The Phoenix Begins the Rise from the Surgical Flames...

Bleary eyed and bushy haired, I walked into Heartland Surgical Specialty Hospital, at 6 AM on Monday, June 20th. Linda Wagar and John the camera man were greeting me as well as all of the "public relations" crew to make sure the staff was represented well. An hour and a half later, after being marked all over with a purple surgical pen...loving I called it my road map to a New Me, poked and weighed a few times, I do not even recall being rolled down the hallway to surgery or having the surgical mask put on me.


When I awoke from the anethesia dream later on last Monday afternoon, I did not know what had ran over my mid-section. I am flat like a pancake...seriously! I now after 27 years of dieting and now post weight loss, I have a "flat tummy!" I have a scar now "saw"ing me in half. I joked with my mother's bridge group on Sunday afternoon that I am the girl the magician cut in half and sewed back together again. I will have this awe inspiring scar for my entire life, and if you know me, you know that I LOVE a good scar because a scar is a story waiting to be told. I also have a new belly button because my original one was removed with the fifteen pounds of excess skin which the doctor removed during the six and a half hours of surgery.

When I arose from the bed, after quite a struggle, last Monday, I was told to press my hand to my stomach to hold everything in. Ironically, I pressed my hand where my old stomach had been, a good six-eight inches awary from where it is presently. A strange feeling since I now seem to rub my belly like a preggers lady and waddle like one too. This is mainly for the comfort which rubbing my stomach gives me from the sore tissues and the scar. I wear a giant spanx like leotard from the knees to my chest compressing all of me together for the next month. Then regular spankx for two weeks...not away from them yet. I now understand why some pups love these rubs...uh...THEY FEEL AWESOME! Yes, it is official, I do love a good belly rub.

I walked the hallways of the surgical center multiple times that night and the next day to practice for strength purposes. I am excited to admit which it was a challenge I feel like I was able to do really well with it. Later on, I talked with my Aunt Laurie, Jenna and Betsy on the phone but unfortuantely, I do not recall most of the conversations...the call history was the only teller as well as my mother later...I was "anethestic dialing" apparently...nurses and doctors everywhere shake their heads at this cultural taboo which strikes patients in a post surgical state.

Once home later the next morning, I was miserable from pain for the first few days. After Thrusday then I went down to only Tylenol - pain is more manageable now. While it is far from gone, it is something which I am confident in dealing with for the next week. The drain tubes of which Ihave four, have been more of a beast to deal with than anything else, simply because they are painful, in the way and needing to be emptied and documented every six hours.

Overall, for the past few days, I have been doing amazing! I have been able to make my own breakfast for the past few days, oat bran with sugar free syrup-coffee, and fresh strawberries. In addition to this, my parents have a split level home to which I am able to go up and down the stairs with confidence multiple times daily. I have gone to the grocery store with my mom on Sunday and Friday evenings plus had the pleasure of pushing the cart for stability reasons with my walking. I was able yesterday to walk around the neighborhood with my mom. The doctor is amazed with how well I am doing, he said it is because of my diet and exercise habits coupled with being very motivated that has allowed the swift recovery so far.

I went to the doctor again yesterday, Tuesday, June 28 and had the incision tape removed as well as my four drains. Luckily, a drain I thought was possibly infected was only severely bruised and no antibiotics needed to be started. John and Linda came back over to talk with me at my parents home about surgery, recovery and see me try on a few items post surgery. Given how swollen I am currently, trying on clothes was a bit of a challenge, but I did fit into a size 12 jeams and a medium top. These are goals which I never imagined I would be able to accomplish.

I did tell John and Linda about an exciting event which Hy-Vee at 135th and Brougham in Olathe is hosting on July 16th with me...a health fair called, "Living the Dream". I will have a booth promoting cookbook sales to offset surgery cost as well as vendors from around the Health Market such as Smart Chicken and other organic offerings. The chef and dietician on staff will be offering my recipes as samples and cooking them fresh in addition to a Kids Boot Camp for getting healthy and making lifestyle changes! How exciting is that! :) I was so touched that they wanted to jump on board with me and help create an event! Come check it out, this will be one of the first outings with my "new self".

A huge shout out of THANKS to the follow fabulous individuals this past week whom have made my recovery run so smoothly...Mom and Dad, seriously, I hope to God that I never have to do to you all that you have had to do for me these past five years, you show me what it is to have true, unconditional love for a child. Lindsay Murphy for coming and babysitting me on Thurs while my parents were at work and the dentist...seriously, girlie, I Love You!!! My Aunt Laurie for calling and checking in on me during the week and keeping the family in the loop with the recovery process, Thanks! Ashley and Brandon Clark for making me Ashley's Awesome Bakery Worthy Cookies, which she was kind enough to share, in addition to pulled pork, meatballs and spinach dip...eatin' well while healin. The Meyer Aunties for a stunning bouquet of flowers...what every girl needs! Laura Love and Jenna Benna for calling and checking in almost daily to make sure I was alright. Shirley Brogna for sending a care package full of great reading materials! Talk about feelin' the love this past week!

Twas the Night Before Surgery...

Twas the night before surgery and all through the house,

A young woman was cooking and preparing her blouse.

The bag was all packed and the prayers were all said.

She could not comprehend the image she was to become in her head.

The family gathered round the table and prayed.

Together they gave thanks for the hospital bills to be paid.

Her mother asked for the surgeon to have skill,

Inwardly her daughter hoped she would not awake ill.

Her father gave praise for how far she had come,

And thanked the good Lord for the transformation done.

Brother Sam called from California and encouraged his sister's heart,
He was ever encouraging and asked for her to finish the work that God the Father did start.

Erin gave praise for the work of God's hand,

and the constant provision in her land.

And you sweet friend, can do the same,

Ask God above for wisdom and guidance of the workers even though you know not their name.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me running my booth at Hy-Vee with my Aunt Betsy and Uncle Bill coming to offer support!

The awesome gift basket and cookies I made for the staff at Heartland Surgical Center...

See a new me in a few weeks!

Surgery #1 - Tomorrow

Surgery #2 - July 5th - It was moved up one week!!! Yikes

Thyme to Embrace Change...

The ending of the school year was the closure to a chapter in the lives of my students for the year which we had together, a blissfully wonderful year in my book. The kind of chapter which I hope to have penned multiple times over in my life, just with different lives being intertwined. Saying a sweet adu to those loves was the begining of a transitonal time for me as well for them. Them, as they now have a chance to enjoy a summer of sunkissed glows from days by the pool and afternoons spent playing basketball with the kid next door, walking to the local ice cream shoppe and licking sticky sweet fingers drizzled with melted sugared cream. These are the memories which they will look back upon and smile.

Time in a bottle, it is sung about, reflected upon and something which many people wish they could bottle up. I had such a time this past month. Time in a bottle was what it seemed to be for me with going to the T-Bones game with one of my highschool friends, Jenn Laffler. We sat there, shared what the Lord was doing in each of our lives and talked about boys, Weight-Watchers and overcoming trials which neither of us foresaw in our lives ten years prior. As we sat there, it was easy. Easy as in, even though I had not seen Jenn in nearly a year, we simply picked right back up where we left off...there was no time that had passed.

That same week I came about in Summer Conference for Olathe and discussed different levels of education and ideas with fellow educators. I had the chance to collaborate and dicuss about new ideas and practices which were going to be occuring in our school, district, state and nation with policies and standards for the upcoming year. I was excited to hear about what positive ideas other educators have done and tried in their community to advance changes. I am very excited about the rolling out of Common Core Standards for our contry.

Changes continue to happen as I went to Wichita last week for the bridal shower and bachelorette party of one of my sorority sisters, and dear friend, Laura Craven. I had been working tirelessly the previous week typing up all of my recipes and compling them into a notebook for Laura as her gift. Then it hit me, why not make Laura's wedding shower gift your fundraiser for surgery?! That dear one is exactly what I did. When I gave Laura her gift at the shower on Saturday, I was so proud of what I had made. It was one of those projects which I had worked so hard on, that to see it in her hands was really special for me. I know she will appreciate all the time and effort which I had spent working on it.

Thyme to Lose It! Is the title of the cookbook which I am using to fundraise at this point. I have been shipping and mailing copies all over Kansas this past week and I even have a table this Saturday at Hy-Vee off of 135th and Broughm to sell copies for $20 each to fundraise for surgery. (Feel free to click on the link and order one!) I am very thankful to the sales which have already happened...Thank You to each of you who have helped to fund my surgery which is THIS Monday, June 20th at 7:30 AM. I will recover for the first week at my parents home in Overland Park, and after that, I will simply have to see how my recovery is going prior to moving back into Betsy's. Feel free to come on over and drop by and see me...or just turn on the news.

Fox 4 is coming to the townhouse this Friday to inverview me prior to surgery as well as watch me cook a recipe or two from my book to help with the fundraising. (Still need about $5,000 to raise.) Then, they will come on Monday morning to film the surgery. YIKES! Not quite how I saw all of this rolling out, but truly, if God wanted this to be done without the entire KC Metro area knowing, HE could have done it that way.

It is hard to believe that the change is here...in less than five days, I will be meeting the new Erin Marie Meyer, the woman whom I have been transitioning towards for a few years...some years it seems that I look the Summer to find myself, myself is found, now it is just a matter to turning over my health to the Lord and thanking Him for the Phoenix he is allowing me to become. It is now my time, my moment to shine and embrace the change.