thread for middle age to older Christian women.
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What I've learned is that before you help someone, make sure you are providing the help they need. A member of my church told me the story of a woman who had gone out of town for a funeral. While she was gone, they decided to clean up her yard, mowed the grass and cut back all the trees, shrubs, etc. When she returned home she was furious. Her yard was set up as a wildlife refuge for birds, butterflies, squirrels, etc. She told them it would take her ten years to regrow everything they had cut back! I wanted time with my family, not material things. I wanted to immerse myself in pity not keep up a brave front. I wanted to be independent in the things I knew I could do - not "helped" when I didn't need help. I'm rambling but what I needed was not what I got. I think God was trying to teach me patience - something I am in very short supply of.
I've said before that I frequently turn things over to God to only take it back when He is not working within my timeframe!
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sissydi: My lesson is not to take life and health for granted as I did before. I now appreciate the beauty of awaking each morning and facing a new day, be it challenging or not. As JO said, I just love being around my little grands and embracing their unconditional love...it is so healing. I take better care of my health because I know that it is precious.
I have learned to let go of things that cause me stress, and to think things through before I act implusively.
Most of all I just thank God for giving me this time on earth to enjoy while I'm here.
Have a blessed day everyone!
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JO: That's good news...as long as she keeps monitoring it so if any change occurs the specialist can get right on it. Hopefully prayers have been answered and she will be fine.
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Good news Jo!
Would you all please pray for me today. I'm feeling tired and cranky. Not exactly a light in the world
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Prayers for you TonLee!
Also please pray for another sister on the site who has just had a return of her bc in the form of mets to lungs and possibly liver. Her name is Michelle and she usually posts on the "what's for dinner" thread. She was planning a trip to Paris to celebrate her daughter's graduation, then this terrible news. I'm so sad about it that I didn't sleep well last night. She was one of the first people I connected with when I visited this site, a wonderful strong woman. She needs our prayers and support.
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Kaara ... she has my prayers. Thanks for letting us know.
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I will add Michelle to my prayer list Kaara. TonLee praying for you Hon! I think we all have those days so we can relate.
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Dear Kaara!!! I am lifting up Michelle right now in prayer, so sorry to hear this news. I am praying her strength carries her through this again challenging journey. Thank you for sharing! Have a blessed day.
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Hello, Ladies....may I join in? I just discovered this thread and I must say it's such a relief to find some uplifting and positive posts! I was considering closing my registration because I came here for information and seemed instead to find mostly crabby, angry, self-pitying women. I was particularly dismayed by a thread which documents statements by others which the posters took as disrespectful, hurtful and downright nasty. I know it's easy for me to be positive given my very "light" version of BC (Stage 1, Grade 1, no nodes, no chemo, etc.) But I also know that even if at some point I should have a recurrence or even end up as Stage 4, God's will be done and He will give me the strength to accept His plan for me.
Last summer my brother was diagnosed with lymphoma (in addition to his other medical issues). I put him forward for our church's prayer list...he's now cancer free and doing great! It may or may not have been a result of prayers, but I have always and will continue to believe that prayers are answered if we pray in faith. We just need to remember that God's answer may not be the one we were looking for, but it will be the one we need! May God bless you all and the love of our Savior Jesus Christ enfold you as we fight this battle.
By the way, I guess I qualify as "older" as I will be a card carrying (Medicare card, that is) senior citizen next month.
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Hi, Snoopsmom,
Welcome! I am pretty new here, too. I know what you mean about the negativity! I realize that a lot of ladies are on bcg not only for information, but to vent about the problems they're having with chemo, rads, recon. Or just cancer in general. I had to guard myself from thinking all those bad things would happen to me. I've been a believer for a long time and God is more real to me than ever, holding my hand throughout so many biopsies, tests, surgeries, decisions, a port on Monday. His presence is such a comfort! Although other people are praying for me, these ladies here know what breast cancer is like and their prayers mean a lot to me, too. God hears and answers them all.0 -
Welcome Snoopsmom!!! You have come to a wonderful thread, the ladies here are so positive and inspiring. They are also prayer warriors and give great advice. Prayers for your brother are coming for his continued healing!!! Jeannie57, How are you doing?? Do you have a treatment plan yet? Hope you are doing well. Blessings to all of you, here. Kathy0
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Hi, Jeannie57. I see you've been through a lot more than I have...I just had a lumpectomy and rads, both of which I breezed through with no problems. It's so great to know that we have One who is by our sides throughout everything....caring for us, holding us even if we can't feel Him at the moment. I hope your procedures are going well.
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Hello everyone, i am a newbee waiting on some results tomorrow. Over the last few weeks i have been waking up in morning with a song on my heart.
This morning I woke with the song: He touched me!!
He touched me ohh he touched me, and ohh the joy that feels my soul. Something happened and now I know he touched and made me whole! He touched me, ohhh ohhh he touched me..
Not sure if you ladies have heard this song or know it, but i find music to be very wondeful when worried or waiting! Best wishes to all you amazing women
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Cspirit:
Welcome to this 'club' that one would rather not belong to, but at the same time is drawn because of the support and commaradie (sp) we can draw on..
I believe those are the words from one of the songs written by Bill and Gloria Gaither. They have been blessed with a God given talent to write music that can be healing to many different souls.
Good luck with your treatments!!!
Vickie
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Hi, Kathy, yes I have a treatment plan. From what I've been reading, it's more common here in the NW than elsewhere. I will be having weekly CMF (well, the "C" will be a daily pill) for 12 weeks, then rads for 6, then CMF for 12, then Tamoxifen/AI, with reconstruction probably a year from now. I had a port put in on Monday. The weekly CMF is so I can get lighter doses with fewer side effects, hopefully. My body has not always responded well to drugs, etc. so we'll see how it goes. I have to say it has been great to have God by my side and to have experienced so many blessings so far! It's almost like going to your own funeral -- people are not shy about telling me how much they care about me. My 3 daughters threw me a card shower, where I received over 150 cards in the mail in one day from people I knew, but also from many more people who were friends of friends of friends. So sweet--and a good idea to use for someone else. I feel well cared for and blessed! This is a going to be a long road and I only hope I can scrounge up rides later in the year when I am too tired to drive. My treatment center is 25 miles from home in sometimes heavy freeway traffic, with rads maybe 15 miles away. I have a tendency to be concerned about logistics more than the cancer! I'm really just taking things one day at a time, which is all God gives us anyway. I look forward to praying for the gals on this thread and appreciate the prayers I've received already.
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Welcome newbies. Sorry you had to join our club but if you have to, you might as well be here. Yes, this is an uplifting thread for our sisters in Christ. The other threads are important too as we are works in progress and sometimes life has a way of grinding us down, even with God. Many of us have more medical problems than cancer that affect our everyday living and many more of use do not have an adequate support system. Trying to battle this disease alone is a tough road to hoe but with God's help, we'll get by. God bless all our sisters.
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Jeannie57, I'm just sorry that I live all the way across the country because I would be honored to drive you to your treatments! I'm very fortunate in that I live only 6 miles from our area's largest medical center and the drive takes only about 15 minutes. But I've found that blessings come in ways we can never imagine, so I'm praying that your "transportation angel" will come through for you!
I'm all done with the active treatment, and I started anastrozole last week. So far, so good...no side effects. I will be going to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji for 3 weeks in September with a friend (also a widow) so I'm just hoping any side effects hold off until I get back or are at least mild enough to not impact our trip.
(edited for misspelling)
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Jeannie ... I would take you too if I lived anywhere near you. Line up the church ladies for chauffer duty! Sisters in Christ are usually always looking for ways to serve.
Snoops ... first of all, I love a tuxedo cat ... that's what mine is and looks a lot like your avatar except his face is all black with a white chest, tummie and feet. Second, are you going with a church group or braving it on your own? I'm kinda of jealous except that I have such severe motion sickness a trip to Australia would kill me! Have a great time!
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Snoopsmom, thanks for wanting to drive me! I hope you feel great on your trip. I will pray for you. What a wonderful place to vacation. I was blessed enough to go to Australia on my husband's business trip several years back. We arrived early in Cairns where the meetings were and then spent some time in Sydney on the other end. I would love to go back and stop in NZ, too. I love to garden and NZ has some great ones.
Kathleen, thanks for the encouragement and wise words. Everybody has a story and it's impt. not to judge. What kind of dog is your avatar? My dog, a Pomeranian/Poodle mix, looks very similar. I am trying to find an avatar I like that will load.
cspiritl, thanks for sharing such a great, old song with a hopeful message! I will pray you get good results tomorrow.
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I'm going with a friend (we retired from the same non-profit agency) and two other women my friend knows. We all met for dinner the other night and I think we'll all get along very well. It's a tour that goes from Newark to LA, then on to Melbourne, Ayers Rock/Alice Springs, the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney, then on to New Zealand, and finally 3 nights in Fiji. I'm NOT looking forward to the 16 hour flight, but it's a means to a wonderful end! I get motion sickness and can never sleep on an airplane, so this will be interesting, to say the least!
My kitty (Snoopy) is almost 19 and I've had him since he was just a few months old. He has a tumor in his abdomen and the vet doesn't think he'll last much through the summer, so I'm just making him happy for now, feeding him all the things he loves but probably shouldn't have! It's sad to have our fur-babies leave us after they've left their paw prints on our hearts.
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Snoopsmom, I hear you regarding the long flight. Be sure to walk around often. I can't sleep on planes, either. It was pretty miserable as my seatmate on the way back talked nonstop to the girl next to him for the entire flight. Poor thing, she didn't even know him. I get motion sickness sometimes, too, but mostly on boats. Dramamine puts me to sleep, Bonine is for when I want to stay awake. Good luck! I'm sorry about your kitty! My neighbor just put her dog down. We both cried. We had to put down our 16 year old dog a few years ago. They do entwine themselves in our hearts forever.
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Rather than "good luck," Snoopsmom, I should have said that I will pray about your motion sickness, too. I can't remember which thread I am on sometimes and some people don't want to hear about praying.
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I welcome your prayers....that's one thing I think this world needs more of!
Diagnosis: 12/14/2011, IDC, 1cm, Stage I, Grade 1, 0/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-, Oncotype DX = 9
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Jeanne ... the dog is actually my sister's dog. She has two of them. They are called Coton der Turlear. They are from Hungary. Their pedigree papers are in Hungarian! The are two balls of white fluff (that's what their name means - white cotton balls), full of love and dumb as stumps! They get by on their looks and love and really that's enough. I lived with my sister for 4 years so I got to know them pretty well. Their names are Diva and Darla.
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Oh, I have heard of those dogs. I didn't realize their lovableness makes up for denseness! My dog's fur (hair, really) feels like soft cotton, too. Tanner's only 8 1/2 pounds but has a big personality. He is such a comfort to me, always by my side.
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Welcome, Cspiritl, your song is beautiful and I also find singing and listening to music very comforting!!! Prayers are coming your way for good test results. Jeannie57, I will pray for you daily as you go through treatment!!!! By this time next year, you will be your old self again!!! Take this time and just take care of yourself, knowing that you are in Our Lord's Hands. He will place people in your life that will help you get through this challenging journey. You will do great!!! I wished I lived closer too, to give you support.Snoopsmom, I did all my treatment at Magee Women's hospital in Pittsburgh, Pa. We lived there for 20 years. I am sure that you are so excited for your trip in September. Good for you!!!!! Kathleen, your posts are very encouraging and uplifting, thank you!!!!!!!0
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Thanks, Jo-5, wise words.
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Kathy ... thanks but its easy to be uplifting here among so many warm and loving friends!
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Hi, Jo-5!!! As always you are our voice of wisdom. Yes, you do have to be careful with some of the threads here!!! I did not know you were allowed to change your name so much, but I guess it is hard to discern who is who sometimes. Blessings to you!!!!
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It can really get nasty over on the alternative threads. There is so much fighting about "whose theory is right" that I no longer want to post on there.
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