Health issues, surgery, and lovesickness...

So, a week or so after I was sealed to my parents, I had to undergo surgery.

What happened was that the week before the sealing, I started feeling sick. I had bad chest pains and was scared. But I was able to make them subside with medication, and the issue was under control...NOT!

A few days later, and a few days before the sealing, I woke up at 3 am, in severe pain, accompanied with some vomiting. That in itself scared the daylights out of me! One knew it was really bad when I couldn't watch my favorite show on demand, and ended up having to call in sick to work. I later called my health insurance provider and they recommended that I go to an urgent care facility, because it sounded like I was in a great deal of pain. I called my friend, Trish, and she took me to Insta-Care in Murray. Blood tests, EKG, chest x-ray all pointed to an ulcer at first, but the blood tests came back after I was released from Insta-Care showing that I had pancreatitis. Basically, it meant that my pancreatic enzyme levels, as well as my liver enzyme levels, were dangerously high. This can be caused by a gall bladder stone that can be blocking to the bile duct (ewwww!). The recommended treatment: surgery to remove the gall bladder to keep it from happening again. This was discovered when I had to go to Intermountain Salt Lake Clinic for an ultrasound. When the surgeon met with me later, he told me that it was serious, and could kill me if we weren't careful. So he had me take another blood test to see if my enzyme levels were back down. If not, I was going to have to be in the hospital that night. Thankfully, because of the priesthood blessing I'd been given the night before, blood tests showed that the levels were going back down. And then, I learned that my surgery was having a change of venue. It was because IMC wasn't in my insurance provider's network. As a result, I was referred to Salt Lake Regional Medical Center and had another surgical consult, as well as more blood drawn (I swear the hospitals are filled with vampires!!!!). But the tests came back with my enzyme levels back down to normal, so until that day, I was forced on a liquid diet. Couldn't stand it!

But once I was off the liquid diet, I was able to celebrate my sealing with two dinner outings. The first was that night; the second was a couple of days later, with a guy buddy that I care for deeply (and that's all I will say).

The day before the surgery, guy buddy and another one of my friends gave me a priesthood blessing to help me cope with the stress of the surgery and the strain it would have on my body. I was told in the blessing to be patient during my recovery. I suspect the Spirit told my friend that I had a tendency to do too much too fast during my recovery from illnesses in the past.

The day of, I went to the hospital with one of my Relief Society sisters and she and our RS president waited with me until it was time for me to go to the OR. They saw me all decked out in my gown, sockies, and surgical cap to protect my hair. I was wheeled away to the OR, had a mask put over my nose and mouth, felt a burning sensation, via the IV drip, and I floated away...

I woke up a little while later in recovery, with Lindsey, the RS president still with me. She stayed until I was released since it was an outpatient procedure. She then took me home, made sure I was fed and medicated before putting me to bed, and then she was texting friends and family, including the friend who'd given the blessing the day before, letting him know that I'd call him the following day, which I did.

The week of recovery was pretty uneventful. I was in a bit of pain and discomfort, and tried to keep up with my class, and did quite well, thank you! Something else happened during my recovery. I developed feelings for a man, the first man I've had feelings for since the abusive relationship. Sadly, for me, he just wants friendship. I still hold out a bit of hope and will continue to do so for a time.

Slan go foill...

Singles wards, Mom, Dad, temple covenants, and...the temple!!!!

It's been several months since I last wrote in here, but a lot has happened!

Since May, I've been attending a singles ward, and it's been awesome! I'm able to get there on my own, and I like the location. It has a lot of history.

Finally, in August, I was able to get started on my dad's temple work. The night before I did, however, I had an in-home accident. I was knocked silly, but not too terribly hurt after slipping and falling in my bathtub whilst taking a bath. It did shake me up a bit because I thought I was seriously hurt. A phone call to my friend, Tessie, helped reassure me that everything was all right.

I told her about my plans to have Dad's temple work started the following day.

Her response, "That's why this is happening."

She suggested that I verbally command the adversary to leave my apartment (which I did after we got off the phone), and then watching something that would distract me before going to sleep. It worked and I felt better.

The next day, I left work early and went down to the Salt Lake Temple where I was met by one of my guy buddies. It was great watching him do some of the ordinances on my father's behalf. The rest of the ordinances were finished later, and it was in October that I was finally sealed to my parents.

I really remember a lot of the obstacles that were in my way that week: work stress, homework stress and a final exam, and a nasty attack of pancreatitis caused by a gall stone that left me very ill and in a lot of pain. It was determined that I would need to have surgery to take care of it (and that's another story altogether!!!!). But with the power of the priesthood, and my own determination to follow doctor's orders, the surgery ended up having a change of venue, and could be postponed because my pancreatic enzyme levels had gone back down to normal (and when I got sick, they were sky high!!!).

The Spirit was strong when I went to the temple that day for my temple shift. I left early to be prepared for the sealing. When I came into the room, my friends were there. A few from my temple shift; a couple from my current ward; and several from my home ward; as well as other friends from work and other places. Some of them told me later that they could feel my parents close by and could see the peace on my face and in my countenance that it was done at last.

I have a strong testimony that the gospel is true; that temple work is important, and that if we are faithful, we'll be with our loved ones forever. Nothing is more important than that. And I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen!

Slan go foill...