Proverbs 17:22
A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
Taking care of yourself is the best gift you can give those who love you. T.D. Jakes
This morning, as I write this, I am listening to K-Love at 97.9 FM. I love this station. Ever since my sister gave me her old boom box I have been enjoying listening to music more. Before I was always listening to music through my lap top with headphones. That is not fun. I love to play music while I am doing something, like cleaning, writing, or even while sipping hot tea and journaling. Music is something that has always soothed my soul. When I got sick, I started paying more attention to the type of music that I listened to. I need uplifting, inspiring, worshipful music. This makes my life enjoyable.
This week I had my first flushing of my port catheter. It hurt. Yet, somehow it wasn’t as bad as having to get an IV. Because my veins are a challenge to get into I had to be poke a lot just to get an IV. I only had to be poked once. I am grateful. When I go in to get my heparin flushing they have to keep everything sterile. The RN at the infusion clinic gave me specific instructions and told me not to be afraid to tell an RN that she is not doing it right. I am my best advocate. It is okay for me to question and say I need an RN who has dealt with a port before. I truly appreciate that the RN yesterday said this to me. It reminds me that I am an advocate for myself. That it is okay to say I’m not okay with how you are performing your job on me. Like getting a chemo infusion there are special gloves that need to be worn and also a port kit like having a trach kit so that everything is sterile. On top of showing my special card telling about my port I will have to share how to take care of my port. The job of a chronically ill person is never dull or ending.
I have also been organizing. My neighbor gave me some awesome plastic storage drawers. I put one set of drawers in my bathroom for my trach supplies. I have to say trach supplies are bulking and take up a lot of room in my small one bedroom apartment. I have to be creative in how I organize and store them. The other set of drawers I put in my closet. In one drawer I put all my medications. I’m not supposed to store medications in the kitchen or the bathroom. The reason is because of the changing temperatures, so I keep them in my bedroom closet shelves. The drawer is nice, because I can take out the drawer and when I am done sorting my meds into pill boxes I can put the drawer back. The added bonus is it keeps it clean and neat.
I picked Proverbs 17:22 because I need to be reminded about having a happy heart. Even though I had a drastic change at the end of 2016, I’m slowly reentering my life and finding small moments that I am enjoying. So far this year, I got a couple of plants that make healthy oxygen for me and make me smile every time I look at them on my desk. I have been blessed with some awesome books to read from my public library. I hope those of you who are housebound like I am will investigate and see if your public library will mail you out books and allow you to mail them back. This is a huge blessing to me. Reading gives me something to enjoy and to investigate so that I can keep on learning and sharing. Another blessing, though it is probably hard for others to see it as a blessing is receiving my port. It’s been a month and I am finding it helpful to have. It’s not hard to take care. I will learn to maneuver through the obstacles of moving my body with it. I’m awaiting my phone call about the referral to physical therapy and the pain rehabilitation program.
Be well my friends.
Please wait...