This year’s Mardi Gras did not turn out as we planned.
I thought we would celebrate a friend’s birthday at the Zulu Ball and then go off on a week long cruise to commemorate my husband’s birthday and our 5th wedding anniversary, but life happens.
Thankfully, my husband is now recovering at home and I was still able to participate in some local events and re-purpose some of the items I’d packed for our cruise:
Sleep Masks:
Natural Mulberry Silk Sleep and Travel Sleep Masks
I originally purchased these to use on our cruise as we were planned to be staying in a balcony room with our bed facing an aft balcony. I love balcony rooms, but I also like to sleep in late, so I pack sleep masks as backup.
I’m glad that I had these though, because they came in extra handy in the ICU.
If you’ve never had a stay in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) one of the characteristics of this type of “Intensive Care” is the frequency of contact with your nurse and other care providers.
In a regular room, you may see your nurse ever so often or whenever you push a call button.
In an ICU room, you have a nurse that comes to check your vitals, update medications, and other activities EVERY HOUR, on the hour.
This means that there will be lots of lights going on and off and movement in the room thought the day/night.
In this scenario, having eye masks on standby was clutch.
Having two different styles was even better.
I found that the traditional style was great for me, but the velcro style worked well for my husband as I was unable to lift his head to place the straps behind it. Instead, I tucked the open ends behind each side of his head and this kept the mask in place while also blocking the light that shone in from the nurses’ observation window.
Natural Mulberry Silk Sleep Mask
I used the traditional style sleep mask. This mask was a bit thinner and looked a bit more feminine (at least in my opinion) but I preferred this as it was easier to slip up and over my head if I wanted to observe the nurses activities (I tend to be a light sleeper. I woke up 90% of the times they came into the room).
Product Links:
- Travel Sleep Mask: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074X4KPHZ
- Natural Mulberry Silk Sleep Mask: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074WXKZ51
Travel Sleep Mask
The Zulu Ball
We spent over a week in the hospital. That was just no fun. And because our trip had to be cancelled, my husband insisted that I still take part in the ball that we originally planned to attend together.
This was hard for me to agree to. I made it to the event, but my heart was back at the hospital.
Thankfully, I planned all of my attire before hand, so I spent the morning at the hospital and ran home to change and set up the table for my friend’s birthday.
Ball Attire
I love cobalt blue and selected a dress and handbag to match.
I really liked that my handbag included both wrist and shoulder hanging options, although I ended up carrying a larger bag and tucking it away along with my other supplies.
Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076HW7CVD
Table Decorations
If you didn’t know, decorating your table at the Zulu Ball is a “serious matter!” 😉
Given the circumstances of the week, I didn’t carry out my full vision for the event, but it came together well enough in the end (Translation: The table wasn’t bare) and my friend was surprised and happy.
That’s all that really mattered.
All in all, Mardi Gras season 2018 is one that I will be sure to remember for years to come!
I am so grateful for my family and happy to have celebrated the 30th birthday of an amazing human being that I am blessed to call one of my dear friends.
Life doesn’t always go as planned, but you can do your best to be prepared and ride the waves as the come.
If nothing else, this last month has shown me that I can assemble some of the key supplies and resources and then roll with what comes.
It’s all in God’s hands and in there’s truly NO better place to be!
Matthew 6:31-33 New Living Translation (NLT)
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need
Fix-It With Fran 