thread for middle age to older Christian women.
Comments
-
Teka, I LOVE that cute image. Thank you for your prayers and you have mine as well.
I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. It has been great weather here.
Love,
Nancy
0 -
Hi ladies,
I saw an oncologist and colorectal surgeon on Friday. Unfortunately the worst case scenario that I had feared is what he is recommending. I will be having a hemorrhoidectomy hopefully in two weeks. He told me to wait to schedule on Monday so today I called and was very disappointed that I got a voicemail. This lady schedules for three surgeons and she said she would get back to me within 24-48 hrs. so that was really disappointing as I have to depend on friends to drive me etc. I really didn't have time to think and ask questions as he didn't tell me until the very end what he was recommending. He had to do an exam after asking a lot of medical history questions and he was already 30 min off schedule so of course now I have a million questions. I knew from researching beforehand that this surgery is known to be a very painful recovery. He was very honest in saying you will be in quite a lot of pain for the first two weeks. I don't do well with pain meds so I am getting very anxious about this. I have watched quite a few patient videos who have posted their experience on YouTube with this surgery and initially it was very helpful and then I watched some last night that scared me to death. I have a lot to do to prepare both inside and outside my house as I was really thinking it would be a less invasive surgery with a simple recovery. I would appreciate your prayers for peace as I can feel my anxiety level rising.
I hope you all have a great week.
Love,
Nancy
0 -
Nancy, I am so sorry to read your report. Please know you are covered in my prayers that the surgery will not be painful and that you will tolerate the pain medication if necessary.
GB, how are you doing? I am praying your work situation calms and you are safe from others' illnesses.
I am waiting a call from the radiologist office to schedule my biopsy. I apparently still have the chemicals from the meds in my body as I still am not feeling well, and of course have back pain from the spine lesions. I guess it was wishful thinking on my part that being off meds would give me energy! I still have to be on the Faslodex, however, so perhaps that is it. Such a small thing to worry about knowing what the rest of you are going through.
I am praying for you all knowing the collective prayers of many are answered.
0 -
Oh, sweet Nancy, I'm sorry! I wish the news had been different. Will you have any help to drive you, shop for groceries while you won't feel up to going out? I will be praying, too, that the surgery goes as well, or better than expected.
Chris, thank you for the update. I hope the biopsy gets scheduled quickly so that your team can plan your treatment.
GB and teka, I pray for peaceful days for you, and all the rest of my sisters here.
Much love,
Carol
0 -
Oh dear Nancy, I am so sorry to hear your report. I did have one of those, but it's been about 30 years ago and I don't remember a lot about it. I do remember being afraid to "go" after I got home but that turned out not to be so bad, it was just the area that was uncomfortable and made it hard to sit anywhere for long. I also don't tolerate pain pills well either, but don't recall what I took at that time. I know I always take any pain pills with food. We didn't have internet and you tube back then, but I have a tendency to "search" things out because I think the more I "know" the better, just in case I don't hear everything I need to know. I have scared myself doing that more than once, remember sometimes others may try to be dramatic in their descriptions. Also, you have an army of prayer warriors surrounding you!
Praying for you all.
Love, Wheatfields
0 -
Chris, I hope you can get your biopsy scheduled quickly. My scheduler did not call and since she gave me 24-48 hrs to respond I was not holding my breath. I did get out and get groceries as I was afraid she might call when I was gone. I should have given her my cell number but have missed calls when sometimes my phone does goofy things and I don't hear it ring.
Thank you all for your kind words, prayers and encouragement. I have been pretty busy today and that is a good thing right now. Wheatfields, I can't remember if I shared this or not but 31 years ago I had a procedure where they burnt off the hemorrhoids. I think it was just done in my gasto's office as I didn't remember going to a hospital. I remember exactly that part of my life. I had moved from my apt to a temporary housing until I found the house I am in now. I remember crying in the bathtub I was in so much pain after the surgery. I probably called the doctor and when he saw me again he apologized and said he burnt more tissue than he should have and then he said I wouldn't be surprised if you never wanted to come back again. So I vividly remember that situation and that is not helping me any. I listened to this surgeon who specializes in these surgeries on YouTube and she was very much into natural remedies plus some meds that are probably not usually given. She said her patients outcomes were "different" than other doctors even though she said we probably did the very same techniques. She meant they had an easier recovery with less pain. The thing is I don't know anything yet but I obviously need to get information from someone soon.
I do have a friend who is waiting in the wings for me to let her know when the surgery is. She will take me to wherever this surgery will be. This is a very special friend who was with me during my hysterectomy less than two years ago. I was in a lot of pain then since they had to go the abdominal route unexpectedly but I was also getting pain meds through my IV's and they added anti nausea meds too. I was in the hospital for three days. This is supposed to be outpatient so I won't have nursing staff around 24/7 tending to every need. My hysterectomy was supposed to be outpatient too but I told one of the surgeons I will have no one with me at home. So due to complications during the surgery it ended up three days in hospital which was good for me but I am sure a real pain for my friend who has her own family and husband to take care of. I suppose I could do the same and tell them no one will be here that first night. I do have a neighbor who is going to be my pharmacy runner and will check on me the first night home. I do have a lot of people that could help. I am just very shy about asking for help. Another neighbor can help me with Cammie and her litter box changes. Unfortunately my brother in law has macular degeneration and driving has become a challenge. My sister is afraid to drive up here and frankly I don't want her to because she would not handle all the traffic very well.
Wheatfields, did you see my pics I posted with you in mind. You may have to scroll back a little. They are yellow Goldenrods. Not sure if you know what those are but they are common prairie flowers around here.
Carol, another great blog post. You may not like my "pink" license plates".
There is nothing like a surgery for me to kick into high gear in cleaning mode which I was already in anyway. This is just speeding up the process. I scheduled a carpet cleaning company to come next week. I have a carpet cleaner machine but it is just becoming too hard for me right now.
I will be having construction right outside my house during my recovery. Today the jackhammers were blasting away so I ordered some earplugs today knowing that sleep may be difficult in the first few weeks of recovery without noise and may be really challenging with the noise.
It has been such beautiful days here and I hope to be able to enjoy them sometime before the cold hits.
Take care dear sisters. I am praying for you all.
Love,
Nancy
0 -
Oh yes, I did see the pics of the yellow goldenrod fields! I don't think I realized what they were called and have never seen such a thick field. In fact I have "stolen" one of the pictures and now have it on my phone to look at. I will give you credit though when I show it to anyone 😊. I am glad you have a good friend who will help and many others who will run some errands for you. I know what you mean about having a nice clean house while you are recovering. We'll be praying for you! And thank you for the posting the yellow flowers.
0 -
Nancy, you may have the pinkest of all pink license plates!
The ladies here (and our gentlemen friends) understand and maybe we're "entitled" to wear or display pink. I actually strongly dislike the word "entitled" but I couldn't come up with anything better. I'm glad you have a friend who can be with you and help you out. I didn't realize your hysterectomy was only two years ago. OUTPATIENT??? Who are they kidding? I was in overnight but was glad to have someone keeping an eye on me. As I recall, they took out the staples the next morning. I had a pretty big incision because my uterus was so large. I still have the "shelf" from that surgery.Carol
0 -
Wheatfields, I am honored that you stole one of my pics. LOL Are you feeling any better now?
Carol, I was supposed to have a robotic laparoscopic surgery. My gyny surgeon brought another oncologist on board and this guy thought I had a rare and very aggressive form of cancer as all the tests I did to figure out what this "thing" was could not properly identify it and malignancy could not be ruled out. So I went into that surgery thinking my life was going to be very different and much, much shorter than I had ever imagined when I woke up. I woke up to two pieces of news. That my oxygen level fell to dangerous levels when AFTER they had already made the five incisions and put me in a slanted position. So they had to go to plan B and have an abdominal incision instead. The good news was it was not the aggressive form of cancer they thought but it was precancerous. The bad news is I had bandages all over with all of the incisions and was quite bummed out that I had the abdominal surgery. It took me a while to celebrate the fact that my life was not over because I was so utterly disappointed that I had a long and hard recovery in front of me. Now to face this again so soon is not an easy pill to swallow as this will make my 7th surgery. I have never asked why but have just cried out to the Lord for His help again!!!!
The shelf?
0 -
Nancy, I'm praying for strength for you!
The "shelf" is the bit of stomach that is right above the incision. It kind of hangs over like a shelf. I'll spare you the pictures!
Carol
0 -
Ladies, I am asking for prayers for wisdom and direction. I just got off the phone with the scheduler for surgery. When I told her I didn't have a chance to ask the surgeon important questions like I live alone and no one will be staying the night with me she said you can't do that. If I do the outpatient surgery it is going to be on Oct. 17. However if I can't figure out this situation then it will have to be at a hospital way out of town. I cannot ask my friend to drive me clear up to this other hospital. I think I am probably going to be pretty miserable and may not sleep at all anyway but who knows.
My friend who was with me for my hysterectomy said I was really out of it when I got up to my hospital room. I need to ask her more about that if she remembers. My friend who stayed with me overnight for my breast surgery has dementia and can't drive now anyway. At that time I thought I could tough it out on my own at home and in recovery I called her and asked if she could stay the night. She was already planning to stay with me that evening so it worked out fine.
So I guess I have never had general anesthesia without someone staying the night with me. When I was younger my parents came and one year my sister and niece came.
I need peace and direction. If I am in a lot of pain I just want to be alone dealing with it.
Carol, yep, I know what you mean. Same here.
Love,
Nancy
0 -
Nancy, I'm glad the scheduler contacted you. I do hope a friend or family member will be able to stay overnight with you.
I'm not sure if this option is available in your area, but Care.com offers post-surgery care and services.
https://www.care.com/post-surgery-care
I've sometimes thought of using their services if my husband or neighbor was unable to stay with me.
Your surgeon or the office nurses may be able to recommend a local staffing service as well.
I'm praying that care arrangements all work out for the very best.
0 -
Thank you Hershey. I am actually considering the in hospital overnight surgery. My friend texted me late tonight and said she would be okay with driving me out of town. I was hoping she would have said that earlier because I would have called the scheduler back and asked what the date for that would be. I don't think my friend realized the out of town alternative was in hosptial over night. More than likely it would be a longer wait to have the surgery. The head of our zoom Bible study when I texted her for prayer said she could drive me, stay with me, take me home and stay overnight and I could tick that off my prayer request. She went on to say if I had cats she would have to take lots of allergy meds. I just said I do have a cat and I wouldn't put you through that. She didn't realize I already had a driver. I started to do some online searching for over night nursing care and I got through all of it until I had to submit send without knowing pricing or anything and I just exited. I have felt the Lord say WAIT when I was praying and asking for direction. So I will wait a little further.
Have a good night dear sisters.
Love,
Nancy
0 -
Hi ladies.
I had an outpatient surgery scheduled which would have been minutes from my house and after praying about it I just knew that it would be best for me to be in the hospital over night. So now my surgery is going to be an hour away in hospital and over night.
It required my friend who will drive me to have to reschedule an important doctor apt which she did and I had to change several doctors apts as well but I know I will be more comfortable knowing there will be nursing staff there if I need it post surgery. I was most concerned about inconveniencing my friend who is driving but she assured me she was fine with it. She is still recuperating from a huge foot surgery she had back in March.
The concerning thing is that there is a prep for this. It would be a very diminished version of a colonoscopy prep. I have to do a Fleet enema (sorry for the TMI) at home before leaving for this hour long trip. YIKES So that is a bit of a concern.
I have watched some helpful YouTube videos on this surgery and then others that have scared me to death. I actually was watching this video from a lady surgeon who does these surgeries and she said it is the most painful surgery on the planet. Now why in the world would she put out a video and say that. NOT HELPFUL!!!! What has been helpful is my Zoom Bible Study. This lady who I had never seen on this Zoom class came on and it was as if she was there just for me which of course was not the case but............she said she had this same surgery and someone prayed and fasted for her and she had NO pain afterwards. She said I would do that for you but she is diabetic and can't fast. The leader of the Bible study said I can do that for you. So I am really touched by the love and concern and uplifting I am getting from this group even though most don't have their videos on for me to even see who they are. Our group is called Adorned Sister's Circle because our study is the Adorned series. A couple of the ladies talked about praying Psalm 91 every single day. One lady said she had memorized it all in the Amplified Bible which was impressive. Some of these ladies are strong and dynamic Christians and I aspire to be that as well.
I would appreciate your prayers especially as fear creeps in as much as I am fighting against that.
Chris, have you scheduled your biopsies yet?
Teka, how are you doing as your knee replacement is coming on Oct. 31.
Have a good day dear sisters.
Love,
Nancy
0 -
Nancy, I will join in the prayer and include Psalm 91. What day and time? I will fast if I can. I believe in the healing power of God through community prayer and know God can do this. I am thankful your friends and Bible study group have stepped up to help. I worry about you being alone.
My biopsy is scheduled for Monday. I am am a little nervous as this is a spinal biopsy and I am sure will not be pleasant.
0 -
Chris, I will definitely be praying for your biopsy for Monday. I am not sure what you meant about day and time. My surgery is on Friday, Oct. 21 and I won't know the time until the day before. As for praying for me I don't think there is a designated time for that to happen. I appreciate your offer and I love you for that but I am not sure this would be the best thing for you now to fast. I will leave that up to you. No specific time involved.
I just received a message sent early this morning from my Medicare plan. I get a lot of calls from them wanting me to do the house calls program but this time I could not hear this lady AT ALL. I even looked online as I can read phone messages and the number she gave doesn't even make any sense as it is too many numbers. Hope it wasn't important.
Love,
Nancy
0 -
Nancy, I'll surely be praying for you and so glad your friend and others from the bible study group are offering help. As a single person I think you made a very wise decision in picking the overnight stay at the hospital. They will be able to help with any pain and give you some suggestions on what to do at home, and you'll also have their phone number if need be while at home. Your friend sounds like my friend who is a nurse, she would put aside anything to help. I'll be gone to AZ to visit my sister and brother in law from the 14th to the 24th but will be praying for the very best outcome. (P.S. I like your pink license plates even from here).
Carol, that was a good blog with a lot of food for thought. Chris, I'm also praying for the biopsy on Monday with good results and pain free.
Praying for all of you.
Love, Wheatfields
0 -
Hello ladies, I've been having BCO issues. My hands have been hurting so I wanted to log in on my computer rather than my phone (easier to type) but I forgot my password and BCO won't allow a password reset for some reason. I've tried multiple times and it won't send me the password reset email. Hmm. So I'm finally on my phone.
Life goes on. Still banished from my office but managing. They are slowly doing repairs and I'm getting used to being around other people which is probably a good thing although I'm aware of the risks. Exposure therapy. Literally. I'm not as lonely at work though! It's a lesson in trust, for sure. Still not happy with my hair. I might search BCO or start a thread to find others with wildly uneven curls. Part of my hair is straight, part wavy, part curly. It's uh, interesting. I'm not surprised it ended up like this because it fell out unevenly during chemo. Part fell out with AC but some hair made it until partway through the Taxol.
Also started PT. My ankles are exceptionally tight per the PT, so it's no wonder even walking gives me a fit. We're doing little things to start working them. I will probably blow through my PT days, but if it gets me walking easier, then it's worth it.
0 -
Wheatfields, thank you. Yes, my friend is a gem for sure and I really appreciate her so much as I know you do your nurse friend that goes with you to your doctor apts. BTW My license plate HOLDERS are pink, not my whole plates. They are quite faded now but still pink. I suppose there is an all pink version out there somewhere though! How is your stomach doing now?
GB, I am still having computer issues and I can't log on quite a few times but it is my issue not BCO's. I am glad you are feeling less lonely at work. I hope your PT will work for you to give you some relief. I am sure there are many women having hair issues after chemo. If you can't find any threads addressing that I bet if you started your own thread a lot of people would post. My hair changed during the time I was on an AI. I have naturally curly hair and my hair got straighter during the last years of my five on Anastrozole. Now that it has been a few years off of it my hair has gone back to curly again. Go figure. Praying for you.
Have a good day dear sisters.
Love,
Nancy
0 -
Hi ladies,
Chris has her bone biopsy tomorrow, Monday, so let's remember to lift her up in prayer. I pray that you will feel no pain and that this procedure will go by quickly. Praying it is not cancerous and if not praying for a treatment solution.
Carol, I forgot to say that your 10 days visiting your sister in AZ sounds wonderful. One of the top things on my bucket list is to be able to travel to photograph the Red Rocks which I imagine you will see quite a lot.
I would appreciate your prayers for me as my insomnia has really been off the charts. I think I have found the right combo of meds and then I then I can't sleep. I had to miss church and watch online today because of that.
On a more cheery note the last two days I have had what I think is a juvenille Downy Woodpecker feeding from my hummingbird feeder. The hummers are gone now but in our area we are advised to leave the feeders up at least two weeks into Oct for any migrating through coming from the North. That has been fun and unusual to see for sure. Little Woody is so cute and seems to be pretty friendly through my glass patio door.
One of my good friends participated in the Chicago Marathon today. She is my age and is a bc survivor as well. She has arthritic knees and a few months ago I thought she was going to have to have knee replacement but this is something she really wanted to do to raise money for clean water in India through World Vision. She developed some bursitis in her hip during training. She was SO excited last night and I am sure today as well. She is walking and I think secretly trying to walk 13.1 miles. A few weeks ago her goal was to walk 7hrs on a Saturday. She was one of the World Vision top fundraisers and I was proud to support her and the mission. I am so proud of Mary Alice, a Godly woman who I am proud to have as a friend for almost 50yrs.
Have a good day dear sisters. We are having a beautiful fall. I have had to cover my flowers the last two nights. I know I need to throw them out before my surgery but I just can't bring myself to do it yet.
Love,
Nancy
0 -
Hi everyone. Nancy, your little visitor sounds fun. I am praying for your surgery on the 21st.
GB, sorry you are having trouble with your hands. You are a trouper for hanging on at work so long. Praying for your situation.
My husband's BDay is tomorrow but since I have my biopsy then, we are celebrating today. I made his favorite lasagna and invited family over. I am doing everything in bits and pieces so I can manage. I am having issues with my back and left eye, but I am am coping. It is good to have family close by.
Thank you for your prayers. Chris
0 -
10.10.2022 Hello to all. I just wanted to say hello to you, and that I'm happy to have found this Forum. Suites me great! I read back from recent, a number of pages, and want you to know that you will have added prayers of mine, each and every day, especially Chris, I believe, who is having a biopsy on her back today.
Looking forward to the conversation! Take care, everyone!
~ Wanda
0 -
Welcome Wanda. I am glad you found us. This is a great little community. Jump right in which it sounds like you already have.
Chris, you are covered in prayer. Praying for a painless procedure and a good outcome.
My friend Mary Alice, who walked the Chicago Marathon yesterday walked 19 miles. I couldn't believe it. She knew she would not finish. She was among the last participants as they had already cleared out the water stations. We were supposed to have a victory lunch but my surgery is going to postpone those plans I think. She lives an hour away from me but is expecting to help me after my surgery. She has grit for sure.
Woody has appeared at my hummingbird feeder for three days in a row. We'll see if this continues. I need to change out the nectar and then see. One lady from this neighborhood app I am on said she couldn't figure out why her nectar was completely gone in the morning after being filled the day before. after the hummers have migrated. She got a trail cam. Guess what was drinking out of her feeder.................drum roll................. BATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I saw a bat on my feeder I would think of Count Dracula. LOL It is that time of year.
Take care dear sisters.
Love,
Nancy
0 -
Hi All.
My biopsy on my spine came back negative for any malignancy. It is a benign spinal hemangioma (blood tumor) which does still need to be dealt with as it causes pain and can grow more and cause additional problems. But it is not cancer! Praise the Lord my MRI, biopsy, and latest PET scan all show no active cancer. The hospital and doctor all don't know what to do with me. They are not used to hearing about God healing stage IV cancer--or even the word "remission" when dealing with cancer that metastasized to the extent mine was. They won't even say it. I see my radiologist Friday and oncologist next Tuesday so I will let you know what else they say.
Thank you for your continued prayers. Now I need to get my body back to its normal levels as six and one/half years of oral chemo has messed it up a bit. And I will stay on Faslodex to keep my hormones low, but the medicine has done its job and God did the rest. I am sure there are still cancer T-cells floating around in my body, but for now anyways I will remain proactive to keep it quiet.
Join me in praising God for continued healing!
Chris
0 -
Chris, that is SO awesome. I have prayed for years for you that God would give you many more years on this earth with good quality life to be with your family. I will continue to pray that and thank Him for the miracles He is doing for you.
Love,
Nancy
0 -
Chris, I'm so happy and thankful for your good news.
Nancy, you are in my thoughts and prayers daily!
Love to all,
Carol
0 -
Chris, Praising the Lord along with you and rejoicing in a good report. Nancy, continuing prayer for you and surgery on the 21st. A special welcome to Wanda. And praying for each of you.
Love, Wheatfields
0 -
Chris all I can say is Awesome! Truly a miracle! Jean
0 -
Hi everyone,
We are glad to welcome Wanda to our little community. I hope she will feel comfortable in sharing with us. We are glad to have you.
Chris, I bet everyone enjoyed your lasagna dinner and that your DH had a good birthday. Thank you all for your prayers. My zoom Bible study is praying for me as well. The leader is very dynamic with great faith and she is praying that my hemorrhoids would just go away and no surgery. That would be great. Chris if given the opportunity I may share about your miraculous healing. I may have mentioned I have been praying Psalm 91 every day and night. You would be amazed how many people have YouTube videos on Psalm 91. Of course many pastors have preached on it but I was especially touched by a young lady who looked like she was in possibly a modest apartment or home. She said have you ever walked with someone who was carrying the umbrella. (in reference to Psalm 91) She said if you walk out ahead of the umbrella you are going to get wet. If you don't keep up you will lose the covering as well. But if you stay close to the One who has got you covered you are going to be safe and protected. I may be loosely interpreting what this young lady had to say but you get the point. Psalm 91 is full of promises BUT it comes with conditions as well. If we expect to receive these promises we are to dwell in the shelter of the Most High. We must live and be with the Lord always in order to dwell with Him and receive His promise.
I have had a bit of a setback. I had been heavily depending on Preparation H products for weeks to manage my pain going into this surgery. I had started feeling unusually anxious and my sleeplessness has been off the charts. Things all came to a head Monday night with NO sleep the whole night. My heart was racing the whole time and I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin. I recognized a drug interaction or so I thought. I knew that the suppositories were not to be used for a long time period and I also knew that bp meds and thyroid meds could be affected. So I thought that the suppositories might be the cause so I stopped all of he OTC meds for this issue other than Tylenol and my sitz baths. When I got a good night's sleep Monday night I thought I had figured it out but last night I had issues as well. I would really appreciate your prayers for wisdom in figuring this out and for good sleep. Come Friday I will have to stop most meds before surgery anyway so I may not be able to experiment much to find out what is causing this.
I just had my carpet cleaned and even though it was really expensive they did a great job. One of the guys was a fairly new hire from Ukraine. It was interesting to talk to him. He owns a rug cleaning company which is still in business and his parents are running it in Kiev, Ukraine. I had hoped to finish cleaning out my fridge but all the dining room chairs are now in my very small kitchen. Maybe I am supposed to take a break. Can't do much with my outside cleanup as it has been raining for a few days.
Let's remember to pray for Teka who has her knee replacement on Oct. 31. If she is like me I am sure she has a list of many things that need to be done by then.
Take care dear sisters.
Love,
Nancy
0 -
Nancy, of course you may share. I would shout it from the mountaintop if I had the energy to climb it! I have many friends who have been praying for me for the last 6 1/2 years and I keep them informed. I am anxious to hear what my oncologist has to say about it--not in a negative sense, but I wonder how she handles it. My radiologist shared it with the hospital oncology forum already and I will ask her their response when I see her on Friday. My prayer is that God may be glorified and others will gain hope and strengthen their faith. My main prayer aiways has been the salvation of my family. Recently my nieces have reached out to me via email and I am thankful for that as it is a new area for my testimony. When you pray for God to broaden your borders, He is faithful to do that!
In the meantime, I pray daily for your upcoming surgery and that God will remove your pain and guide any medical staff to your best care. I also pray for your sleep issues knowing first-hand how debilitating this can be to your day. I also pray for others here, gb, Carol, Teka, and it is always good to hear from Jean. There are others who are silent but I know they are here. May God continue to bless this forum and use it for His glory. Chris
0
