Happy Tonsil Day! or: Yay!! It's My Life-a-versary!!!

Why today is special...
One year ago today, through my tears, I looked each of my parents in the eye and between spitting out mouthfuls of blood, I told them I loved them very much.
I made them promise they would tell my brother I loved him with my whole heart and that I was very proud of the man he'd become. They agreed, telling me they loved me as I was wheeled off to what we all knew to be a very dangerous emergency surgery.

I remember waking up crying and freezing cold, and actually surprised to be alive. I wanted water, chapstick and I think I sassed the nurse for not letting me get up right away to use the lav.
The road to healing was a long (and very bland) one, full of oatmeal and jello. A year later, eating hot foods is still incredibly painful, but an oddly comforting reminder of the healing that has taken place and has yet to take place in my life. It has also been a very poignant reminder of the many areas of growth I've experienced over the last year, both physical, emotional and spiritual.
I'm in awe of the way the Lord has healed me in His own way. Sometimes when we go through physical and spiritual healing he blesses the scars- they become testimonies of His power and redemption. I'm thankful for my scars. No one can see them, but when I eat things that are hot or spicy, my scars burn (like Harry Potter's scar when he's near Lord Voldemort)- I will never eat a bite of salsa, spicy Indian food or hot sauce again without thanking the Lord for my life and for my amazing family (both biological and spiritual) who loved me through one of the darkest and scariest times in my life.
After 15 months of unexplained sickness leading up to this surgery, I have now been healthy for 1 full year. By the time I had my surgery I had actually forgotten what it was like to be healthy, and let me tell you- it's been absolutely amazing.

***And Kelly, I'm sorry for stealing your thunder last year. The next time I decide to have a non-vital organ removed twice (I do still have an appendix, so the possibility still exists), I'll be sure to just suck it up and wait a day so that the second emergency surgery doesn't land on your birthday. But look at the bright side- I was nice enough to not go and die on your birthday, so what am I saying?? YOU'RE WELCOME!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KELLY!