thread for middle age to older Christian women.
Comments
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I'm so sorry I don't comment much except to post about myself
Right now I'm feeling very overwhelmed. I will need to do 20 wks of chemo then radiation for knows how long. And Herceptin every 3 wks for a year. Then tamoxifen for who knows how long.
I have to have an echo next week and a nurse visit to discuss what will happen during my treatment. I need a port placed.
I was cleared for work but I haven't a clue when I'll be able to go back because of all this other stuff I have to get done.
Chemo starts either 4\5 or 4\6 - I'll call tomorrow and ask. The coordinator was not happy with me when I asked for a Wednesday or Thursday infusion day.
I am in the National Guard so I have time I need to make up for missing Drill.
Oh my gosh just make it stop.
I am remaining faithful but still feeling emotional about all this. Our eldest is so far away (he's in the Air Force) and I worry how this is affecting him. He says he's ok but does wish he as here to help.
Just feeling like I need to wallow in self pity and cry for a bit. I'm sorry for venting here. I pray you are all doing well. I pray for peace & comfort to us all.
Much love sisters....Jenn
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Jenn,
You are experiencing very normal human reactions to a very traumatic life event. Every one of us here has experienced being overwhelmed by our diagnosis and the treatments that seem like they will never end. There is no getting around it that cancer completely pulls the rug out from under us and we are left trying to piece our life back together and trying to figure out how we are going to get things done. You will also find out that your cancer team no matter how sympathetic they are or not, they are concerned with one thing and that is to help us to live a longer life and hopefully treat this awful disease and beat it. When it comes to work schedules and all of that they just know that their number one priority is helping you to get better so I am not too surprised that you got the reaction you did in requesting certain days of treatment.
I can say that I found the Lord to be completely faithful when I was trying to figure out how I was going to continue to be caregiver to my mom and take care of myself. My radiologist who told me on the phone that I had cancer said that this would have to be a time that I put myself first. I was a few years out in my retirement so I didn't have to deal with a work schedule and I am sure that has got to be very stressful. I was alone with no family in the area and I live alone. I was so concerned about that but again God provided for me in miraculous ways and brought a whole community of support around me.
You are certainly allowed to cry and have a pity party. I have heard ladies on this forum say it is okay to have a pity party but just don't spend too much time there. I thought that was great advice. I had a friend say to me that you do not have to be strong all the time. God know our hearts and he knows our humanness. That is why Jesus who lived on this earth as a man can understand all that we go through. There is a great comfort in that.
I will pray that the Lord will let strength rise up in you as you go into battle mode. That is what I call it because I think many of us have realized that we go into this mode which I think allows us to forge through what ever we are called to go through.
You have to somehow allow your mind to concentrate on the present and not look too far out because you will get overwhelmed by doing so. I had a friend that kept telling me one day at a time. I am going to pray that God will give you the grace to face each and every day of your journey and that you will draw close to Him. You will find that He will not let you down. Give yourself time to be human and cry. I think it is important to release that emotion that builds up.
We will be praying for you as every one of us who has started the journey can understand where you are coming from.
Hang in there and YOU WILL MAKE IT THROUGH.
Love,
Nancy
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Jenn, I'm so sorry for what you are going through right now, We've all been there too and it's all so very overwhelming. You are allowed to feel sorry for yourself and cry as much as you want for awhile, it sometimes does us good. I'm almost sure once you are actually having treatment you'll find it's not as bad as the anticipation. It's good that you are having a port put in, it's so much easier than an infusion in your hand, so look at that as a positive thing. I've heard that taxol is fairly well tolerated and I had a pretty easy time with tamoxifen. I don't know about Herceptin but I believe the targeted therapy drugs are easier than the Chemo. I'm on Ibrance right now which is a targeted therapy and tolerating it fairly well. I don't have any advice about the radiation as I had a mastectomy 25 years ago and my Chemo was so strong they didn't do rads also. Unfortunately, I did lose my hair and you may too but believe me it really does grow back. That was also one of the hardest things to go through but I did it and you will too.
My cancer is back now but I've had a really good life in the last 25 years. I was there for all four of our children's weddings and we have ten fantastic grandchildren. We have three graduations in three different cities this May and we are going to all of them. My oncologist says I can live a long time yet and new drugs are coming out all the time. When I told the doctor I didn't need to live to be 90, he said ask him again when I'm 89. I've decided I'm going to make the best of the time I have left and we are planning to travel again.
Come back here as often as you need to, we will all pray for you and you will get through this tough time, I promise. God really does give us the strength we need. He will carry you in His healing arms of love.
May the peace of Christ be with all of us.
Faith (in the future)
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Jenn you have gotten a lot of good advice here so I won't repeat it. Just will say my Herceptin/perjeta was much easier than chemo and are miracle drugs. You can do this. I will be praying for you. Love, Jean
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Philippians 4:13Amplified Bible (AMP)
13 I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]
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Sisters, thank you SO much for your support! Such a heavy weight has been lifted off my shoulders today...I honestly cannot begin to explain how much better I feel and how everything has just fallen into place! God has surely reminded me to stop relying on myself and lean HEAVILY on Him!
Faith ~ thank you for sharing your journey with me
That is encouraging!I don't have but a moment, children are beckoning...but thank you again for all your support and encouragement!
love ~ Jenn
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Jenn, I'm glad if telling a bit of my story helped you. I was worried that it might be scary to hear but it has been a good life and it's not over yet.
Nancy, I love that verse from Philippians. It is so true for all of us.
Praying for everyone tonite. Rest well.
Faith (in the future)
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Good evening dear ladies of faith,
I am glad that this thread is an encouragement and a place we can lift one another up.
Have a good night dear sisters.
Love
Nancy
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Nancy - thankful your mammo is OVER!
Faith - May Rosemary's passing be sweet and gentle as she's received into Jesus' waiting arms and may He comfort your heart knowing she's soon to be at peace forever.
Happy Paddy's day to you all!
Ade
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Ade, thank you for remembering my dear friend Rosemary. Yes, may her passing be sweet and very gentle. That is wonderful way to put it.
Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my Irish friends of which Rosemary is one.
Have a great day everyone!
Faith (in the future
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Thanks Faith. That is one of my favorite verses.
Ade, thank you. A relief for sure.
Jenn, glad you are feeling much better about things.
For Rosemary and all who claim all who claim to be Irish today!
\\
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Here is to one of our dear sisters.
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Hello dear sisters,
Praying for blessed days, comfort, healing, peace and strength for all. We saw this late today, and my first thought was sharing its beauty with you as a reminder of the hope we have in Christ. It was one of the clearest in color I have ever seen.
May God bless you with a wonderful weekend...
Ellen
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Thanks Ellen. It has been a very tough week here and I needed to see that. Beautiful!
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Spring is tomorrow and this banner seemed very appropriate. Of course rejoicing everyday is the answer to life's challenges.
Have a great day dear sisters.
Love,
Nancy
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Thanks dear friends for the rainbow, sunflowers and butterfly and the beautiful 🌹. This has been a tough week for me mentally and also physically as I'm more tired than usual this month. Now, I'm also asking for prayers for my son-in-law, Bill, and his family as his father just died today suddenly at home. He hasn't been in good health but no one expected this to happen so suddenly. It's a blessing for him not to suffer any more but terrible for his wife and family, especially my son in law as most of the burden will fall on him.
Thank you all for a place to come and ask for prayers.
Hugs, Faith (in the future).
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Love the banners Joanne and especially the butterfly.
Faith, I am sorry for your loss and that you are not feeling well. I have prayed for Bill as it is so hard to lose a parent and it is harder when it was unexpected. It has been a very tough week for me as well. We had a tragedy in our neighborhood this past week which I won't go into but it has shaken me.
Life is hard and yes, Joanne, it is sometimes feels like walking on glass. I had some revelation moments with God today in church and it really helped me to see how He cares for every single part of our daily lives and knows what we are going through.
Praying for you all and praying that this week will be more uplifting for all of us. As so many are in treatments I pray that you are dealing with your chemo and SE's and that those who are dealing with life's challenges in general will feel God supporting each of you along this journey. Have a good night's rest dear ladies.
Love,
Nancy
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I pray that this season of rebirth will be a season of reawakening in our hearts as well to the wonders of all the blessings God gives us every single day.
Happy first day of spring.
Love,
Nancy
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Beautiful rainbow & banners!
If I may, I'd like to share with you a moment of God's goodness relating to the rainbow. He wants us to tell of His wondrous deeds - so here goes...
Many years ago, back in the 80s my husband worked in a 'religious organization' run hospital in the E.R. One night an elderly woman was brought in and she was quite distraught fearing she was going to die. She saw the dove pin James wore on his lapel & asked if he was a Christian. He said he was and she asked him to pray for her. He very quietly and gently prayed for her right then and it brought her great comfort.
The next day James received a phone call and was told not to report to work until further notice. We had a mortgage and three little ones to feed and didn't have a clue if he would continue to be paid or what. He asked why and got no response. Finally he was told to report to a meeting where he was confronted with the prayer incident. He didn't deny it of course - but was sternly told that ONLY the PRIEST was allowed to do that - even though the incident was in the middle of the night and it would have taken a long time for him to finally get there to see the woman. James was told he would have to promise he'd never do it again - which he did not agree to. He was not told he could return to work.
I was really anxious at this point and told my mother who was a nursing supervisor over 4 departments in the same hospital. She was not a believer. She told me he HAD to agree never to pray there again and I told her that the Lord said that if we deny Him He would deny us and James would not agree never to pray for someone who ASKED him for prayer. SHE HUNG UP ON ME!
At that point I was in tears. I went outside to the side of the house where James was, and said boldly to the sky, "Our God shall supply ALL our need according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus!". At that point a piece of a rainbow appeared bright and beautiful right overhead in the clear blue sky!
I said to James, "Do you see that?", to which he replied that he did. I told him, "That is God's promise of His covenant and He WILL take are of us no matter what as we trust in Him!".
James was actually sent to a PSYCHIATRIST and I had to go in and talk with them too!!!! In the end the psychiatrist reported that James was far more stable than any patient he had ever seen! - And James' job was restored to him. He asked for a face to face meeting with those who had objected to him - and NOT ONE would show up.
Not long after that the Lord provided another position at a different hospital with far better pay and hours!
God is SOOO good and He loves us! Just keep trusting Him!
Ade
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Ade, that is a BEAUTIFUL story and so full of how God takes care of us. I admire James for standing up for what He believed. It is a sad commentary on "things of the world" but it is a wonderful testimony of how faithful God is. Thank you for sharing that. He will never leave us or forsake us!
Love,
Nancy
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Ade, that really is a beautiful story. Thank you so much for sharing. These are the stories we all need to hear.
Faith (in the future)
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Ade, what a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing that.
I had my last scheduled chemo last Thursday and I think the bone pain is from the neulasta shot. My sister came for the weekend, and she was going home today because she had an MRI scheduled for tomorrow. Well she got a call, they wouldn't do the MRI until she paid off her balance at the hospital. She was distraught, as her only income is social security and she doesn't have that kind of money to spare. So my husband told her to call them back, and handed her his debit card. The amount was not big for us, but insurmountable for her. Later my cousin showed us a portion from her devotion about how we pass on God's blessings to others. Sometimes it's material, as weigh us today, sometimes it's spiritual, as with Ade's husband. It's about listening, and being obedient
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I am loving hearing stories of how God is providing.
Mags, thank you for sharing that. God is good and I am glad your DH was able to bless your sister. I am so glad to hear you had your last chemo. I hit a key on my keyboard and am going to have to stop. satan obviously doesn't like our victory stories.
Psalm 9:10New International Version (NIV)
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.0 -
I
These 'deer friends' watched a gorgeous sunset with me tonight as DH was on a bike ride with the guys. What peace I found in God's presence. Just wanted to share this with you.
Ade0 -
This wasn't even the sunset! It was behind our house. See the rainbow? The Lord is so good!
Ade
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Wow Ade. I guess rainbows have blessed all of us this week. You have sunsets like I have never seen here! Beautiful.
Love the deer too.
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Good morning ladies. Prayed for all your needs to be met. We are back from a few days respite in Florida. It was nice to get away briefly from the snow. A non cancer prayer request for my grandson Bob searching for a job when he graduates this May. Also for my granddaughter Alexia when she is released on April 6th. For my freedom from anxiety and increased trust in God. It is a battle only Jesus can win. He already has! Love, Jean
"Resist the devil and he will flee from you." James 4:7b
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I just wanted to post a big THANK YOU to all of you for providing a safe place for us to post our thoughts, concerns and fears, no matter what.
If we can't post what we feel and think about on this cancer forum, where are we supposed to post It?
Another note...be careful what you say out there, but ALWAYS stand up for Jesus. If you deny Him before others, He will deny you before the Father.
As sister Christians, we can talk about "walking through the valley of the shadow of death" without upsetting or offending anyone because we know we are saved by our Lord's grace, and we know our TRUE home is with Him. Death has lost its sting for us because we know we will spend eternity with Jesus. Of course, it still saddens us that we will leave our beloved families and dear friends behind for a time, but they will eventually be with us.
I write these words because some people get very upset when you talk about death and Heaven. They don't want to think about it. They think we have a problem, but sadly the problem is theirs because they refuse to get to know our Lord and Savior.
Please pray for them, dear sisters. And may the victory be His.
L
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Psalm 36:7-9New International Version (NIV)
7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.Welcome back Jean. I hope your trip to a warm climate invigorated you. Will be praying for your family's needs.
Joanne, love the banners. If we could see in the heavenly reams just how Jesus does support us in our weaknesses I think it would give us hope and strength but He wants us to trust His word because it says just that.
Lita, amen. For those who know the Lord there should be no fear of death. I was at a meeting last night where we ended up talking death because of some that has touched some of us lately. I didn't even know one of my elderly neighbors around the block had passed away six months ago. She was 97. This lady was unbelievable. Her mother lived to 104 and I thought she might make it to that as well. She walked everywhere and even when things got tough she would be out there walking with her cane.
I had shared about reconnecting with one of my college professors in the past. We wrote back and forth when I found out he was still living. He was in hospice for well over a year and completely defied the odds and got stronger for a while. He just died at 101 last month. I shared my testimony with him and did as much as I could in my letters. I did get to share my photography with him which was an honor. He was my clarinet teacher while majoring in clarinet many years ago.
My living room makeover which I started planning a year ago in January has been completed. I just had my new drapes installed a few minutes ago. However it is not done because they did not tell me there would be obvious holes left from the previous hardware. So it looks like some painting and repair of the wall will be next. Sigh. So much for the best laid plans.
Aurora, how are you doing?
Cindy, praying that doctoral thesis will be overcome and the Lord will give you strength to persevere.
G, I think and pray for you often. Praying that this season will be one of blessings and renewal for you.
Have a great day dear sisters.
Love
Nancy
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Hi Nancy and thank you for checking on me. I'm glad your living rooms almost ready.
I'm feeling a little weak and nauseaus due to the chemo but hanging in there.
I'm anxiously waiting for April to get here as my mother is coming to stay with us for a month. I haven't seen her since my father passed away two years ago. She's 84.
I continue to pray for all of us here.
Aurora
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