Connys life with familiy, friends & craft!: Finding hope in the fog of grief

It has really been a long time since I wrote. Many things have happened that it is difficult to describe with just one word. Should I try, the word must be
CHALLENGING!

The year began as it ended, with another operation. (on the Dec 21 and again Jan 4)
I cannot describe the feeling I had when the operation was over and the awakening went smoothly (which I am not used to).
But words that can describe it are the feeling of comfort, faith, hope, and eternal love.
All is well, everything is well! was what I felt. It gave me comfort.

Shortly after, Lars became ill again. I never think I'll turn to that. These transient blood clots are terrible. For those of you who are personally affected by this disease, my heart and my prayers reach out to you.

Hvad er en Forbigående blodprop:
En forbigående blodprop i hjernen, blandt læger kendt som TCI (= transitorisk cerebral iskæmi), er ”lillebror” til en rigtig apopleksi. Symptomerne er de samme: Pludselig opstået halvsidig kraftnedsættelse, påvirket eller mistet taleevne, utydelig tale som om man taler ”med en kartoffel i munden”, mistet syn på et øje eller i halvdelen af synsfeltet. Her sker der bare det, at symptomer ved et TCI-tilfælde forsvinder i løbet af minutter til timer og senest efter et døgn.

What is a transient blood clot?
A transient blood clot in the brain, among doctors known as TCI (= transient cerebral ischemia), is "little brother" for a proper stroke. Symptoms are the same: Suddenly half-sided force reduction, affecting or losing speech ability, blurred speech as if talking "with a potato in the mouth", lost sight of an eye or half of the field of view. Here it just happens that symptoms in a TCI case disappear within minutes to hours and at the latest after a day.

In February I went to a scrap convention in a small town called Ejsing.
A small town that means a lot to me. My great-grandparents lived in the small town. My grandmother on my mother's side was born there, my father worked at the city's furniture factory for 30 years, even though I had my first job there after school, as a young girl in the house. I sang in a little choir that sang Christmas concert in the little village church. Well, a small town with not many inhabitants, but a city that is of great importance to me and my ancestors.

My great-grandparents Laust Christiansen & Margrethe Nielsen

I was therefore very happy to go and spend a day with scissors, paper, laughter, and the opportunity to get to know new people - in a little town so dear to my heart.
I enjoyed the day very much - right until I received a call from home, where I was told that Lars had become bad again. It an easy decision to go home immediately. But right then and there... my world fell apart.
Of course, I felt guilty about leaving home that day. I knew I shouldn't - but my heart said something else. Among 100 strangers, I broke down. I felt useless, selfish, and worth nothing.
At that moment a stranger stretched out her hand and touched my arm. I don't remember what she said, but whatever it was, she connected to my heart and mind, in just a few moments, she helped me more than I can ever thank her for. I hope the Lord will bless her, for she sure blessed me at that moment.
I will always be grateful to Lone Bak-Pedersen for her outstretched hand, for her compassion and immediate clean selfless care for me - someone who was a stranger to her.
To finish this long post, I just returned home from the hospital, after admission of 1½ weeks - and 3 operations. The last 2 were due to complications that occurred due to a mistake made during the first operation. I am fine, every day it gets better.

One thing I've learned through the many operations I've been through over the past 3 years: life is fragile, pay attention to your family, tell them you love them, tomorrow it may be too late.
The Lord loves you, turn to Him for strength and power. He is just a prayer, a thought away.

A few cards...