Good morning!
Early on in all this, it became evident that there wasn't much that would remain "private" concerning my body & health. I'm writing and we're all (men & women) conversating about "women's" things. Those that have been hospitalized realize how nothing is left "covered" so to speak. I think we all understand the sensitivity! It just goes out the window. Early on, we also said we'd share good & bad, though today's post may be more of the "ugly". If you're squeamish about bodily functions, you might want to skip today...but it's just too much of a victory not to share!!

The big "C" word that goes along with many medical maladies is constipation. That has never, ever been an issue for me. Until now. Extremely painful as those of you who suffer with this know. Prune juice, fruits, veggies...nothing was helping as everything came to a halt. I was just miserable. It was Wednesday evening after getting home from Madison and I realized that this was not something that was going to go away on it's own. Walking, sitting, laying down - all difficult and uncomfortable. So, I asked Don to go to the drugstore to get a "stool softener". This is the man that when we were first married and grocery shopped together, would hide the toilet paper under all the other groceries in case we ran into someone we knew. Never mind buying "women's"things. Never!!! I asked him to go for a pair of panty hose one morning and he just couldn't do it. So a stool softener was WAY out of his comfort zone. I wrote down what I wanted on a piece of paper for him to just "slip" to the pharmacist. I told him the pharmacist would take it from there. Don wouldn't even have to say the words. He came home with package in hand, but pale & sweaty!

Now it's Thursday afternoon and things still aren't moving and becoming increasingly painful. A dear nurse-friend happened to call and I was telling her the problem and she said - oh sweetie, you need a suppository. A WHAT? My first thought was well, WHO'S going to the pharmacy for that one? Don will just faint flat on the floor. I called Don on his way home from work and told him what I needed. Dead silence on the other end of the phone. He said, ok, that's fine, I can do that. Called from the pharmacy to make sure he had the correct thing - whispering while he's spelling it out to me!!

There's a marvelous happy ending here!! What was once bound has been set free!!!!!! Oh, I danced around and danced around last night...THANK YOU GOD for the medicine!!! Thank you, Lord, for a loving husband that "can do all things through Christ who strengthens him"!!! Back to feeling "myself" again...what a great thing!!!

All hilarity aside, Don will probably be called upon to do many things in the days & months ahead that he may think he cannot do...help him along the way, will you? Pray for him! He's a terrific man who loves the Lord and is filled with kindness & compassion. Though he is hurting terribly, we're trying to find laughter & bright spots as we can - THIS was certainly all of that & more!!

O happy day!!!!!
Much love to you all...
Don & Deb