Cody Updates by Mom

Nods to anyone that can identify the movie where the title comes from.  🙂  That is what I have been thinking when we talk about the surgeon that I am waiting to see in January.

Quick update – I heard from Mayo today and Dr. Kendrick (the world renowned laparoscopic surgeon at Mayo) has agreed to put me on his schedule for surgery on January 28th even though he is not going to be able to see me for my consult on January 13th.  So what does this mean?  Well, barring any weird results from my retest of my genetic testing, I will be having my stomach removed and a complete hysterectomy on January 28th.  Whew.  Uff da.  Oy vey.  Sheesh.  Ugh.  It is starting to seem a little too real.

Guess my next move is to work on what needs to be done between now and then.  This is a mere 55 days away.  Yikes!  Well, at least we will be busy.  Got Christmas coming up where we are flying Phil home to spend it with us.  We have Alex turning 21 in a little over a month (another Oy vey).  Got a party to plan for her and robot season starts Jan 3rd.  Oh yeah, and we have this little rollout at work that will be keeping very busy.

I am working on my list of restaurants that we are going to visit in the next 55 days.  For sure on the list is Donatelli’s and having their amazing “Cheese Filled Pillows from Heaven” or as listed on the menu “Baked Ravioli”.  I am thinking a trip to Savoy in St. Paul for the best pizza on the planet.  Looking for the best local prime rib too.  Looks like our eating out budget is going to be blown soon.  🙂

So, things I have been thinking about.  Where do the butterflies live if I don’t have a stomach??  Is my “gut instinct” going to change?  Sorry, I know that some of you may still be trying to sort out the reality of this situation but I have stepped beyond to sarcasm and a smidge of crazy.  My best coping mechanism has always been to find out how to find the humor in the horrible.

On a slightly serious note.  I have been thinking about how I do it.  I have been asked recently how I stay so positive.  How am I not just giving up and feeling down or having my own pity party?  I don’t know how I just know that it is simply not me.  There have been plenty of things that I have given up on but I have never given up on me.  No matter how bad the situation I still found a way to look at how I was going to get through it.  Not living is not a choice.  Not being here is not a choice.  Not still finding joy in my life is simply just not a choice.  I don’t know where but somehow I found a center of absolute determination to get through the bad.  I may come out on the other side with a lot of scars but I am there on the other side, still standing and still me.  Maybe it is just that stubborn German/Swedish redheadedness that I was born with.  At the beginning of this part of the journey I lost a little bit of that fire but its back now and I have a plan and will continue down the path that is in front of me with as much gumption as I can manage.

Enough of that.  Anyway, we actually have a little break from appointments for about 11 days.  It will be nice to focus on something else.  Then we jump back into driving to and from Mayo.  Peace to all of you.  I know some of you are living your own journey and working through your own hard times.  Keep your head up and keep a bit of sarcastic optimism to help you cope.

Caring Bridge Comments

Joan Axdal, Prayer Chain, All Saints Lutheran Church, Cottage Grove|Dec 9, 2014 8:59pm
We’re happy to continue joining you in prayers for all the details and for good outcomes.