It's a date

Hello friends and family. Today, I got the call.... we've got a date: 

January 17, 2012. 

I will be at the hospital in the morning, and around noon I'll be entering the OR for my surgery. 

I really thought I was starting to be okay with the reality of being a patient and having surgery. But this afternoon has been a rough one. For the last week or so I've been telling the boy that this surgery is going to be okay once it's all over. I've been kind of wishing that I could fast forward through all of this. He keeps telling me.... "I know, but before it can be over...it has to start." 

And now, we know when the start is going to be. And that just happens to be in 8 days. 8 days from now, I'll be in one of my homemade hospital gowns (made by my awesome Dad) and the surgery will be done. When I think about it that way, I feel relieved. Relieved that the scariest part of this immediate journey will be over. Then, it will just be an uphill journey to getting back to being Ashley 2.0 ( newer, stronger, lighter due to less small intestine and healthier). 

So, the can be my own personal new year celebration... 17 days late. prayers and good thoughts highly appreciated.