Since a mastectomy and other surgeries for breast cancer in 2006, I’ve woken up every morning and thanked God that I am alive. It was a prayer I’ve had each and every morning, without exception.

Six weeks ago I dislocated and broke my wrist in a bike fall in one of our wonderful parks. I had surgery 10 days later for two plates and some screws. I have a great surgeon but my recovery has been slowed by extreme swelling in my hand and fingers. I imagine that my two bouts with lymphedema in 2008 after breast cancer surgery left my lymph system damaged and the wrist surgery overwhelmed my body’s ability to clear the edema.

So, it will be a prolonged recovery, but I’m confident of a good outcome with a projection of some golf in 6-8 months.

For the first two weeks after surgery, I concentrated on rest and pain control: doctor’s orders so that the bones could heal straight. I realized how unimportant most things are that I do each day. The world didn’t stop turning because of my incapacitation. The past two weeks, I’ve started moving my fingers and moving the fluid out of my hand.  Occupational therapy twice per week and 30 minutes of exercises 5x/day makes for a full day, with rest and pain control still very important.

Each day is better than the previous one, and I’ve learned to slow down and prioritize my tasks. My morning answer to the question: “Are you still sure you’re glad you’re alive?” is the same:

it is an early morning, resounding, “Yes!” My wrist surgery and recovery are teaching me how important it is to continue to feel chosen and beloved, even when adversity strikes.

This photo of the sunrise is from my backyard yesterday morning. The beautiful colors were breathtaking. I’m glad I woke up again, and was able to enjoy God’s gorgeous kingdom for another day.

Blessings,
Agatha