Happy Tuesday!

The first surgery is over. The good news is that the Doc removed all of the cancer in the one spot in one excision. The great news is that the one spot is now cancer free, praise God, and other than feeling like my nose is stuffed with cotton and my lip looks as if it went a couple of rounds in fat lip city, I am okay. The stitches are a bit like the scars on Frankenstein, but they did not send me home with neck bolts, although with the bruising a bit of the green skin color may appear!

I am taking antibiotics, Tylenol and a pain pill. The doc made an incision around the crease on the left side of my nose and pulled some skin and tissue over to do the repair work at the surgical site. This has to be one of the miracle surgeries and I am grateful. I will go back on the 24th to have the stitches removed and have the MOHS procedure performed on the spot on my nose.

When I went back for the stitching and repair work the Doc commented that he had never heard such laughter from his waiting room before. What he didn’t know was that the waiting room was full of teachers. You know most of us wait until summer to go to the doc and today was the day. There were teachers there from throughout the area in different fields of teaching including a TCU professor who was retired and who had taught Shakespeare. I had taken an activity bag with me to pass the time but never opened it because the conversation and stories were far more entertaining than anything I brought to do!

The instructions to me are to take it easy for a few days, not to lift anything heavy and not to talk a lot. I guess that is why I was meant to do this during the summer because First Grade teachers talk all day, every day! Of course Gaylene talks all day, everyday! HA! HA! I am so glad we have a good collection of movies.

John 16:13 “When He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth…He will show you things to come.”

I have been asked to be quiet. Bruce called Mom and Dad to give them the results of the day. I have spent the day answering text messages and writing emails and have done minimal talking. The doc’s orders are that talking can cause the stitches to bleed and the repair work to be compromised. So this quiet time will be a time for me to listen, read, learn and heal. God has given me this quiet time to rest and to come closer to Him through His Word and through prayer. I believe that God has a plan for each part of our lives and I am sure He will reveal to me the lessons I am to learn in this time of quiet. I am not called to silence, just to be quiet. I frequently tell my students that they often times do their best work when they are quiet. I am praying for God to bless this time of quiet, less pain, quick healing, and the obedience to follow God’s plan for me in the days to come.

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.