Welcome, new stent!

Sandy had an ERCP today at Wesley to replace her stent. The "old" one did not have any problems, but doctors had agreed to replace each stent after 8 weeks of use. Everything went well, and Sandy ought to be home tomorrow morning.

Thanksgiving is in a few short hours. We are thankful for many things, including the past three months of life. We're thankful for crazy text messages, thanks to autocorrect. We're thankful for faithful friends, provision, and more than enough opportunities to develop and strengthen our character.

Sandy could choose to complain about yet another ERCP and another stent, another stay in the hospital, another round of lab work, IV pokes, and hours without food or drink. She could choose to complain about decreased energy and stamina or the mild nausea she has experienced since beginning chemo. She could complain about the few hundred pages of math tests she has to grade, not to mention upcoming final exams.

But she isn't complaining. Sure, she has rough moments; she'd be the first to admit her weaknesses. However, she is choosing to be thankful. She is thankful this ERCP and stent happened before a blockage occurred. She's thankful for a great team of doctors and nurses. She's thankful for the reminder that food and water are a blessing, and thankful that she has been able to continue working, visiting friends and family, filling up the car with gas, grocery shopping, vacuuming, cooking, and washing dishes. She is thankful for the continued opportunity to invest in lives of college students, including the chance to encourage them as she grades tests.

In an attempt to follow her lead, I'm choosing today to be thankful for many things that are not quite how I would have planned as well. I'm thankful we have a neighbor who helped bandage our dog's leg, thankful the blanket that disintegrated in the washing machine did not break the washing machine, thankful I have friends who gladly offer to help when I take on more than is reasonable, and thankful my kids chose to watch an educational movie…even if it is loud enough for people to hear a mile away.  I'd better sign off and take care of that last one :)

We wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember to give thanks! It's a choice we all get to make :)