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thread for middle age to older Christian women.

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  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,872
    edited April 2021

    Joanne, thank you for your posts and lyrics. Thank you for checking on Ade. I will certainly be praying for them as I have been but will be more specific. I will add James brother and their son to my prayers as well. I know Maggie was in a lot of pain and I will continue to pray for her as well.

    This is a time where so many of our sisters on this thread are going through so much. I know it is hard to post when you have so much on your plate. I do pray for each of you who regularly post here. I consider you all my friends. In fact I still keep in touch with some of you who have moved on. I heard from one of those sisters today who was such a blessing on this thread when she was in active treatment. That was back in 2014 and we still keep in touch.

    I count it a privilege to pray for all of you and I appreciate each one you who has been so supportive of me when I have had my trials. I am doing my Bible study now differently and am using my new study Bible instead of using an online Bible. Therefore I have not posted as much as I usually do because I am not on my computer but I do pray for each of you regularly.

    I have been purging and reorganizing my house which was one of my goals for the winter before I knew I was going to have surgery. Better late than never. I will be going downstate at the beginning of May for several weeks working on my Mom's house that my sister and I inherited to hopefully get on the market soon.

    So the days I am not actively posting I am praying for you. I did get out again yesterday with my camera and will share some of those pics later.

    Take care everyone.

    Love,

    Nancy

  • intolight
    intolight Member Posts: 2,331
    edited April 2021

    Jo, thanks for the update of Ade and James. I will increase my prayers. She has a load of troubles to go through with Covid, Maggie, and her son, etc.

    Nancy, I know going to your mom's house will be bittersweet this time. I will begin prayers that God will make your path smooth. How are you feeling? Do you feel that you are fully recovered from your surgery? I agree that the ladies on this thread feel like friends who I know will pray for us in many ways. My newly discovered sister's husband had a heart attack two weeks ago and it has been determined he needs a heart transplant. I covet your prayers for them as they travel this very rough road.

    Thank you all for being here. When I was first dxd I prayed God would send me someone to help me through all this cancer stuff, and He sent me you all. I am so blessed!


  • zjrosenthal
    zjrosenthal Member Posts: 1,541
    edited April 2021

    Good morning precious ladies. I don't post often but do read and pray for you. Things are well here. Loving you and Jesus. Jean

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,872
    edited April 2021

    Chris, I posted last night twice and two times I lost everything so I decided to use my other computer and write today. Thank you for your prayers and for asking how I am doing. I had severe insomnia for many weeks in my surgery recuperation. I started walking and really pushing the limits on that and I saw positive results from doing that in many ways including my sleep. Last week I think I had a whole week of very good sleep. This week I have had a couple of nights of poor sleep but I am grateful for the progress that I see. I got a text yesterday out of the blue from a Cris. They stated my first and last name and the address of my Mom's house and knew I was the owner. I rarely give out my cell number so this was a bit disturbing. My sister and I who are both now owners of my Mom's house have kept it very secret in the neighborhood. We wanted to the neighbors to think my Mom was still living there even though she had been gone for three years to her assisted living facility. It is not a good neighborhood and we do not want anyone to know the house is vacant. At my sister and my neighbors suggestion I blocked the call and it is deleted. This person was interested in the house. Hopefully if it was a legit person they will surface again when we actually put in on the market. We don't even have a realtor yet. I have prayed about your new sisters husband and I pray that they will find a heart for him. I am sure that is very scary for all of you. How are you doing? When do you have scans again? Take care and enjoy your weekend.

    Jean, it is good to hear from you. I am glad you are doing well. Thanks for your prayers for us.

    Love,

    Nancy

    image

  • intolight
    intolight Member Posts: 2,331
    edited April 2021

    Hi Nancy. Glad you are getting your sleeping under control. That text must have been scary and you did the right thing. I get texts all the time about someone wanting to buy our rentals. They come out of the blue and I block them all the time but they keep coming. We aren't worried but our houses are in a good area and listed as rentals although I never gave out my phone number. I don't know how they get it.

    Thank you for asking about my scan. I had one Wednesday and am still waiting results. It was a bit rougher this time as I had to wait an extra hour in the hospital and was more uncomfortable for some reason, but I got through it. My DH and I went out for a good dinner on the way home since restaurants are just now opening in California and I hadn't eaten all day. It was good to be able to do that.

    My BIL had a glimmer of hope in his tests yesterday that possibly there is a slight chance his heart has some good tissue and he can forego the transplant, but it is very slight. Still, it is the first positive news they had. He actually was able to walk a little yesterday so that is good too. We continue to pray for a miracle here.

    My DGD is back in school so it has been a better week for me. We have to occasionally take her and pick her up which is difficult as our elevator is still being worked on and the stairs are difficult.

    Praying for a good weekend for everyone. We are still not attending church in person yet, but praising God for His continued blessings. Chris

  • intolight
    intolight Member Posts: 2,331
    edited April 2021

    Hi all. I received the results of the scan that was taken this past week and it looks like I have some new cancer activity. I have not heard from my oncologist yet, (the report was automatically generated) but it looks like it involves my abdomen, liver, and spine. So I went from no evidence of disease to this in three months. That is the life of Stage IV MBC. We have been here before and God helped so I am not panicked but trusting God for next steps. I will keep you posted.

    Thanks for your love and prayers.

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,872
    edited April 2021

    Chris, I just got finished praying for you and now am seeing your post. I said to the Lord that you protected Chris from getting Covid when it was right in her own home. That was a miracle. I am going to continue to pray for a miracle for you and that once you get back to the dosage you were on with your chemo then I am praying these new places will be knocked out very quickly. I know God must be giving you peace that passes all understanding during this time. I am really sorry that you are dealing with this but God knows His plans for you that are way beyond our human understanding. I pray that He will continue to give you peace and when the enemy wants to grip you with fear I pray that you will kick him to the curb and keep your eyes on Jesus. I will keep praying.

    Love,

    Nancy

  • ade
    ade Member Posts: 720
    edited April 2021

    Ladies, I'm sorry I have been just laying low, the virus just does that. We are on the mend. Thank you for you who have prayed for us!

    But I had to stop in and tell you, Chris, that you will continue to be in my prayers. That surely isn't the news you hoped to hear. I pray the Lord will not let fear grip you, but that you will have His peace which passes all understanding to guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. And may His healing hand touch the areas of your body under attack right now in Jesus' Name. We know that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, and pray you will feel His presence surrounding you with His love in this trial. Lord bless and keep you.

    Love,

    Ade

  • faith-840
    faith-840 Member Posts: 926
    edited April 2021

    Chris, I am so sorry to read your news that the scan shows progression. I can imagine how scary that is, but I know your faith in God will give you peace and His miracles. Having MBC really stinks but there are so many new drugs coming out all the time, one of them is sure to work to keep that beast in check. You are and will continue to be in my prayers. I’m also praying for your BIL that God will also give him a miracle and heal his heart.

    Ade, I’m glad to hear you and James are slowly recovering. I continue to pray that you will both fully recover with no long lasting effects. I will also pray that your son’s hand heals well and the specialist can repair whatever damage was done. My SIL cut his hand very badly a few years ago and the doctor wanted to amputate two fingers, but my SIL refused that and he has healed fairly well, although still has some numbness.

    Joanne, it is good to hear from you, thanks for your beautiful prayers and posts. Like you, I’ve not been posting as often but I also read and pray for everyone here that God will hear our prayers and heal all our troubles and infirmities.

    Nancy, I’m so glad to hear your insomnia is mostly better. I know you struggle with it often but I’m wondering how much your surgery had to do with it. My DH is still struggling with insomnia, partly I’m sure from the surgery but mostly from the pain he still has in his knee, which is taking longer than expected to recover.

    It’s funny you should mention going downstate to sell your mom’s house. I was thinking about that just before you posted. I will pray that you find the right buyer quickly and that the whole process of getting it ready to sell is not too stressful. This seems to be a seller’s market right now so hopefully it will sell quickly. My daughter in Idaho has sold her house and is looking for another and they keep losing out to all cash buyers from California. Unfortunately, nice quiet Idaho is changing fast with all the people moving there from California who have made lots of money selling their homes there. We also need to sell and downsize but I’m afraid it can’t happen until DH recovers completely from his surgery and gets his strength back. I’m praying that’s soon but I know it’s all in Gods hands

    Have a blessed Sunday everyone.

    Love and prayers,

    Faith

  • hersheykiss
    hersheykiss Member Posts: 705
    edited April 2021

    Chris, I am so sorry to read the scan results. I am praying for you and your family -- for His peace, comfort, and strength. God bless you and yours.

    Ade, I'm glad that you and James are feeling better. How is Maggie doing?

    Nancy, I've enjoyed seeing your springtime photos. The image of the daffodils is my personal favorite.

    Be safe, everyone, and have a blessed day.

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,872
    edited April 2021

    Faith, how are you doing? I continue to pray for your anxiety and pray that you can find the right combo of things to really turn this corner and start to feel good again. I continue to pray for both you and your DH. I am still struggling with insomnia. I had one really good week and then not so much so I can really sympathize with your DH. I do think my surgery had a lot to do with this. Now I have so much on my mind with getting things repaired in my own house and then knowing how much work my sister and I have ahead of us can be a bit overwhelming at times. I had a handyman here on Friday and I had three projects for him. Two are finished and I am thrilled with that but one big thing is I have been putting up with very little light in my bathroom because of a light that shorted out. The bad news is I need a whole new light fixture. I have literally spend countless hours since Friday afternoon looking at light fixtures. Sounds like an easy task right? Well no it isn't. If I go one way it will require filling in holes and repainting the whole ceiling. Or if I go another route it may mean that I have a hole bigger than the one I need. I first have to ask someone knowledgeable about what I want to do and to see if it is even possible. Oh my goodness. Such little things that take up such enormous amount of energy. I can see when you had your bathroom remodeled how stressful it was for you. Boy do I get it!!!!!

    Hershey, I am glad you enjoyed the pictures. I have more which I will post one of these days. I like that daffodil one the best too. I have just a few tulips and if I don't cut them and bring them in they will die from the freeze we are expecting tomorrow night. Snow is coming as well. Is it really April??????????

    As so many of you are battling some huge challenges I will post this banner again. It seems to be what we need in troubling times but sometimes doing what it says seems very difficult when going through the dark tunnels of life.

    Most of you know who Ellen is but she doesn't post very often. She used to be a regular on this thread for quite a few years. Her husband is a pastor. They both have had Covid and unfortunately her husband needs a procedure for a kidney stone and 8wks after having Covid he still tested positive so he can't have this procedure until mid May. I know they would appreciate your prayers.

    Jean, praying you are still doing well.

    Ade, still praying for you and James. Are you feeling any more energy at all? I know with your business this has to be so difficult. Continued prayers for you both and for Maggie. How is she doing?

    Carol, praying that you will remain stable and can live each day to it's fullest.

    Chris, praying for you against fear. I know you have a very strong faith and I pray that you will recognize when the enemy will try to come in and steal your joy and your strength.

    God has a plan for each and every one of us. He brings us through valleys and takes us up to the mountain tops. He remains faithful through all of those times. We all know our destination will be an eternal reward in heaven with the Lord for those who claim Jesus as savior and Lord. In the mean time we battle with sickness and disease with bodies that are withering. Our home was never intended to be here on Earth. The Bible says we are strangers in a foreign land. We are only passing through this life for our eternal one. As we won't know when the Lord will come back we have to live as if it is very soon. Our priorities will probably shift thinking our days are numbered. We need to draw closer to the Lord and to build our treasures that will last and not perish. Our time spent with the Lord, reading His word and praying will be treasures that will last. Our efforts in proclaiming the gospel to a world full of darkness will last. We must be the light in this world that so sorely needs a savior.

    God Bless you dear sisters and have a good night and a good start to this week.

    Love,

    Nancy


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  • faith-840
    faith-840 Member Posts: 926
    edited April 2021

    Nancy, thanks for asking about me. I've had some good days and some bad ones. I started on a mild antidepressant last week and after a few days, I felt like it was really helping. Today, not so much. It feels like 2 steps forward and one step back. This anxiety is really taking it's toll on me and makes me very depressed sometimes. I've felt fairly good for a couple of days and I did a lot around the house plus exercising and now today, my legs are so sore, they are shaky and that makes me very anxious. I don't know how to manage all this. I've resisted a lot of medication and I've had 12 sessions of hypnosis which have been some help. I'm now talking to a new therapist, so I hope he can help. He has experience with cancer patients so he may have some insights. I think my DH's health really impacts my anxiety. He is not recovering as quickly as we had hoped and when I know he has been awake all night, it's very upsetting for me. I keep praying and trying to have faith that God will help us but honestly, it's very hard sometimes to believe that HE hears my pleas. I know there are so many who are suffering more than I am with things much worse than this but Iwould be so very grateful for your prayers.

    Love and prayers to all of you,

    Faith (in the future)

  • intolight
    intolight Member Posts: 2,331
    edited April 2021

    Faith, I am praying that God will vanquish all your fears and that your DH will recover completely. He can remove this from you.

    Nancy, still praying for better sleep and less anxiety about clearing out and preparing your mom's house.

    I am doing a little better today. I finally spoke with my oncologist and she is scheduling an MRI of the spine where the two largest tumors are located to see if a biopsy is possible. She thinks things are growing slowly and is sure we can handle things at a slow pace. It has changed nothing, but after handling the news for several days, I have a little more peace. I am no longer shaking and feel like I can now eat. I am going out to eat with my DH tonight and meeting a good friend Friday for lunch so I have good things to look forward to. Thank you for all your prayers.

  • faith-840
    faith-840 Member Posts: 926
    edited April 2021

    Chris, thank you so much for your prayers especially when you have so much going on with you. I'm glad to hear your doctor thinks this is slow growing and has put your mind at ease just a little. I certainly understand your shaking at this news. It's impossible to control sometimes. In my experience and so many others from what I read here, once you have a new treatment plan in place, the anxiety will get better. As we have all said, we just have to trust in God's plan for us. Easier said than done, isn't it? I hope you had a nice dinner out with your DH and will enjoy your lunch date with a good friend. It's always good to see a friend and chat about lots of other things. I'm am continuing to pray for you and your family. I'm sure this news is awful for them too.

    Nancy, thank you for your words of wisdom, Romans 12:12 is one of my favorites that I lean on a lot. I hope you get your light fixture problem solved. I think that is one of the hardest things to do right. I've been looking for a new fixture for my entrance hall for a couple of years and nothing is ever quite right. I'd love to build a small ranch house to suit our needs but the thought of all the decisions that involves says no. Much too stressful! I forgot to tell you how much I've enjoyed your photos with your new camera. Learning all the things you can do with it takes lots of time. DH bought a new (used) one that has lots of features and it's keeping him busy learning all it can do.

    Ade and James, I continue to pray that you are both feeling better and have put Covid behind you.

    Sending prayers for everyone here, those posting and those just reading. May God bless you all and heal all your ills and trials.

    Love,

    Faith (in the future

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,872
    edited April 2021

    I appreciate your prayers.

    Chris, I am so glad to hear that your doctor reassured you that she thinks the growth is slow and you can tackle it slowly. I can't imagine how difficult this news is for you. I am glad you have more peace about it. I hope you enjoy your time with your DH and your friend. I haven't seen my friends for such a long time and I hope that changes soon.

    Faith, I can imagine how overwhelming the idea of moving is even thinking about it. I feel the same way and I know that my two story house may not be what I can handle as I grow older. My situation with is not about picking one out I like. It is much more complicated than that. I just realized yesterday that my medicine cabinet door just barely misses the light that is there now so that was a factor I had not even thought about. I will probably buy on Amazon and will be gong most of May so my time is running out and I am not sure what I will do. I may have mentioned about a good email friend of mine started on an antidepressant. It has taken several weeks and she has now tripled the dose and I can see a change in her already even through email. Try to hang in there as your body adjusts to it. I am glad you have some good days. That is like me and my sleep. I have some good nights. This past nine days or so has been really bad. I had some blood work done for my annual with my primary doctor and I got results today in MyChart. I was so upset and discouraged. I have worked hard with my walking and diet and I have never had so many things out of range ever on my blood work. So I am very concerned. It is so discouraging to work so hard at weight loss and see very little results. I just don't understand what is happening.

    I hope we all can rise above our circumstances and live victoriously in the moment. I am preaching to myself more than anyone!!

    Have a good night dear sisters.

    Love,

    Nancy





  • sunshine99
    sunshine99 Member Posts: 2,723
    edited April 2021

    Nancy, I'm sorry you're discouraged and feeling overwhelmed. It's so hard when we're trying to do the right things to be healthy and then our medical tests don't reflect that.

    Marty and I were having a discussion yesterday about our trials and worries. I have tended to be a worrier, but it seems lately I've been more trusting of God and sure of His care. Until... Our BIG ordeal was that Marty dropped his mobile phone out of his car window when he was driving in Joshua Tree on Friday. It's his work phone (but owned by him) and it basically shattered. He could talk to Siri, but the screen was unreadable. Basically, no phone means no work. He's in the loan business and his phone is his lifeline (at least from our human perspective).

    So, we went to the Verizon store and they told us we had to file a claim. We did, and his new phone arrived yesterday. The saga of getting the new phone up and running and de-activating the old phone has nearly undone me. The new phone is working, but we can't figure out how to de-activate the old one before we send it back. If we don't do that, they'll charge us for it.

    I was telling Marty how stressed I was and he told me how he had had this thought earlier that morning about how we're so focused on the "phone" and looking down and hanging on to the phone so tightly and raging about how it's not working. All the while, God is saying to us, "Put down the phone, look up, raise your arms and praise Me."

    WOW! I was so focused on the phone, that I forgot to just "look up and praise Him".

    That's my goal: Lift my arms and praise Him.

    I will be praying for your, my dear sisters, for the peace the passes understanding. I don't post here often, but I do read your posts daily. You are each dear to me.

    Love and prayers,

    Carol

  • intolight
    intolight Member Posts: 2,331
    edited April 2021

    Nancy, you know you have my prayers. I am sorry you still have trouble sleeping. I sometimes take a Benadryl to help me sleep and after my latest news I struggle to stop my brain and get to sleep at all. In the past five years I did a major remodel on both of my bathrooms and my kitchen so I totally understand the stresses of choosing fixtures. Just this month I got rid of my thirty year-old dining chairs and replaced them with smaller, padded ones. I totally changed the look and now I need to change the rug beneath them. Everything takes me so much time and I have been doing it all via mail order so it is a huge risk as the table is the first thing you see when you walk in my condo. But I have decided that anything can be changed and in the long run it has no eternal value anyways.

    But Faith, the thought of moving makes me shake in my boots (well, my slippers.) There are lots of times I think I would love to move, then the memories creep in and I think again. I will pray you find a good solution and your DH will recover soon.

    Blessings to you all and thank you for continued prayers.

  • intolight
    intolight Member Posts: 2,331
    edited April 2021

    Carol, you are so right about where we spend our time looking. I heard a wonderful sermon Sunday about how the guys on the road to Emmaus almost missed the message of Jesus because they were so focused only on the time of the cross and the empty tomb. Jesus took them all the way through history as they walked along so they would understand the need to look at the big picture of what God is doing and who He is. I need to step back and see the big picture often instead of focusing on the pains of today. If you are interested, the sermon was given by Mike Glen at Brentwood Baptist Church dated April 18th. You can enjoy the entire worship experience on YouTube or their webpage. I believe this is the link to the correct date Brentwood Baptist

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOvhrc4l1Qg

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,872
    edited April 2021

    Carol, your DH sounds like a keeper.SmileI am sure that we have all had situations where we are so busy looking down at our problems that we totally forget about asking God for help or praising Him for what He has already done for us so many billions of times and thank Him for how he is about to solve our current crisis. I do hope that He has allowed you to find a solution over this phone situation.

    Chris, thank you for your prayers. God allowed me to see the next day after I was so discouraged that the enemy had swooped in without me realizing it until later and tried to do his best to get me off track. God allowed me to see things differently. I actually went back in MyChart to all of the doctor visits I have had since surgery where I have to weigh in. The truth is I have almost lost 10 lbs. Yes, it has been extremely slow and I have walked way more than I think I should have to in order to lose that amount but I am now determined to keep on keeping on.

    I sold some of my photography equipment yesterday at this buy back event at this camera store. I got several hundred dollars I would not have if that stuff kept sitting not being used. It will allow me to buy more lenses for my new camera. I was so happy to also get rid of this old clunker TV that has been sitting in my upstairs hallway ready to go to our recycling center and then the pandemic hit and this facility closed. It is open now and my handyman that was here last week carried it to my car. I hate to ask people to do things for me and I knew I couldn't lift it down the steps so the handyman was a big guy and when he said is there anything more I can do for you I said well as a matter of fact there is.

    I have decided to wait on getting new lights until I am back from downstate and dealing with my Mom's house. Unfortunately for whoever does the job for me it is going to be more uncomfortable working in my attic which is probably what they will have to do in installing the lights.

    Take care dear sisters and have a great weekend. I need to get ready for my online church service. I have been watching on Saturday evenings and then if I have a bad night of insomnia then it won't affect trying to do it on Sunday.

    Love,

    Nancy

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,872
    edited April 2021

    Hi dear sisters. If I can make Chris smile with my photos then maybe I can do the same for all of you. I am going to post several pics and this may be the last for a while. I go Bluebell crazy this time of year and yesterday found some spectacular woods full of Bluebells. I even discovered a white Bluebell as well.

    This is God's beauty displayed in gorgeous flowers and swans. Enjoy and if I made you smile even for a few seconds I have done what I want my photography to do.


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  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,872
    edited April 2021

    Here are some from yesterday. I hope I got a smile out of you.

    Love,

    Nancy

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  • intolight
    intolight Member Posts: 2,331
    edited April 2021

    Nancy, yes, I am smiling. These are amazing! Thank you for brightening a dreary day.

  • sunshine99
    sunshine99 Member Posts: 2,723
    edited April 2021

    Nancy, those are beautiful shots! Thank you for sharing those!

    Carol

  • hersheykiss
    hersheykiss Member Posts: 705
    edited April 2021

    Beautiful photos of springtime wildflowers ... thank you for sharing them with us, Nancy.

  • zjrosenthal
    zjrosenthal Member Posts: 1,541
    edited April 2021

    Thanks Nancy! 😸

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,872
    edited April 2021

    Thank you all. I am glad I made you smile again Chris. On my walk today someone had drawn this huge heart and above it they had written SMILE in really big letters. That made me smile too. I was going to take a picture but decided I wanted to keep walking.

    It feels like summer here today and tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter. We had snow recently. It has been pretty crazy weather.

    Enjoy your evening.

    Love,

    Nancy

  • intolight
    intolight Member Posts: 2,331
    edited April 2021

    Nancy, thank you for thinking of me. I see my oncologist and have an MRI next week and a CT scan the week after. Until then I am trying to keep things as normal as possible. One day at a time! My new BIL went home yesterday to rest and hopefully gain enough strength for a heart transplant. This is a "wait and see" situation but an answer to prayer that he could even go home. My DD had her last final for nursing school this morning so from here she just has her internship before taking her exams next Fall. Life goes on and God continues to send small blessings. Thank you for continued prayer. Chris

  • faith-840
    faith-840 Member Posts: 926
    edited April 2021

    Nancy, I love all your pictures and yes they made me smile. I think I like the one with the azaleas best. Those bushes are one of my favorites. But I also love the beautiful swan picture. It’s probably good that you are going to wait till after your trip to decide on the bathroom lights. You don’t need that extra stress right now. I will pray that you can get your mom’s house ready to sell quickly and the sale is successful. It seems to be a sellers market right now.

    Chris, I’m praying that your tests coming up show the cancer to be minimal and easily treated. That’s great news about your daughter finishing up her exams and internship. I pray she gets a great nursing job soon. I will keep your BIL in my prayers for a successful heart transplant.

    Sending prayers for everyone here,

    Faith (in the future)

  • bandwoman1234
    bandwoman1234 Member Posts: 5,872
    edited April 2021

    Chris, I will definitely be praying for you upcoming scans. Hang on to Jesus because he is not going to let you fall. I am happy to hear your new BIL got to go home and certainly hope he will get that heart transplant and do very well. Congratulation are in order for your daughter who has finished her last final in nursing school. I wish her all the best as she transitions to her internship. I know you must be one proud Mama.

    Faith, thank you. I love the Azalias too. I lucked out and found them at their peak. That swan is the same pond where I found "My swans" when I went through radiation. It was this pond and that swan family from 2014 that the Lord used to spark my passion for photography. I don't know if this is the same Male. I didn't see the female and that probably meant she was on her nest which I didn't have time to walk back and see. If they have babies I will have to get some pics and share them in June. Yes, it was a good thing that I took the lighting situation off my plate for now. I am still purging and reorganizing and cleaning my house which is taking forever but the goal is to finally finish. That won't happen until I get back from working on my Mom's house. I continue to pray for you and your DH and pray that soon you will both be feeling much better.

    Have a good night dear sisters.

    Love,

    Nancy

  • ade
    ade Member Posts: 720
    edited May 2021

    Nancy, I know when you sent me that absolutely gorgeous photo card that you couldn't have known the extra blessing and comfort in the timing (God's timing). We received it yesterday. Yesterday was the most difficult day. I know this seems trivial to you dear ones who are going through life altering situations. This isn't that serious I know. But we lost our little Maggie very suddenly to bleeding cancer on her spleen. We were not ready for this. We had just conquered the tail amputation and infection and thought we would bring her home as always from the vet with some pills and instructions. We saw the blood work results and xrays. There was nothing that could have saved her. The vet is a compassionate young fella. He brought in a pretty knitted blanket and put it on the floor for her. He waited until the first shot took effect, and stayed with her on that floor until the second one and end. We were there as she drew her last breath and as she looked into our eyes. I can't express the pain and heartache and buckets of tears - BOTH of us. Here we are in such a quiet house now with her toys, her bed, her bowls, her nose smudges on the low door window. She was a part of every minute of every day with us - always with us, by our sides when we were ill in bed, at our feet when we were reading, eager to run errands in the car with us and then maybe take a walk in the park. There is just nothing we can do to ease this hurting, this void. EVERY time we remember something about her the tears flow. It takes time but you really never get over it completely. Nancy I know you will have to go through this too one day, and Carol, you already have. I thank the Lord for James who is hurting as badly as I am. He said to me yesterday as we hugged and cried, "Please don't go before me. You are my world".

    Well there you have it. April was a bummer from the first week with covid to the last day of life with our Maggie. Monday won't be a very happy 70th birthday - but God is still loving and faithful and He is the source of all of our hope. He is good - ALL of the time - and worthy of our praise.

    I pray for ALL of you and all that YOU are going through, which is way more than this.

    With love,

    Ade

    This was her very last photo.

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