thread for middle age to older Christian women.
Comments
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GB, praying your discomfort lifts and for strength to handle the rest. You have been having a tough time so I'm holding you close.
I finally saw my oncologist. She spent a lot of time with me and was very patient and complete in her discussion and questions. I am changing to a new oral drug regimine and we are holding off on the IV Chemo for now. This is the last oral meds that might work. It's the way Stage IV works; you plow through all available options and keep plugging on. I feel better than I thought I would after our discussion although the side effects will be worse on the new drugs. I pray I can tolerate them at least through next June when my whole family is coming out for my 50 Wedding Anniversary. That is my prayer and my goal.
Thank you all for your prayers. They definitely helped.
Blessings. Chris
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Chris I'm praying so hard for you!!! God is not done with you here on earth. He has so many plans for you. Nothing, not even cancer can change the destiny He has for you!!!
ugh!!! On the struggle bus today! I went for an infusion. It went fine. Talked to my dr. About really wanting clear margins after surgery! Kinda scary conversation. Because there is the what if I don't. 😩My daughter went to be tested for the CHEK2 gene today. Makes me sad and happy. Happy she went, sad if she end up having it. Yes it's a 30% increase and that does not sound like a lot. Until it is you staring cancer in the nose.
Good note my MO said today that he has not had anyone do so well with chemo in several years as far as side effects goes. Again makes me happy and fearful. Happy the Jesus has put hedges of protection around me to keep side effects away and fearful cause , does that mean the chemo isn't working well because I have literally almost no side effects?? Only thing I have had is a few aches here and there and tiredness.
I know the facts are that most with er positive Bc do not have complete response to neoadjuvant chemo. But the TRUTH Is in what God says. And He says “by His stripes I was healed"
I know whose report I need to believe. But being human means I get into my head and thoughts. And think “I have stage 3 and it's lobular and I'm scared" But God is good!! And He alone is going to heal me
You guys I'm being real and raw here. I feel like I dump on my poor hubby all the time. And I know he doesn't care. He loves me so much. But I'm giving him a break tonight and dumping on you guys. Thank you in advance for understanding. Love you all and I'm super thankful for you all!
Loves sent to you guys!!
Shannon aka Lover of Jesus
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Esther, I am sorry for the loss of your Dad. It has often been said that people in general have a very short attention span when it comes to natural disasters, knowing people who have diseases and also for those who have lost loved ones. Some of you may have experienced that with your cancer experience as well. It is a tough thing to deal with but we as Christians I believe are sometimes put in these positions so we will lean on the Lord and put our whole hearted trust in Him.
Chris, we will all be praying hard for you as you start this new oral med. I really prayed that you would feel hopeful after leaving your doctor's visit and it sounds like you possibly did. Just keep that 50th anniversary in mind and each day forward will be one day closer to that goal. I keep praying for many more years of good quality life on this earth for you to be with your family and I will continue to pray that prayer for you dear sister.
Shannon, you are doing really, really well and for your MO to point that out is remarkable. Don't let the enemy come in and put a negative twist on it. Stand your ground and thank God that He has brought you this far and doing so well. We will pray that your daughter will not have this cancer gene. I am not sure about the side effects needing to be present as evidence the cancer treatment is working. I would have to research that but my gut feeling is no. I had side effects with my cancer drug and one of my friends who took the same drug has been sailing through her drug with no issues. We both have come up with NED No evidence of disease in our mammograms. I am over seven years out and she is over eight years out.
I regularly pray for all of you and when you mention concerns I make mental notes of what you post.
Have a good night dear sisters.
Love,
Nancy
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Sisters, thank you for praying for us. I do read your posts and pray for you. I just can't post as much as I used to right now.
Baby Asa is home and doing fine. I don't know if they can diagnose brain damage in a newborn but we pray he doesn't have it. His parents ( our grandson & his wife) are believers.
I am grieving for my dear friend, Penni. I am able to make her laugh and smile, but she's not really 'in there'. She will begin a sentence and it wanders off to making no sense at all. I don't know if she is understanding me. She needs a healing touch from Jesus, and please pray for strength for her husband, Richard, to whom this must be so heartbreaking and difficult. I miss my friend and confidant, my sister in the Lord, and pray she can come back to us. She used to say I was her best friend ever. Such sadness.
We are hanging in there. Glad the trip to Lubbock (4+ hours) is done. Hoping we have the health to visit our old stomping grounds in Ohio for 3 weeks in November. Meanwhile lots to accomplish here in God's strength.
God bless and keep you all,
Ade
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Ade, I am so sorry and I know you are broken hearted over Penni. I have been praying for you this morning after reading your post. I am happy to hear baby Asa is doing fine now and praying that there is no brain damage. I am heading out of town so I have to sign off but I will be praying for you and for Penni and her husband as they navigate these deep waters.
Love,
Nancy
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Thank you for the update, Ade,
That is such difficult news. You've been on my heart all this time. I'm praying for Penni and Richard, and Baby Asa. We are so limited in our resources but Jesus is not. AMEN - I am joining you in prayer that Penni receives a touch from Jesus to aid in her recovery.
Much love,
Esther
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REMBERING 9-11 20 YEARS AFTER
I woke very early this morning and started thinking back to 20 yrs ago on this date. I remember where I was as I imagine each of you also remembers. I was just starting an elementary band class and I remember one of my young boy students talking about a plane hitting a building. I had no idea what he was talking about. It was not until the class was over that another teacher stopped by my room and told me what was going on. I remember parents coming to school to take their kids home just to try to keep them safe as no one knew what was going to happen next. I remember being glued to the TV after I got home from school in disbelief of what had just happened. Fear gripped out nation like nothing I had ever seen before. There are many planes that fly over my house that go to and from the Chicago airports. I remember being scared of planes for some time. People flocked to churches who had not been in church possibly ever before looking for comfort........for answers............for something that made sense. Nothing really made sense except our nation was left vulnerable like we had never experienced before.
As you all look back on your memories of this horrific event in our history and as some of you may attend a memorial service today honoring the innocent victims of that day remember that God is still in control and always has been. If anything this should be a call to action to be a light in this world full of darkness. We are called to tell others of this light that is in each of us that calls ourselves Christians.
So on this day of of reflection let us grasp the reality that we could possibly be living in the end times and we don't want to see anyone perish before hearing that God loves them and that He died for them so that they can live with Jesus for all of eternity.
This is a photo of the 9-11 memorial in NY.
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Amen, Nancy, that was so beautiful. On this day 20 years later, I join you in those prayers.
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Amen, Nancy.
I was teaching a class of third grade gifted students. As soon as class was over I stopped in the office (next room over) just in time to see the second plane hit the tower. We were told not to discuss anything with students without parent permission, but the message got out to kids quickly. Many gifted students are sensitive and the rest of the day I had students drop into my room for a "chat." How do you explain such evil to kids? It was a long day, but the message sent to the world was that the USA came together because we believe in freedom for all. We forgot our differences and helped each other. It also sent many people back to church and God, and provided a topic for witnessing. I would never want anything like this to happen again, but people need to come together over Covid, not separate. Many have, but it is beginning to polarize us again over vaccinations. Pray that we can have honest and open discussions about the need for salvation in these end times.
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Thank you Esther. Let's remember to pray for Esther as she is entering her last full week of radiation treatments and has seven to go. Some of you have had radiation as I have know that it can be a challenge.
Chris, I am going to refer to my last sentence in my first paragraph in my above post. We do find our nation now more divided than ever in the past twenty years. When 9-11 happened we pulled together in unity against a common foe. Today our foe seems to be anyone who disagrees with what we think. My pastor who I love dearly and have ultimate respect for came to our church last Jan. and was only preaching for three months until Covid hit. He has been oriented to our church in a trial by fire if there ever was one. Our church has emerged stronger with many, many people saved over the course of his time here. He has said numerous times lately that no one person can figure out the problems we have today in our country. He said there is no one that has all the answers. He said even with the news we don't know who to trust. He is such a believer of studying Gods word, spending time in prayer, witnessing and being totally surrendered to God in ALL things. Our church has 54 nations represented and I am very proud of that. I believe that is what heaven will look like. All nationalities and varying cultures coming together to worship the one true God. I have been so disturbed by the division not only in our society but in our Christian world. I believe God will show us what truth is and we do not need to rely on what social media tells us or what any one person tells us we should believe other than those pointing us to Jesus and His word only. No news channel has all the answers either. I have refrained from politics on this thread but I had to say this in agreement with Chris. If ever there was a time that we need to ask God to heal our land it is now. If our country continues down this path we will destroy ourselves as a nation if we cannot come together.
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I was home o
n 9/11 having recently retired. Our youngest son Michael was teaching High School and kept having parents show up to pick up their kids.. My husband was teaching across the river and saw the second plane hit. A number of friends were either late to their jobs out of the building at the post office or nearby and escaped! One church member was a fireman whose squad went in to rescue and got out before the building collapse. Our oldest son David worked as an EMT for the fire department and was part of the cleanup for weeks. He still has effects from it. I spent the day at home fielding calls to let me know family and friends were safe. NYC was one of the few school districts to open the next day! Jean Rosenthal0 -
Wow Jean, what an amazing story. I know that must have been so traumatic. I am adding your son to my prayers as he still deals with the effects of his heroic service in the aftermath. I remember how united our nation was after 9/11.
Much love,Esther
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I didn't mean for any of this to be political. I am just passionate about the salvation of the lost. Mike Glen's message this morning (Brentwood Baptist): Who are you more afraid of? The world, or God?
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Thank you all for being real and raw. It has been a heavy last few days and I am going to share a ray of sunshine with you with one of my photos which is meant to cheer us all up. Have a good night dear sisters.
Love
Nancy
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Chris, have you started your new oral chemo now? How is that going so far if you have? I know you are passionate about people coming to the Lord and you expressed yourself. Nothing wrong with that.
Jean, I can't imagine what it was like living in NY on 9-11. I have a good email friend from NY and she said she fully was expecting another building to be blown up on the 20th anniversary. You son David must relive this horror over and over in his mind. I am praying that he will be released from these awful images of horror and devastation. Your husband seeing the plane in real time is just hard to imagine. I am glad so many of your friends were spared. One of the teachers in my junior high when I first started my career in this town was quite a bit older than I and then I moved to elementary as the position changed to full time so I didn't know her well. She lost her son in the Pentagon that day. She is now in the spot light more than she ever imagined she would be. Her son is a hero in our town and there is a footprint on the 9-11 Memorial on our Riverwalk of his. I watched on Cspan on Saturday as they were ringing the bell for every person that died that day. I don't know why that was so important to me but I waited a long time for them to finally say Dan Shanower. That was the least I could do to honor his memory.
GB, when do you start your Taxol treatments?
Shannon, are you continuing to do well on your treatments?
Hershey, I miss hearing from you. Are you doing okay?
Carol, I am guessing you are home now. I hope your three week visit with your sister was a great sister bonding time and a great time for you to feel refreshed and recharged.
Ade, I am praying for you and James as you minister to your dear Penni and as you suffer the grief that comes when losing a person as you once knew them. Also praying for favor with the VA for more disability for James.
Esther, as you get ready to have your boost radiation treatments I pray that you will sail through those as you have done with your regular treatments. I know your complementary treatments have helped you a great deal get through this long ordeal. Praying for strength as you care for your Mom, your job and yourself.
I was finding myself spiraling downward so I signed up for an 8wk class on grief at my church. So I am trading live services to back online as this class meets during my usual service. The class is led by one of the most Godly women I have ever met in person. She is quite a bit older than I am. For many years she has led mission trips all over the world and because of Covid is only doing local mission trips now. She being a breast cancer survivor herself came to the hospital early to pray for me when I had my bc surgery. She became an ordained minister in the last few years and she is a clinical psychologist and church counselor. It is team taught by another man I have great respect for as well and he also is in the mental health field. I had my first session last Sunday and it is going to be powerful. It was the first I was able to verbalize my grief in the loss of my Mom, my house I grew up in which was my connection to my family, my health and my eyesight to a group of people. It has allowed the tears to come which will be healing I believe as I tend to keep that stuff inside.
My day started by oversleeping. I had a cold bath because I had no hot water. I am so grateful that I was able to relight my pilot light after talking to a neighbor to help. I was actually able to try it again and I got it on. That is a great feeling of accomplishment to ask God to help me in the small things and have them answered in a way to allowed me to feel confident in this task as I am a bit afraid of gas.
I hope you all have a great day. I have prayed for each one of you. You are all special to me more than you will ever know.
Love,
Nancy
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Hi everyone!
Please pray for a friend of mine. She is going through chemo. Only four rounds but dose dense.
She has really felt bad. In pray that the side effects get better. I told her to speak with her MO.
I had my 5th Taxol today. Did just fine and feel good. I also met with my plastic surgeon Monday. Learned a lot. I will be having surgery in the early part of November. Part of me is super ready to get it done, and another part of me is nervous.
I have two specific prayer request.
1- pray please that I have better than just good response to chemo. I want and am believing for the cancer to be gone or all but gone going into surgery.2- pray the surgery gets completely clean margins. Nothing left!!!
3- pray the surgery goes as planned with no curve balls and that I come out with two tissue expanders that will be expanded over the coming weeks after surgery.
Love to all and praying for you all daily.
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Shannon, I am praying for your friend who is having a tough time with her side effects from chemo.
Praying for your upcoming surgery. We pray that you chemo is doing the job it was intended to do and we pray as you go into surgery in November that the Lord will give you peace. I pray that the surgeon will get good and clean margins and that you will have the tissue expanders as planned and that no complications will arise during or after your surgery. How many total treatments do you have for Taxol? I am glad you are doing so well with them.
Love,
Nancy
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Nancy, God does care about the smaller details. He has proved Himself to me over and over. Your grief class sounds very interesting. I am still not attending on site church yet even though I am fully vaccinated. I usually attend the classic service and it is held in a smaller sanctuary than the larger one and I am not comfortable with small spaces yet. I started my new oral chemo last night. So far I feel fine. Today I even cleaned house a little and made some coleslaw to go along with dinner tonight. My energy is still good as I have been off my last meds for three weeks. I know it will change but I am taking advantage of it as long as I can.
Shannon, I will lift up your friend in prayer to the Lord and will pray your surgery will be successful and God will use it for your complete healing. I am also thankful you are doing so well on your treatments.
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Nancy, how gorgeous are your sunflowers with the sun peeking through! Your words about 911 were so well put. I am amazed at how several of you ladies have first hand experiences of that day. None of us will ever forget that day and where we were. Alan Jackson's song begins with, "Where were you when the world stopped turning, that September day?" Every Monday our oldest son would come over and have coffee with me and we talked for a couple of hours. What a blessing that was in itself. The first plane had just hit moments prior when he appeared at our door and I led him in to the TV where, in disbelief we saw the second plane hit as it happened. I called James at work and he was the first to hear of it through me. What a terrifying day it was. We are all thankful for peace on the 20th anniversary (meaning no attack that day).
Nancy, I think the grief counseling and just verbally sharing your pain with believers will be used by the Lord to bring you more healing and peace. You are blessed to have a big church where there are plenty of ministry resources.
A friend I went to school with from first grade through high school passed away yesterday after a bout with covid. She had radiation for breast cancer and was diagnosed with radiation pneumonitis. We had reconnected several years ago on facebook and then emailed regularly and we grew close in that time. I shared my faith with her, but you know, you always wonder if you shared enough. I pray the Lord blessed what I was able to share with her and that I will see her in Heaven. It is one thing to be "OK" with "religion"..... but it is another to have a relationship with the Savior Himself, to know without a doubt that your sins have been paid for in full because of His atoning blood on the cross, to make Jesus not only your Savior, but your LORD. It took me many years of being a believer to being a follower of Christ. I think there may be many church goers who are not actually saved. That is the most serious question we will ever face. "Am I going through the motions? Or am I truly saved by the blood of Christ and have made Him the Lord of my life?"
We took food up to Penni & Richard yesterday and I can't see progress in her yet. She greets me with a big smile and we hug as we always did. She can agree with what I say, but she can't put together a sentence that makes any sense at all. It breaks my heart. She doesn't even know she is speaking gibberish. She was able to get out of her chair by herself and taking Richard's arm she shuffled to the door with us to say goodbye. I believe in miracles and will continue to pray for complete healing. One blessing, though, she was lighthearted and like a child, carefree. The worries of this ol' world were far from her.
It is nearly 8:30 and I haven't made supper so I'd better get with it - or be fired! (lol)
Please know I am praying for all of you dear sisters. I know you're going through so much. Be strong in the power of Lord even when you can't see Him at work. He is near and He loves you.
Blessings,
Ade
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Faith, I think about you and pray for you every day. You are not forgotten. I know you are struggling so much and I just feel there has to be a break through for you in this anxiety and depression. Know you are loved and prayed for.
Chris, I am glad you are feeling well. Cleaning house and making coleslaw sound like a great day of energy. I am praying it will continue. I don't blame you for not having in person church. If I was in active treatments I would not either. This class was interesting in that I was sitting right next to someone whose husband had just recently died of Covid. One of the teachers of the class was in the hospital for two weeks with Covid. I was talking to him after class. He had this in July and is still trying to get his stamina back. We are sitting at round tables so we are definitely close to each other and I am not sure how comfortable I am with this. We have a masked mandate in our state now after not having it for a while for those vaccinated. I noticed more people wearing masks in church but in this class it is a mix. I will be praying for you as I always do.
Ade, thank you for your nice comments. I would love to see some of your beautiful TX sunsets. Yes it was a relief to have nothing in the way of terrorist activity happen last Saturday. I am glad your son was with you when this was happening 20 yrs ago.
I am very sorry about you losing another friend. We may not know if our words are enough but we are called to plant the seeds and it is up to the Lord to produce that harvest. I went to church my whole young life without knowing Jesus. I was baptized and went through confirmation. My Mom was a Sunday school teacher and my Dad was an usher. We went to church every Sunday and we were all LOST because Jesus was not preached. I know that is the case with many, many people. I found Jesus because of a young girl working on my crew in the cornfields detasseling corn. If it was not for her persistence I would maybe have never really known what it was like to be saved but she persisted. I eventually went to this retreat she had invited me to and really accepted Jesus as my Lord and savior. The next morning I knew something had happened to me as I had a burning desire to read the Bible. That was something new. I was able to share with my family and my parents came to the Lord and my sister did as well. This young girl that was bugging me about this retreat didn't give up until I finally said yes. A lesson for me to take to heart.
Ade, your friend Penni may have progress but it may be a gradual process. Remember Joanne's grand daughter that in her situation things looked pretty bad and yet she had a miraculous recovery. Not completely healed but certainly more than anyone could have imagined. I know this is so difficult to watch her like this. I remember with my Mom that sometimes that childlike behavior was freeing for her for someone who used to be prone to worry. You are a wonderful friend to provide meals for her and her husband. I am sure they appreciate that and even though she may speak gibberish she still can feel your love and connection to her.
Yes, I know I am very fortunate to have a very large church that has so many opportunities for growth and for ministry. I know this class is going to be what I need. I have been feeling very isolated from my family and alone now and this is something I have not felt before and I am having a difficult time grasping how I will still be able to connect with my sister and niece.
Have a good night dear sisters. You are loved and prayed for.
Love,
Nancy
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Nancy, I my first Taxol is on the 23rd. They gave me an extra week break so I could get covid shot #1. That's on Saturday. I'm nervous from an allergy perspective, but the oncologist thinks it's worth the risk for me to get it.
Having a really bad day at work. I think I might go take a walk outside and try to shake it off.
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GB, praying God gives you peace about your vaccine. I will be praying for your chemo on the 23rd.
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Nancy, I'm thankful you are part of the grief support class. I do pray it's helpful for you. Your church recognizing there is a need for the class is an immense blessing. My little church would be hard pressed to organize and sustain such a group, even as the need is great.
Chris, I continue to pray that you and your husband are able to take your cruise and enjoy the peace and relaxation of the Pacific.
Ade, I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. I continue to pray for Penni's recovery.
GB, I hope all goes well on Saturday and you experience no side effects from the vaccine.
I am in the process of transitioning to part-time remote work. My position is being split: 20 hours remote (me), and 20 hours on-site (a former employee who is returning to the office). I'm thankful to retain my company health insurance and to continue to work at home. COVID cases and hospitalizations are increasing in my community, and an adenovirus is also circulating at my workplace and sending colleagues for PCR tests to rule out COVID infections.
Blessings on your day, dear sisters.
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GB I am praying now that your day at work improves. I know those days like that are no fun. Praying right now for peace not only for your work day but for your covid shot. I am highly sensitive to many meds and I did fine with the first Covid shot. I bet you will too. Sore arm maybe. I am glad your Taxol was moved up. Sounds like you have some good doctors who are realizing your needs.
Chris, praying you will have another good day today. I have been praying that your new chemo pill will not have as many side effects for you as you may be expecting.
Hershey, is your part time position something you wanted or something that just happened. I am glad you will still have your health insurance. Actually my church has had a grief share class for many, many years. This class might be the first where it is led by trained professionals. That is the upside to going to a Mega church. It takes more effort to make connections since there are so many people but I have attended this church since the late 70's so it is home for me.
Esther, as you start your radiation boosts today I am praying that all will go as smoothly as your regular treatments have been.
Have a good day dear sisters.
Love,
Nancy
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Nancy, the work arrangement was negotiated. While I'll miss performing some of my previous duties, overall I'm satisfied with the new organization of responsibilities.
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Nancy and intolight, thank you so so much for the prayers. I know God has me and we all get weary at times. I am wanting to never ever see this disease again. And I'm praying for all of you too
Ade- praying and standing with you for complete healing of your friend. May Jesus come in and correct what the enemy meant for destruction and heal her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes!I am doing well on Taxol. Not as harsh. Although I have lost more hair on it. And am worried it may not be softening the tumor as much as AC did. I really don't know. I know God is able and I know it can go away by the power of His word.
Today has been a lazy day. I have just been still listening for His still small voice.
Thank you all for praying and please know I'm
Reading through prayer requests on here and praying every day.
Hugs and love to all!!
Shannon
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Hershey, I'm glad to hear you had input into this decision. Maybe you will have more time to do things you haven't had time for in the past.
Shannon, sometimes lazy days are just what the doctor ordered. I will continue to pray for your requested needs.
Have a good night everyone.
Love,
Nancy
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Good morning dear sisters,
Just checking in with you and lifting up your prayer requests. I'm sorry that I haven't had a chance to post for awhile. Just when my radiation boosts are beginning and I finally see light at the end of the tunnel, everything else in life became very hectic for me this week. Please lift up my cousin who is diabetic and facing an amputation.
Chris, I am happy you felt well and were making coleslaw. I am always thinking of you and praying for each of you by name.
Nancy, I wish I could send you a Ring video of me struggling with the umbrella mosquito net trying to keep Mr. Buzzy out of my morning coffee routine.
More later- just wanted to send you all my love and prayers-
Esther
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