favorite picture with your best friend?

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Filed Under: blogging, family fun, marriage, motherhood Tagged With: 30 Day Blog Challenge

Nov 22, 2011

Love is the Best Medicine

November 22, 2011 By Jamee 7 Comments

Lilkidthings

When my husband and I said our vows six and a half years ago, we did not realize that there would be more sickness than health. We also didn’t realize that we would spend our first three anniversaries either recovering from surgery or preparing for one. Chronic illness has definitely challenged our relationship as well as our faith. There are days where one or both of us are frustrated, or even angry, at our situation. We have had to relearn how to communicate. We have also had to relearn how to plan (or unplan) our schedules to accommodate flares. We have had to relearn how to make intimacy work in our relationship because of pain. We have had to change, relearn, and reevaluate many things in our lives during the last six and a half years but the one thing that has never changed is my husband’s love and support.

One of the writing prompts for this week was to write about a situation where you feel loved. Of course it would be natural to say I feel loved every day because I do. Not a day goes by where my husband doesn’t tell me that he loves me or that I am beautiful (I am a really lucky girl, I know!). But there are moments that show his love for me beyond words. Each time he alters his schedule so that he can be sure to go to my doctors’ appointment, I am reminded of his love for me. Each time he speaks up at an appointment to be my advocate, I am reminded of his concern for my well-being. Each time he reminds me that I am more than my illness, I am reminded of his commitment to our marriage.

The perfect illustration of this love and concern occurred several weeks ago. I had been back to work but a couple weeks following my surgery and I was still getting adjusted to my new treatment. I was still dealing with quite a bit of pain and work had been stressful. I was so tired – physically and mentally – so he planned an evening of relaxation. When I arrived home from work, he had candles lit in our bedroom, the covers turned down, and NCIS in the DVD player. He planned to take Abby out so I could have some quite time. Its the little moments like this that mean the world to me.

So this Thanksgiving – and everyday – I am incredibly thankful for my husband who makes me feel so loved and so cherished. We have just celebrated ten years together and I cannot wait for the years to come as I know he will be by my side!

Filed Under: chronic illness, health, marriage Tagged With: A Week of Thanksgiving, chronic illness, endometriosis, marriage

Nov 11, 2011

A Post-Op Update of Sorts

November 11, 2011 By Jamee 8 Comments

Tomorrow marks 3 months since my most recent laparatomy for endometriosis and if you’ve been a reader over the past couple months, you would know that this recovery has not been easy for me. I had figured this recovery would be similar to that of my hysterectomy considering the incision was the same but I never thought it would be worse considering they actually removed organs before but that has not been the case.

At 3 months out, I am still dealing with intense pelvic pain but we may be seeing some light at the end of that tunnel. Last week, I went to see Dr. H for a visit due to my pain levels and she decided to do some cultures to send off for testing. Thankfully she did. Results came back yesterday and I’ve got a minimal staph infection (probably caused by the incision where they had to remove endo that had grown where my cervix was removed). So as a result, I’m on a week’s worth of antibiotics but that would ease quite a bit of the pain I was experiencing.

We are also taking the time to work on treating my IC and I was able to get my El.mi.ron prescription changed back to the dosage that it was before the national shortage. Hopefully this will add to the relief once my system gets adjusted to the new level.

I have also previously mentioned the nerve issue I’ve been having with my left leg. This was the issue that scared me enough to head back to the doctor. I was concerned that somehow things were getting stuck where they weren’t supposed to be and pressing on that nerve but she doesn’t feel like that is the case. Its possible that nerve got strained or injured somehow so I’ve started a new medication to help with nerve pain. It hasn’t really helped the nerve pain yet but boy does it help me sleep better at night which is awesome!

Probably one of the most exciting things to come out of this appointment was a new diagnosis of sorts. Endometriosis can come with some quite unpleasant and often unspoken side effects so I always chalked all my pain up to endo. After some rather personal discussion between my husband, my doctor, and myself, she felt as a result of my years of chronic pain that I have developed vulvodynia which has made certain activities extremely painful so she was able to prescribe me a lidocaine gel to help make those activities more enjoyable and it worked! Woo-hoo! Sorry if that is TMI for some but if you’ve lived with certain chronic illnesses, you know that its a big deal!

So I feel like things have the possibility of looking up in the near future. Not holding out hope to be a 100% pain-free (which would be nice if Santa wants to drop that off in my stocking) but I am hoping that I’ll be able to adjust my normal to a more active normal!

P.S. In family news – we are finally rid of the stomach bug! **Fingers crossed**

Filed Under: chronic illness, health, marriage Tagged With: endometriosis, pain, relationships