Learning from the Journey: Last Part

      There were many reasons I was scared of surgery.  I didn’t want to be on medication for the rest of my life.  I didn’t want a three-inch scar across my neck.  I didn’t want to have a thyroid storm (where the thyroid freaks out and it could cause me to gain 20 pounds in 2 weeks) during surgery.  I didn’t want to wait a few months for my neck to heal to start dancing again. I was scared that my vocal cords would be permanently damaged (rarely happens but a possibility).  There were many other reasons I didn’t want to have surgery but when the morning came I was ready to get it over with.

       The lady at the desk signed me in, and then got my dad to sign my papers.  Apparently I was supposed to sign those papers, but she didn’t know that I wasn’t a minor…Yes I know.  I’m 19 and I look like I’m 12.  So, I signed some paperwork and I was off!  I got really nervous because this was my first time in the hospital…besides when I was born of course!  My mom, dad, and grandad came back for the last couple minutes before I went into surgery.  I gave them all hugs from my bed and my grandad gave me kiss on the forehead from him and my nana.  It was one of the sweetest moments ever. 

       They wheeled me off to the operation room.  I changed tables and I remember the crew all looking over me, giving me oxygen, and knocked me out…

       I woke up later, in another room, tried to rub my eye but hit myself in the face cause my arms were like noodles  I had some ice chips and then I could go up to my recovery room.  The room looked like a hotel, so.  I got to change into the cutest little gown you ever saw haha! My face was green from the stuff the used to sterilize. The surgeon said everything went extremely well, and I didn't have a thyroid storm.  My dad told him we had been blessed with many prayers.  

      It was like starting from the beginning.  I learned to swallow apple juice, then jello, and worked my way up to ice cream!  I learned to lift my head again but I still couldn’t turn it.  Later a walk down the hall and back made me extremely tired.  By the time I would finally fall asleep I would have to wake up to check vital signs, or get calcium tests, or take pain killers, etc.  The nurse was so nice though!  And I had a great time catching up on Say Yes to The Dress and HGTV.

        Now I’m home, recovering well.  But it’s not over yet!  My voice is still hoarse but getting better.  I still have to see if I need eye surgery or radiation.  It could take a while to get my medicine adjusted and all.  So I still get to do more waiting! Yay! :) I think I might have accidently prayed for patience a couple months ago…  Because I am learning ALL about patience now.  If I do get the opportunity to serve a mission, doesn’t matter where, I’m going to be SOOO grateful for it.  Without this little trial, I feel that I might have taken the experience for granted. 

      One of my favorite quotes right now is “Life is a hard teacher because it gives the test first and the lesson later.”  So even though a lot of things don’t make sense in the present moment, they will make sense in hindsight because everything happens for a reason.  You may not understand it today.  You may not understand it tomorrow, but later down on your journey that trial will have prepared you in a way nothing else could have.  I still don’t understand the meaning behind a lot of these things happening in my life but I’ve gained a lot from this experience that I wouldn’t have learned in any other way.  I learned that there is always someone who has it worse.  Everyone has different trials, specific and unique.  I wouldn’t trade my experience for someone else’s hardships.  These hard times mold us into the person we will become.