Today was 4 months. I started my day not so happily, even though I woke up realizing that today was the 4 month mark. The reason: I have a cold. Saturday, we got a new Toyota Sienna (used, new to us)!! So Sunday, we went out to eat (used as an excuse to get to use the new car!!), and my brother gave me a spoonful of his chocolate frozen custard with Oreos and Kit-Kats on top. He just got over strep throat, but he’s taking medicine, so we didn’t think he was contagious. Well, yesterday I woke up with a bad sore throat, and I thought it was strep. So today, I woke up to a sore throat (slightly better than yesterday’s, which has actually gone away), a stuffy nose, a slight headache, and I felt (feel) just plain miserable!! So, it’s not strep, but it IS a cold. (Man, I have allergies bad enough as it is!!!) So all through school, I was miserable, but I kept my head high and eventually, by lunch, I was my perky self (I’m still miserable, and I still have a stuffy nose, but no sore throat or headache). I was laughing at my friend G’s jokes at lunch like I do every day. I got even more excited that TODAY IS 4 MONTHS POST OP!!!!! The days just seem to rush by me quickly, and I’m finally 1/3 of the way to ONE YEAR.
Last night, I was reading through a short journal that G wrote for one school week about how life was at school without me. She prepared a basket to go with it, including a scrapbook with inspiring quotes, cards from the other girls in our group (J, E, and L), and a stuffed puppy named “Hope”. Here’s her story:
“Hope’s Story:
I got Hope at Target for you on Saturday. It wasn’t until I got home and got ready to put her in the basket, when I noticed her 4 inch cut in her back with fluff spewing out. How she was cut, I don’t know, but what I do know is I sewed her up with yellow thread so you can easily spot her scar. I thought about how ironic that you’re having back surgery and your puppy has a 4 inch (I measured) incision down the place where her spine would be. In the process of mending her, I put a purple heart with the word Hope written on it in her chest, so she can always have hope in her heart.” This stuffed puppy went into my third surgery with me 4 months ago!!! I agree- it was VERY fitting that Hope has a 4in incision down her back. In the journal, G put the cut-out scraps of Hope’s heart. Also, in the diary portion, she wrote about Monday the 10th of November to Saturday the 15th of November. This is an inspiring excerpt of Monday’s entry: “I ran 2 1/4 miles in twenty-eight minutes, (I’ve done better) but I ran part of it for you.”
Anyway, I had a good day when I started feeling a bit more perky. My back didn’t hurt until Mom picked me up from school, despite not taking a pill this morning (the size of the new pill is encouraging me to NOT take it). I haven’t taken one since…Saturday or Sunday??? Yeah. Saturday or Sunday.
In BIG news: Saturday we had a Band Competition!!! There are four possible awards: Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Gold with Distinction. We were very close to Gold with Distinction, but we got Gold!!! Later we went out to eat, and then went out for dessert. The place we went had each slice of pie for just $3.14, since it was Pi Day (3.14159265358979323; Pi Day is always 3/14)!! 😀 It was quite funny, actually.
Overall, I’ve been doing MAJORLY better with pain control. I don’t take pills before bed anymore, which is a plus.
-Titanium Girl 😀