Hospital Hoopla

Today is Thursday. It is the 4th day of the longest week on record. It has been a very stressful week for the Perry's, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel (and its not a train!) Daniel was admitted to the hospital on Sunday afternoon with Diverticulitus. Its basically an inflamed and infected colon. Its typically seen in older people, but not unheard of in young adults either. He started complaining of a pain in his abdomen on Friday evening and it got progressively worse as the weekend progressed. By Sunday he was doubled over in pain and we went to the emergency room. After a couple of hours of getting a CT scan and being on pain meds and IV fluid, he was diagnosed and admitted to room 406. He was put on IV antibiotics and pain meds and by Wednesday morning (his 28th birthday) he was released to go home with the best nurse he could imagine (ME)! He is recovering very nicely and the doctor says he should be good as new by the weekend.

Now that the update is complete, I want to share the real reason I am writing this blog. I am using it as therapy. LOL. I tend to flush things out better if I write them down, so here it goes. This week has been a very trying one for me, and I know it has been for Daniel as well, but he is less apt to talk about it. Anyone of you reading this that is married or in a very committed relationship can attest to the fact that when that person is hurting it is the most awful feeling in the world, especially if you can't do anything to fix the hurt. To make matters worse, ever since we got married Satan has tried to attack me with fears that I will lose Daniel at an early age. Now I don't accept this lie of the devil, but in times such as this, when he is lying on a bed, hooked up to IV and not knowing what is wrong, those lies start to creep into my brain. There were many times this week when I was so close to breaking down and letting the fear take over. I'm not proud of that, but its the reality of the situation. That mixed with the stress of staying in the hospital, eating junk food, not exercising, thinking about hospital bills (ughhhh) and trying to stay positive was exhausting.

Things are getting better each day and today I finished the book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. I read a few passages that really spoke to me.

"Lock eyes with the lion. Why would God be putting it in front of you? What good thing might God have waiting for you on the other side of this challenge? Maybe there's a lesson He wants you to learn or a blessing He wants to give you. Don't just focus on the fear factor. Try to see the bigger picture. What will you miss out on if you let your fears dictate your choices? Is being "safe" really worth it? Maybe God wants to show you something about yourself or Himself, but you'll never know what it is unless you chase your lion. And once you have the lion cornered in the pit, you'll discover that his roar is worse than his bite when you've got God on your side. " ~ Mark Batterson

We want to thank all our friends and family who have sent greetings, prayers, and encouragement to us these past few days. Its so amazing to be reminded what great people God has placed in our lives, and to see how loved we really are. Thanks again!