thread for middle age to older Christian women.
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Lita we sang that yesterday too! What wonderful, comforting words for ALL of us no matter the "stage"!
Blessings,
Ade
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Prayed briefly as I read the posts. How true that we can face whatever challenges we have because He lives
My hip replacement surgery is scheduled for Wednesday and I have almost no anxiety. God is so faithful. Love, Jean
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Dear ladies of faith, I thought you might like to hear that anthem again. It is such a powerful song and we can face tomorrow when we know He walks right with us through everything we go through. Many of you are facing uncertain futures and need something to hold onto. Jesus is that something and He will never leave you or forsake you.
Lita, Mags, Aurora, Faith, praying for you for strength and courage to face each day.
Jean, praying for your surgery tomorrow.
Joanne, praying for you.
Ade, praying for you and James.
Angie, praying for you and your ministry.
Kae, I do hope you get good news from your MRI.
Demetria, praying for a complete recovery from your surgery and for your journey ahead.
Cindy, praying for strength in all you do.
Ellen, praying for you and Clyde and for opening of doors.
G, still thinking and praying for you.
Bev and Char, still praying for you and your families as well.
I saw my surgeon today and I have to have the cyst removed in outpatient so it won't happen until June. Boy have things changed. I had this same cyst removed in an urgent care clinic 8-10 years ago and no questions asked. Now you have to get approval from insurance. Such a deal over a cyst.
Have a great day dear sisters.
Love,
Nancy
(sorry for the annoying pop up ads)
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Oh Nancy, I love the Gaithers! They've come to our church several times as our senior pastor is a good friend and worked for them right out of college. Last time they came they did a Saturday night concert and Gloria gave the message on Sunday morning. Now Sandi Patty is on staff at our church, as an artist in residence; her husband Don Peslis leads our chapel choir. She has written a song using the words of our mission statement which I have forgotten even though it's only been two weeks since she and Don performed it in a Sunday service.
My mouth pain has been so bad I've started taking the morphine again, it's the only thing that touches it, and I still have to use Oragel on the worst spots as well. But the MO looked at it today and said it looked like it's healing well. As far as my test results/plan, he wants to give my mouth 2 weeks to heal up then start me on Xeloda, which is a chemo pill. He said it's pretty mild (as far as chemo drugs go!) and if it works I can stay of it indefinitely. And if it doesn't at least retain the status quo we still have a lot left in the arsenal.
Thanks for all your prayers, ladies. Blessings to you all.
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Mags, so glad they are giving you some time to let your mouth heal before starting a new chemo pill. I have had some painful surgeries but when I had some aural surgery it was the worst. I know I prayed for you so much because I figured it was going to be unpleasant. Praying that the pain will lesson each day.
My Dad used to tape all of the Gaither shows and my mom still has the old VHS tapes of them. How special that these famous people come to your church.
When I got to hear Sandy in concert several weeks ago her husband and some of her kids sang with her. They all are so talented. To have her and him on staff is such a blessing. I was really impressed with her heart and of course her music.
Praying that Xeloda will work for you. I am glad to hear you have options so that is good news. I have probably said it before but I just love your hair. It looks GREAT on you.
Love,
Nancy
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Let's keep Jean in our prayers as she has her hip replacement today. Praying for a very successful surgery with good pain control and a good recovery with no complications.
Have a good day dear sisters.
Love,
Nancy
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Hip done yesterday. It went well. My discharge is planned for Saturday followed by 1 week in rehab then to homecare. Thank you all for your prayers. Love, Jean
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Hello, I have been reading these boards for awhile and this thread speaks to my spirit and heart. My cancer journey started in February when I received a callback for a suspicious finding. The radiologists were quite sure I had a small benign papilloma tumor. Jump ahead and I've had a lumpectomy for ILC with positive lymph nodes. I do not have my final path report, I do not yet have an oncologist, and the reality of chemo and radiation is numbing. My mind jumps from prayer to worry to fear. I continue to pray for strength and comfort, and I give thanks to all you lovely ladies for sharing your thoughts, prayers and inspirations. I hold you all in my prayers.
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Jean, glad you hip surgery went well. Continued prayers for complete healing.
Love
Nancy
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Dear Hershey,
First of all I love your user name! I am sorry that you found us under these circumstances. What you are going through now with the mind racing to fear and worry and faith and back again is all very normal and yes, even for ladies of faith. We are all human and the word cancer strikes fear in all of us no matter how strong we think we are. I will say that most of us on this thread will agree that God has never let them down no matter what their diagnosis. God will walk by your side as you pray for direction. I know depending on where you live and what options you have vary greatly but in my area my breast surgeon gave me recommendations on both radiation and medical oncologists. I was fortunate enough to be with a medical clinic that offered a nurse navigator to help me through the maze of decisions and appointments. She was key to me getting my pathology report as well and was there for me when I had questions.
I am single and live alone so I bought a digital voice recorder to record my apts with my medical team doctors. If you have a second set of ears that is helpful because it is easy to miss important things because we can have that deer in headlights mindset where our mind races while important information is being given.
We will pray for direction for you during this tough time of uncertainty. I know many of us have found there was a sense of relief knowing what out game plan was and once we started on that journey we went into what I call battle mode. You will face each day doing the things you need and keeping all the apts and you will have alot of them. You will have the needed strength even if you don't feel like it now.
BCO offers many useful resources and there are many ladies on this website that are very willing to help you out on your journey. There is a search engine on this website where you can find threads that are dealing with the same things you are.
Please let us know how you are doing and feel free to post any time.
Love,
Nancy
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Mags you are blessed to have such wonderful talent at your church! I am praying for the Lord to ease your pain and that the pill will work well for you.
Nancy. Pr. 3:5,6 is one of my very favorites. We ALL need that one don't we.
Jean - thanking the Lord for successful surgery and praying for a perfect and complete recovery for you.
Hershey we know from whereof you speak! There's probably not one of us who doesn't feel the pangs of fear yet. But we are here for one another, to lift up in prayer, share scriptures and encourage each other. Welcome. The Lord is with you, and we are too.
This (pictured)
is a new lady in our neighborhood and I think she's a beauty.
Ade
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hi all,
my mri showed cancer to be reduced at 50%.. although both my oncologist and surgeon cant feel the lump anymore.i am praying that it will be dead/inactive cells that they find in surgery. 2 more chemo cyles and then BMX after 6 weeks..thanks for your prayers and pls continue to pray for my last 2 chemos. taxotere has been reduced and SEs especially reflux have been more manageable.God bless.
kae
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Ade. such a sweet picture. You are so blessed to have such beautiful creatures around your house. How is James doing? How is your insomnia?
Jean praying for your your recovery and rehab. I know it will go fast in retrospect. Hang in there. You have done this before and I have no doubt you will do well in your recovery.
Kae, you have a lot on you plate. Praying that the reduced treatments will be much more manageable and that it will knock out the remaining cancer cells. The we will pray for your next big surgery. You can do this. One day at a time. You will make it through.
Hershey, let us know how you are doing?
Demetria, how are you doing?
I would appreciate prayers for my 12 hour workshop on Saturday and Sunday. I was able to go to a prayer service tonight so I am glad I got to go to that. God has allowed my fingers and thumb to improve so much that I think I can handle the camera gear and tripod. It was just two weeks ago that I was panicked but the cortisone shots are helping and I am so thankful.
I had a little mishap walking today as I saw Mama and Papa geese with their six babies and in my attempt to walk closer to the water in deep grass I lost my footing a little and hurt my back. I have just recently realized that my low back pain was gone from falling at my mom's last May. It has returned now. I would appreciate your prayers for endurance. This teacher is quite well known and it is a real privilege that he is in our area for this boot camp as he calls it. I am praying for another photography project and waiting for God to lead me. I know I want the proceeds to go to charity as my first butterfly calendar project did. I know sometimes God wants us to take that first step out of the boat and I want to have the courage to do that when the time comes.
Have a blessed weekend dear sisters. I may not be able to post the next two days but we'll see.
Love,
Nancy
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Nancy I praise the Lord for the increased use of your thumb & fingers (prayers answered!) and pray your back pain will diminish, as this workshop is so important to you. I hope it blesses your socks off!
Kae, that's great news! May the treatment & surgery ahead do all that it is supposed to do and God gets the glory!
The other day our neighbor came over (a Christian brother) and spent the whole morning helping James get the raised garden ready for planting. Then yesterday James went out and worked by himself! He's done nothing but sit for months, he's felt so badly, so this is wonderful! We planted the porch flower pots last night. However he took off this morning for the church work party - and I don't think this was a great idea just yet...so we'll see. He has an appointment on the 11th to see a surgeon about the torn shoulder muscle. (Ripped away from the bone & has slid down to where the bicep should be!) Praying for wisdom for the surgeon & that James can get some relief & better use of it. I have felt pretty awful lately with extreme fatigue and body aches. Have to say I HATE these meds. It seems to wreck the body to take away hormones that are needed for so many functions. Trying not to be a whiner but what a life changer this is. Could always be worse so I will count my blessings. I just wish more people in my life understood the limitations this imposes. I am drawing near to my Father and He wants that.
Blessings upon your weekend, Sisters!
Ade
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Ade and Nancy, thank you for your words of encouragement. I really needed to read them today. Your support and prayers comfort me and mean so much to me.
I had an appointment yesterday with my surgeon -- still no final pathology report, maybe in the next day or two. He removed one of my drainage tubes and will remove the second one at my Tuesday appointment. The surgeon's scheduler is preparing a referral to an oncologist, so I should be able to make an appointment with that doctor next week. You are right on, Nancy -- lots of medical appointments on tap!
I can't seem to shake my feelings of fear and doubt. Every body tingle, ache, and pain send me into a spiral of worry and distress about distant metastases. Early this morning, I woke and opened a study guide for the Book of John. I felt a great need to read of God's love, and I have been praying for the Lord to wrap me in His loving protection. I am also sending my prayers to all the ladies on this site. Not "good luck," but "Good God!"
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Hershey, May the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
Jesus said, "My peace I give to you".
This photo from this morning was from a time of God's peace for me. May it bless you.
Ade
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Ade, could your Dr try switching you to another hormone blocker? There are so many of them out there, and some are worse than others. It doesn't hurt to ask. Quality of life is very important. When you are in pain all the time, it wreaks havoc on your ability to do and enjoy anything.
Just a thought.
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Aurora here checking in. Mom has gone back to Mexico as of last Friday but we had memorable times together. No pics because I only have one good hand and she doesn't know how to use the phone.
Cancer wise still doing ok no pain but fatigue. I also have this persistent cough and I have an appointment with a pulmonologist this Tuesday.
As always I read all your posts and elevate my thoughts to God as I read.
Blessings.
Aurora
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Dear sisters,
I will write more when I have time. I am surviving my bootcamp photography two day workshop but I see why he names it bootcamp. Learning a ton of things and am excited about that. My hand and fingers have not been an issue at all but upper back pain has been really bad and that is just one side effect for me of being a photographer. I can't very well stretch out on the floor at this place. I suppose it would get some looks and a laugh. My friend and I got to eat lunch with the instructor and he was not very encouraging regarding selling prints at and that type of thing so that was rather disappointing but maybe a wake up call for me.
For those struggling with fear I chose this banner.
Talk when I can.
Love,
Nancy
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Nancy, great banner - we all need that one! Praying you have at least this day pain free to finish your course. Happy the fingers aren't an issue. Those back things do take a bit of time, I know. Hopefully it will be a 'gonner' soon! Why did the instructor discourage selling prints? James was thinking of that as he's a photographer (as is our daughter!) too.
Aurora, glad you had a good visit with your mom. May your doctor correctly diagnose & treat your cough and may it NOT be serious. Some medications cause a cough.
Lita I was thinking the same! I see my onc next month. I was told there were only 3 meds I could take. The Femara was VERY short lived (AWFUL!) and I am on Exemestane now - but the SEs are getting really bad. Not sure what the 3rd med was. But my quandary is - are my miseries because of the MEDICATIONS - or my body really needing the hormones? If the latter is the case there's not much hope for changing meds again because their functions are the same. I guess that's a question for the doctor. The pain wakes me up and then I can't get back to sleep at all - then feel lethargic all the next day. The fatigue is so bad at times that even breathing feels like it's wearing me down - and that's pretty bad. It isn't constant, thankfully - but is unbearable when it hits. I think of you, Lita, and wonder if it is like this for you most of the time. We have a trip "home" to Ohio for Christmas and it doesn't even sound fun right now. And I have gained 20 pounds since starting these meds 17 months ago and had to replace much of my clothing - ugh! Bought nylon jammies so I could roll over in bed easier. I have no breasts and a big belly - really gross! I am Mrs. Potato Head. :oP
Regardless ~*~ Our God is good ALL the time and I will keep praising His wonderful Name, for He is worthy!
Blessings,
Ade
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Ade, here's a thought...no one can FORCE you to take Aromatase Inhibitors. You have a decision to make, and it's yours alone: "Would my life be BETTER if I just went off these damn pills and gave it to the Lord? He's the ULTIMATE physician anyway."
None of us is going to live forever, and there are Stage IV women who took the darn pills and their cancer STILL CAME BACK! Most of us are post-menopausal, so I wonder how much estrogen our bodies are actually producing?
It's not my place to "give advice" to anyone here, but this is worth thinking about, especially when it interrupts your sleep and you feel like garbage most of the time.
Some women take gabapentin to help with the pain.
Praying for better days for you.
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Lita I am seriously considering that. Last night I brought it up to James. He didn't say one word...just rolled over & went to sleep.
(Please pray for wisdom for me. It's a big decision. I will talk with the onc next month. Thanks, Lita.
Ade
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Dear ladies,
Could you pray for Cammie, my cat. She is nine years old and has had surgery a couple of years ago for a kidney stone. She eats prescription food to help that but has not been urinating in her litter box. The timing of all of this has been awful. She is going to the vet today even though she seems fine. I am not smelling urine anyplace. She has to be sedated and has already had food and is not supposed to for that. She goes bananas at this clinic when she gets scared. The plan is to leave for my mom's on Wed. for three weeks. My sister's retirement dinner is on Thursday so that is the rush to get to my mom's at that time. They both live three hours away.
I am exhausted from the weekend and it is pretty much nonstop stuff until Wed. I would appreciate your prayers .
I have been reading posts. Thank you for your prayers. I am so thankful I made it through the bootcamp. That gives me courage to think I could maybe do some of these conferences in the future.
Ade, I will be praying for wisdom. I know I have been right where you are and it is a very tough place to be. I have toughed out my AI for coming upon three years in July and from the outset I had terrible problems. When I first started it I kept hearing that exercise helps with the pain. I know ladies who have stopped altogether and they are doing just fine years later. I also know a lady from BCO that told me her quality of life was more important than taking the drug and now she is stage four but was stage 1 when making that decision. It is so hard to know and the fear factor is great. I had a friend stop herself in mid sentence when I could tell what was going to come out of her mouth was why are you putting up with all of these things (such as trigger finger and thumb, GI issues and insomnia) issues when it is just fear from stopping the drug. As I say, she stopped herself in mid sentence. No one knows what is feels like to have to make this decision until they are experiencing it for themselves.
I will check in later.
LoveNancy
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Cammie is adorable!
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Nancy, I will pray for you and for Cammie's speedy recovery. She is a beautiful kitty.
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Thank you Lita and Hershey. How are you both doing? Praying for both of you.
Ade, I will continue to pray for wisdom for you.
Aurora, I am glad to hear you had a good time with your mom. I knew you would. Continued prayers for you.
The verdict on my cat is that after spending a lot of money today on her nothing is wrong. Of course I didn't want them to find anything but on the other had I was going to be back to square one with her not using her litter box. I came home with some spray and I have ordered some things online to be sent to my mom's that is supposed to help.
My vet said to confine her to a room without any rugs and put her food and liter box in that room. Well for Cammie that would feel like cruel and unusual punishment as she goes bonkers if I go into my still transitioning photography room that used to be my music studio and close the door without her in it she goes crazy meowing at the door.
I had read from a supposed expert on this subject to NOT do that so I am really not sure what to do.
I have to find out if and where she is going which is probably on my carpet someplace. Until I find that out it may be a long process. When at my mom's she uses the litter box faithfully so hopefully the timing will be good and the three weeks at my mom's will help. However if I can't thoroughly clean my house where she is going it may not help.
I will be praying for all of you even at my mom's and will post when I can.
Have a good night dear sisters.
Love
Nancy
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And I bid you a good (BLESSED) night, ladies. Ade
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Nancy praying for safe travels and solutions to kitty trouble. Thanks for mentioning me and always praying when I read the thread.
Aurora
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Nancy, praying for you and Cammy!
Ade, praying for your decision.
Auroaya, Mags, Lisa, Faith, Kae, Jean, Jo, and all prayers always!
Love across the miles,
Angie
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