Interesting day....April 17...and notable.

April 17 has been on my mind for a few days now.  I couldn't help myself, I had to see when else that date what important in history.

Ellis Island, full of confusion and hope and fear was extra packed that day.  April 17, 1907 it processed it's highest record number of people, 11,747.    I bet the workers were extra tired that day.

There was much fear that week as Apollo 13 was malfunctioning.  On April 17, 1970, The astronauts were especially fearful as they returned to Earth.   Despite all fears, they lived. 

For baseball fans, April 17, 1964 changed memories for all of The New York Met's fans.   Generations of parents and children had a new place for happy memories.  It is the day that Shea Stadium opened up. 

Christopher Columbus seals the deal with Spain on April 17, 1492.  This deal comes after countless meetings with other countries.  He thinks he's starting another new journey, this time to Asia for spices.  Little did he know where this journey would really take him.

The American Civil War even has a few April 17 events.   In 1861, Virginia leaves the main body of the United States and joins the Confederate side.    To bad they later lost.  Three years later, April 17 was the first day of the Battle of Plymouth.   It seems almost pointless to say that Civil War battles were very crude and left scars on the bodies  and scars on  souls of many. 

On April 17, 2009, I will have an interesting and notable day.  

• I will be extra tired
• I will be especially fearful
• Despite all fears, I expect to live.  I also expect to be able to stand or sit for more than 90 minutes without feeling like I was hit with a baseball bat, America's Funniest  Home Video style.
• I will be opened up, and I hope my memories will be happy.
• I have spent countless meetings with other doctors. 
• On April 17, I seal the deal with Dr. Hibbert and Dr. Plaskon. 
• I'm starting another new journey, and I have no idea if this will lead me back to health and motherhood like I intend, or deeper into pain and partial involvement in my growing children's lives. 
• On this day, about 6 inches of me  will leave the main body of Rachel .  Major abdominal surgery. {Low Anterior Resection Rectopexy} Other drooping organs will be lifted and sew into place (bladder for sure, uterus maybe)  
• I plan to have new scars on my body that looks like a c-section  and  really hope to avoid new scars on my soul.  

I love Wikipedia.  Thanks for gathering this info for me.   It was nice to see that I wasn't the only joy or fear or pain felt on April 17.   

I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that my first surgery after Mark was born was also April 17, in 2008.   And my health has been so great since then...I have every reason to only have sunshine and happiness for recovery... as I look forward to this double surgery and all the tests before hand.