So… where was I? Mascara on, Ed drove crazy and wedding ring wouldn’t slide off. Perfect prerequisites for a successful surgery! Hah!

The anesthesiologist came in to meet me and start the IV. He was a young, college grad from the east coast and had the BEST bedside manners.   Right as he was about to poke me, another anesthesiologist arrived and introduced himself. He was training the young guy and I don’t know what their working relationship is like, but… Young Guy began shaking like crazy. I thought I must have been imagining it until I glanced at Ed who was looking at me with big eyes and gritted teeth. THEN, ANOTHER anesthesiologist who looked like a mini-body builder walked in and the shaking increased. Luckily, Young Guy had numbed my hand before Trainer and Body Builder made their entrances and I was unable to feel much of the shaky needle rooting around. Whew!

And… that was just the beginning of this crazy buddy system.

Minutes later I was wheeled into the operating room and EVERYONE had a buddy or two. There were at LEAST 10 doctor people in the OR for my not-so-major surgery.

The surgery only took 45 minutes and probably would have been shorter if the room had been less crowded. I mean, I have no idea because I was sleeping, but it’s a thought!

The minute I started to wake up in recovery, I began moaning and crying out in pain. I kept thinking, “This should not be hurting this much.”

It took 2 hours to get the pain under control.

My nurse was amazing and determined to find the right drug combinations to get me through this. Ed was allowed to come back, and between the two of them I was in good hands. I found it interesting that my nurse was taking care of several people on her own without an appointed buddy!

I was finally able to sit-up without being overly nauseas. Ed went to get the car and a wheelchair arrived for me. The guy pushing my wheelchair drove like Eddie— fast and confident. He whirled around the hallway corners and I thought I was going to lose it.

By the time I was loaded up in our minivan, I felt so sick again.

I reminded Ed I was super-queasy and asked if we could REALLY take it slow getting home. He, of course, agreed and then gunned it as he pulled out in front of a car and raced through a yellow light all while still on Stanford’s campus. True story. That guy!

I was happy to get home and rest. My good buddy, Wendy, brought dinner over for my family— quinoa chili—and I was so grateful.

There are so many fun applications I could make from this story, but one thought is resonating with me right now. A life long prayer of mine has been asking Jesus to get the junk out of my heart. I’m so tired of my wrong attitudes and insecurities and ANYTHING that keeps me from living a life of freedom.

I want more of Christ and less of me.

I want my broken places healed and I want to be different because of Jesus living in me.

It is very much like surgery. The recovery can be long and painful as we allow Jesus to heal our hurts. It is a process of surrender and obedience.

I am once again asking Jesus to take the next layer of junk out of my life. I can hardly stand what I am seeing in myself. He is faithful and I trust Him and it helps to have a spiritual buddy like the Holy Spirit!

And… just to wrap up those surgery prerequisites…

Mascara was smeared all over my face from all the crying in recovery…

My wedding ring stayed on, covered up with all kinds of tape…

And even though Eddie is a crazy driver, he is my best friend and buddy for life.

That guy!