sarcoma journey, surgery...

god has been so gracious and given me a peace that can only be from Him, but the day of surgery i was still consumed with anxiety about my little girl who is only 24 weeks old.  she is not developed enough to live outside of my body, but i really need to have this surgery so i chose to trust in the lord that He would protect her and me.  i chose to pray continuously that surgery would be successful and that she would not be affected by it.  god is so good!  the 2.5 hour surgery was very successful and the tumor was removed completely with clear margins!  they did have to remove an entire muscle in my left thigh to get those clear margins, but praise god for a successful procedure!! i then spent the next two days in the hospital recovering and resting on the anti-partum floor.  i was glad to be on a specialized floor where they could monitor the baby and care for me.  the next two days were restful, full of visits from family and friends, and even some big accomplishments on my road to recovery.  i felted so loved by all my family and friends that were there to support me after surgery.  their smiles, hugs, and visits lifted my spirits and reminded me of how blessed i am to have so many people in my life that love me so well.

i didn't take any pictures, but i did have one very unexpected friend show up in my hospital room and i couldn't let her leave without a pic.  katie, all the way from haiti, came by for a visit.  she happened to be in town for a family event and surprised me with her visit.  so thankful for her.  :)

besides my concern for my little baby girl, my fear was my mobility.  would i be able to walk since they removed a muscle?  would i have to have physical therapy?  so when they brought in the walker and asked me to stand up and walk i was nervous.  mark was by my side and my mom sat in the hall to watch, and i did it!!!  i walked all the way around the floor of the hospital with the walker.  my mom sat with a nurse and shed a few tears, as if i was 12 months old again and taking my first steps.  i was thrilled!!  i had a big ole smile on my face and so thankful to the Lord that i was clearing another hurdle on my road to recovery.

a few more visits from the doctor, a consult with a physical therapist, and then i was released to go home!!  now home to rest and go to lots of follow-up visits...