25 Random things about me

I did this on Facebook so I thought I might add it here too...


1. I love Jesus with all my heart, I try to live like it every day, but I'm afraid I don't come close.
2. I am 25 and have been married to my wonderful husband for 5 years! (Yes I can do math and I know I was a baby!)
3. I have the sweetest puppy (ok he's 2 1/2), Bama, who makes me smile every day.
4. I am almost finished with anesthesia school (8 months!!!)
5. I am going to Belize in less than 2 months to give anesthesia as part of a surgical mission team.
6. I am the most organized messy person you will ever meet. I have neat and organized traits, but they seem to be left at work.
7. I threw discus and javelin in college and placed in the Gulf South Conference Meet.
8. I won the 1A-3A Heptathalon my senior year, I was one of 2 so they grouped us in with the big schools. :)
9. One of my favorite things at Harding was curfew... then all your friends came home and the fun started!
10. I voted for Hillary Clinton in the Alabama Primary, I thought she'd be easier to beat, but I hated that I voted for her.
11. I love going on vacations, especially with my husband.
12. I claim I can't think in pencil. I haven't used one since high school, except to fill in scantrons (I would take the test in pen).
13. I love shoes! But usually end up going with my Merrells, which I love but are as ugly as sin.
14. I am obsessed with watchin the Bachelor and Grey's Anatomy. I stay up to watch them live, even though I have to go to clinical EARLY the next morning.
15. I loved that my mom worked at my school. She was always there if I needed anything.
16. I have the best friends and family ever.
17. My elbows bend slightly backwards, but I don't believe in people being "double jointed."
18. I can't stand for water (or anything) to be on my face. I have a towel hanging over the side of the shower so I can dry my face off.
19. I chopped most of my hair off before I wnet to college and didn't tell anyone I was going to do it.
20. I am finally getting a sister this summer! My brother Luke and Morgan are getting married!!!!
21. I love sewing, especially making scrub hats for myself and dresses for my faux-niece Savannah.
22. I am totally in a cooking slump. I used to love it, but just don't feel like it anymore and can't figure out how to get out of this slump.
23. I think I am the last person on the planet to read the Harry Potter books, I just finished book 3!
24. I have to have a blanket over me when I sit on the couch, at least my shoulders and feet (the rest can be draped off of me), even in the dead of winter.
25. The last seven months have been the hardest of my life, but I have learned and grown so much! I am thankful for all the lessons I have learned and the time I have been able to spend with Tom, helping him through his tough times and celebrating his victories (from getting the pathology report of clear lymph nodes/ no more chemo to being able to take Bama for a walk to being able to button his jeans after abdominal surgery).

Belize... Less than two months!!!

Some have been asking... yes I am going to Punta Gorda, Belize! I will be leaving on March 30th and returning April 7th. I am so excited! We are shipping our supplies in about two weeks so getting everything ready is making it all more "real." Yesterday, my friend and classmate K, helped the trip tremendously by salvaging some would be thrown away IV tubing from her clinical site. The hospital was changing over to a new system and she grabbed what was going to go to waste and brought them to me. Traditionally, I am told our group does about 50 cases each year. K found 160+ packs of IV tubing! Enough for three years!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel so blessed to be able to participate in such a wonderful group that has been established for so long and to have such wonderful mentors that have so much experience in surgical missions.

We covet your prayers both now in our preparation as well as when we are serving the Lord and the people of Belize.

Love Always,
MB

Have to post this too

A posted this on her blog, so I think that it is only fitting I publish this memory too. Also when I saw this picture about 2 years ago was actully the first time I realized how much my little brother Adam & I looked alike.

Recovery Is Wonderful

Just a quick update, a little late.
Tom's surgery went great, they remove 17 lymph nodes, all came back totally clear! He is doing really well with his recovery, his incision looks great and he has spent most of the day sitting up playing Xbox. The only negative is he did develop a blood clot and will be on blood thinners until April (Much better than more chemo!).
We are so thankful for your prayers and support. We feel so blessed to have all of this behind us and the lessons and strength we have learned though this process.
MB

Surgery!!!

I keep saying this, but sorry it's been so long since my last update. I guess no news is good news, since that generally means I am able to do something other than sit and type on my laptop while I watch Tom. So... he is doing MUCH better, we were able to go to Florence and Dallas over Christmas break. We were both worn out by the time we got home, but we were glad we were able to make the trek.

Tomorrow is our 5th Anniversary, and then Wednesday (1/7/9) Tom will have surgery, his last step in this process!

It's going to be a pretty big surgery (retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, if you know what that means & care), a really big incision (about 7-8 inches), about 5-7 days in UAB, and about 4-6 weeks of recovery at home before he can go back to work. That has been REALLY hard, for those that really know Tom, imagine Tom Greenway not working for 7 months! Yea, it's been interesting. He has been able to keep busy working on the church finance office stuff when he has felt good, so that has helped him not go totally stir crazy.

Thanks again for all the kind words, cards, emails, facebook messages, and especially prayers.
I'll have my computer at UAB so I should be able to update when he is out of surgery/feeling better/going home.