Real Life and Ice Cream

Today is National Ice Cream Day - wow!  I am happy to be alive and wish that I could have made it to church today - all in good time right?  If anyone wants to share some spiritual thoughts with me, that would be great!

Almost everyone who has seen me since the surgery has commented on the new tattoo I have on my  left arm - it’s fading fast, so enjoy it while it lasts :).  In case you can’t quite read it: “DO NOT USE”.  I guess the surgical center I went to was sort of low budget, since the other one gave me a fancy arm band to remind the medical staff not to put IV’s in that arm (lol). 

How am I feeling?  Well, I am doing ok - I have no appetite (which is really rare for me :)).  I think wearing a body cincher around my stomach 24/7 kind of kills it.  I saw an online ad today for a “sexy waist cincher sale” - wow, I can’t think of too many things that sound worse than wearing one of those voluntarily.

My soreness has improved but overall I am not feeling that good.  I feel nauseous and tired and I’m actually starting to feel more pain in certain areas (weird).  But I am lucky because I know why I feel the way I do, that it will improve and I have the support of family and friends.  These components are not always present in other trials.

I feel bad when people share something with me about their lives and then say  "I know it’s nothing compared to what you have been through".  Everyone has their own challenges and to be honest, a big trial like cancer seems to generate a lot more support and kindness from people than some of the day to day issues that are really difficult.  I found that before my diagnosis, there were things that were comparatively smaller challenges that got me more upset than the cancer did.  Funny how that works.  

On Friday night I was laying awake at about 3 a.m., unable to get to sleep after sleeping so late in the day.  I started watching inspiring videos on Youtube and it helped pass the time quite well.  One that I shared on my FB wall but want to highlight again is from the movie “Life is Beautiful”.  I am so touched by the sacrifice that this father made to help his son get through such a horrible experience by hiding his own fear and making it into a game. http://youtu.be/ccAWioDHgQM

Life truly is beautiful - as C.S. Lewis said wisely:

“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own,' or 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life -- the life God is sending one day by day.”