I’ve begun to feel much more like myself, but I forget that no one outside of my living room knows that, at least on most days!
Well, as you all know from my other blog posts, I got through the second surgery (which fixed complications from my original brain surgery). All was going well, last I posted about my health. Since then life has been pretty boring, really. I sit in my recliner and test gravity, I pack boxes for our move to Normal, IL, or I am on a walk with my wife.
If the part about me packing boxes is concerning, it shouldn’t be. I pack them and I direct Carrie about where to stack them. It’s a weird position to be in. I go to the grocery store and I have to ask for a bagboy to help me to my car. I’m 32 years old and look as though I’m an able-bodied man…you should see the looks I get from the County Market somedays.
It is really great, though, to be off all the pain medications and driving again!!! It allows me to get out of the house and that doesn’t seem so important until you can’t do it. I know I’ve talked about this is the past (after my first surgery), but getting to drive felt like a huge milestone. I didn’t need to go anywhere, in fact, I didn’t really have anywhere to go…but I could go if I wanted to. That felt great, somehow.
That brings me to today. I got to go to my church today. Not only did I get to go to church, but I was invited to preach the 8:15 am worship service since it was confirmation Sunday and I led that program. I was nervous to try to preach, but I felt good the whole time. I’m back to myself and I know now that I’m capable of getting back to work.
My District Superintendent and the directing pastor at my church decided, when I went into the emergency room with the Spinal fluid leak that it wouldn’t make sense for me to go back to work for just a few weeks. It really could be more disruptive than helpful to be back full time for such a short time, especially when Rev. Ray is finding his groove as a solo pastor… So, I will be on medical leave until the end of June and start back to work as a pastor full-time when I arrive at First United Methodist Church of Normal.
Now, I haven’t left the church and because I’m feeling better and better everyday I’m not just going to be sitting around next month. After talking with Rev. Ray, I’ve decided that the month of June will be a time of visiting in the nursing home and spending time saying farewell.
Title Photo Courtesy of Marci Hunt
