{Hopefully} The Last Mystery Bruise Update

So, Justin and I headed up to Portland last Thursday for the Moh's Procedure to remove my weird mystery bruise/skin cancer. I think I mentioned before that I had been terrified that I'd get up to Portland and that they'd tell me that it was everywhere and that they were unable to achieve clear margins--I'm happy to report that was not the case. After two rounds of the procedure, they came out to tell me that they got it all, and then had the plastic surgery fellow come to stitch me back up. The procedure itself wasn't that bad at all--I was completely numb the whole time, and only felt one instance where they cauterized the wound. And the whole OHSU staff was just amazing and incredible.

Afterwards, we headed out to The Cheesecake Factory (thank you Sara!) for our celebratory lunch/dinner...and unfortunately, we were both so hungry and scarfed down the food so fast that the only photo that really turned out was this one:

Before The Cheesecake Factory, we stopped by Target--I usually start a new prayer journal/blessings journal at the beginning of each calendar year, but I hadn't gotten one yet for 2012. This felt like a good opportunity--my New Year's Eve. In the car, I told Justin that this has been something that I worried and feared about for so long...it almost doesn't feel like it's over. I have to keep reminding myself that I don't have to worry about it anymore.

Later that night, we went out to dinner with my aunt and uncle. I was still stuffed, but enjoyed some French Onion Soup and an apple cider with a shot of cinnamon rum. I hadn't read the instructions that told me not to drink for five days. Whoops.

Lizzy was doing great with my parents, so we made the decision to stay Friday night as well and head back Saturday morning. We stopped at the outlet malls on the way home as well as Rice Hill--I have to admit though that I wasn't as impressed with it as when I was younger. The prices are kind of outrageous now!

It was kind of a hard car ride home--I'm really sore. Even though the spot itself isn't that big, I'm sore from my shoulder to my waist. The doctor did say that they went pretty deep, so that may be part of it. This next photo shows my stitches, so if you puke at the sight of stuff like that (MOM), don't look!

I'm *still* really sore...and I'm not supposed to pick Lizzy up at all for a week, which should pretty much be impossible. Justin fell asleep on the couch this afternoon (Sunday), and I'm already feeling a little overwhelmed about the next week just based on the time that he's been asleep. I guess it just feels like now that we're home, we're jumping right back into everything, but I just don't feel physically ready to do that yet. I'm not ready for the night meetings and nights away from home for Justin--I'm not even sure how I'm going to hold up just during the DAYS while he's at work! At least Monday and Wednesday should be okay during the day--I watch Logan, which is a *blessing* because it means that Logan and Lizzy will play and (hopefully) I'll be able to rest a bit more. Still, it feels kinda obnoxious to be complaining about being sore, tired, or jealous that Justin is napping and I'm not--the major thing is that the skin cancer is gone!

One more little story--the night before the procedure, in my prayer journal I copied down the words to "Blessed Be Your Name" by Tree 63. It was my prayer that whatever the outcome, I'd still be able to claim in my heart that God is good. I sang the song in my head the whole time they did the procedure to calm myself down. And then today when I got to church? Guess what song we sang as our hymn of praise? Blessed Be Your Name. No one (not even Justin) knew that was the song that had been getting me through the last couple of days. Sure did feel like a God-thing to me...