thread for middle age to older Christian women.
Comments
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Hi Nancy,
It is so nice to meet a sister in the Lord here. Yours is the first post I have read. I am very new to this forum and look forward to meeting you all.
I am already praying now for your cat, Cammie. I know you must be very concerned and I pray that the Lord reveals and successfully treats whatever is causing her distress. I so appreciated your beautiful stories and how you have seen God's blessings in each situation. I have been blessed in my circumstance in so many ways that I know each has been a gift from Him.
Two days ago I had the exact same surgery that you had seven years ago. I was so blessed by everyone who assisted me before and after surgery. I felt His presence and told my surgeon that the Lord was going to help him. (He appreciated that and acknowledged God's power).
I just took my first shower and had a hard time looking at my wounds. I knew it was going to startle me, then I remembered that the Lord is taking such good care of me and that nothing is as it first appears. I have been content throughout this cancer adventure in His care for me and don't need to worry about anything right now, just to rest and let Him heal me. I am praying for my pathology report which will come back this next week, and while I am praying the SLNB comes back negative (I had 1 or 2 involved nodes)I am trusting in His perfect will for me.
Your garden sounds beautiful. I planted many flowers a few weeks ago and have been watering them twice daily only to have to chase bunny rabbits out of our yard a few times a day. Right before surgery, I dragged out a rabbit fence and proudly installed it, only to watch as they somehow got through the bottom over the next several days. I finally shored it up with larger items and haven't seen any rabbits since. Hurray! I love looking out the kitchen window and gazing at those flowers.
I will keep praying for Cammie!
Blessings in Jesus,
Esther
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Nancy, I will be praying for Cammie and for you. So sorry to read she is struggling.
Esther, welcome to our little thread. I will add you to my prayer list praying you recover quickly and your pathology report is good.
Thank you everyone for the anniversary wishes. We also just ended our DGDs birthday party today and it was well-attended and fabulous. Last year she didn't have one because of Covid. We had the party at the pool in our complex, had the food catered (taco truck), and everyone pitched in. The neighbors were generous with allowing us to use their empty car spots for parking. This time of year it is next to impossible to find a parking spot along the bay and beach. It felt good to be able to host a party and feel comfortable post-covid. Some had a mask but we didn't require it and none chose to wear one since we were outside. Tomorrow we are braving the zoo.
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Welcome Esther. Today is a milestone as I am headed back to church for live services. The last I attended was Feb. 2020. I am a bit short on time. I DO appreciate your prayers for Cammie and knowing you JUST had surgery I am impressed and grateful. Your path has been a bit different than mine as you started hormone therapy first and then had surgery months later. It could be things are done differently now but we all know in this journey that everyone's situation is unique to them and therapies are established accordingly. I imagine you are waiting on what comes next after getting your pathology report. I pray that you will have the best treatment for you and that the Lord will give you the strength and patience for whatever that will be. I pray for rapid healing and good pain control. We will be praying. This is a good place to come for that.
Chris, thank you for your prayers for Cammie as well. I have been praying that you would have a wonderful time with your family coming in and I hope your anniversary was a joyful time. Happy Birthday to your granddaughter. It sounds like you all had a wonderful celebration. Illinois has fully opened up as of Friday and I have to say that it feels very strange not wearing a mask everywhere. I have no idea what will be required at church today so I'll see.
Cammie update. Her special food came in the mail yesterday. It took all of one day to get here and that was a huge blessing in itself. So far a mixed review. She LOVES her new food but would not touch the new prescription treats. I guess if it was to play out like this I am thankful that her main food she seems to love. So here is the deal. She maybe loved it a little too much and ate way more than she is used to and now we have gone from one extreme to the other. From no bowel movements to diarrhea. So she is a mess right now and I will have to see what I can do after church to clean her up. She is eating and drinking so that is a BIG answer to prayer. Now we just have to get her system regulated. I did mix the new food with the old.
I must be off as I can't remember my usual time frame on Sundays. I had a not so good night of insomnia so I am struggling a bit but I was determined I was going no matter what.
Thank you again for your prayers.
Love,
Nancy
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Esther, WELCOME! I am amazed you are on here two days post op! Yes, the first time I showered it hit me and I cried - but with the Lord's grace I have not looked back and as we all do here, trust Him for our futures. You are certainly in my prayers. I believe you will find it a comfort knowing that so many who have been through what you are experiencing are praying for you with empathy.
Chris, how fantastic you could celebrate the birthday in such a grand way! I pray your zoo trip won't wear you out and that you will thoroughly enjoy it. Hope your 49th anniversary was a blessed one and many more are to come!
Oh Nancy, I know first hand how concerning it is when our little pet companions aren't well! I pray for a correct diagnosis for Cammie and that the Lord will heal her through the vet's hands. Praying too that things will at last settle down for you. You have been a frequent flyer on the Stress Express. Time for God's peace to wash over you and refresh you.
A couple of things on the home front since last I posted - Sadly, we had to take Ellie back. When we adopted them we were told they were YOUNG dogs - which we wanted. However upon getting them home we quickly discovered that they are PUPPIES - and two, along with not feeling 100% ourselves was just too much for us. So we did return her. BUT - I asked for an update and found out she was adopted by a single lady the very next day - which made us feel far less guilty. Ezra is FAR calmer and is learning quickly. . . that being said, we are still working on the house breaking. We have always had dogs but it has been a long time since having a six month old puppy. We discovered that his poor tail has been broken at some time - most likely why he was terrified to go through a doorway! Who knows WHAT the little fella has gone through. He is learning to trust us and is SO sweet and loving. He turned 7 months this week and had his very first grooming on his birthday (pic below) and has a vet visit on Wednesday.
The other thing I want to share with you is answered prayer! Thank you ladies for praying about our "long Covid"! We have asked five doctors to at least let us TRY a drug that has NO side effects and has been proven to stop covid in its tracks buy those who have tried it. Every one of them denied us because it is 'not CDC sanctioned'. This is purely politics but I won't explain here. PM me if you want to know. (Well the shots are experimental themselves!). Anyway we obtained this drug (don't ask) and we are remarkably improved!!! Almost NORMAL! We are praising the Lord - but so sad that others have to suffer because of the politics of this thing.
Well this is long enough but I did want to check in. I am praying for you all.
With love,
Ade
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Ade, it is good to hear from you. Thank you for your prayers for Cammie. Since I wrote this morning before church things we from bad to worse. She has diarrhea and when I got home from church my beige carpeted stairs were stained. Everywhere she was has left a mess behind. I have not been able to even try to clean her up because she won't let me from past experience. Hopefully her system will regulate.
I am sorry to hear that your two babies were REALLY babies. I am glad that someone was able to adopt Ellie. Having one puppy would be difficult and having two when you weren't feeling great was just too much and I am glad you realized that early on. Ezra looks so sweet. I pray he will give you many years of joy.
I am SO happy to hear that what ever this treatment for Covid was has worked. I have prayed for you and James so much and that is answered prayer for sure.
My sister and I have decisions to be made for our house and me doing this long distance is going to be a challenge. We still have to find a contractor and realtor and I like to do things yesterday and my sister not so much so this will be an exercise in much patience for me.
Ester, I hope your effort to keep the rabbits out of your flowers continues to be successful so you can enjoy your flowers. I used to have pet dwarf bunnies (only one at a time) and one day my little dwarf went flying through the air and jumped up on my bed from the floor. I was visiting my parents and my Mom and I were on the floor and we looked at each other stunned that this little one could jump so high so I know how they can be.
Have a good week dear sisters. It was so good to be back to church today. I love our new pastor. He is so good. He started in 2020 and you know what happened then so his was trial by fire for his first year.
Love,
Nancy
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Nancy, I have to tell you a quick bunny story of faith.
I was driving our young daughter, Emily, somewhere on a country road when we spotted a small brown rabbit with darker ears beside the road. She begged me to pull over so she could "catch it". Well I KNEW she'd never be able to anyway but I told her we had enough critters as it was. She said, "If I can catch it - can I have it?" Knowing she couldn't catch it I said, "Well ...OK." Lo and behold - she CAUGHT IT!!! So we took it home and named him Rabbit Stew (Stewie for short). We found out he was a Dwarf Netherland (?) if I remember correctly. When asked HOW she managed to catch him, she replied, "I prayed!"
Out of the mouths of babes!
Praying for Cammie and your house decisions and peace -
Love,
Ade
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Thank you Ade for the Rabbit Stew story. That is a sweet story of God answering even the smallest things in our lives which mean the world to us and yes, out of the mouths of babes. I bet that was a proud Mama moment too! I will share a quick trivial thing in the scheme of life which meant the world to me. I have this backyard fountain. I have had it probably 29 yrs. I love this fountain. For some reason after it being moved a little after I had my new patio built I could not get this fountain to work more than of couple minutes. I had never had issues like this. Last year I pretty much gave up on it and just couldn't figure out what the issue was. I was having my Bible study and prayer time one day last week and I was researching non kinking tubing because I knew that was the problem. As I was praying and trying to find an answer this still small voice said cut the tubing as short as you can. So I tried that and cut some off. It was better but not great. I cut some more off and voila my fountain is working like a charm now and the birds and Me are VERY happy. Every time I look at that fountain it makes me smile and it was such a little thing but I have no doubt that God put that idea in my head and it worked. I hope to be able to share some victory stories regarding Cammie and the selling of my Mom's house in the near future.
Love
Nanc6y
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Thank you Nancy, IntoLight and Ade,
I really treasured your welcoming words. They were such a comfort to me. I am getting a bit more accustomed to viewing my "work in progress." The sore throat from anesthesia is finally wearing off (after nearly three days) and the pain is now insignificant. Even the itching is down. It is remarkable how God designed us to itch when we heal.
Ade, I loved your Emily's Rabbit Stew story and this adorable photo of Ezra. I so missing having a dog. Maybe not long from now... I am so glad you are now on the right medication for long Covid. I believe I know which it is, as I am on it as well, for prevention. My integrative doctor prescribed it for me, and it's very safe and effective. I had to decline the jabs in the midst of this cancer treatment with so little known yet, so I will continue with it until after I finish radiation, and just keep it in the medicine cabinet should I ever feel that I am coming down with something.
Nancy, I am praying anew for you tonight with Cammie's digestive upset, and for the sale of the house alongside your sister and the selection of the right realtor. Oh, and I loved hearing about your beautiful fountain! It's funny that you mentioned it. I was feeling better for the first time since surgery and wanted to sit outside. We have yellow orioles this year. My sister (who lives with me) joined me out in our yard. We do not have a fountain, and it was so sweltering today that I wanted to hear the cooling sound of rushing water, so we sat listening to the sound of a cascading fountain from my computer speakers. It was so peaceful and soothing. God creates some beautifully restful moments, doesn't He?
Blessings, each,Esther
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I'm loving your stories and updates. Nancy, I'm so sorry about Cammie - it's so hard...
We've had a couple of "encounters" with two of our neighbors' dogs. The first one is our next door neighbor. Her dog loves to come up on our front porch and get some pets and scratches. A few weeks ago my husband offered to watch her while her mom was taking a long exam on-line. It was so much fun. She went straight to Jeeves' toy basket, which we've kept, and picked out "her" toy and played with it the entire time. She has also run to the back of the house a few times to check Jeeves' empty food bin. One day, our security camera on our front porch "caught" her standing at our front door - I guess waiting for us to open up and invite her in.
Yesterday, another neighbor with a Standard Poodle walked by while we were sitting on our porch. Well, Diego wanted to come up and say hello to us, so she let go of his leash and up he came. Then, since the front door was open, he ran inside and went to the toy basket and grabbed a toy and came out with it. He was so proud of himself. When he started to pull out the stuffing, we decided to take it away before he ingested part of it. I think his owner was a bit embarrassed, but I told her that Diego had made my day!
Love and prayers,
Carol
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Carol, it sounds like you are the neighborhood dog whisperer. I imagine it was bittersweet with the "guests" picking out a toy to play with. I love watching all the dogs and their owners walk by my house. It always makes me smile. I hope you are doing well with your treatments.
I have a bookcase headboard on my bed and Cammie can lay on top of it and she slept there all night. Not her usual at all. She was definitely not feeling well with all of her digestive upset. She must have gotten up in the night to eat some food and she went into her carrier which I leave out for her as she likes to sleep in it. I took her some fresh water as I am concerned about dehydration and she drank and drank and drank. So I appreciate everyone's prayers and after cleaning many areas of carpet yesterday I hope this is the last of the diarrhea.
Today is the day I have been waiting for for days. I spray painted my cascading fountain and let it cure for a week and then we had threats of thunderstorms so I could never seal it without threat of rain. So today is D day and I will hopefully be able to get a couple of coats of sealer on it so I can finally get it in my front yard and get my containers of flowers put around it as well. This was my first big project using spray paint. It was not without some fails and I hope to hide those so no one can see them but me!!!
Esther, I wish I could send the sounds of my cascading fountain to you and your sister. I love hearing about listening to your recording of the sounds they make. It is very relaxing. I have not only birds that love it but some owners tell me their dogs drink out of it as well.
Have a good day dear sisters.
Love,
Nancy
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It's so fun to read your sweet pet stories. I'll share one of mine. Our neighbor across the street stored heels of bread in his garage. He used them to feed the song birds. One day he told us that someone was breaking into his garage and stealing the heels. He said it was probably a transient passing through (we lived down the street from the train station). About a week later I looked out the front window and saw our dog trotting over to the neighbor's house. She went straight into the garage and emerged with bread sticking out both sides of her mouth. She was the bread thief!! When we apologized to our neighbor, he laughed and laughed but we began keeping much closer tabs on our little cat burglar. ;-)
Esther, I'm a little late to the party. Welcome to our group!
Ade, I'm so glad your body is recovering from the virus. I had just read an online article about treating long-Covid symptoms. The article highlighted a board-certified physician in Arkansas who treats long-COVID patients. She manages and reduces symptoms by paying close attention to their diets. She's on high alert for deficiencies in magnesium, iron, and vitamins B and D (think fish, avocados, nuts, seeds, leafy greens).
Nancy, I'm sorry your kitty is unwell. I pray her new food and lab results lead to a quick tummy resolution.
Wishing everyone a blessed week.
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Hershey, I laughed out loud reading your dog story. If we put a camera on our pets and watched them and see what they "really" do when we aren't looking I think we would be shocked.
I have some good news and some sad news. The good news is that Cammie is doing much better. I am debating whether to put more ointment in her ears which is the appetite stimulant or let a few days pass and see if she still needs it. Thank you all for your prayers. I had just started my day today thinking this is going to be a good day. Cammie is doing better, I am feeling better and then I got a text from my sister. One of my cousins died today. He is my age. It was a real shock. This poor guy had been through so much in his life. I don't know any details and I am trying to figure out if there is anyway I can go downstate if there will be services which I imagine there will be. I am afraid to leave Cammie by herself and I wouldn't dare put her through a three hour trip there and back again since I think part of her digestive upset was being at my Mom's house for three weeks with all of the commotion of strangers coming in and hauling stuff and my sister and I clearing things out. So I will have to pray that it will all work out.
It is a very pleasant day here with less heat and humidity. I hope to finish my cascading fountain project today. Another day of sealing the pieces. Yesterday was a bit windy and my first try at sealing was not the greatest because I had to compensate for the wind. Oh well.
Have a good day dear sisters.
Love,
Nancy
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Hi dear friends,
I needed some me time and a break from getting my yard in place so I had the pleasure of visiting one of my favorite butterfly houses on Wed. I needed to catch a cooler day and that was it. I am sharing a couple of pics from that day. This is really the first time I got to really try out my new camera which I have had for quite a few weeks and many of those just sitting there not being used. I ended up having some digestive issues when I got home. I kept pushing through and realized yesterday that my awful fatigue was that I was sick. So today I did nothing and am trying to take it easy. I have similar symptoms to what Cammie has. The BIG difference is that she is on an appetite stimulant which I have to put in her ear. I asked the vet tech if she had any ointment I could put in my ear to NOT eat!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I went to get my mail tonight which I have to walk down the street as I live in a townhouse with community mailboxes. I was blessed to get a beautiful card from Ade and James that had beautiful butterflies that were painted by an artist. I was feeling down today and Ade, your card lifted me up. Thank you so much for your beautiful card and words. I loved reading about the artist and how this was his passion as I have found photography in my retirement.
At this point Cammie might be doing better than I am. One of the vet assistants called me yesterday to check on how Cammie was doing. It prompted a few questions and I have ended up talking to several different people from the cat hospital as my vet is on vacation now. It is going to be a delicate balance on how much meds to give her and then wait and see how she does.
Cammie is NOT happy that she can't have her treats anymore. The poor thing doesn't understand and either sits by the kitchen waiting for me to give her some or stares at me. She doesn't like the prescription treats and I can't do much about that until the vet gets back in the office to seek other alternatives. Thankfully she does like her new prescription food.
I won't be going to my cousins funeral which has been moved to Monday. There is no furniture in the house downstate and my bed is apart and going someplace soon. If Cammie wasn't sick I would have gone but now since I am too I won't be going.
Thank you all for your prayers. I have felt the enemy working over time trying to discourage me. My backyard fountain that I thanked God for so many times lately stopped working today. The pump just died and I have no idea why that would have happened. I was getting close to finishing my yard and now everything is on hold and I have bags of mulch stacked along my sidewalk. I know all of these things will work out and one of my friends reminded me that two years down the line the rawness of loss will be dimmed with time. I know this is true. In the moment it is not always easy to see that.
Take care dear sisters. I pray that those who are facing surgery and those who have just had surgery are healing well with good pain control and all those in treatments are managing the side effects. Those dealing with anxiety and depression I am praying for you as well.
I am watching a taped K-Love music awards show and one of my favorite groups, Casting Crowns has introduced a new song which brought tear to my ears. I believe the name was Scars in Heaven. I predict it will become a favorite in the Christian world of music. I wish I could remember the lyrics which are SO good.
Have a good weekend.
Love,
Nancy
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Nancy, beautiful butterfly pictures. I thought about you today while my DGD and I went for a walk looking for butterflies. Her mom bought her a butterfly pavilian with 5 baby caterpillers to watch grow and change, so she is in the butterfly mood right now. I am so sorry to hear you are feeling sick and won't be able to attend your cousin's funeral. I know how disappointed you are. I have been praying for Cammie as well.
My son and his family left yesterday after a nine day visit, and today I am feeling their loss. But it was a great time. Since I was off my medicine for all the tests before they arrived, I felt good and was able to walk the boardwalk, the beach, and even went up the stairs to the lighthouse. It was a blessing. I forgot how bad the medicine actually makes me feel. It hit me yesterday so I am once again struggling a bit. We will have the care of my DGD for the next six weeks while her mom does her nursing residency so staying in the recliner is not an option. I think it is God's way to keep me moving! Here is a quick picture...
I am sending prayers for you all.
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Nancy, you are so dear and the Lord is holding you close. I am so sorry about losing your cousin, and so suddenly at that. What a woman of faith you are. You are lifting up worship to God in the midst of a broken heart of loss while being unwell on top of it all. I am sorry you can't be at the funeral and I know that must be so difficult. I am praying for you, your family, and over all of these things that are so painful at the moment. I know our valleys are the times when Jesus is carrying us.
I'm glad you are skipping eating for now. My new integrative doctor is teaching me to stop eating when sick and just take water/fluids, to let my body focus on healing instead of digesting. I'm happy that Cammie seems to have turned a corner. I will keep you in my prayers this weekend and beyond.
I'm healing slowly from last week's lumpectomy/11 node removal. Filling the time with doctor visits (twice a day lately) and high dose iv vitamin C drips which are wonderful and helping my tissue knit together again. My surgeon cleared me to drive which will relieve my sister who was such a trooper driving me to all of the doctors. I've been so busy that I haven't been able to rest much or sit outside for a few days to listen to our (artificial) fountain. I know yours will be working again before you know it, because the Lord will help make it happen. I am praying He will do that with our upstairs air conditioning. It stopped blowing cold air today at 5:30. I chuckled at the timing. 5:30pm on a Friday. I care for my 88-year old mother who cannot be without air. I called six companies who could not come until Tuesday. I finally remembered our dear neighbors who are real estate agents. Within one hour, they had someone coming tomorrow at 8 am to fix it. Praise God!
By the way, I love Casting Crowns. I have not heard that song yet.
Blessings and sleep well,
Esther
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IntoLight, I just now saw your message from a few minutes ago. What a beautiful photo! I'm so glad you had a great 9 day visit and were able to fully enjoy it without the effects of the medicine. I am praying for you.
Hugs and blessings,
Esther
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It is 2:30 am and I am having trouble sleeping. Nausea has set in. Thank you for your prayers and nice comments on my pictures.
Chris, I will be praying for strength and lessening of side effects now that you are back into your treatments and need to take care of your granddaughter for six weeks. I bet she will LOVE watching the wonders of God's creation in the stages of a butterfly. I am glad you were able to enjoy your son's family while they were visiting. What a beautiful picture of them. I am sure you made many lasting memories of seeing them.
Ester, I am glad you are healing and that you can drive now. Sorry to hear about no AC but glad that someone is coming tomorrow to hopefully fix it. That is a precious thing of taking care of your Mom. I lost my Mom in October. I would go downstate and live with her three months out of the year for quite a few years as she had Alzheimers. She eventually had to go into assisted living for about three years and I would still stay on my three month visiting schedule until Covid hit. She died alone in a nursing home after a several days stay in the hospital after several falls. We never got to see her during her short stay in the nursing home because of Covid. I had major surgery not long after she died so my grieving has been a delayed grief in a way. I am going to post the Casting Crowns new song. It is a tear jerker with the hope of heaven.
Enjoy your weekend dear sisters.
Love,
Nancy
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"Scars In Heaven"
If I had only known the last time would be the last time
I would've put off all the things I had to do
I would've stayed a little longer, held on a little tighter
Now what I'd give for one more day with you
'Cause there's a wound here in my heart where something's missing
And they tell me that it's gonna heal with time
But I know you're in a place where all your wounds have been erased
And knowing yours are healed is healing mine
The only scars in heaven, they won't belong to me and you
There'll be no such thing as broken and all the old will be made new
And the thought that makes me smile now even as the tears fall down
Is that the only scars in heaven are on the hands that hold you now
I know the road you walked was anything but easy
You picked up your share of scars along the way
Oh, but now you're standing in the sun, you've fought your fight and your race is run
The pain is all a million miles away
The only scars in heaven, they won't belong to me and you
There'll be no such thing as broken and all the old will be made new
And the thought that makes me smile now even as the tears fall down
Is that the only scars in heaven are on the hands that hold you now
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, for the hands that hold you now
There's not a day goes by that I don't see you
You live on in all the better parts of me
Until I'm standing with you in the sun, I'll fight this fight and this race I'll run
Until I finally see what you can see, oh-oh
The only scars in heaven, they won't belong to me and you
There'll be no such thing as broken and all the old will be made new
And the thought that makes me smile now even as the tears fall down
Is that the only scars in heaven are on the hands that hold you now0 -
Oh Nancy, I am so sorry that you are feeling unwell. Nausea is rough. Do you have saltines or broth on hand? I'm very sorry you are unable to go to your cousin's funeral on Monday. I know how disappointing that must be for you. You, your family, and Cammie are in my prayers. Your butterfly photos are fantastic, especially the first one. I've never seen that species of butterfly. It is magnificent.
Chris, I'm so happy that you had a wonderful visit with your son and his family. Their photo is beautiful.
Esther, it sounds like you are on the mend and doing very well. This recent heat wave is terribly hard on folks, especially the elderly. I'm thankful your neighbors had an HVAC contact to respond so quickly to your needs.
Ade, thank you for posting the lyrics. What a powerful song.
Blessings on your weekend, sisters.
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Oh wow. . . that one DOES make you cry. But what wonderful words of comfort they are when we have that blessed hope of eternity with Him. Nancy I am so sorry you are sick. You know you have all of our prayers for a quick recovery. It is hard to take care of another who is sick (even a pet) when you are ill yourself, but the Lord will be your strength, and soon you will be praising Him for getting you through. I am praying for your cousin's family and am sorry too for your loss. Your "flutterbys" are perfectly captured. What lovely creations God has given us!
Chris I am so happy you got a great visit with your family and felt well too. May the Lord temper the SE's of your restarting your meds. Wonderful photo - thank you for sharing.
Esther, I have heard from another that they are beginning to treat (and finally acknowledge!) long-covid, but doctors here just tell you to muddle through it - no help at all. The med we did take on our own HAS helped. I am glad to hear your recovery is coming along. Each day will be better. I think you are wise to put off the shot. I am reading more about bad side effects and you certainly don't need that. Glad too that your AC will be fixed soon. It's been SOOO hot here and so dry that the cacti are dying! THAT'S BAD! We love to enjoy the cool of the mornings on our front porch and the cool of evenings on the back courtyard. (Thankful for that!)
My poor fella got stabbing pain in his head suddenly - it happens, as he has strange migraines - and he is in bed probably for the duration of this day. The doctors (VA and regular) don't seem too concerned about his suffering. His brain CT is clear, thankfully! He told the VA doctor how bad these migraines are and how frequently and she said yes, that he is having far too many and she prescribed a 'preventative' which he couldn't tolerate. The refill on his regular migraines med is HALF THE STRENGTH! She was supposed to INCREASE it. He went to the portal to tell her and was ignored. What? Esther, we need YOUR doctor!
Hershey, thanks for the suggestions. We are pretty much doing that now. I read where covid and cancer patients really need vitamin D. Had to laugh at your bread-stealing dog story! Thank you!!! Our pup has gone 4 days with no accidents - his new record. We got him one month ago today (yes it has taken that long!). Hopefully he is finally getting it! He is such a sweet little fella and he's learning sit, stay, come and wait so far. It's just the potty thing. But who knows what he went through before this. When he came to us he was terrified of going through a door. We had no idea why. Recently we discovered a kink in his long tail - thinking that's the reason. Poor little guy! I think I shared that we had to take his sister back. We weren't told they were puppies. TWO, with not a lot of energy in either of US was just too much to handle, though I really loved her. She was adopted the very next day so I was thankful for that. We are able, now with just Ezra, to give him the individual attention he needs and deserves. He keeps us laughing, especially when he gets his zoomies racing from the kitchen to the living room!
Blessings upon your weekend, sisters,
Ade
James made a rustic birdbath for the poor hot, thirsty feathered friends here. They really enjoy it after eating our blackberries (!) in the back yard. It's the low-tech model!
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Hershey, thank you for your prayers, nice comments on my photos and the suggestions. Actually I am supposed to eat gluten free so I actually don't have the usual things you need during times like these. What I do know now is I can order groceries and pick them up in the parking lot which is what I may have to do. I did that when recovering from my surgery. I hope you and your family are doing well. How is you Mom doing?
Ade, thanks for posting those lyrics. I looked up Mark Hall who is the front man for Casting Crowns and he wrote that song especially for the Covid loss of so many but for his maternal grandparents who died a year apart.
I had an integrative doctor for 17 yrs and just a few months ago found out he abruptly retired because of health reasons. I was shocked. He was always a proponent of Vit. D and he wanted my levels to be in the 80's as ideal. I still take 7000 units. It is supposed to help for cancer patients. I used to have nutritional IVs until my insurance would no longer pay for them. However with my more traditional oncologists when I was going through treatments I was not allowed to take most of my supplements so Esther you are very fortunate to find your oncologists who are more open to non traditional therapies.
Ade, I am so sorry to hear about James. It just seems unreal of all the mistakes they have made with him concerning his medications. I know the doctors are probably terrified of lawsuits concerning prescribing pain meds so it is just very unfortunate for those people who really need them. I will pray that he will feel better very soon. Glad to hear Ezra is doing better. Our pets truly enrich our lives don't they.
I love his birdbath. I think it is awesome. I had been looking for a fountain for hummingbirds that maybe I could make. There is a lady in CA and her name is Robbie. She has many YouTube videos on making birdbaths especially for hummingbirds. You can google it and see the amazing amount of hummers she has in her yard. It is truly haven for the little creatures. She would love James rustic birdbath!!
I am taking it easy again today and trying to not feel the pressure of getting outside and putting my mulch out.
Have a good weekend and everyone try to stay cool.
Love,
Nancy
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Nancy and Ade, thank you for sharing the video and the words to that song. It was beautiful and it felt good to shed a few tears.
Blessings to all,
Carol
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Hello dear friends, sorry I've been MIA. I wrote a long post a few days ago and it disappeared. Not sure why, maybe I forgot to hit the submit button. But, I've been too distracted to start over. I have enjoyed reading and praying with your posts and I have to say a very much belated welcome to Esther. I know you will enjoy having a place here to share with these dear ladies.
Nancy, I'm so sorry to hear your cousin has died and you're unable to attend the funeral. It's tough when these things happen especially when you're not feeling well and also having Cammie sick. Do you think your sick stomach could be from allergies? My allergies are awful lately and it really upsets my stomach. I am praying for you that both you and Cammie are better soon. It's great you were able to get out and use the new camera. The butterfly pictures are beautiful.
Chris, I'm so glad you had a wonderful visit with your family, the picture is beautiful. I'm so sorry your meds give you so many side effects, that is really hard to deal with especially now that you will have the care of your DGD. I am always praying for you and everyone here.
Ade, I'm glad to hear you were able to get some meds to help your long Covid symptoms, that had to be awful for you and DH. What a cute fountain he built for the birds. Thank you for posting the beautiful words to that song. I'm sure you must be enjoying your new puppy, taking care of one is much easier than two. I always pray for you and will add special prayers that James migraine goes away. What an awful thing to have to deal with all the time.
Dear friends, as usual I have to ask for some prayers. We have a new neighbor next door who just had a baby a few weeks ago. The baby was born early weighing just over 3 pounds, she has gained weight and I believe is now over 4 pounds but has probably many health issues. I don't have many details but I see them leaving daily for hospital and doctor visits and being gone for long hours. I pray that our Dear Lord will heal baby Gwendolyn completely and ask you to join your prayers with mine.
I also have to ask for prayers for me. My anxiety has been awful lately and I'm waiting for an appointment with the therapist to get a new RX to hopefully help. I've resisted medication but I really need something now as the panic attacks have increased and my BP is way too high. My PCP gave me meds for that but they make me so tired. I'm sure some of my anxiety has to do with my health, I'm having a tooth pulled on Tuesday and that scares me.since I will have sedation. Also, I've been having digestive problems and will be having a colonoscopy and endoscopy as soon as my mouth has healed from the tooth pulling. I'm just praying it's not cancer related.My prayers today tell us not to worry about tomorrow, if God takes care of the birds in the sky, He will surely take care of us. If only I can learn to trust in The Lord with all my heart.
Thank you all for your prayers and for being here for me to allow me to ask for your help. I continue to pray for all of your needs.
Love and prayers,
Faith (in the future).
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Ade, thank you for posting the lyrics...like Carol, it felt good to shed a few tears. I will increase my prayers once again for James who seems to go through so much with fighting for good medical help. I love the birdbath and wish I had a yard where I could put one up like I had in Colorado. They don't want us to encourage the birds where I live...too many messy seagulls already. But we do get hummingbirds on my small balcony.
Nancy, praying for your nausea. It is my daily companion so I totally understand.
Pray for our friends and family out west who are once again fleeing wildfires. My sister in AZ was just told to prepare to evacuate. She worries because her husband's heart is still so delicate but will be driving their 5th wheel out of danger and will provide them a place to stay.
I pray for shelter for us all out of the storms...
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Faith, I think we were posting at the same time so I missed you. May God relieve your anxiety and heal your medical issues. I fear dental work always so I will pray especially for peace during this procedure. Praying also that baby Gwendolyn will grow healthy and strong.
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Hi Ladies. I've been MIA also. Reading most days and praying as I read for you all. Welcome Esther. Life here has been mad crazy busy of late. Trying to get my husband's sister out of a homeless shelter in NYC, looking for lost hearing aids (found one), getting a leach field installed for the septic system of our rental cottage on the property, fixing a gutter, looking for a misplaced pension check, dealing with hubby's possible early dementia and on it goes. Jesus is keeping me on track. And the devotions, songs etc. shared here help a lot. Love, Jean
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Dear Nancy, your worship song is blessing all. My mom has dementia which worsened over the past 5 years. I moved home in 2016 to care for her. God has given her the sweetest disposition. I have joked during this bc adventure that she is my "support animal" because she is not fully aware of what I am going through, yet uplifts me with her sweetness and smiles. Nausea is the worst. I am praying and hope you were able to pick up what you need.
Dear sisters, Jean, Carol, Faith, HersheyKiss and IntoLight, thank you for welcoming me. I am lifting up all of today's prayer requests right now as I am finally sitting outside. I'm especially lifting up baby Gwendolyn.
Ade, that birdbath is so cute. Our neighbors (the real estate agents) have feeders and our outdoor table is quite close to the shared wall so we love watching hummingbirds coming and going. You're all so right about Vitamin D. What a double blessing. After my diagnosis, my MD found me woefully deficient at only half a healthy amount of D and iodine. I'm so glad Ade that the meds have helped with long-Covid. I have never before seen doctors not encouraged to treat an illness at the earliest possible moment. Some months ago I stumbled across an international group of frontline doctors who have formed an international alliance, treating patients early with great success. My doctor follows their protocol. I take IVM weekly, and Vitamin D, C, Zinc, and melatonin daily. Here is a link for every stage (prevention/early/bad case/hospitalized): www.flccc.net. I pray for these brave doctors swimming against the current to save lives. I'm praying for James and his migraines. Ezra is adorable, by the way. I am so glad that his sis was adopted quickly.
Well, other than my young and open-minded surgeon, my oncologist was not open-minded to my integrative doctor's expertise. He did not approve of my beloved IV C treatments. I truly saw him for about ten minutes total. I have prayed and studied and researched the studies upon which my Christian integrative MD relies (who prays and studies and researches daily, with 40 years of biochemistry/chemistry/biology/two MD degrees of experience). It is awkward to go against the conventional grain, but I feel led to walk this path in my case. They will certainly discontinue me as a patient next month when I decline going back on TAM, stop Zoladex and decline radiation. If I wasn't making major cellular health changes and did not feel this is the path for me, I would certainly accept all three.
A funny update on our broken AC. The man who came at 8 am today was not the one sent by my neighbor after all. He happened to call as I was opening the door to the first repairman. I laughed at the mixup and felt blessed that we were more than covered. That cool air feels good again.
Faith, I am lifting you up with the dental treatment and colonoscopy/endoscopy. Will the dental work be a local sedation? I had so much dental work done right before the pandemic hit, but had a gentle dentist and my fears were allayed. I am praying the Lord will provide you with the same comfort. I've always thought, "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief" was one of the most beautiful prayers. My last colonoscopy/endoscopy was in December, and surprisingly it was much easier this time around because they now allow Gatorade as the preparation drink. I found a clear one with a taste to enjoy, and heated up high protein chicken bouillon on Amazon that kept me feeling satiated all day and not hungry. I liked it so much that I tucked into it after surgery last week when I was too nauseous to eat. I too had digestive issues which necessitated the exams. I certainly didn't mind the endoscopy since I wasn't awake for any of it. My dr. now has me on strong probiotics, 6 Juice Plus capsules daily which I open into a flax milk smoothie, half my body weight in ounces of water daily (so 116 lbs = 58 oz), and rotating my food so I'm not eating the same thing day after day. The hardest was to avoid all foods I'm sensitive to for three months. I'm just now back on eggs, salmon and wheat but only once every four days, to give my digestive immune system a rest. So much to remember!
You are right about the birds. One reason I enjoy watching them so much is knowing God's care for them as they joyfully soar and sing through their day, and not one falls to the ground without Him knowing and caring about it.
Jean, you certainly have your hands full. I am praying for your husband and also that the second hearing aid turns up.
IntoLight, how is your sister? Did she need to evacuate? We are in CA and were warned by text a few years ago that we might. I packed our car in 30 minutes, but it took me two weeks to unpack it because by then I no longer had the benefit of adrenaline. I pray that she will be safe, safe, safe....
Blessings,
Esther
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Esther, thank you for asking about my sister (my new half-sister--long story.) She texted this morning and the fire has lifted, most of the smoke gone, and they told her she is fine for now. She is thinking maybe since the 5th wheel is packed and her husband managed well they might take it for a quick trip to the lake. Silver lining! Thank you for the website.
Jean, so good to hear from you. I keep you in my prayers for all you have on your plate right now in addition to not being well. I hope your family is doing well.
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Wow..amazing grace. My husband came up a little while ago having found the second hearing aid that was misplaced over a week ago!. Thank you for the prayers.
Love, Jean
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Faith, I intended to ask about you in my last post, so it is good to hear from you. (We tend to worry when we don't hear from each other in a while.) I am sorry you have quite a load too right now as so many of our sisters do. I pray your dental work and colonoscopy/endoscopy are a breeze for you and will not add to your already high anxiety. I know how awful anxiety is and went through so much of it caused by my cancer treatment meds. I questioned my sanity it was so bad. Once I was off them I was so very much better - but I know not everyone can do that. So I pray for God's supernatural peace will touch your mind and spirit like nothing else can do. When the fears arise I say the Lord's name - just whisper, "Jesus" and the fears melt as I concentrate on His presence with me. Also singing a praise song helps because the Word says that He inhabits the praises of His people. May baby Gwendolyn grow and thrive and her anticipated health problems not even exist, in Jesus' Name. May her parents see the wonderful hand of God upon her and give Him glory.
Chris, may the Lord protect the folks in the path of fires, especially your loved ones. I pray for quiet winds and rain if it is His will, and safety for the firefighters too. We had a big fire go through here in 2011 just before we moved from Ohio and it was terrifying. We are SO dry that we are very concerned about fires here too.
Jean, so good to hear from you! I pray the Lord will show you where every lost item is (I KNOW He can do that!!!) I am quite concerned that my husband is in early stages of dementia too. He ALWAYS loses things and the short term memory is not good. This terrifies me, I have to admit. I bought some very potent brain health supplements for him. They were expensive but if it saves him it is worth every penny. May the Lord's peace and serenity permeate your hectic life and you feel His presence with you.
Esther, I am really impressed with your integrative doctor. Yes, the conventional docs are so satiated by their training that they can't think out of the box. They treat symptoms (like putting a bandaid on an infected would) usually with pharmaceuticals that may not be the best remedy. (No condemnation for taking drugs - we take them too) The holistic doctors treat the cause...big difference! A local lady, Shirley Mitchell, (a pastor's wife) wrote a book about surviving 4th stage pancreatic cancer. It CAN be done! Our dear friend in Ohio who is now a pastor survived 4th stage pancreatic too after having a 'whipple' surgery. I also saw a You Tube video by a veterinarian who read an account of another 4th stage cancer fella who was actually cured by a dog parasite medication. (!) It also cured some other (but not all) aggressive cancers. I think if I was stage 4 I would at least consider it! We all just need to do as the LORD leads us, which is different for each person. You mention probiotics - I had severe spastic colon (felt like labor pains!) and after being on probiotics it is gone. We now take prebiotics too. We subscribe to Dr. Russell Blaylock's newsletter. I HIGHLY Recommend it to any cancer patient. It is filled with articles on healing, helping and preventing medical conditions.
Esther, I think you would really like this publication - The Blaylock Wellness Report® is a monthly
publication of Newsmax Media, Inc., and Newsmax.com. Author & Editor Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
Contributing Editor Matthew Kalash
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The birds have been special to me for this reason. Matthew 10:29 - Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. Back in the 70s I discovered my first breast lump and was terrified. I called to make an appointment with my doctor and it was two weeks away which seemed like YEARS. He ordered a mammogram which took two more weeks to schedule (seemed like another year away) and they told me that if I hadn't heard anything within a couple of weeks then all was probably ok. After two LONG weeks I called, not having heard anything, and they didn't have any results. So I figured if there was trouble I would have heard by then and I relaxed. Then out of the blue I got a call one morning and the nurse told me that the mammo was not normal and I needed to see a surgeon asap. Well the terror came back again. Then I went down stairs to hear "His Eye Is On the Sparrow" on the radio. I had JUST read Mt. 19:29 that morning and the Lord washed me with His peace right then. I made the appointment with the surgeon for the same afternoon as my regular doctor follow up appointment. My Christian (regular) doctor examined me again - and the lump was gone! He asked, "Have you been praying?" and I answered, "Of course!". I then asked if I still needed to keep the surgeon appointment that day and he said no, there is no lump there! Then when the 'real thing' hit in November of 2015 I felt no fear, because I knew that if His eye is on the sparrow, how much more He cares for me.
Blessings,
Ade
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