Part 2 ---- of the birthday surprise....

Today was a day that was supposed to be filled with surprises for Russ. I had been planning for weeks his big 40th birthday bash... So along with the surprise of his family flying in yesterday, which that in itself would have been the best surprise that he could have dreamed of.. I had been planning a surprise birthday party for him. With the help of my sister (Thank you Lori!) we planned for the party to be at her house, otherwise I don't think I could have kept it a surprise very well. I had sent out the invitations, planning on about 40 people to be there. This included some of his closest friends from work, their spouses, and his family from out of town, and on a whim, I planned for 3 of his friends he worked with at America West when we lived in Arizona, to fly in. I had arranged with a local restaurant to cater it, my awesome friend & neighbor Turia, http://www.sugarkissescakes.com/ , made two cakes (one for Russ, and it just so happened that today is Rich's birthday too, so one for Rich), and everything was going to be perfect. Boy would he be surprised. I really think that last night when his family showed up at our house, he thought if I had been planning anything, that THAT was the surprise. Little did he know... haha! I love surprises! The only thing that he knew was our plan was that him and I, Lori & Len, and Nikki & Rich were all going to sushi for dinner and meeting at Lori's at 8:00 p.m. tonight. Now that he knew his family was here, he knew we were adding 3 more people to our dinner plans, but still the same dinner plans....

WELL ---- that was supposed to be the plan. But last night I tossed and turned all night with the worst stomach pains and didn't get one ounce of sleep. I woke to the sharpest pains ever, and just wanted to stay in bed all day, but I knew I had a big day in front of me. I had told him, and his sisters and mom last night, that I had a few errands to run this morning, and wouldn't be going to breakfast with them. I had a few last minute things at Costco to get and run them over to Lori's house. As I was standing in line at Costco to check out about 11:00, I was feeling worse, but forced myself to finish up and get the stuff over to my sisters house. Then I ran into a store to see if I could find something new to wear for tonight. Around 1:00, I didn't think I was going to make it anymore, I called my sister in tears saying I didn't know if I'd be able to go tonight. She thought maybe I had gotten food poisoning and maybe I should go home and drink water, and fall asleep for a bit. Somehow I deep down knew, it was more than that. I drove myself to urgent care and after they took blood and urine, said my white blood count was really high, and from where I was having the pains, he was 90% sure it was my appendix. But for me to head straight over to the hospital and they would do a CT scan to determine for sure. I bawled... No one understood, I didn't have time to do this today. Couldn't it wait until tomorrow? I called Russ, and met him at the house, and he drove me to the hospital and they of course said yes, it was my appendix and I needed to go into surgery now. Even my poor husband didn't understand my tears, that I couldn't do this TONIGHT of all nights. He said he'd stay with me, not to worry, everything would be ok. And here I was saying to him, 'NO --- you need to still go to dinner with everyone tonight!' Of course, he wasn't going to leave my side..... Ughhhh! I said to him before I went into surgery around 5:00 to please just stick with the plans, please go to dinner. He didn't understand that a house full of people were going to be at my sisters house at 7:30 for HIM... The surgeon said to him, 'Listen --- just tell her to make her happy, that you're going, then when she's out for her surgery, you can stay here' I felt like saying --- you don't understand.. But I didn't want to give it up to Russ. So when they wheeled me back to surgery, I said to the surgeon and the nurses, "Listen, this is very important you are on my side.. I have a big surprise party planned for him, tons of people going to be there at 7:30, I have it catered, etc. etc... please --- help me-- tell him to go to dinner as planned" Then they understood. So when I came out of surgery an hour later (at like 6:00 and so close to game time) --- the doctor went in to talk to him in the waiting room and said, "She's doing good, but listen, she's going to be out of it for like 4 hours, sleeping and groggy, you should go to dinner with your family, she'll be fine, then you can come back" Yes! Thank you Doctor Cavin! That was the only important thing to me, this day was about Russ. So with all my surprises that were unplanned, I wanted his night to go on 'as planned'.

I looked at my clock as I sat in my hospital bed, at 7:30, thinking 'ok, all the guests are arriving', then at 8:00, thinking 'ok, Russ should be walking in her door right now', then at 8:15, thinking 'ok, he's been surprised by now, and now I know my phone's going to ring any second', then at 8:16 --- sure enough, my phone rang, he was so surprised, and at that moment -- KNEW what my determination was for in getting him there.

I will never forget this day ---- November 15th, 2008 ---- I don't know why God planned for me to sit in a hospital bed after having my appendix removed, but working so hard to make sure the party still went on ---- but I'm thankful for my health and my family.

PS --- Obviously since I wasn't at the party, I have no pictures to post from my camera, but Lori took tons, and Sarah took some, so I will get those pictures from them, and post them in a few days. And no, I wasn't sitting up in my hospital bed entering this post (haha! I'm sure a few of you were wondering since it's dated 11/15) --- I posted it a week later, but back dated it to 11/15 ---- :)