The Pain of Extraction
As many of you probably already know, I went in for a tonsillectomy on February 3. Like many others, before actually scheduling the appointment, I thought nothing of it. I mean, little kids get this done all the time with no problem, right? Should be a piece of cake!
Well, so one would think.
The medical staff made sure to correct that thinking even before I said anything about it. "It's much worse for adults than it is for kids," they assured me. "In fact, you may be hurting pretty bad for up to two weeks!"
Leave it to this stubborn man to think that I was going to bounce right back up and be OK.
Five days with regular doses of Lidocaine and Hydrocodone later, and I'm still waking up with a miserable pain in the back of my throat. Like most people, sometimes I just wish, hope, and pray that the wounds would be instantly healed and that the pain would just go away.
Other times, I just wish that I had never gotten the procedure done in the first place.
You see, I've never been the best at seeing the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. That's why I've always been grateful for people like my friend, Colonel Dawn Heatwole, who reminded me via a Facebook comment that getting the tonsils out is one of the best things I could have possibly done for my health at this time.
When I stopped focusing on just the pain in the here and now, I remember the first evaluation I got from the surgeon at the Ear, Nose, and Throat clinic, who explained to me that my tonsils were rated Category 4, fancy terminology meaning that they covered between 75-100% of the airway in my throat. On several visits to my Nurse Practitioner, I was told that my tonsils were so large that they were practically touching every time she saw me. Between October and December this past year, I had strep throat three times. So yes, the wound left from my tonsils' removal is quite painful, but ultimately, keeping them in was doing more harm than good anyway.
So I'm left wondering, what are the things that we keep in our lives for fear of the pain we may temporarily face if we let them go? What are the toxic relationships, habits, attitudes, and sins that are slowly suffocating us, but the thought of cutting our ties with them seems so terrifying because we've become so comfortably numb to them? If we're striving to live a life for Christ, isn't it time that we allow Him to do the work of extracting those life-draining, spiritually endangering elements so that we can truly know His healing and His fullness of life? If you belong to a solid church body, I can guarantee you that there are people who have undergone this process already, and they can serve as strong encouragement as you take that leap of faith to allow God to work His power in your life by removing all those other harmful things.
Well, so one would think.
The medical staff made sure to correct that thinking even before I said anything about it. "It's much worse for adults than it is for kids," they assured me. "In fact, you may be hurting pretty bad for up to two weeks!"
Leave it to this stubborn man to think that I was going to bounce right back up and be OK.
Five days with regular doses of Lidocaine and Hydrocodone later, and I'm still waking up with a miserable pain in the back of my throat. Like most people, sometimes I just wish, hope, and pray that the wounds would be instantly healed and that the pain would just go away.
Other times, I just wish that I had never gotten the procedure done in the first place.
You see, I've never been the best at seeing the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. That's why I've always been grateful for people like my friend, Colonel Dawn Heatwole, who reminded me via a Facebook comment that getting the tonsils out is one of the best things I could have possibly done for my health at this time.
When I stopped focusing on just the pain in the here and now, I remember the first evaluation I got from the surgeon at the Ear, Nose, and Throat clinic, who explained to me that my tonsils were rated Category 4, fancy terminology meaning that they covered between 75-100% of the airway in my throat. On several visits to my Nurse Practitioner, I was told that my tonsils were so large that they were practically touching every time she saw me. Between October and December this past year, I had strep throat three times. So yes, the wound left from my tonsils' removal is quite painful, but ultimately, keeping them in was doing more harm than good anyway.
So I'm left wondering, what are the things that we keep in our lives for fear of the pain we may temporarily face if we let them go? What are the toxic relationships, habits, attitudes, and sins that are slowly suffocating us, but the thought of cutting our ties with them seems so terrifying because we've become so comfortably numb to them? If we're striving to live a life for Christ, isn't it time that we allow Him to do the work of extracting those life-draining, spiritually endangering elements so that we can truly know His healing and His fullness of life? If you belong to a solid church body, I can guarantee you that there are people who have undergone this process already, and they can serve as strong encouragement as you take that leap of faith to allow God to work His power in your life by removing all those other harmful things.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
Hebrews 12:1-3, New International VersionSo friends, what are you waiting for? It's time to schedule your "tonsillectomy!"
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