Home on Whidbey: The Peace of Grace!

Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

There is nothing like a health scare and 27 days in the hospital to make one more than grateful for home, community, garden, friends and, most important of all, family. Blessed indeed am I! And, as I'm sure Emerson knew, although nothing can bring peace but one's self it sure helps to have all the wonderful trimmings.

The beautiful community of Langley street-dancing at Choochokam Art Festival

In late April, feeling great and strolling the garden with my cup n' pup, I suffered a surprise visit called a rectal prolapse. Off to Whidbey General Hospital Emergency where I ended up having emergency surgery three fold in nature. First, a hysterectomy due to an enlarged uterus and a large fibroid creating space problems. Second, to fix the rectal prolapse problem. Third, to remove two colon tumors found in the process. Although the initial reason for the hospital visit was unfortunate and exceedingly unpleasant, I can only be grateful for the problem as it led to the discovery of colon cancer. Fortunately the cancer was stage 1 with no nodes involved so no chemo or radiation is required and my prognosis is very good. But a bit of a scare, nevertheless. This entire procedure required an 8 day hospital stay.

Once home, although sore, I felt great for three days before I started vomiting and feeling quite horrible. Back to the hospital for the wonderful experience of adhesion. Although adhesion is exceedingly common, who knew? I sure didn't but it is particularly common after abdominal surgery. Off to surgery again to correct the adhesion problem followed by 16 long, long days in the hospital before it all played out.

Home again. Sigh of relief! But then, after enough time that I though I was home free, here comes the vomiting again and back to Whidbey General. This time it was partial adhesion and bowel blockage. Yikes! Another stay in the hospital but for only three days.

So here I am home again and feeling great and enjoying family and friends. The secret is to keep the darn adhesion from reoccurring but there seems to be no silver bullet for that. I drink my green juice and watch my intake and take flax and fish oil and vitamins, along with other good stuff and keep my fingers crossed. Plus I walk and walk and walk. The jostling is good as is the gravity. Adhesions can occur again and again but I'm now working on being well and not sick so I'm maintaining hopeful thoughts.

Brad, Fran & Ed celebrate Father's Day between my hospital visits
Mother's Day was in the hospital for me and Brad was in California hiking Big Sur.

Very much a part of our lives, sweet Yessi enjoying the garden

A lovely welcome back to the old-neighborhood- in-Seattle party.

And, then, did I mention my home and garden located on Grace Lane. What pleasure they provide and how lucky I am to have had the luxury of working with my family to create this wonderful sanctuary. Brad our designer and builder performed magic and Ed even got his computer-fingers dirty working the dream. And I, although I didn't know it, created a garden that brings me, and all who live here or visit, a retreat of peace and beauty. So through sweat, tears, disagreements, hard work, broken finger nails, sunburn, sore muscles, frustration, laughter, hugs, and a clear vision or what we wanted, we created this oasis together -- Peace on Grace.