Today I met Tay...

I was so anxious... that I woke up at 4:00 am. I looked around my room (and lawd... this room is a horrible SIGHT...whew)... and realized that I was up just a wee bit too early. So... I closed my eyes and fell back to sleep.

Bad move.

LOL... but my honey called me and woke me up just before 6am, so we could get to the hospital on time. I pulled on my sweats and a t-shirt (they told me to dress comfortably) and we were off... starting the latest adventure in Nic-land (or the N-world as I used to call it).

I will reiterate... I don't want to question God... but man, this journey is not one I would have picked for myself.

We got to the hospital in record time and I checked in with minimal difficulties. Actually, none.

My first funny/interesting event was the actual admission process. After signing my name on too many documents to remember... I was handed this very nice folder -- a "welcome to GW Hospital" packet.

I felt like a freshman on the first day of class. Surreal. lol... And like a good freshman, I didn't read a thing in the packet and just put it to the side. Ha!

We went upstairs to radiology and I got my second funny/interesting encounter. After I checked in there, I was given an electronic buzzer -- you know the kind you get at a busy restaurant to let you know when your table is ready.

BF and I were like... wow. GW is slick with theirs... LOL. A new folder AND a buzzer... insurance dollars at work.

The waiting room reminded me of the waiting area at an airport -- seriously -- lots of chairs, focused on a television in the corner and large windows. While I was still laughing at the constantly buzzing device in my hand... out walked this very petite girl to take me back into the staging area.

That was Tay. And I'm writing about Tay today because she made today a great experience for me.

Tay looked to be about 22 or so... but it turned out that she was 38 years old. A very pretty and very grounded 38 year old woman.

I am a firm believer that some people are just called to do some jobs and that when you encounter them, they can change your outlook on life just by being exactly who they were destined to be. I believe that about Tay.

We chatted a lot... which for me was interesting because I was still rather tired. But Tay and I chatted about God, His blessings and favor and life in general. I was really blessed to meet her today... she was the first person I encountered in the hospital who made me feel as though it really was her pleasure to meet me and to help me during this time.

Tay put me at ease about what was going to happen to me. She shared her story with me about having faith that children are a possibility for even me. She went through IVF and now has a 2 year old baby as evidence that no matter what circumstances may look like on the outside, God often has a plan that is much bigger than that. She told me that "if a woman with no fallopian tubes can have a baby, then if that is His will for you... you too will have children". Tay was that sister without fallopian tubes, who endured nearly 50 injections in her hip and another 40 in her stomach, just to have the chance to have a child.

Now, naturally, she did not have to share any of that with me... or any of the other stories that she did this morning. But the fact that she did, that she shared her faith with me, her concerns about life and living... her sensitivity to what I was feeling and would be going through over the next few months... was nothing short of a miracle.

How many times have any of us been in an anxious position or in a hurry... and run smack into an employee from hell? Someone who made a bad situation a whole lot worse just because they didn't have their heads in the game? That could have been me this morning... but it wasn't.

Instead.... I was relaxed and able to giggle with my boyfriend while I waited to be wheeled into surgery. I can go as far as to say... I enjoyed myself today. Bizarre right?

So when Manis came to put me on the gurney, I was ready. I wasn't teary or sad... I was lifted and buoyed, ready to tackle another step in the journey.

The ride on the gurney was fun. (crazy I know, lol) It felt like a weird roller coaster ride. I even cracked a joke about it to Manis... the vantage point is weird and bizarre and you feel (well, I felt) like I was outside of myself just scooting down the hall and watching people move out of my way. It was cool. :)

We made it to the radiology room...and then I lost my breath. The room was filled with large machines and screens everywhere. It looked more like a television studio (or what I would guess a TV studio looked like) than an operating room. These machines were massive -- and the table looked a little small/narrow to hold all of me. But I fit. LOL...

So, they used these big radiology machines to guide the catheter into my vein and they created a "pocket" to slip it under my skin. It is just below my collar bone. Now... I'm telling you all this based on what I was told by the radiology technicians. I still haven't seen it because its covered up with bandages.

Oh yeah... shout out to Shenfen! :) She was also a sweetie pie nurse/technician who made my day smooth.

(okay... now, the roll call so far is Tay, Manis, and Shenfen...lol)

Each of those ladies were very compassionate, and kind... and they explained themselves very calmly so that I wasn't upset or discouraged during the process.

So... eventually I got on the table and Shenfen and Manis started prepping me. Now, y'all know that my boobies (my fabulous boobies...haha) are pretty big. One thing I've recently noticed is how they sort of choke/smother me a little at night if I don't place them correctly. (yeah, I can hear y'all snickering... but its true)

How 'bout... when I was laying on the table and Shenfen was prepping the area where they placed the implant... she looked at how my boobie sort of gravitated toward my neck (I am not making this up) and she TAPED my boobie down.

I had long strips of tape going every which way across my boobie and my gown. It would have been hilarious... if Manis hadn't given me my sedative IV at the same time. Just when I was about to crack a joke that I needed Shenfen to come home and show me how to tape 'em down every night... I was OUT. lol...

So, I missed everything... and that's cool. I'm sort of a squeamish punk when it comes to blood and such. Especially my own. Though I handled the needle Tay gave me like a champ. I woke up just as Shenfen was removing the tape from the boobie and putting on the bandages over the port and the catheter.

I still have no idea what it looks like under there but I did get a nice parting gift of a couple of well placed bandages and a hard lump that I can feel through them. Niiiccceee, right? Dontcha want one too?

Hilarious.

I got wheeled out of radiology (wasn't as much fun this time because I kept dozing off)... and back into the staging area where I got to continue my fabulous nap. I don't know what Manis put in that drip but ooooohhh weeeee... that was some good sleep. Whew...

Woke up to a new nurse... Mary (we're gonna add her to the nurse roll call too) and she was a kind lady. She asked me if I wanted anything to drink... and I said juice. They had both apple and cranberry... and since I couldn't decide which one, she gave me both! Score... instant CRAN-APPLE!

(see, its the little things that make Nic happy... )

They lost my boyfriend for awhile... not sure how they did that... but eventually Mary found him right outside in the waiting room which is where I knew he would be. She went through the proper procedure initially (twice actually) and when that didn't work, she asked me for his cellphone number and called my baby on the phone so he could come and get me. Isn't that great? She didn't have to do that... she could have just left me sitting there to fend for myself.

After he came in and she briefed him about what happened, how I took things and all that... she arranged for me to be wheeled downstairs when he brought the truck around. And since she was aware that her desk lady was a little... well, special... she had him call me on my cell phone to alert her when I needed to go downstairs.

Again... its the little things that people do, that they don't have to do, that let you know that not only are they good at what they do -- but they are called to do what they do. Just as the wheelchair came up, Tay walked by and as I was waving by... she offered to wheel me downstairs to meet my boo.

I warned her on the way down, that he was going to hug her (we're big huggers) and of course he did. I wish I had my camera... it was a nice picture. She was a nice and very memorable sister. Like I said... she single-handedly changed my day, reduced my anxiety ... all by being fully herself at work.

I need to be more like her tomorrow. :)

That's about it. The rest of the day... really was nothing much. We went to McDonald's... that southern chicken sandwich is the truth... and then I came home and got into the bed. Finished up the rest of that good ol' anesthesia... seems to be just a little bit left in my bloodstream... I'm holding out until I finish the blog.

More GOOOD napping ... coming right up. :)