10 years, a few days late

February 1 has come and gone. With an angiogram the next day I didn't have the courage or the energy to post or reflect on anything. I'll 'blame' my Elementary Education major on my need to reflect on everything since we wrote a 'reflection paper' for every single thing we did!! The procedure took a lot out of me and my brain has felt on overload ever since! A friend of mine recently told me of a phrase she repeats to herself to avoid a "panic reaction" to this overload. She says, "I'm not stressed, I'm just busy!" Thank you L.P. for your words of wisdom! So, no words of profound wisdom to impart with you. The word that keeps coming to my mind is the word "thrive." So at the ten year mark with a clear angiogram my goal is simply to, "thrive more." This may mean my saying "no" to a few things, please understand it isn't personal and I will still have days where I am "just trying to survive!" This is a brain injury reality! So I leave you with the YouTube video I made a few years ago for those 'new friends' I have in the 'cyber-world!'  And, if you like the music check out the band The Strange Familiar. I wrote the lead singer and asked her for permission to put their song on my video. She graciously responded and granted it to me! I like to acknowledge acts of awesome! Thank you K.L.A and The Strange Familiar.  Even the name of the bands so perfectly sums up what it feels like every.single.day. And to my dear friend M.M., please note the wheelchair as the mode of transportation FOR A SEASON.   WOW, I am so blessed!!!!

But it's a happy limp

Yesterday ,I had an angiogram almost to the day of the 10th anniversary of my aneurysm rupture! It's a big deal at our house! I even got a dozen roses!!!! Today I "gimp" around since a catheter was placed in my femeral artery for the procedure.  No lifting for a week. No driving until tomorrow! What is a girl to do but read and nap?? I picked a great day for it too since we got about a foot of snow. No snow removal this time!!
The results: great!  My neurosurgeon says everything looks great and my bypass is open once again/still ! Actually, I remember at one point in the procedure them telling me to hold my breath, no coughing or swallowing so they could inject dye.  The dye is warm as it enters the bloodstream and you can feel where it is going.  The dye was injected and I could literally feel it surging through my bypass, down past my ear.  When they told me to breathe again I said, "well, the bypass is open." The doctor/fellow doing the procedure confirmed it.  I am so thankful for "happy drugs" and praising the Lord for some good news, because let me tell you, I really needed some!

The bracelet my sister gave me for Christmas helped me to be brave and remember all the Lord had already delivered me through. And. of course the Jeep that hubby gave me painted with actual touch-up paint from my old Jeep!