Before and after

It's great to be home. I'm getting occupational therapy (OT) which mainly helps arms, but the goal is "functional," so this therapy helps to make sure you can function in your daily life. Today we did a bunch of exercises and I thought I was doing pretty well. But then we tried stand up, reach to get dish from cupboard, put dish on counter. Seems pretty basic. No - actually difficult, and OT was followed by a nap!

But regardless of the comeback I'm told there are differences in Beth. People say I seem to be doing so well, and I have to think I was miserable prior to what turned into minor surgery, still necessitating major comeback. This a bit of my before and after - much of the before was not realized until the after.

Before: Constant pain. I avoided going anywhere because doing anything hurt. I'm dependent on my shoulders.
After: There is pain, but it's different. I haven't gone anywhere because I haven't been cleared to drive, but I WANT to go places.

Before: I pretty much stopped cooking because reaching for anything hurt too much.
After: Now I'm working with OT to be able to reach things like plates and be able to cook again.

Before: Dave, my husband, was actually carrying me across the house due to pain.
After: I'm using a wheelchair for the first time in my house, but Dave doesn't have to carry me - good thing.

Before: I wasn't sure what exactly I should ask God, so I asked God to help me through whatever I faced.
After: I made it; God was there; the cross in front of me in the hospital was comforting.

Before: People told me I seemed really stressed. I was. The biggest stress was the anesthesia, and not knowing how I would react to it.
After: Well, I remember going to sleep before they even gave me the real anesthesia. But I woke up. I think that was my first comment: "I woke up!"

Before: I thought anesthesia was the biggest concern, followed by mobility.
After: I realized making sure my medication dosages were interpreted correctly should have been my biggest concern. I felt a desperate sense of "Believe me!" and wish I could somehow communicate to others to make sure, before entering a hospital, you not only tell people how much medicine you take, but when you take the medicine and how much you take each time.

Before: I was stressed about so many things that I didn't look around me.
After: I'm watching things, going outside, feeling the fresh air.

Before: Dependent on shoulders.
After: Working really hard to use my legs more when I stand. It's tiring!

Before: Strong faith.
After: Strong faith. I woke up. I am home.

Thanks be to God.