Shoes....why so many kinds?

I love this weather! It is drizzling a little rain but...we need the rain. It makes me want to sit on the couch bundled up with a blanket and watch "Dancing With The Stars." The guys in my house say they hate it and would rather watch a ball game. There was a time when my hubby and I loved to dance. I used to dance with my little guys in the kitchen when disco was in; now they are 36 and 34. When I was dancing I was in much better shape than I am right now. Maybe that is what I need to do; join a dance class.

My granddaughter, the Princess, takes dancing lessons. Sometimes she likes it...sometimes she doesn't. She is just at that age where she is involved in everything like she is trying on a pair of shoes and seeing which ones she likes best. Tap shoes do well. Ballerina shoes are ok. Soccer shoes are fantastic! But probably play shoes are her favorites. She is also practicing for the Christmas musical and she wears whatever shoes she has on at that moemnt. Last week it was her soccer shoes. She didn't have time to change after her game. Busy, busy!

I like high heeled shoes, but I have noticed that my feet are screaming for some shorter heels. My back starts hurting and I want to kick off my shoes... not dance in them. Then of course I have my tennis shoes and my flats and my sandals. I like them all but they are so hard to keep them nice and neat in my closet.

One of my pet peeves is the clutter of the shoes in my laundry room. TD has soccer shoes, football shoes, basketball shoes and "mowing the grass" shoes and they are thrown in the laundry room as if that is his closet. His regular tennis shoes are in his bedroom along with his only pair of black dress shoes.

Do shoes tell us anything about how we live and what we think about? In Haiti the children pray for a pair of walking shoes (tennis shoes). That is for survival as they walk miles to go to school over rugged terrain. Our shoes seem to be for entertainment or sports. I am not saying that is a bad thing, it's just that do we really need all those shoes?

Sinus Surgery...Dr. Ebert at UNC is the best!

The night before surgery my hubby and I stayed at my son's house in Raleigh, which meant we would not have to get up so early on Wednesday morning. My surgery was first scheduled earlier and we had to be there at 7:00 am. Then it was changed to 10:00 and we had to be there at 9:00. I was thankful for the extra time especially when we were maneuvering on I-40. What a mess of traffic! I wouldn't want to drive that every day.

I have had several groups of ladies pray over me and for me. The Spa TECHs have been for praying for several months as they saw how the headaches were affecting me when we had the spas over the summer. My Tuesday group, "Women on Purpose" have been praying and anointed me with oil. And then on Tuesday night I received a phone call from our elders. They put me on speaker phone and Bane prayed for me. I was very touched that this group of godly men who spiritually guide our church, would take time during their meeting to call me. Granted I know that they would have done so if I asked them, but I have felt God set this surgery up, but to have them call showed how they care about their flock.

My surgery was at the UNC Ambulatory Care Unit in Chapel Hill. From the time I arrived until I left, I felt pampered...as much as you can be while having needles stuck in you. Their kindness and assurance that all would be well, had a calming affect. Even my blood pressure wasn't as high as it gets when I go for a doctor's visit!

Each nurse and doctor came in and asked me what I was having done. I guess this was their way of making sure we are all on the same page. At first I wondered how necessary it was to repeat it several times, but then I overhead the older lady in the next bed tell her doctor that they were repairing her eye to see far away, but her surgery was for her to see close up. After several minutes or repeating what she wanted the result to be, her friend was able to get both doctor and patient on the same page. After that my doctor came in and put a little star on my right check, so they would know which maxillary sinus was to be operated on. I was relieved.

I remember the nurse telling me she was putting something in my IV that would put me out and I told her, "It's not working." She smiled and said it takes some people a few minutes and others go out as soon as they lay their head down. The next thing I knew I was opening my eyes and seeing my husband's smile. A nurse was sitting beside me and within what seemed minutes I was getting dressed and being wheeled out the door. The ride home was a blur.

Of course, I wasn't feeling any pain because of the anesthesia, and I had no bandages. Everything was done on the inside of my nose. To look at me you would not have even known I had surgery. My nose and sinuses felt stuffy and there was pressure, but there was no pain. All the horror stories of the packing and the severe pain, was not present. I am so thankful Steve B. called me and told me about this new procedure and the doctors at UNC. For ten years I have feared this procedure. Now it is up to me to cleanse my sinuses out three times a day with 4 large syringes filled with a salt solution. This will keep me from scarring and I know how that is so important.

Dr. Ebert was fantastic and even called me yesterday to see how I was doing. He placed a splint inside my nose where he removed a small bone in my sinuses. It was as if he removed a wall in a hallway, enlarging the passageway into the sinus. This splint will have to be removed next week at my first post-op visit. I will have to go in weekly for the next 3 weeks and then at the 5th week and 8th week. Already I can breathe better, but the whole purpose is to have my sinuses to drain better so the yucky stuff doesn't stay in the cavity and become infected.

If you have to have sinus surgery, check out Dr. Ebert at UNC ENT, and ask about the FESS procedure. Even though it is only day 2 after surgery, I feel good enough to clean and get back to my routine. I do know my limits and so I will not allow myself to get too tired. My throat still hurts where they put the tubes in to help me breathe during surgery and I would love to blow my nose, but I know that's a no no.

God is so good to give us such smart people who can come up with new procedures and doctors and nurses who are so skillful. Most important He gives us caring friends who pray and bring us food! We all need each other.

I'm getting a little nervous about my sinus surgery.

As most of you know, the reason I went to the ENT was because of the severe headaches I was having. After examining me the first doctor didn't think anything was wrong with my sinuses but thought he would rule it out before sending me to a neurologist. Of course, after the CT scan, he found I did indeed have a sinus infection and put me on Augmentin for 14 days and I started squirting Nasonex in my nose. Nothing happened!

Then I went to UNC Hospital and Dr. Ebert examined me and thought it was probably migraines, as he didn't see any signs of sinus problems. He ordered another CT scan, and found my maxillary sinus cavity was completely filled with infection and possibly fungus. YUK! After 21 days on Prednisone and Levaquinn, the headaches eased up but the infection is still there.

The passageway needs to be enlarged so the fluid can drain from the maxillary sinus into my nose. Nasonex helped with the inflammation in my nose, so the passageway is not blocked but it still needs enlarged. A couple of days ago I felt great but today my face hurts and I know I need this surgery. I have mentioned to some that I was having sinus surgery and everyone gets that "Oh NO!" look on their face. I am told by my doctor that this new procedure is much better...no packing!

I was told not to take any aspirin or ibuprofen for 7 days before surgery. I have not had any major headaches this week, so all is well. But I am going to the beach for the weekend with some friends and I am worried I will get a migraine... what will I take? I don't want to ruin our time there. I am so ready to get this over and behind me. I can't imagine what it is like to breathe from both sides of my nose!! It has been blocked for at least 9 months.

Why did I wait so long? I just didn't think it was an infection. I had been told for years that I needed surgery because I had a deviated septum. That wasn't the problem at all. Thank God I had the headaches that got me to the doctor. Thank God, Steve called me and told me about the doctor he saw and how the procedure was new and improved! Thank God for doctors!!

But I have to tell you, I am a little nervous about the surgery. Being put out and having something stuck up my nose doesn't thrill me. Plus, so many get sick just being in the hospital. I can't let myself think too much about it, so I focus on the positives. No more aching face...no more headaches...lot more air...

Pray for me!!