Duckie
Today is my one-week anniversary of being discharged from my medical procedure. I find myself again wanting to write about the experience and not about what I had to have done and why.
My procedure was 9 days ago and I was sent home after a couple days in the hospital. Right after the procedure, as they warned me would happen, I found it uncomfortable to swallow. Something about how they had to move my throat out of the way to do the procedure and the trauma would take time to settle down. After the procedure in the hospital, this wasn’t much of a problem. Sure, I had a little discomfort and had access to a variety of food and drink, I just didn’t want them. Probably my body trying to protect me from trying anything too crazy like eating a whole pizza.
After I got home, my new caregiver, my wife, was both providing and monitoring everything I ate and drank (and what eventually happened to said food and drink), and encouraging me to eat and especially drink more. This became so important when the elimination process didn’t get started right away and we had to chemically push it along.
So far, I have been taking medication regularly around the clock (she has a duck quack alarm set), so even in the middle of the night, duckie would announce I had to take something and I’d take it with a sip of a drink. I’ve more or less always kept a cup on my nightstand so taking a sip in the middle of the night wasn’t novel but getting the sip with a little throat discomfort was.
Last night, during the duckie announcement, I noticed that it wasn’t uncomfortable for me to swallow. I took that as my sign that I could move towards my more regular amount of drinking coffee, water, etc. So far (it’s early afternoon), I’m elated that I can drink my more regular amount.
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” - James 5:13-16 ESV
“Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.” - Psalm 147:1-6
“Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” - 2 Chronicles 1:10-12
I’d love to tell you a similar story about food and eating but I’m just not there yet…
