Thank You

Waiting
I had not expected to hear the results of my CT scan (from a week ago) until my Dr. appointment on Wednesday. But when Maureen called from the office on Friday, I thought she might be calling with the results. No, she just needed to change my appointment to Thursday. That is fine.

We are beginning the season of Advent now, a time of waiting. So we all wait sometimes.

Last week
I was glad to celebrate Thanksgiving with family last week! (One never knows about the weather, but it worked out.) Mom and Dad drove down from Fairview/Comins. Bonnie and Charlie drove in from Erie, PA (with Penny the sweet dog). And Carrie drove in from Philadelphia (and gets the prize for the longest distance!). We all met at Allan's for dinner on Thursday. Uncle Buel and Aunt Betty and cousin Larry came over too (the rest of their family is out west). James, Sarah, Kendall, Eric, Jason, Kaitlin, Heather, A.J. (and the new puppy), Kevin Bargy (who stopped in).... It was so good to see everyone!

Friday, Mom and Dad went to the zoo with John and me to see the butterfly house and the aviary, but we (bundled up and) saw lots of outdoor animals as well. (Our Royal Oak tourist trip.) That evening, John's mom came over for dinner. Saturday morning, the folks left, and later Carrie left (as the weather looked more active on Sunday).

Saturday night, I realized my legs were a bit swollen. Oops! I must have been on my feet too much. They recovered quickly though.

Sunday night, our Disciple Bible study theme was the "Songs of the Heart" from Psalms. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Brutal honesty. Flowery praise. It's all in there. I am drawn to different parts each time I study them.

I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore, I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
"O Lord, I pray, save my life!"

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
the Lord protects the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest,
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
I walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
I kept my faith, even when I said,
"I am greatly afflicted".....

What shall I return to the Lord
for all his bounty to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.....

Psalm 116 (selected verses)


I especially liked that part about "I walk before the Lord in the land of the living".
It is very intentional.

I am thankful to God for breath and all of life.
I am thankful to family and friends for all your care and attention and prayers...
Thanks for reading!
And may God bless you!

CT Scan Today

John and I went to Providence Southfield early this morning for my CT scan. Everything went fine, and I am very thankful for prayers. They said that Dr. Malviya should have the results in a few days, but I do not expect to know anything until my appointment with him the Wednesday after Thanksgiving.

Afterward, John took me to breakfast at a place James told us about in Royal Oak, Cafe Muse. Scrambled eggs with mushrooms. Yum. I kept thinking about food these last few days when I could not eat!

Decorations on My Face

Reflections
Time to catch up again. I will start "light". About two weeks ago, I felt a little something on my face. Hair. I took off my glasses and moved closer to the mirror. Little eye lashes were beginning to grow. And eye brows. And even nose hairs.

The top of my head had more hair too. Earlier, there was a little hair that looked more white. Now there was a little hair and a little more color. And when I pushed up my sleeve, my skin did not feel as smooth as it had. Ah. Little arm hairs were beginning to grow.

Hair has not been all that important lately. But it was fun to notice.
(And no, at least so far, it is not curly, as some had predicted.)


Back to my story...
Way back in October, the plan was for my sister to meet at my house and spend the night, then drive me up to our folks' for our mom's retreat. As it turned out -Big surprise- they were both in the hospital that Saturday: Mom in West Branch, and Bonnie in Erie, PA. It seems Bonnie had a heart attack, and had angioplasty on Sunday night. She seems to be healing, and has started heart rehab. (exercises). We sure missed her at the retreat (and visiting at my house and along the way).

And yes, my mom was released from the hospital that Monday, and I drove us on to the retreat that day. I think she was glad to attend (good speakers, good food, good company), but was plenty tired.

I stayed with them a week and a half for her stress test appointment that next Tuesday. The good news from that was they did not find a heart problem, so were going to try adjusting medicines.

Thanks for caring and praying for them both!

Back Home
The day after I came home, I went to my Dr. Malviya appointment. It did not take all day, and I really had a good time seeing him. Plus, of course, an appointment usually proceeds a chemotherapy session. And this time, there was none.

Afterward, I have been doing some normal-person things. I have been taking yoga at church on Wednesday nights. I did have a more extensive blood draw Oct. 29, in anticipation of my CT scan, and also for my thyroid-check with my family practice doctor (Dec. 7). I finally had a dental check-up (with my same dentist from before I moved, Dr. Andress!), as I could not go during chemotherapy.

Dr. Malviya said to stay active, so am I trying to be intentional about walking. Sometimes I think I am busy. But I always feel better when I do walk. (Once I walked to church for a women's meeting, about three miles, but got a ride home.) I have a soft-pattern of walking one day a week with a classmate/neighbor. What good company!

This weekend, I got to help pass out free hot chocolate in front of the church at the Royal Oak "Holiday" parade. It was very cold, great weather for hot chocolate! A few people wanted to make donations, and it was great fun to emphasize that it was free, "Merry Christmas!" A grace-filled experience. John walked in the parade with a group from church dressed in their costumes for the Dec. 7 "Bethlehem Marketplace". (Tonight between events, John and I walked through the sets being built in the church basement. I'm really looking forward to this!)

This evening was a Royal Oak Community Thanksgiving Service, that I attended and John participated in. So we moved our Disciple Bible Study, usually in the evening, to the afternoon. This week's theme was "Comfort", which was wonderful after reading about exile. This coming week, the theme is "Worship", as we read Psalms (they are poetry, to be read aloud).

Thankgiving
This week, my folks are coming and staying at our house, and we will eat Thanksgiving dinner together at Allan's. Bonnie and Charlie are also planning to come, weather permitting. And from an even farther corner, we are hoping Carrie will be able to make it as well.

I have not been eating solid food this weekend in preparation for Monday morning's CT scan. So I am enjoying thinking about and planning food for later this week!

Mackinac Island!

After many months of silence, the voice of Laura's husband sounds forth again through the medium of the cyber pen! Laura did leave for West Branch late Sunday afternoon. She reached the hospital and saw her mother in the evening, then drove to Fairview and spent the night with her folks. She and her father returned to the hospital Monday morning to find that the decision was made to discharge Mom and schedule an appointment for a stress test a week later. In the mean time, she was given the go-ahead to proceed to Mackinac Island for the Winsome Women Retreat as planned. Unfortunately, sister Bonnie remains in the hospital in Erie, PA where she underwent angioplasty Sunday night. They are sad Bonnie can't be with them.

I talked with Laura tonight and heard that she and her mother arrived safely at Mackinaw City and are checked in at the motel. Tomorrow they float to the Island to be enriched at the retreat and enjoy quality mother-daughter time. It turns out that these days are more of a gift than they had settled for. It sounds like the drive from Fairview to Mackinaw City was beautiful. Laura said "The colors were exquisite!"

Other Hospital Experiences

Once again, thank you very much for your care and prayers. It makes a difference in my life. I am doing well, moving away from that last scheduled chemotherapy, concentrating on healing.

It is my turn to visit the hospital now. Saturday, my sister went into the hospital in Erie, PA with chest pain. That same day mom went into the hospital in West Branch, MI. I am about to go up there now to see my mom.

Hmm-mmmm-mmmmm

Thanks for your kind comments and prayers! It is very good to hear from you, including not-too-far-away "loyal readers" like Bob & Deanie, and also some longer-distance friends from places like Eaton Rapids, one of my "hometowns" Traverse City, and Berlin, Germany! (I need to keep up better - Pat & Ron: Florida?)

I am feeling more energy today, and actually got out for my walk with friend/classmate/neighbor Sue C.

After coming back, I noticed myself humming little tunes!

Post-Chemo #9

What does chemotherapy look like?
It seemed rather mysterious to me before I was so personally involved.
So here is a photo to illustrate my experience. I sat in a chair in a room with three other chairs for patients and either one or two nurses at all times.

I was attached to my IV pole which held bags of clear liquid.

The liquids included (not sure I have them all) saline solution; medicine to protect my stomach; Benadryl to help prevent allergic reaction; another medicine to help prevent nausea; and then the two different "chemotherapies", one at a time.

So one arm has the IV needle taped to my forearm (the right arm on this day). There is a pillow on my lap to provide a stable resting place for the arm (and working surface for the nurse). And my other arm (left on this day) keeps a blood pressure cuff Velcroed around my upper arm, which automatically inflates every 15 minutes to take my blood pressure.

Why don't they just give you a shot?
I would say there is too much to put in my system all at once.
It takes about 5 1/2 hours.

Pride and Vulnerability
One side effect of chemotherapy may be nausea. I once told my doctor that I thought I must be "lucky' that I did not have too much trouble with that. I even have been avoiding the post-chemo anti-nausea pills, as they tend to cause constipation. But I also saw it as an accomplishment, as in "I had some nausea, but I walked it off." Sounds tough, huh?

But tough times can't always just be walked off. There is the question of how much control do we have over our lives? Sometimes we do the best we can. But sometimes vulnerability shows through. My toughest times have tended to be about the third day or so of the cycle. But this cycle, I seemed to be hit harder, which does make sense, considering cumulative effects. I have felt not my best the last couple days, keeping in perspective that I would feel better soon. When Carol M. kindly brought over food on Thursday (a perfect day for help), I told her I would "feel better tomorrow". I expected to.

Cinderella at Gilda's Club
I had signed up for a "Spa Day" Friday at Gilda's Club.. I didn't feel much like going anywhere or eating or even drinking water. But they were holding a place for me, and there was something about reflexology, which I thought meant foot massage. Maybe I would feel better if I just went out. So I am glad I went. There was great kindness and yes, foot massage. I even felt like Cinderella when he helped me on with my socks and shoes.

Better
By Saturday, I am starting to feel better. I ate and drank some more water (which is important). And tomorrow, I plan to feel even better.