that my liver doctor called me at home. On a holiday....

"...that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

This is also the USA's 235th birthday. This is also the day my liver doctor called me at home on the 4th of July.

I had my ultrasound guided liver biopsy Thursday. They sedated me, like they do with a colonoscopy, so I don't really remember much of the procedure. I remember them injecting the lidocaine and then when they made the first pass through the mass in my liver with the cutting needle. Sounded like a loud pop gun going off. In my stomach. Pretty weird. Then I remember waking up. Glad I don't remember the other two passes they made through the mass. Was feeling pretty good, until I went to get out of the car at mom and dad's house. Pain so sharp I couldn't breathe. I just knew I was gonna be sick, but I couldn't move. Made it to a chair. Hurt to breathe. Hurt to speak. Right shoulder pain. Yep, if I would've read the discharge instructions, those were all the signs to go to the emergency room. Took a pain pill.

Friday was better, as long as I didn't do much. Saturday morning was okay, too. Then I picked up my 27 lb baby, which, by the way, they told me I could do the day after surgery. Wrong! Saturday evening through Sunday night were miserable. Apparently, after running this by my doctor, I was bleeding from my biopsy site, but it was being contained in the membrane surrounding the liver, causing the pain. This only happens in about 10% of liver biopsy patients. Myself and my mom (two years earlier) were the lucky 10%. Apparently after it bleeds, the blood kind of congeals, and the body eventually reabsorbs it. So, I will have some pain for probably a few weeks or even months. How did I get so lucky. I can't complain, though. My mom bled and had a hematoma on her liver the size of a grapefruit that still causes her some pain sometimes, and that was two years ago.

Today was a little better, though. I slept in my bed all night, and I have made it without pain pills today. I only get nauseous when I lay down. I even went outside and watched my babies playing in the sprinkler and pool and eating watermelon. I had to watch all of this out of a window yesterday. Not today. Today I was determined to be a part of it. Today I got splashed with water, bit by an ant, and loved every minute of it.

Today I got a call from my doctor. On a holiday. On his day off. From his cellphone. I was kind of freaking out a little. Until he said, "Well, I have your biopsy results here and I was just going to call you and let you know it is a benign focal nodular hyperplasia." Benign. I never get tired of hearing that word. Praise God! Again! and Again! and Again!!! He never ceases to amaze and bless me! Oh, wait, it gets better.... he said, "and actually, since a FNH rarely turns into cancer, I don't think we are going to do surgery. I just want to monitor it about every 6 months or so!" No surgery!!! Praise God!!! My response, "Wonderful, because after this, it would have had to be really bad for me to let anyone touch my liver again!" Woo Hoo! Hands off, surgeons! No one is touching my liver! I would do a happy dance, but it would hurt. My insides are doing a happy dance! It made my liver quiver! lol!

So, cancer scares....check! Cancer free....check! Next! Look out hives, you are next. Hives are going down! Headed to Mayo in a month and we are going to figure out the cause of the hives. I am going to get off steroids. My life will go back to boring and normal. I will exercise. I will lose this weight. I will play with my kids. I will praise God every day for the miracles he has given me and will continue to bless me with. We serve an amazing God, people. If he can do this for little ol me, imagine what he can do for you! Trust Him today! Reminds me of a little song I know...

Oh! How He loves you and me!
Oh! How He love you and me!
He gave His life, what more could He give?!
Oh! how He loves you!
Oh! How He loves me!
Oh! How He loves you and me!

I hope everyone had a wonderfully blessed 4th of July like I did!

"This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24