Saturday, July 3, 2010

A Saturday for Garage Sales

Today, I will take in some garage sales. That's something Bob and I did most Saturdays. Sometimes you find a treasure. Most of the time, you just look. It's a holiday weekend so there aren't too many.

Right now I must feed the animals and water my hanging baskets. I will leave around 7:00 AM. I may also take Slinky for his walk. He loves his walk.

More later....

I ended up looking at all the garage sales here and also in Independence. I bought a nice glass tray for .75. Then I called Juanita and asked her to go to lunch. We had personal pan pizzas at Pizza Hut.

Now I will read for awhile since it is raining.

I received my Living the Questions DVD in today's mail. It's called First Light.

Friday, July 2, 2010

How Do We Feel God's Love?

God’s Love Shown through Friends
a testimony of God’s love

Last November, as many of you know, Bob and I received our flu shots from the local hospital. We were planning to be chaplains there this year. Within a week, his left arm swelled and we assumed it was a reaction to the injection. A couple of weeks went by and still the swelling persisted. Finally we decided he had better see the doctor. She felt it was an infection and began treating it with antibiotics. Following three weeks of antibiotic treatment, each prescription stronger then the last, and there was no response, she decided he should have an ultrasound, an x-ray and a CT scan. .That series of tests showed a dramatically enlarged lymph node. She then had him scheduled for a biopsy. After examining his tests the surgeon was hesitant to do the biopsy because he would have had to cut deep into the armpit to reach the enlarged lymph node. Bob was diabetic and the doctor said it would be slow to heal.

Bob felt it must not be too serious if the doctor did not encourage him to have the biopsy, so his doctor recommended a nurse practitioner who was trained in lymph edema massage and began treatment for a month. It did not respond to that treatment ether.

Next we went to his regular dermatologist appointment in a larger community. After bringing his medical records up to date with that doctor, the doctor gave him the name of a physician who would do an ultrasound and a needle biopsy. That radiologist immediately recognized it as a form of cancer but would not be able to tell us what type until the biopsy came back.

In the meantime, we saw an oncologist who ordered a PET scan and radiation treatments for the swollen arm.

We had planned a birthday celebration for his 80th birthday. I invited all our friends to surprise him with birthday cards. We received 140 birthday cards.

Following the PET scan and three radiation treatments, he fell in the night and was unable to get up. The next day, the same day of the PET scan results, the doctor ordered hospice care.

He lasted eight days and died the day before his birthday. It was an extremely aggressive form of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung that had spread into the lymph system. During those eight days, all three of our children came home to be with him. During that week, we cooked no meals. Our friends brought in food to keep us all fed. And they came to visit.

Following Bob’s death, almost every day, friends called to check on us. After the children went home, several friends asked me to dinner. I was inundated with 149 cards and letters. Two weeks later, when we held his Celebration of Life, 130 persons packed into our small sanctuary to help us celebrate his life. The outpouring of love has not abated.

How do we feel God’s love? We feel it as we are made aware of God’s loving presence right next to us in the best of our times and the worst of our times. And we feel it through the love of friends who express it to us in the best of times and the worst of times. God never leaves us alone.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Dramatic Thursday

My daughter just called to say one of our members at church is in intensive care at the hospital. She had a transfusion yesterday afternoon and had a reaction to it and spiked 105 temp. They thought they might lose her last night. I will wait until about 10:00 and then go up to see her.

Later, I will go to take my daughter to lunch and give her her birthday gift and card. This is her birthday.

More later....

Lunch was good and Leslie really liked her birthday card and gift. After I got home I went to the florist and got some balloons and a gift for Carletta. Then I went back to the hospital to her room and visited for twenty minutes. She was doing much better. She had no temp all afternoon and she is hoping they will let her go home tomorrow.

Then I went to the Antique Mall and bought a two quart pitcher. I only have one pitcher so it was good to find another...and for only $6.50 too.

Tonight I will watch TV. I've already had my bath.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Wednesday

I hosted the Living the Questions group last night and we had a good discussion and a good time.

This morning, as soon as the grass dries, I will mow. I did not make up my face yet because I will shower and wash my hair after I mow.

I have no other plans for today. It's one of my few blank days on the calendar.

If Leslie and John don't include me in Leslie's birthday plans tomorrow, I will attend the PINCH meeting. But I will have to wait and see.

More later...

I did get the mowing done and also the trimming. I took a shower and washed my hair afterward. I have been reading this evening. Not much going on. Keith called and visited awhile. That was nice. Then Leslie called. She told me their plans for dinner Sunday evening. John is going to grill some of his fish. That will be good and different too. She is still planning on making the homemade ice cream. I may bake cookies.

I may take her birthday gift up at noon tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Regular Tuesday

I went to my sister's this morning and stayed a couple of hours. She is really getting confused. I feel so sorry for her and her husband. There's really nothing they can do.

Later I came home and began my housework. I washed and waxed the kitchen floor, vacuumed, and scrubbed both bathrooms. Now I need to dust. But first I will rest.

Later about 11:30, I will start for Independence. I will have lunch with Leslie. This afternoon, I will dust or maybe I will just rest. I dust every whip stitch so it doesn't need it badly and the dusting is the part I dislike. I am changing my bed and also washing the towels. Scott will be back Thursday evening.

Tonight I have Living the Questions here so I need to bake my brownies later this afternoon. I will just put ice cream on them and call it good.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Busy Monday

What a busy day this has been. After feeding my animals this morning, I drove out to Leslie's and cleaned her house. It took three hours. Leslie's house is easy to clean because it is never cluttered.

As soon as I finished I picked up Juanita for her appointment in Bartlesville at Dr. Eslicker's office. The PA looked her over carefully and I pointed out a suspicious looking place just above her belt line on her lower back. He looked at it through his magnifying glass and agreed. He cut it out and sent it in for biopsy. I hope I am wrong but I think it is a melanoma. Bob had two of those over the last ten years and that's what they looked like. Anyhow, we will know in a week or two. They are very dangerous and usually life threatening.

Then I took her to a small sandwich shop I had eaten at with Doug and Denise. There we had a delicious sandwich made with home made bread and then a piece of raspberry rhubarb pie. She enjoyed it so much that she ordered a second piece to take home.

After I delivered her back to her home in Independence, I came back home. Later I went to the market and bought a few grocerys. After having a bowl of ice cream I settled down to watch some TV and immediately fell asleep. When I awoke, I took my bath and put on my pjs and came in here to update the blog.

Tomorrow, I will go to my brother-in-law's to visit with my sister while he goes to breakfast. After I get home, I will clean my house. I have Living the Questions here that night.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Sunday Church

We got up at our regular time this morning and went to church. Afterward, Leslie and Scott and I went to El Publeto's for lunch. Then Scott left for home.

This afternoon I will do my letters and then watch TV. It will be a quiet afternoon and evening.

Tomorrow I will clean Leslie's house and then take Juanita to Bartlesville to see Dr. Eslicker. She has a few suspicious looking places she wants him to check over.

Then Monday evening I will just stay home and watch TV.

Tuesday, I will go over to Bob and Phyllis' in the morning while he goes to breakfast and then that evening I have the Living the Questions group over for the study and discussion group.

More later...