It feels like forever since I have posted! Life has been a bit crazy as I have been completely drained from this whole gallbladder fiasco. But, I'm back (sort of) and trying to get caught up on, well, EVERYTHING! So, here is the latest update on the surgery, life, and the path to fostering.
Surgery
My surgery went well. My gallbladder was removed laparoscopically as planned. The only catch up was that I spent almost twice as long in the OR recovery than expected. I was struggling a bit to breathe properly and wake up. I also was a bit sick. Luckily though, I recovered in time to still get to go home that night. I honestly think that they were on the edge of having to keep me (as the outpatient center was closing), but I’m glad I got to go home. My parents and cousin were here to take care of me. My parents had to leave the next day, but my cousin stayed for the rest of the week. She was replaced by my brother who came and helped me out for a few more days. It has been 4 weeks now since the surgery and I’m just now starting to see some improvement. 2 days ago was the first time I noticed that I could yawn or take a deep breath without feeling as if I was being stabbed in the side. There is still some pain and various issues I'm trying to get under control. Energy is still eluding me, but I’ve heard that it can take months to fully recover that. I’m learning what I can eat and not eat and making general progress. So, all is on the mend there I think.
Vacation
My annual family vacation landed 3 weeks after surgery. I was dreading the thought that I might not be able to go. I went to see my surgeon at the beginning of week 3 (after my family had already landed in Iowa and set up camp) and hoped that he would give me one more week of recovery time before returning to work. He offered me 2-3 more weeks! I told him I should only take one more week as I was already out of leave time at work. I really did need the recovery time, but it also allowed me to go be with my family. I was able to spend the 2nd half of the week with my family in Knoxville as normal. Well, not quite “normal.” I spent the week walking around town being pushed around in a wheel chair as opposed to walking like everyone else. And, I napped a lot…and couldn’t eat all the wonderful “vacation food” I usually enjoy. But hey, I was there and that made me happy!
Updated & New Needs/Wish List
In the near future, a few of the tabs up top will be updated. The wish/need list has been mostly updated already. I changed the format a bit and added/removed some items. I'll be sure to let you all know when more updates are completed.
Books
Books, books, books! I would like to collect more books. If you or someone you know has any age appropriate (6-10yrs old) books they would like to send my way, I would greatly appreciate it! I just recently purchased 2 new books written specifically for Foster Kids, to help them understand what is happening and to know they are not alone. They both include a guide for adults at the end to talk through the thoughts and emotions that may arise in the children as a result of reading the book. I'm excited to have received these books yesterday! I think they will be a great tool for the kids that come into my home.
I also purchased one for myself on Fostering. I started it last night and am very excited about it so far. It is written by someone who has fostered for many many years and I can already tell that it is going to be an excellent tool for me. I'll be sure to post a review when I've completed it.
Thoughts on Fostering
While I was laid up for 3 weeks I didn't have the ability to clean, decorate, or shop for the kiddos. I, however, did a lot of thinking. Months ago I told someone that I kind of thought that I wanted to request a boy, but didn't know if that was "kosher" in the System. I've worked with lots of kids over the years and always connected best with the boys. Not sure why, that is just how it has happened. And so, of course, that would lead me to lean in that direction. I thought about it more and decided that I would happily be open to either a boy or girl and would prepare for both. During this past month I began feeling more and more drawn to the idea of having a little girl, pink bows and all. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am NOT a girly girl at all. I'm a tomboy all the way. Which is why I find these thoughts fascinating, day-dreaming so much about decorating the room, shopping, etc all for a girl. I will still be opening my home to either a boy or a girl, but it kind of makes me wonder if I will be matched with a girl in the end. Either way, I will be doing my best for them.
Latest Projects
Wow, the project list in my head is extensive! I can't count how many lists I've written down, typed up, or put into my phone. I really need to regather them all into one master list for me to check off as I move forward. But, currently I'm trying to finish dressing up the kiddos' room. I have decided on a butterfly theme for a girl and airplanes (yay!) for boys. This weekend I plan to purchase the supplies to make an over-the-bed wall art piece for the girls which, of course, is inspired by something I saw on Pinterest. I've also picked up a few crayons, scissors, markers, and notebook during the Back-to-School sale. I need MUCH more of that kind of thing and art supplies, but it was a small start. Anyone wanting to donate in that area is more than welcomed to do so!
Beginning the Process
After a little research and talking to a local foster parent, I decided that it can be beneficial to use an agency and that a great agency to check out is the Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois. I emailed them a while back. I realized that I hadn't heard back from them and that it is probably due to the fact that I had emailed them from my old address, that was hacked and shut down. I contacted them again a couple of days ago and got a quick response. They informed me that they would forward my information to my local office and gave me the name and phone number of a woman in that office that I can personally contact. So, my name is out there! I will give them a week or so to contact me and then I will call the office. I'm hoping to be able to attend an orientation session they offer for prospective foster parents. I'm unsure of how often they offer them, so I'm not sure there are any upcoming. However, I'm already committed to this journey and so that may not be that big of a deal. I hope to learn the timing of the required training and the step-by-step processes of their particular office. There is a lot of information to collect and hopefully I can nail down what steps come next very soon. Even though I am behind on my planned preparations, as far as the house is concerned, due to my illness, it will be good to get a more official looking map on how to get where I want to go.
I know this is a lot, but if you made it all the way through, thanks for reading! Now that I'm back from the dead, updates will hopefully be posted more often and thus shorter!