"Little" Things I'm Thankful For...

You know....I haven't done a random list in a while....so here goes....

The following is a list of things that my new kidney has allowed me to do:

- eat bacon. Yes...that lovely strip of pork fried to a crispy golden brown....it's just heavenly.

- eat potatoes. Another forbidden food on dialysis. Baked, mashed, tots, fries..it's all good.

- take a real shower. With my permanent cath for dialysis, I had to wash my hair in the tub faucet, then shower from the chest down, and use a washcloth to clean the rest, avoiding my site. Just standing under a steaming shower was a thing of beauty.

- wear sweats EVERYWHERE. While my incision is healing, pants and jeans are hard to wear since the button is right at the bottom of my stitches. I loved it at first...but now looking forward to dressing like a normal adult soon.

- drink colas....and drink in general. Before the transplant, I was very limited on the amount of fluid I could ingest, as too much would just have to be pulled off in dialysis. Now, they want me to drink about a gallon a day to keep the kidney working...and it's a thing of beauty. It's also working so well, they've asked me to drink more dark colas, since it's clearing too much phosphorus from my system, something else that dialysis couldn't do.

- Given me back almost 12 hours in the week. My Tuesday and Thursday treatments are no longer...making me feel like I can resume a normal workday. Once my physical restrictions have been lifted, I'll have the time to do all facets of my job in the way I feel I need to. As a guy, that's important.

- given me back my Saturdays. This is a huge one. For almost two years, I would leave home at about 11 and return at nearly 5. I missed so much time with my family on the one day we have at home together. It's a wonderful feeling just to hang with them, even if we have nothing planned. I know I don't take it for granted anymore.

- just feeling better. As my body continues to heal, I feel more and more of my strength and endurance returning. I can't wait to start doing cardio and working out again. The energy I feel grows each day, and I don't miss the worn out feeling that the anemia that accompanies kidney failure brings.

- Eat bacon. It's so good, it merits being mentioned twice...as do potatoes.

- Going underwater. This may sound silly, but I've always enjoyed swimming. Whether at the pool, lake, or ocean, I can spend all day in the water..and with that cath, I couldn't do it...just resigned to sit and watch my kids and everyone else enjoy it. I cannot wait to dive in this summer.

- A new perspective. Being sick for so long really has made me appreciate the health I do have, and not to take it for granted. I'm taking better care of myself, and hope to keep the gift that Shelley gave me for many, many years. I also understand better now that my life is not in my hands, it's in His...and that's a much better place for it to be.

I'm sure I can think of many more...but I'll stop here for now. God has led me on an amazing journey...and is still teaching me new things about it daily. I pray that He can use my experience to help others going through it or other long-term illnesses, just like others have come along beside me.

So, if your day hasn't been what you'd hoped it would be, take a minute to just be thankful for some of the "little things" like these...and understand how "big" they would be if they're taken away. Here's hoping we can all find joy in our lives today.