thread for middle age to older Christian women.

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  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,875
    edited September 2016

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  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,875
    edited September 2016

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  • faith-840
    faith-840 Member Posts: 926
    edited September 2016

    Nancy, thank you for staying with us and posting an always relevant Bible verse. I do read along and pray for all here for all their many needs. We just need to stay strong and believe that God will answer in His time, not ours.

    Faith, (in the future

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,875
    edited September 2016

    Thank you Faith. I am praying for you and your DH.

    As I read the paper today I couldn't help but think of SheAngel. She was on this thread for over a year until she had so much on her plate she had to give up something. She was struggling with post chemo pain and it was effecting her work. She is an Afro-American in law enforcement in North Carolina. I am praying protection around her.

    Ellen, thinking of you as well. I am not sure how close either one of you are to Charlotte but I am sure it is disconcerting whether you are or not. I am praying you are doing well in your role as leader of this bible study.

    Joanne and her family need your continued prayers. The court system can be very frustrating and it moves at a snail's pace. Pray protection over her great grand children as they are caught in the middle of a custody battle.

    I am getting ready for my devotions and then off to swimming. I am dropping my butterfly calendar off to the printer and praying that there will be no hitches. This will be my first attempt at anything like this. I have spent a gazillion hours on this project whether it looks like it or not. LOL

    Have a good day dear ladies.

    Love,

    Nancy

  • Blessedteacher37
    Blessedteacher37 Member Posts: 297
    edited September 2016

    Good evening ladies,

    I still read this thread daily, and pray for your health issues as well as the family and personal problems that concern us. I have a lady in my Bible Sudy group with cancer; she has just had her next to last chemo. When I pray for her I pray for you.

    Nancy, you are right on target with the prayer request for Charlotte. In fact, I was supposed to be in one of the downtown hotels right now at a CBS Leadership Conference but was cancelled early Thursday. We are all disappointed that we couldn't go to this event, but the Leadership in CO felt our safety was in question. Even the hotel manager asked for prayer for their staff. This situation breaks my heart...

    SheAngel does need our prayers for safety....when I last asked her I think she was working in the department, not out in the gfield. Still, in State of Emergency they can call whatever is needed. Both she and I live a couple of hours from Charlotte( different directions ). Please say a prayer for flood victims in northeastern coastal areas of NC...that is where my mom lives, 9 to 17 inches of rain over just 2 or 3 days. NC has had a rough week...three State of Emergency declarations in 5 days for three different events...flooding, civil unrest, and gas shortages (due to a pipeline break)

    Feeling blessed, and praying for a peaceful, comfortable weekend for all. Knowing God "has us" is so comforting!

    God bless...Ellen

  • Mini1
    Mini1 Member Posts: 1,309
    edited September 2016

    Hi Ladies. I need your prayers. The radiologist found something abnormal in my femur during my bone scan. My oncologist wants more xrays before my appointment on Monday morning. I know it may be a fracture or bone infection, but the last time I got called back for more xrays I found out I had BC. Trying to be positive here, but negative thoughts are niggling. A prayer for peace and a good outcome are needed and appreciated.

    Blessings

  • Lita57
    Lita57 Member Posts: 2,338
    edited September 2016

    Autumn is here. Even tho my fingers and feet ache, sting, and tingle like the dickens (and let's not mention the incessant dead skin peeling from the chemo), I still rejoice.

    It took me several days to get my autumn decorations up, but I'm happy I finally did because even tho the bone mets and degenerative arthritis in my spine are screaming, I have lovely orange, vermillion, and yellow leaves, crimson sunflowers , gold chrysanthemums, and mini pumpkins to bring a smile to my now drawn and blotchy face. God brings us these wonderful colors to cheer us up before the bare grey branches and white snow of winter set in. I'm going to do whatever I can to cheer myself up before death stretches out his bony hands to take hold of me.

    I'm buying myself flowers every week now when I feel strong enough to venture out to the store. I've pulled out my good wedding china and linens and USING them while I still can. (What the heck was I was I waiting for? I've been married for over 26 years and hardly ever use them except for special occasions.) I recommend that you all do the same. Don't wait until you've been given the gift of terminal, Stage IV cancer or some other life-threatening illness.

    There is still hope: Immunotherapy antibodies are working for skin, lung, and bladder cancers, and I pray that the angels working on this new therapy at Stanford University will soon be able to make it work for us MBC gals.

    Let the dishes sit for a while. So what if you didn't get to vacuum all the dog hair off the sofa and carpet today. All those dirty towels and soiled clothes can wait a little longer. Enjoy the glorious, warm golden light as you watch the shadows climb up the old redwood fence in the late afternoon while the days grow shorter. With each passing day, your life is growing shorter, too.

    Autumn is here. Enjoy it while it lasts. God bless you all.

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    Lita

  • Kindergarten
    Kindergarten Member Posts: 2,883
    edited September 2016

    Jo-5, continuing to pray for you! You are such a faithful servant!!

    Mini, praying the results are all benign!! May you feel the peace that the power of prayer brings!

  • zjrosenthal
    zjrosenthal Member Posts: 1,541
    edited September 2016

    Prayed for all. Mini, your scripture verse below your posts says it all. Lita what wonderful blessed advice, thank you. Ladies there is a chance that my grandaughter Alexia and great granddaughter Valentina may get into a rehab down in NYC this week. Please keep praying. Love, Jean

  • Kindergarten
    Kindergarten Member Posts: 2,883
    edited September 2016

    Oh, Jean!! Praying for your granddaughter. All things are possible with God!!


  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,875
    edited September 2016

    Ellen, good to hear from you. Praying for NC for all the different and serious issues confronting the state. I hope you mom is safe. I will continue to pray for SheAngel as well. Hope you Bible Study is going well. I have been praying for that.

    Mini, praying for peace as your wait for bone scans and of course for nothing serious to show up.

    Lita, I love your outlook which we can all benefit. We all need to live life to it's fullest no matter what our situation because each day is a gift from God. I continue to pray for your pain. If you are doing something pleasurable that has a medicinal effect for me and it sounds like for you as well. Keep using that good china a linens! Love that pic.

    Jean, that is great news about rehab for Alexia. I pray that it happens very soon.

    Kathy, I know Joanne will be encouraged by your post. She really needs encouragement in this very difficult situation her family is in right now. I bet you are very busy getting your house ready to sell too. Praying that all goes well.

    Have a great day dear sisters.

    Love,

    Nancy

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  • faith-840
    faith-840 Member Posts: 926
    edited September 2016

    I feel like I just have to echo everything Nancy has just said. I'm praying for all of you.

    Jean, especially prayers for your granddaughter and Mini while you wait through this "scanxiety" for results.

    Lita, I love your outlook, you're inspiring me.

    I have a prayer of thanksgiving today, my DH finally saw a doctor yesterday and got a shot for the pain in his shoulder and his outlook has been helped a lot by that simple thing. Please pray for both of us that it continues, my patience has grown thin lately. I also think these drugs are doing a number on my emotions.

    Hugs and prayers for all, hope the weekend is good for each of you.

    Faith (in the future

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,875
    edited September 2016

    Faith, that is great news. You know I have been praying for you and specifically for your DH and his insomnia. I am so glad he saw his doctor. Hopefully he will sleep better and have an overall more positive outlook. Nothing like sleep deprivation to sour your mood.

    Love

    Nancy

  • zjrosenthal
    zjrosenthal Member Posts: 1,541
    edited September 2016

    Ladies, thanks for your prayers. Will keep you posted. Lita, you inspire me too and humble me as well. Faith I too struggle with patience. We had aa 73rd birthday party for hubby today with about 15 people and it went well but I'm exhausted so I'll just say goodnight. Love, Jean

  • faith-840
    faith-840 Member Posts: 926
    edited September 2016

    Nancy, thank you so much for your prayers for both of us. Sleep really does help so much. I've been sleeping but don't feel rested and my emotions are all over the place. Hopeful, one minute and crying the next. I think it's the anti-hormone therapy I'm on along with so many others here. The lack of estrogen feels like going through menopause again and is probably what's causing sleep issues and a whole host of other things. We have to be grateful for the meds keeping us alive but I hope we can pray that some of the SE's get better for all of us.

    Have a good night's sleep everyone!

    Faith (in the future

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,875
    edited September 2016

    Faith, do you take Femara and Tamoxifen. I was reading you stats under your post. I know the AI that i am on definitely makes things more difficult emotionally and definitely causes sleep problems for me. I know it is an awful place to be between a rock and a hard place. You are on a lot of things and the SE's are a challenge. I have issues when the days start getting shorter and I can tell already it is taking a toll. I sleep and wake up totally unrested so I can understand.

    Good communication with your MO is important. Mine doesn't want to believe most of my issues are related to the drug when I KNOW they are. I think it is his way of forging ahead and getting through the designated time period.

    I know there are other options for me but it has taken my body so long to get used to my drug that I dont plan on making any switches at this point.

    I know it is so hard. I will pray that you can find a more even keel in your emotions. Feeling out of control is the worst for me and probably for anyone.

    I hope you get good sleep tonight. This is historically when I have insomnia on Saturday knowing church is on Sunday. I swear it is a little tactic of the enemy but I am going to church tomorrow no mater what!

    Love,

    Nancy

  • faith-840
    faith-840 Member Posts: 926
    edited September 2016

    Nancy, I took tamoxifen for five years starting in 1991 with my first bout of BC. Now I'm on Letrozole and Ibrance which has its own set of SE's. The Letrozole is the drug blocking any estrogen left in my body and is a very strong drug in its own right.

    I pray you sleep well also, I'm sure the devil has his hand in this. Today when I was cleaning trying to get over my upset with the new formulary for my drug plan (they no longer cover my expensive PB meds) I got so mad I told satan to go back to hell and knocked over a picture frame while dusting. I'm sure that was the devil getting angry with me asking Jesus for help and damning him

    Sleep well everyone,

    Faith

  • Lita57
    Lita57 Member Posts: 2,338
    edited September 2016

    My sleep is already pretty crappy and I'm not even on an AI yet. More to look forward to.


  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,875
    edited September 2016

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  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,875
    edited September 2016

    Faith, I know these AI's that we are on definitely cause sleep issues. I have to take sleep meds now to counteract the SE but that doesn't always help. I did sleep last night but it is so unpredictable. This is probably the first Sat night in a very long time that I actually slept well. Praise God.

    I am really sorry to hear about your drug insurance. I am not sure what PB stands for but I know Aurora was having some issues with her chemo drug and insurance and was able to get it paid through the manufacturer of the drug. Aurora, I hope I have this right. You can certainly correct me if I got that wrong. I get so crazy when i hear these types of stories. It is just wrong.

    I just started Medicare last month and will be enrolling in an advantage plan soon. Is that possible for you to look around for a different insurer for your prescription coverage. I am on the patient advisory council for DMG and we have been discussing all the medicare plans. I went to a seminar and it was presented by an insurance broker who deals with all the companies. You might want to look into getting some advice from someone like that. They could tell you if it would be more advantageous to go with one company vs another. The service is free at least for this broker that was sponsored by DMG.

    I know these challenges are maddening when you are already dealing with so much. I don't blame you for being upset. I would be too.

    During our church service today our pastor mentioned that we have a cancer scientist with one of the best labs in the country right in our own congregation. I couldn't see who this man was but they were talking about a cure he was working on and they were spouting statistics back and forth from the pulpit. He was talking about having Christians in all walks of life and how influential we can be and that is how he brought this subject up. There is always hope for a new treatment and that is what we all need to be praying for.

    I hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather.

    I hope all of you dear ladies have a great day and can find the blessings in it even in the storms of our lives.

    Love

    Nancy


  • Mini1
    Mini1 Member Posts: 1,309
    edited September 2016

    I wasn't able to take the AI's because of the severe SE's, not the least of which was horrible insomnia. My worst was getting 6 hours of sleep in 3 days (a full 72 hours). I struggle with horrible insomnia and have great empathy for anyone who can't sleep. With all that can be wrong with us, insomnia doesn't seem like a big deal, but it affects every aspect of our lives. I'm getting better sleep, but still struggle on those sleepless night.

    I went to get my x-ray on Friday and found that the doctor's office never called in the order. I have to go early tomorrow morning to get it done so the doc has it for my 9:30 appt. I'm saying a prayer and crossing my digits. :-)

    Blessings

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,875
    edited September 2016

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  • Mini1
    Mini1 Member Posts: 1,309
    edited September 2016

    Good news! My x-rays showed no tumor or fracture. He believes it is my arthritis getting worse. I'm having a MRI next week to be sure, but overall, things look pretty good. I can deal with arthritis. The scan for my dental bone graft looked good too. The doctor was very pleased to see the new bone growth. Thank you all so much for your prayers. I appreciate them more than you know.

  • faith-840
    faith-840 Member Posts: 926
    edited September 2016

    Jo, thank you for that post. It was very timely for me and I'm sure for many others. I'm praying that God hears all our many cries for help.

    Faith (in the future

  • zjrosenthal
    zjrosenthal Member Posts: 1,541
    edited September 2016

    Jo, thanks for helping me give myself permission to be an emotional mess when necessary!

    Yay Mini...no tumor. I am dancing in my heart for you! HeartLove, Jean

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,875
    edited September 2016

    Joanne, that was a very timely post for many here. Thank you for that. Living out our Christian lives quite often can be very messy. I have heard it said that there are two types of Christians. Those who run to the Lord when they are in trouble and those who run from the Lord. I would say that many of us and me definitely in that group sometimes become stagnant and only concentrate on our storms of life and therefore unwillingly drift from the Lord. When we realize what is happening that is the test. Do we run back to the Lord or do we run from Him. I pray that all of us that are going through our personal storms will run to the Lord for He will help us put the pieces back in a way that will make us more reflect His glory in us.


    Mini, I was praying for you in my lap swim and prayer time today. So glad to hear your good news.

    Have a good night dear sisters.

    Love,

    Nancy

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,875
    edited September 2016

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  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,875
    edited September 2016

    Psalm 27:13-14New International Version (NIV)

    13 I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
    14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,875
    edited September 2016

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  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,875
    edited September 2016

    Ephesians 3:16-19New International Version (NIV)

    16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.