Stress

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked 'How heavy is this glass of water?'

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter.. It depends on how long you try to hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'

He continued,
'And that's the way it is with stress management.

If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. '

'As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.

When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.'

'So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now.

Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon,
And some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet,
Just in case you have to eat them.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be "Recalled" by their maker.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, It was probably worth it.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time,
Because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

* When everything's coming your way,
You're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you.
The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world, But you may also be the world to one person..

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Explanation

Looking back through my last couple whiney posts, I realized that I didn't give any explanation as to what a hernia is or what kind I have. My apologies!

In Jeanna terms, a hernia is where you have a weak spot somewhere in your abdominal wall (could be high, could be low, anywhere) and your intestine finds it and pokes through. I'm finding that many people can ignore or be completely unaware that they have a hernia for quite some time. How they can do this I have no idea because, at best, it's really uncomfortable.

I have an indirect inguinal hernia. Though not unheard of in women, this kind of hernia you typically see more often in men. It's very low, in the groin area, actually on the right end of my C-section scar.

What concerns me, as I read more about this, is that when I saw my regular doctor last week about this, she wanted to make sure I made very clear to the surgeon that my hernia is irreducible. Simply put, pressure on that area doesn't force the intestine back into place. This has the potential to be bad but so far I haven't noticed anything. I try to lie down or recline as much as possible because that feels better. I also take care to wear really loose fitting clothing. Easy to do at home but work clothes are a little more challenging. This has helped TREMENDOUSLY with the pain and discomfort.

So now all I have to do is make it to Friday. In the words of one of Gavin's current favorite books: I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Surgery update

Surgery has been rescheduled for first thing Friday morning, the 18th. Pray I'll be ok enough by the afternoon that I won't have to spend the night!!

New dilemma though: how am I supposed to put Gavin down for naps when I'm home alone with him on Fridays if I can't pick him up for the next 6-8 weeks? Suggestions? Anyone...anyone?

So you don't think I'm a complete sourpuss about this, I have found the silver lining I guess in all this. Rob and I had recently decided to wait a bit longer before trying to have another baby. Can you imagine dealing with healing from a surgery so close to that area while my body demands to stretch out that same place?? Yeah...maybe next year for Baby #2. Maybe.

Yuck

I have a hernia.

Discovered it Saturday morning in the shower and practically flipped out because I didn't know what it was. We had several theories but when I went to the doctor yesterday, she confirmed a hernia.

So! What does that mean? Well, that means a dazed kind of shock for me. It means surgery. Soon. Like next week kind of soon. I met with a surgeon today and it's scheduled for next Thursday afternoon. Honestly, it is what it is and I'd rather not wait. Just do this and get it over with. But the timing is really awful. Work is just gearing up again, I've been really thinking about teach Sunday School, which starts next Sunday, choir, Praise Band, cleaning up a post-vacation house...I mean...THIS SUCKS!!!

I'm scared. I'm freaked out about how much I'm inconveniencing other people. I have to stay the night in the hospital. My surgery is set for the afternoon but I am itching to call and change it to a morning time just to avoid staying the night (which probably will cost more). I don't like this. I don't want this. WHY ME???? What does this mean for my future? For having another baby?? Stupid, stupid hernia. I hate you.

Me? Teach???

So I got an e-mail out of the blue today from one of my Bible Study ladies. I really like her. Her name is Jessi. She lives just down the street from me, has 3 kids and an AWESOME story. She's been a Christian about 5 years and whenever she had something to say in Bible study, it was always interesting, down-to-earth and heart felt. Yeah, really like her.

Anyway I get this e-mail from her and basically she asked if I'd be interested in teaching the K5 Sunday School. She and our pastor had already discussed me as a possibility and think I'd be great at it. Um, excuse me? What? Me, teach?? Sunday School? To 5 year-olds?!? Ok. Wow. Can you tell it caught me off-guard?

Here's what's interesting and is giving me pause. Back in the day (like, way back to the Pointer Ridge days for you MD readers out there) I wanted to teach kindergarten. No clue why. I loved young kids and though being a kindergarten teacher with all-day-long arts and crafts would be fun. Then a year or two went by, I came to my senses and forgot about it. I briefly considered majoring in English education in college, thinking I'd teach high school, but again, I thankfully came to my senses and moved on.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago at Jessi's house, she references her past a little but mentions how she's now teaching Sunday School and loving it. She specifically mentioned how she never dreamed she'd be doing that and loving it. This caught my attention and my brain, yet again, pondered "What about me? Should I teach?........Naaaaah!" I think of it again this past Sunday when I see our church is hurting for teachers. But, again, I brush it off.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're probably thinking "um hellooo Jeanna! Wake up here!" Well, I'm....concerned. For myself. For the kids. Sure I've got the "lovely" NGE-ish thoughts of am I spiritually qualified to do this? But that's not my biggest concern though. I have a couple of VBS instances running through my head that are definitely giving me pause.

I looooooved VBS. Loved it loved it loved it. So much so that once I was too old to go as a student, I volunteered to help. In Bowie, I helped out with the morning music time and that was fun. In Aledo though is where I really had a negative experience. I tried teaching the music, teaching a class, helping a teacher. No matter what I tried I always came away disgusted and bitter. The kids were rude, disrespectful and mean. They got under my skin and it totally soured me on the experience. Would that happen again? If I'm honest with myself, sure it could happen again. I don't want it to. I don't want to try to teach nasty, insolent, disrespectful children. (geez, who does?)

So, I don't know what to do. I'm going to think about it, pray about it, be open to what I need to do. Rest assured I'll let you know what I decide!