A new bed, and a healing Ben

Ben is healing. He's healing quite well. The doctor thinks he may get to leave the hospital on Wednesday! That's so great. I am sick of this hospital and I am sure Ben is too.

The other good news is that I am now sleeping on a real bed! Oh the joy of back support! I am staying with a professor of Ben's and his wife. It's like staying in a bed and breakfast. I have a large four-poster bed, a sitting area and my own bathroom. There's a wonderful, godly woman who has breakfast with me and prays for our day. God is so good to provide such a nice place to stay.

We decided to postpone our trip to Hawaii until August. Any suggestions of fun places to stay within an hour of where we are getting married?

Yesterday I was reading through sections from the book of Job. I always thought that it was interesting that God never gave Job a reason for his suffering. All He did was remind Job of who He is, which I think may be the more important thing. Going through rough stuff right now, it's easy to ask why God waited until He did to get Ben the help that he needed. Yesterday I realized that I don't need to know that. All I need to know is who God is. That's enough for even the toughest days.

Day 5

I am so tired. Tired of all of this. Tired of sleeping on an air mattress. Tired of eating out. Last night I just cried because I was so tired. Each day God gives me the strength to do what I need to do.

But the end, it's in sight. Ben started eating yesterday and he's pushing through the pain to get up and walk. He's ready to leave too. The doctor thinks he can go home maybe on Tuesday.

I don't think I posted the details of what happened. Ben's appendix had ruptured and created a grapefruit sized infection in his body. Because of that they had to remove his appendix, part of his colon and part of his small intestine. Major emergency surgery. They made an 8 inch incision. A couple more days without this surgery and Ben could have died. God is good.

He's doing as expected which is good. Please pray that he will be able rest and heal. Please pray that I will also get some rest. I plan on staying until Ben is discharged.

Any suggestions on the best way to postpone travel arrangements? There's a good chance we'll have to postpone our trip to Hawaii until August...

More proof that Friday's rock!

Today is a much better day! It makes yesterday seem like a loser day.

Today Ben is so much better. He's alert and awake. He is getting up more. He was able to brush his teeth. Today makes it seem like everything is going to be alright.

God is so good to us!

Now Ben has 29 days to get well enough to stand at the front of the church and say I do.

We're going to ask the surgeon today if we should push back the trip to Hawaii. I have no idea how quickly an 8-inch incision heals....

Not sure what to post....

I talked to my boss today and he made the comment that hospitals tend to drain the life out of you. Which is ironic since they are supposed to heal people....

Today may be Ben's worse day. (I hope so.) His body finally realized what had happened to it and decided it needed to hurt. Bad.

Keep praying for Ben.

He was able to get up and walk around twice yesterday, which is great! Today the goal is 5 times!

I thought about going back to Ohio tomorrow - but I don't think I could do that. Gosh, I love this man!

Problem Found!

Well... I am still in Kentucky.

Yesterday after pushing his doctor to actually test for something, they discovered Ben had a ruptured appendix. This would have been nice to have the doctor figure out... oh maybe the first two times Ben visited him. Or maybe before it ruptured. Either one would have been great.

But... instead they let it fester for about a month and then explode. I love this Doctor.

Anyway, Ben had emergency surgery last night. There was a lot more infection than they had thought so he'll be in the hospital for a while fighting this.

The good news is that they expect a full recovery and no long term effects. God is good!

I am doing surprisingly well. Just kind of tired.

Please keep Ben in your prayers.

Any other time surfing the internet in a cute coffee shop would be relaxing...

I made it to Kentucky. 15 minutes too late to go with Ben to his doctor appointment. So now I am sitting in this little coffee shop pretending to eat and work. I hate this waiting. I feel so useless. Maybe I am overreacting, and maybe I should have done this days ago.... I just wish I knew...

Unexpected Road Trip

I am heading down to Kentucky today. Ben still isn't better and I can't sit in Ohio anymore and not try and take care of him. It's been 10 days of sickness! Please pray for him. I'm not sure if I am going down for him or for me. I think I'll feel better when I see him and can get more information....

Time flies!

As of today there are 38 days until I get married. It's so crazy to say to people "I am getting married next month."

I can't wait....

39 days until I am in Hawaii....

Happy 2 years!

Yesterday was Ben and I's two year anniversary. We've been dating for two whole years. We spent it hanging out in Ben's dorm room convincing Ben that the food poisoning won't kill him. On Saturday we got all dressed up and went out to eat at the restaurant we went to on our very first date. (I don't think that was the cause of the food related illness.)

Unfortunately, it was also prom night so we had to wait a crazy long time for a table... but whatever. The theme for prom this year must have been Vegas because all the girls looked like Vegas show girls. That's the only reason I can figure that parents would let their daughters dress in such ways. I know. I'm getting old.

Anyway, we had a lot of fun. I look forward to spending many, many more years with Ben!

A useless post about toilet paper

My roommate and I are toilet paper snobs. This past week I walked into the apartment with what my roommate thought was a 24 pack of AngelSoft to which she replied,"That's not AngelSoft is it?"

"No. It's paper towels."

"Good. I was trying to figure out how to tell you that I was not putting that in bathroom. It's like 1 ply sandpaper."

And she is absolutely right.

Lesson on Wedding Planning

Ben and I made an important realization yesterday. The wedding is not about us. Sure, Ben and I are the reason there is a wedding... but most of the stuff that happens on the wedding day is not about us. The ceremony for sure is about our covenant with each other and God. The rehearsal dinner, reception and other details are all about our guests. They are the ones who will be travelling far distances and would like to see us at the rehearsal. They are the ones who will be forced to eat whatever food we choose. They are the ones who have to book and pay for hotel rooms. Ben and I, we just get married.

It was important to realize that most of the planning we are doing for the wedding isn't about us. It was getting easy for me to become bridezilla and Ben to get frustrated by everyone's wishes. But now... who cares! It's not about me or how I think I want the rehearsal or reception to go. I am getting married to my best friend and that's all that matters. If people enjoy the wedding and the work we have put into it, then it's a success. If they don't enjoy it... umm.... I'll be in Hawaii and that for sure is about Ben and I!