Ladybug Crafting: June 2012

Today, I am not doing my typical post of crafty things or cards I have made. This post is going to be about what has been going on in my life over the last 6 months.

However, so you don't have to read the below if you don't want to - I am going to start off with what I have learned over the last 6 months. I always knew the power of prayer was important, but had no idea how much until this all happened to me. I also learned that there are friends/people you can count on, and those that probably aren't really good friends after all. I look back and cannot believe that I made it back to this point. There were days, honestly, that I did not want to go on any more. However, I had friends around the world that would send me RAKs (Random Acts of Kindness) in the form of cards, ladybugs (we all know why! LOL!) and supplies for my crafting passion. My friends in Australia are amazing!!! As are all of them across the nation! I had friends around the world praying for me - I felt them! The friends that would call me and text me got me through the days. It seems that at my lowest points, those amazing people were there uplifting me - not even knowing they were bringing me back from darkness. Friends would make me meals - a special shout out to my daughter's boyfriend's mom - this was so helpful! Special people in my life made sure they called and made me smile and laugh! I would not have gotten through this without these amazing people. I cannot tell you how much closer to my dad I have gotten through this. He called and checked on me everyday, even though he was going through his own health crisis. My brother was amazing! He is trying to plan a wedding but he was there for me and dad every step of the way. He spent an entire day with me while I got the PICC Line. I have gotten so much closer to him I love and respect him. One sad point is that I found out who really isn't a friend. Though it is disappointing to know about these people, it is better now than when I might have thought I could count on them. So with all of that, here is the abridged story of the last 6 months:

I know that I had said my New Year's Resolution was going to be to post every day. Well, sometimes life gets in the way and that is not what I was able to do that. On December 23rd, I had surgery on my foot, which was the second time in 2011, to remove a ganglion cyst that had come back, was extremely painful, and had sent out tentacles throughout my foot and ankle. This is the fourth surgery I have had on my left foot in 16 years, so I was not concerned about anything going wrong. Well, I did not know how wrong things could go.

My foot continued to have swelling problems and pain after the operation. My podiatrist washed his hands of me. I have never had a doctor do that before. He did get me an appointment with an Infectious Disease Doctor. I can honestly say that Dr. Ingram saved my life. After numerous tests, it was determined that I had a bone infection in my foot. I had to get a PICC Line in my arm to give myself IV antibiotics. The first PICC Line did not go in so they used my other arm. Here are the pictures from this process.

Here is the process that I had to do twice a day/2 hours per process.

This was supposed to happen for 6 weeks. After 4.5 weeks, I became highly allergic to the antibiotics and had to be rushed to the hospital from my office. (Yes, I was still trying to work through all of this). That sent me on 2 weeks of steroids, rash, hives, etc. I was sick beyond belief. During this whole time, I was trying to plan my daughter's 18th birthday and her graduation and party. I look back and do not know how I got through all of this. Through this, my father was having numerous procedures to see if he had pancreatic cancer and my stepfather had triple bypass. I made sure I was at the hospital for almost all procedures for both of them.

I am happy to report now that my stepfather has gotten a clean bill of health - he is doing awesome! My father is cancer free - though he still has a growth on his pancreas, they are treating it with steroids and the prognosis is great. I am doing so much better. I have to wear a compression sock on my foot, and still have a few flare ups of the rash - but I am medicine free, feeling like a million bucks, and happy to be alive!

So, in conclusion, I believe in the power of prayer and in some of the most amazing friends that anyone could have.

I will be posting more often now. I am not going to put a number on it - but it will be more than I have been doing!

Happy Saturday!

Love and Hugs, Meg