Rejoice in the Lord Always -- Even In the Midst of Yuck

My second set of post-breast-surgery compression socks arrived yesterday. I had thought they were a southwestern scene, cactus...sun...but my sister Wendy pointed out the images were of a fork with bacon and eggs.

Oh. I still really like the colors...

Notice  my knees in the photo. There ARE knees somewhere under all that swelling. What is happening to my knees is also happening to my waist and midsection. My waist was gone yesterday. Totally enveloped in swelling. I did call the doc to be sure this is all okay. He said it is normal.

Anyone who would do liposuction by choice is NUTS in my opinion. My surgeon felt due to my thin skin, to create successful and optimal breast reconstruction, he needed to liposuck my thighs and harvest the fat to pad the breast. My chest area, the focal point of all this surgery, barely hurts at all. The liposuctioned thighs are a totally different matter.

My body made it clear to me that I needed to rest. I took two naps before lunchtime and two more after. Then I went to bed. I never nap. Liposuction changed all that. Since the only antidote to all the swelling and pain is to walk, I forced myself through the first minute of torture, and walked two miles in the morning. Then I was in my recliner napping, and surveying my vanished knees and my ham-and-egg kneesocks until walk #2 in the blistering heat. I was too weak, nauseous, and tired for walk #3. Anyone who knows me knows if I forego a walk, something is wrong.

There are some positive developments. I noticed that lately, as I stand up after resting, the searing pain is not so searing. My slight nausea has subsided at least for now. (I did take an anti-nausea pill last night.) My walking pace, despite feeling so badly yesterday, went from 30 minute miles to 21 minute miles. The slight wobbly, unsteadiness as I walk is mostly gone away. The icky drainage tube has collected the minimum yuck from the surgical site, and I will call doc this morn. I think he will take it out today. (Praise God -- the drainage tube is the pits.) My daughter is coming to keep another set of eyes on me and to drive me to doctor if needed. My waist is slowly returning and I can see my knee caps again.There is progress and cause for rejoicing!

I read a quote on Facebook: If you are always complaining that your glass is half empty, get a smaller glass, fill it, and stop complaining.

I like that. Whatever you are handed in life, make it a blessing. Look for the blessing, the positive, the hand of God teaching, comforting, refining, and preparing. The section I read yesterday morning in my Bible study was about Paul imprisoned for two years for crimes he didn't commit. Instead of complaining or railing against the injustice of it all, he proclaimed the Gospel from his jail cell. And he wrote several of the books in the Bible from jail! How many people came to a saving faith in Jesus because Paul chose converting over complaining?

Do you feel like complaining? Listen to what the unjustly imprisoned Paul wrote from prison:

¹² Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. ¹³ As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. ¹⁴ And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
¹⁵ It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. ¹⁶ The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁷ The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. ¹⁸ But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice (Philippians 1: 12-18)

It was an excellent study for me to read, as I watched my thighs slowly blow up into bloated sausages. Rejoice in the Lord always!
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Philippians 2:14 

Do all things without grumbling or questioning,

Ephesians 4:29 

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

James 5:9

Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

Numbers 11:1-4 

And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burned among them. Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat!