surgery and recovery pics

mmm how cute! haha


Team Kate in the waiting room! Best support system a girl could ask for!


Awake and kickin with my new Build-A-Bear, Dr. Timsten! Best gift EVER- Thanks Tim and Kristen ;)


After 5 days in the hospital I was so happy to home! Just hangin out with Matt and Em!


Haha this is Emilie and Meg helping me shave my legs! Yeah, we're that close!

don't judge a book by its cover

I am extremely guilty for judging books by their cover. I guess I'm just a really visual person :/ haha that is my grown up way of saying that it takes glitter and pop-up pictures for me to pick up a book "for fun" (o i do love a good alliteration- say "pick up pop up pictures" 10x fast... o boy the meds are talkin again... anywaaaay)! Never been much of a book worm, BUT in the past month I've received these two books that have truly been the voice of God to me!!

The first one is called Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young. This is a year long daily devotional. Young takes two or three scriptures, weaves them together, and then personalizes the language so you read it as if Jesus were talking to you. It's amazing how it brings the scripture to life. This is one of the passages my dad read to me while they were preparing me for surgery, "I am taking care of you. Trust me at all times. Trust Me in all circumstances. Trust Me with all your heart. When you are weary and everything seems to be going wrong, you can still utter these four words 'I trust You, Jesus.' By doing so, you release matters into My control, and you fall back into the security of My everlasting arms." I will never forget this passage. I kept whispering those four words as they put the breathing mask over my mouth in the operating room. This book releases the power of Scripture in a remarkable way! It has transformed my devos and made my walk with God so much more intimate! You've gotta check this book out!

The second book is called Praying God's Word, by Beth Moore. This one is a devotional journal. The Saturday after my surgery was the most painful day of my life. They had taken my epidural out that day and could only start me out on low doses of morphine. My friend, Emilie stayed up with me all night at the hospital, through all the pain and read me prayer after prayer from this book. She read prayers of strength, comfort, peace, and healing. It is what got me through the night. I love to lift up Scripture in my prayers and this book words every praise, thanksgiving, and request with such purpose. Mmm the power of Scripture! It was unexplainable how the Holy Spirit was moving in that hospital room! My unclear mind (because of the pain and morphine) was so sharply focused on the Lord that night because those prayers were laid out for me to lift up to Him. "5 stars" or "Two Thumbs Up" doesn't give this book justice!

Well I definitely didn't intend to type out a whole piece of literature for just two book recommendations but I thought it was important to share how these two books have been amazing instruments in my walk through this time. Yes, the books are lacking glitter and pop-ups but that's why it was crucial to shed some light on them :)

im alive

well, surgery went well and I came home from the hospital on Monday evening. Sorry it's been so long since I posted I was kinda busy being medicated and eating ice chips. They gave me an epidural at the hospital, which was awesome while it was in, but my right heel and my belly button are still a little numb. I'm doing better everyday. Right now, I'm walking around, I can sit down in the chair by myself, and I can now eat normal food. I am also a great entertainer when I'm on my pain meds. Spent this afternoon enjoying the beautiful day on my back porch. I am still and always accepting gifts (just kidding...sort of). My kidney's relationship status is now: "single and loving it."
To be very honest though, the doctor's have said that having a kidney removed is one of the most painful surgeries you can have. My incision is 4 inches long, which I'm told was the smallest kidney incision the doctor had made for this kind of surgery. The tumor ended up being the size of my fist, we don't have the pathology reports back yet but the doctor's were optimistic that the tumor was benign.
It's been a really long week and I overcame a lot of hurdles but God showed up in every doctor, nurse, visitor, card, meal, and flower arrangement. Your prayers have clearly made a world of difference and I ask for continued prayer for a smooth and speedy recovery, especially in time for my senior prom because I would really like to walk in heels.

the unmentionables!

Tomorrow is my surgery! O MY WORD that is crazy talk! haha! So I thought of a silly and kinda fun way to remember to pray for me on my surgery day! I propose that everyone wear purple underwear (aka the unmentionables) tomorrow so that every time they go to the bathroom they remember to pray for me AND praise God that they have two beautifully working kidneys! haha! Bought my pair today! I choose purple because it's my favorite color and its the national cancer society color! hahaha this whole idea just makes me giggle! Have fun with it... heck go a little crazy... and keep prayin! PURPLE POWER [double fist pump]!!

APRIL FOOLS DAY!!!

So we talked to the doctors today (drumroll please).......... aaaaaand my surgery is scheduled for 1:30 THIS Thursday, April 1st at St. Luke's South!!!! YAAAAAAYAYAYAYAY! I literally screamed when they told me! It kinda makes me laugh that its on April Fools Day though! Maybe when I show up to the hospital they'll say, "April Fools! No Tumor!" haha not likely! Anyway Thursday I will probably be just be seeing family after the surgery and I'll slowly start seeing visitors on friday! Thank you so much for all your prayers because they have been answered! God is soo good! Now we need to start praying for the surgery itself! Hopefully this news is an encouragement of the power of prayer! Keep it up!

CALLING ALL PRAYER WARRIORS!

The last two days have been a little frustrating! As you know my original surgery date got cancelled for more tests! The tests went well so thank you thank you for those prayers! Anyway, because we cancelled that surgery we are having a hard time rescheduling another surgery date for this week! They are saying that the soonest might be in another week or two! UGH! The problem with that is the farther my surgery gets pushed back, the farther my recovery days get pushed back and I have prom, graduation, and rest of my senior year that I wanna be able to enjoy! The doctors offices are closed until Monday so we have this weekend to just pray and wait for them to call back with the soonest date they can do it! The nurses said they would do their best to try to work something out for this week but they said chances were looking slim because they have to find a time when both surgeons can work together! Pretty much only a cancellation this week would open up a slot for me! I believe whole heartedly that my God answers prayers! Please be praying for a divine intervention in the doctor's schedule or a cancellation! PRAY PRAY PRAY! This is sooo important to me! My family and I are so ready to get this surgery done! Thank you for your prayers!

BELIZE PICS!

Thought I would include some of my favorite pics from my mission trip that highlights some of my favorite memories!! ENJOY (ps they kinda go backwards from end to beginning)
Ally and I snorkeling which was quite the sight to see! haha the experience was more humorous than adventurous to say the least!










Bethany, D, and I sitting on top of the altar at the Mayan ruins! SOO COOL!!! might have been my favorite part of the trip! we also climbed to the top of that huge temple behind us too! it was LEGIT!







Danielle and I hanging out with the kiddos at VBS! ok so THIS might have been my favorite part of the trip! Deborah (green shirt) and I got pretty close! the kids just loved to be loved! we also thought that bunny ears were hilarious! haha




Ok so this is us walking off the plane and freaking out with excitement that we are in BELIZE! I just love this pic!