The View from Up Here...

Hello folks, I've got a  short quiz for you: Does the title of this post refer to:
       A. My drug high from surgery meds.
       B. My elation from having the tumor out.
       C. The feeling that I've climbed a mountain, both physically and mentally.
       D. All of the above.
If you answered "D", you'd be correct. It should be an easy question, and I'm all about making things easier these days. Thanks to all of you who have been praying and thinking about me and my family. I know you have been waiting for news about how things went for me, so here are some short vignettes from this past week.

Poignant moment #1 - Right before surgery last Tuesday, I was alone on the surgical bed in the holding area (kind of like a plane before take-off). I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, my surgeon had softly walked up. She took my hand, and said, "Are you ready for this? My answer: "I've been ready for weeks!" We both laughed, but it was the last time I laughed that day.

Worst moment #1 - Waking up from the surgery anesthetic. It felt like I was coming up for air after being under water. There was a nurse there who wanted me to rate my pain on a scale of 1-10 right away. At first, I couldn't grasp the concept of numbers, but then I told her it was a hard 7. So so so sore. One of the really terrible things about having cancer that no one really mentions is how you wake up with a jolt in the morning remembering that it's true...you do have cancer. Waking up from the surgery was a double whammy. I remembered why I was there, and now there was painful physical proof.

Worst moment #2 - Taking the bandages off the first time. Just. Awful.

Grateful moments
* Seeing my mom, dad, and Hans in the hospital room after surgery. I was so thankful to be okay and to see their smiling faces! Here I am with mom and dad a few days after surgery. We went to Munsinger Gardens and walked around for awhile. I felt reborn.

*The first taste of hospital broth after surgery...sounds crazy, but it was wonderful.
*The nursing staff and my surgeon - I don't know how they do their jobs, but then again, people say that about me teaching high school!
*Coming home to lots of flowers and cards from everyone.
*The boys being sweet and thoughtful in their teenage boy ways, especially when Hans told Luke that I would need more time to get ready to go out, and Luke said, "Why? Mom is the same as she always was."
*Being able to enjoy nature and the people I love. The fact that I can think and communicate and be silly and move around without major problems is miraculous to me!

Lots to be thankful for!
Jennifer

P.S. My sister has set up a meal service for us if you'd like to participate. Go to Take Them a Meal and use the FIND feature with my name - Christoffersen and password: 100273 to find us. Thanks!