It Was A "Blast"-- my unexpected "vacation" and how you can avoid one!

The view from my 7th floor window

Terrible and sudden pain only comparable to childbirth (but without the reward) brought about an unusual start to my June. I had my first experience going "under" and my first ever operations as the doctor laser-blasted a large kidney stone that was going to ruin my life! Everything happened so quickly, but there were many answers to prayer and I was very blessed to be carried through it all by the gentle hand of God!

Across the river, orchards and bald eagles were to be seen. "God's Country"

Only He could have brought my pain level down to nearly nothing the day before the operation... and took me through the whole ordeal in just the right ways...so many answers to prayer.

I enjoyed watching all the birds fly to these trees.... which are taller than the 7th floor that I was on.

Despite the awful circumstances, my stay in the hospital was in a way like a vacation. A private room with a fabulous view, an adjustable bed with all the features for comfort, food brought to me on a tray, juice anytime I wanted it (none of this "it's all gone.. so and so drank the last of it"), crushed ice when I wanted it, warm blankets (warmer than the dryer can get them) in the middle of the night when I requested them, not worrying about all the laundry piling up at home (after all, there was nothing I could do about it!), time to hand-write some letters, and a hand-sewing project. Ah the luxury of hand sewing! Take all the time you want, it's just you, the long afternoon, and a needle and thread. 

While in bed,  I made this cute little hat with ear flaps for a special little fellow. I didn't have a pattern with me, so I drew a wedge-shape on a piece of paper for the crown, and used that as my pattern. The brim and ear-flaps were free-hand. I hope to get better photos later when it is washed and pressed-- the inside seams were also finished with self-made bias and seam tape. The nurses were interested in the progress of the hat!

I had such nice nurses! My experience in the past with nurses in clinics has not been good. It seemed my lot in life to get the sarcastic, impatient nurses who were having a perpetual "bad day." or who were way past due for retirement and didn't want to be there, or whose attitude was that the patients were of a lower intelligence. I was so relieved to find the hospital nurses were in NO WAY like that! All of them were sweet, kind, considerate, sympathetic, and I felt that they genuinely cared about me. Every shift brought another really pleasant nurse and CNA. 

Now here at home, my new steel water bottles are going to be my life-long companions-- 100 oz. of water a day for the rest of my life. I used to be so busy with the work of the day I would  forget to drink water.  Readers, I urge you, DRINK YOUR WATER!!!! Don't wait until you are thirsty- it's too late then! Pull out a pretty cup-- even a tea cup will do!-- and fill it every hour. Don't get too busy to take a sip. Make it your new good habit!