thread for middle age to older Christian women.
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Just returned from a visit with Phyllis (patoo) for three days. She lives in a very pretty community with many amenities - an over 55 community. I had a really nice time meeting her and sharing some fun days. It was so nice to get away - the first time since my diagnosis and all that has followed since then. I am thinking about buying a home there, but there are some issues that need to work out. I am praying about it. This little getaway took my mind off tumor marker test results forthcoming. Waiting for answers from God.
Will raise you all up in prayer tonight.
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Happy Sunday ladies, I made it to church today and was glad I did and am blessed to be able to drive myself with this crazy brace on my left arm to rest it and hopefully get myself back on track. Everyday is a blessing. With my office mate having a lumpectomy tomorrow, my church in turmoil and the pastor on suspension it has a busy week and the devil is just getting started. I was reminded today that trials test our faith but if we remain steadfast in our belief we can weather anything. Trouble is always just around the corner we are either in a storm, getting ready to go through a storm or coming out of a storm count it all joy and just keep the faith as you go through. Have a good week.
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I am praying for the needs which are great but we have a great God who is very powerful and ready to walk through whatever challenges we face. I was reading a book tonight and I felt the Lord wanted me to share this with you so I will. I have talked about my nursing home ministry before. I volunteer at an assisted living facility and John and I minister to the Alzheimer's floor. John is a committed family man who is from India and a wonderful young Christian man. We sing with the residents. Music is so powerful when it comes to Alzheimers patients. He talks about the hymns we sing and gives a message and then I share some lessons from life. I quite often talk about my photography and sometimes about you ladies battling cancer. I am going to post some pictures as these were the pictures I was referring to in my sharing.
I told the residents how even weeds can be beautiful if we look at them carefully. This is a common milkweed that produces these beautiful seeds.
I don't know what this one is below but I imagine it is sometime of wild flower going to seed. It had a beauty all of it' own.
I went back to get more photos of this particular wild flower and noticed a new subject in the picture.
I saw this fly. As I looked at it more closely I realized how beautiful it really was with its iridescent green body and wings. (Minus the creepy eyes) I was asking the Lord why He would create an insect so beautiful that is pretty much of an annoyance and a pest to humans. I got these impressions. In most people's lives there are milestones of getting married, having children, and having grand children but most of our lives are made up of very routine days which can seem somewhat monotonous and in these days we have pesky flies or annoyances that are with us a good part of the time. If we can look past the annoyance we can see beauty in these situations and good in the very thing that is annoying us. The life lesson for me as I took these pictures is that there is such beauty in the very simple things of life that is all around us if we will only take the time to look. There were the obvious beautiful fall colored leaves on the trees and these weeds and wildflowers were really the minor characters in the vast scene but brought meaning to me in those moments of reflection on God's beauty and His creation. No matter what we are going through God as allowed blessings right in front of us to see and to feel. They may not be the major characters but the minor ones where you may have to look around to see them. If God has taken such time in creating this beautiful weeds and insects how much more is he concerned about us. I find his attention to detail absolutely fascinating when I am studying a flower or a bird or insect. God is just awesome and has created all of this for His pleasure and ours. When we see these ordinary days in this light they start to have the potential to become extraordinary and exciting if we are looking and expecting something great then we will. It will lift our spirits in a perhaps a very routine day.
How can you change your circumstance now for the better. Our attitude in how we approach our situation is the key.
Aurora, Lynn, Kath, Jean, Greta, Karen, She angel, Joanne, Mini, Ellen, Lucy, Steve, Anita, Debbie Foots, Debbie Ireland, Waterstreet 27heart,
Mags, Angie, Kathy, Jeanne, Phylis, Polly, Char, Bev, Vickie, Artsie and all of us have our own journeys unique to us just as our own personalities are unique. The Lord has equipped all of us to draw on Him to give us the tools we need to have a victorious day in one of those monotonous days.
That pesky fly may be your SE for a particular day. Ask the Lord to give you eyes to see what He wants you to see an ask him for positive attitudes in the process.
Have a good evening ladies.
Love,
Nancy
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I somehow hurt my back and there is new pain around the waist area. I would like to try to get to the senior class at the gym but not sure if that is wise. I have PT tomorrow and Thursday.
I am grateful for access to so much good medical care and continued peace about my hip. God is good. Also for the miracle of preservation of life and so little damage in the Mexican hurricane
Love, Jean
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Wonderful pespectives Nancy and She: I am hanging on:
Prayers and hugs for everyones unique needsHugs,
Kath
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Good Evening ladies,
Thanks for the prayers for a safe journey this weekend. I left here Friday after lunch and just got home tonight. My visit with old college acquaintances was special, and I left the campus with a renewed vision of who I am in Christ. Things and relationships that used to be a " must" in my life are now in perspective.
I did have a chance to talk with a friend about her relationship with Christ; I had prayed for an opportunity to do that. Her answers said one thing but her reaction said something different..I can't make choices for her, so I will continue praying that she will think about what I said. She has such a giving heart and has such a loving spirit...just not sure if she knows ABOUT Jesus, or if she really knows Him. She has had three heart attacks due to high blood pressure and stress.
I finally was able to take Mom To see Cal, and he was at his most charming. My son surprised her with a birthday cake he made. Today her opthamology appointment went well so all things considered it was a good weekend... But there is no place like home!
Taking this week to tie up loose ends of things before surgery. Thanks for all your prayers for me with this too. Trying to stay positive..
God bless you all...will write more later...Blessings ...Ellen
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Joanne has experienced a bowel blockage due to her pain meds she has been on for a long time. She did a colonoscopy prep (without the colonoscopy). It did work but she is now left with an very inflamed colon. She is hurting and is very weak. Let's continue to pray for her. She has been through more battles these last few months and I know she would appreciate your prayers.
Lynn, praying that you will find out your results soon and that it will be good news.
Waterstreet, praying that you are recovering well from your surgery on Friday.
Aurora, praying that you are adjusting to the nursing home and that your rehab is going well.
She, praying that you can stay positive in the midst of your trials surrounding you.
Jean, stay positive and dwell on those things.
Ellen, so glad things went well with your mom and that she had a chance to see Cal. Glad he was his charming self! Praying for you as you prepare for your hip replacement on Nov. 5.
Kath, praying for supernatural strength for you as you go through another week. Praying that your WBC will improve after getting shots to help.
Lucy, how are you doing? Let us know how we can pray for you.
Have a good night's rest everyone.
Love,
Nancy
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Good Evening all! Well, I have a contract on a home in The Villages where Phyllis lives. I had visited there and felt it to be a good fit for me. Buying a house myself is such a scary thing for me to do. The owners of where I am renting want to sell, so I need to find a new home. After much thought and praying, I did it! I hope it is the right thing to do. I have asked God to guide me in this decision and to let me know His plans for me. There are a number of Assisted Living and Memory Care facilities there and I would like to find a part time job in one of those. My mother was in both, so I have experience working with and being around that population. Having been a Special Needs teacher of young children for many years, I feel like I have patience and a nurturing nature, plus I enjoy helping others. While that is just a thought for now, I am asking God to grant me good health so that I might do this, if that is His will. I see my MO next week to go over tumor marker test results and pray all is OK so I can move forward.
A good nights rest to all.
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As always, Nancy, just read your post and will use it right now to pray for everyone on it. You must be a faster typist than I am, plus my iPad does crazy things and I continuously have to make corrections. Your post was not there when I started mine! Oh, I feel so bad for Joanne as I just did the prep (no fun) about 6 weeks ago, right before my surgery, only I did have the colonoscopy. A bowel blockage and inflamed colon must be awful. I will add extra prayers that she finds relief soon. We all have such individual circumstances and special needs, but we all can count on our awesome God to help us through.
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Praying as I read as usual.
I got a scary call from my chemo doc tonight. They looked at my hip xray and don't want me to wait till spring for surgery. They are afraid I might break my hip. I tried to get a sooner appointment with the surgeon but he is booked solid till December. The office won't even approach him about squeezing me in till I have my xray cd's in hand. My son picked up the 2 done up here tonight of my spine and knee. I am supposed to get the one from Sloan Kettering of my hip soon. Please pray that I get in soon to see the surgeon and that the cd comes quickly. At present I don't even know what restrictions I should follow. My house has 5 levels full of stairs. Scary stuff. Love, Jean
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Hi to all. Update on my feelings about being in the nursing home today was better a lot of people saw me including a psychologist when the physical therapist came and got me up on my feet a lot of blood and fluids poured from my incision and I couldn't do therapy they changed the dressing and I have a appointments it's my surgeon tomorrow . Also my daughter is researching other rehab places to see if I can transfer to a nicer more cheery. Please continue keeping me in your prayers
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Dear Joanne, please know that you are covered in prayer! I am so sorry that you are dealing with all this!! You are a strong and faithful servant!!
Praying for everyone here!
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Joanne, Lynn, Aurora, Jean, just sent up prayers for your strength. Intercessory prayers for everyone for our Lord's healing presence.
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Today I am so grateful for all you ladies who find the time and energy to pray for me and each other in the midst of your own struggles. Love, Jean
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Good morning lady warriors,
I will be gone for a good part of the day and night so know I will be praying for you and for the expressed needs.
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Well the surgery is behnd me now. Not keeping anyhing down yet and there is a large incision on the breast and a large one under the arm. I am waiting for 11/3 fo post op to find out what all was done. They moved it up from 11/9 so the wait is shorter. He is telling me I have to keep things down or he will have to put me on IV. I am trying all crackers, breakfast drinks, etc. I have to keep my meds down to control my BP which is usually high but since the surgery its running low with a fast heart rate. I will check in again soon. 
Praying for all of you, Waterstreet.0 -
Well, Nancy, that middle picture is a plain ol' dandelion, leaning over the stem of something else to disguise itself, just like our blessings sometimes do! I love the meditation about the fly, and isn't that the truth!
My neurologist visit went well, and DH was able to take the time to drive me there, and then we went to the cancer clinic so they could access my port for blood draws. So I don't have to have a flush this month, and got to catch up with one of my favorite infusion nurses too. Then my cousin texted, through with her first half day of work, and did I want to have lunch? DH had a meeting to get to so cousin and I had lunch then went to Dillard's and now home.
So we shall see what the tests say, and if there is a different medication mix than I am on. And some genetic testing as well.
Nancy, your thought on the beautiful intricacies of creation put me in mind of a photo I took years ago of a red dragonfly.
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Thanks for the prayers,ladies. My chemo doc called me back and said I have no restrictions except not to take up skiing or I think skydiving. She still wants me to get in as soon as possible to see the surgeon. Just waiting for the xray of my hip cd so the office can try to get me in before December. I feel a lot less anxious since I dont need to worry with each step about a spontaneous fracture. God can make a way so let's just pray! Hey, I made a rhyme! Teehee. Love, Jean
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auroaya, yes, you are in my prayers that you can find a happier place to get better!
Jean, just be careful! Prayers for you to be able to get this surgery as soon as possible. You will get through it and be able to walk much better.....and pain free.
Waterstreet, praying that you can keep food down and can feel better soon!
As always, praying for all of us and greatful for that I found this thread and all you wonderful women.
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How I am blessed to ready everyones posts, encouragements, victories, and affirming Word.
I had a bad round of SE this weekend, a little better today: not up to naming everyone, but I am praying for all of you. I do keep Nancy in the loop as many of us do (thanks Nancy)
Prayers for a wonderful day tomorrow: let us all keep seeing the beautiful results of His work around us daily, as was discussed. Yes, we are facing battles, but we are winning with Christ as our captain.
Hugs and blessings,
Kath
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I'm on a round of antibiotics as I'm having an abcess of sorts on my thigh, and I think I'm more tired than usual and that has made my spirit weaker. The devil seems to be taking the chance to get to me because I'm having some recurring bad thoughts of death and my situation again. I'm hoping to make it to cell group meeting tonight in hopes that I'll feel closer to God. Praying for strength and positivity, and wisdom too.
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Jo, God has done amazing work in you. What a testimony. In the midst of your trials you are encouraging us! I think and pray for you often. Be blessed in Him today dear sister.
Today I am so grateful for having gotten over 4 hours of unbroken sleep. 8 hrs in all. Also being able to get upstairs to sleep in our own bed. The night before I slept in the guestroom due to the hip scare. Hoping to get the last xray report so I can call the surgeon and see if they can get me an appointment before December. Thank you dear Lord.
Love, Jean
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Woohoo, God is so good. My hip surgeon's appointment was moved up from the first week of December to November 11! Lord Jesus, please help me to trust you and stop fretting. Love, Jean
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Yea, Jean! Prayer works and God is good!
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Yea, Jean! Aurora, keep praying and letting satan know that he cannot have you. He tends to hit on us when we are weak because he is angry that he lost you to Christ.
Prayers going up for all.
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Prayers for all of our lady warriors. Will write more later.
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Physically feeling much better. Last Friday my favorite nurse, who is a sister and goes to my church looked at my red, inflamed leg and said: You have cellulitiis (after they ruled out clot)
So I started cephalaxin and it is gone. Still fluid, but not flaming. God is so good: He knew my fear was that I would not be able to continue chemo as I thought I had the same reaction as I did last year to the taxol family.
Chemo brain is pretty bad. I felt like an idiot in a meeting yesterday, lose things: I remember when She had to make sure she had all her "equipment" strapped on for work at one time.
You ladies manifest what God can do: everyone complements each other. Prayers for all of you--- I am really enjoying For thou art with me-- although it takes me a few days to really "read" and "get it"
Patoo, would love to get together with you and Jean soon. Obvviously when I am feeling better, or during my week off from chemo each month. You and Lynn look just adorable-- and I am so happy He led her to you, and your community.
Hugs and love
Kath
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Kath, Where does Jean live? We could all meet! I would love that. Happy you found out what was going on with your leg.
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True evidence of chemo brain-- meant Patoo, you and I :
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It's perfectly OK......we all "get it!"
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