Cleaning Out the Closet

Getting rid of dispensable items is something that I have been thinking about lately. We have a lot of dispensable or unnecessary items in our lives. Let’s be honest – the glass vase in the guest bathroom filled with multicolored glass beads serves no purpose. The brown, leather box in the kitchen, originally meant to help us organize and has now become a catch-all, is being counterproductive. And, although Lucy’s mobile is adorable and gives a sense of completion for a nursery, it is pretty useless. It plays music for about a minute and then stops rotating and singing. Haha….nice try, but it takes a lot more than that to put her to sleep!

Heath and I cleaned out our closets - figuratively speaking. The items that once filled us with joy when we put them up on the checkout belt, now needed to say goodbye. They brought us $147 at our garage sale a few weekends ago. Yes, if you are wondering, we kept the vase in the bathroom, the brown box, and of course Lucy’s mobile!

It was as if my body knew though. It felt the childhood stuffed animals, the array of college room décor, and office furniture leaving. It decided I could afford to get rid of something else as well – my gallbladder.

Here I have been for 24 years, going along in life thinking I needed a gallbladder. I guess not. Although it serves a function (storing bile?), apparently it isn’t that “big of a deal.” It is the ugly step-sister, the runner up, the 16-year-old kid who rides a bicycle on Friday nights. So two weeks ago, I was told that it was coming out.

I had been having mild attacks for a few weeks and then had such horrible pain that I listed it number 2 on the pain list (number 1 being labor!). I was up all night and finally gave into Heath begging me to go to the doctor the next morning. Oh jeez… “Cori, your gallbladder is inflamed. You are scheduled for surgery Wednesday.” That was only a day away. Really? Is the gallbladder that unimportant that we just give up on it? My gallbladder is sick and we are just putting it down? Come on people, let’s get the heart paddles out; it isn’t over yet!

Alright, I’m being dramatic. But, seriously, do we give up on anything as easy? I have spent more time contemplating a clue on a crossword puzzle.

Although it seemed so worthless and easy to get rid of, just like our garage sale items, I feel the void! Let’s pretend that I don’t have four little scars on my torso as a reminder; all the same, eating just isn’t as fun! Those of you who have had your gallbladder taken out know what I am taking about!

It is when I think about what the surgeon said to me, that I am alright with all of it – “Your baby is to blame for this.”

It was a male surgeon, as if you didn’t already know. I don’t think he meant it to be mean, but it made me think – well then bring on ten surgeries. I would do anything for that 14 pounds of pure, round perfection!

Heath and I were willing to trade all of our 'closet items' for $147. And you know what? I am more willing to trade my gallbladder, pain, and more, for Lucy.


Note: Lucy finally rolled over for her mommy and daddy last week. :)