Birthday Surprise

I promise that I will get pictures back on my blog soon.  But for now I would like to tell you about my Birthday surprise.

On March 14th, I turned......okay.....38.  My husband had some well thought out plans for me and was really excited to reveal my gift to me.  So let's go back one day.  March 13th around lunchtime.  I had one of my favorite lunches which was pears and a type of mildew cheese.  It was a new type for me and I wasn't sure I was suppose to eat the rhine, but it was good so I did.  I thought as I was eating it that...I might have to pay for this later.

So let's skip ahead to March 13th at 3:00 or so.  I took Samuel to a friends house for a play date.  It is a good friend of mine so I was excited to get to sit and talk with her for a while.  I realized my stomach wasn't feeling so good.  Lots of cramping in the top of my stomach.  We had to end our time a little early and went home.  I called Andreas and asked him to bring me a coke because my stomach really hurt.  He hurried home and said maybe we should take you to the hospital.  No, no, no.....I was pretty sure I was paying for that cheese earlier.  We called the nurse hotline and asked and they said see how it goes for a little while and if it doesn't go away then come in.

So I waited (still thinking it was the cheese) the cramps were at the bottom of my stomach at this point, but I had spend many miserable hours in bed that night.  Around 1:30 I woke Andreas up and said, I need to go to the hospital.  The pain has settled over my right ovary for some time by then.  Andreas called his parents (who where absolutely wonderful).  The drove 30 minutes at 1:30 am to be with the boys as Andreas took me to the ER.

Alingsas ER is actually about 1 minute by car down the road from us.  However, at 2:00 am it is closed! Yes, you read that right!  We did get into the waiting room, which apparently we were not suppose to be able to do (I really think the Lord did that for me because I was at the end of my pain rope).  Andreas got on the phone with the nurse hotline and they got nurses and a doctor down to us.  They checked me, put on IV in me, told me you might have an appendicitis or a kidney stone, put me in an ambulance and drove me 40 minutes to the bigger hospital in a city nearby.

So there it is folks, my birthday surprise was an appendicitis!  Happy. Birthday. to. me! I was operated on the night of my birthday after a million tests to confirm what it was.  They tried to do laproscopic surgery, but it didn't work as far as being able to do it safely.  So I have lapro scars and a rather large incision.  I came home on the 16th and feel very sore right now.

I am thankful for doctors that are thorough and a medical system that is free!  I know the Lord was with me and protecting me through it all, sending wonderful people to take care of me.  My husband has been absolutely amazing...reaffirming how amazing I have always thought he was.  My kids have been sweet and trying so hard to be with me, but not be on me.  My friends have been encouraging and helpful and I am a very blessed woman.

Thank you Jesus, even in the hard times, that you send caring people and you place your arms around us.

Laurie