Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from our corner of Iowa where we are getting a taste of winter. It is November after all.  Although our plants are still trying to hang on!  This weekend will probably be there last hurrah.  

Joel spent the week working on a woodworking project for the grandchildren plus getting some yard work done, taking care of me and the house, and driving us back and forth too Rochester on Wednesday and Thursday.  Sadly, He has not gotten in any bike rides.And it's pretty cold now for them.  

Thursday I had an appointment for another infusion, but first of all, blood work at six thirty a m and then a doctor appointment at eight.  This doctor was very good at giving us details of why things are happening like they are.And we were able to move forward with the second infusion.  We should know by the end of December whether.It's helping it all to slow down.Or stop the cancer from growing.  

On monday, our youngest daughter stopped in for a few minutes.And on tuesday night, our oldest.Son arrived around eight o'clock visited with his mom until her bedtime and then spent time with his dad.  We had Wednesday morning together before he headed back to S. Iowa, we napped and then we headed north to Rochester. 

Of course, god connected us with a couple there.  The 57 yr old  man was going through chest wall sarcoma.Also, but was able to do the surgery and was recovering well.  He did seem anxious and scared?And I don't blame him, but he's really well on the road to recovery.I can't get the man's face out of my mind.So i've been praying for him ever since.  

Grateful for the doctor we saw on thursday and how quickly he defined.What is going on with my immune system?And all of reactions.  Grateful a second infusion is behind me and praying for better tolerance.  Grateful to see our youngest daughter and our oldest son this past week.  Grateful for all Joel does to take care of us.  Grateful for god guidance for every step of this journey.   Grateful for phone calls, text emails and all the love. And support..  thankful for all this.And so much more.

Enjoy your weekend.

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good saturday to you from our corner of north  Iowa on this first day of November It has been such a warm fall, although this week, we were able to get my wool comforter out and put that on the bed.  I know I sleep better when I use my woolly.  I ordered it from Shepherd's Dream years ago.  

Joel has been doing yard work and woodworking projects, taking care of the house and me.  My mother used to tell me that he was a saint and I think she's right.  He has gone on only one bike ride. Unfortunately other things get in the way. 

On October 23 I saw the orthopedic surgeon and the thoracic surgeon over at Mayo clinic.   The news was what we expected, except even more so.  Bottom line is that the surgery would not work for me.Because even if I survived the 8 hr surgery, the recovery would be brutal, and there's still a fifty percent chance of the sarcoma coming back.  The tumor is against three ribs pushing on the right lung, on the diaphragm and leaning on the liver.So you know it's big.  The only option is immunotherapy, not to shrink it or remove it, but to try to keep it from growing at its fast pace.  I have never been so sick in my life as on immunotherapy. For me chemotherapy was easier.But I was younger and stronger.  In the past, I would  just push my way through things.But I cannot do that now.And find any.... activity ..any activity exhausting.  At the end of the day, I am still here, and I am believing that God is fighting for me.  

Joel really enjoys Halloween because of the kids..  He likes to sit on the porch and hand out candy.  Last night even with the rain, we had eight bags of candy disappeared.  Joel ended up getting a bunch of teenagers, skipping up, and down the street with his different variety of skips that he has.  One of the kids said you're really cool... Another said you made my night.   He had great fun.  

We continue to need to thank so many for their thoughts, their messages and their prayers.  This is a hard journey and one where you can ask questions like, why?But with effort we can say God, we don't understand but we trust you

Grateful today to still be here and to be able to enjoy my husband's fun time with the teenage trick or treaters.  Grateful for all the doctors who looked into all the research of what to do for me. Grateful for all those who believe in the power of prayer.  Grateful for homemade chicken soup that brings comfort.   Grateful for all of you. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

It is a beautiful, warm October day here in northern Iowa. Our large maple tree down on the end of the cul-de-sac has not even change color yet.  So strange.  

Joel spent another couple weeks working on the garage windows.  Now he's out mowing the grass.  He has ridden his bike only a couple of times as between outdoor work, indoor work and taking care of me, he's kind of busy.  

I have been staying close to home.Having gone only one time in ten days to the park to sit and look at the beauty around me. I don't like where I find myself.But rest seems to be the name of the game until we find out exactly what's going on.  I  apologize for not writing more on facebook or my blog.But I just haven't had it in me.  I'm dealing with a lot of fatigue in an annoying tickle type cough that came about a month ago.  Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with mayo clinic.Trying to get the necessary MRI set up for next Monday.  With God's help, it is done.And I will have an MRI Monday morning, a blood draw,  and then see the Sarcoma specialist..   This journey has been a roller coaster ride in body, soul and spirit.And I hope to write about it soon.  There have been times that God has been silent.There have been times he has shut doors and there have been times where he has told me to be still because He's got this.

Today, I am grateful for Joel and all that he does to support me, to care for me, to maintain our home and to pray for me. Grateful God intervened and I have a test on Monday.That will help the doctors.  Grateful for a warm Fall day.  Gradeful, for encouraging phone calls, emails and texts with pictures thrown in that  brightened our days.  Grateful for all this and so much more.

Enjoy your weekend.

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this final September weekend where we're having exceptionally warm weather.   The flowers are enjoying the rain and the heat.  We went to a local market this past week and picked up a beautiful mum plant, some squash and some mini pumpkins for the house.. Now, we just need the cooler weather to help us believe Fall is really here.  

Joel has spent a lot of the week outside again redoing our garage windows.  On thursday, he went with his colleague group that meets once a month. They s time have a twenty five year history.  He fills the rest of his time with grocery shopping, and cooking and biking. So much energy. 

I spent most of the week close to home.Although we did go to the market to buy the mum plant which was nice.  One trip to Hyvee grocery store....We heard from Mayo clinic on Tuesday that my 1st appointment would be November tenth, which was quite upsetting.  Waiting seven weeks to be seen  when I have an aggressive rare cancer does not seem right. But there are few sarcoma specialists to be found anywhere, even Mayo clinic.  By friday, that appointment had been changed to november third and I will also be seen by an  orthopedic surgeon on october twenty third. We are still hoping that by being on the cancellation list I will get earlier appointments.  To be honest, all of this is turned my stomach into a stress ball which causes a lot of digestion issues.  Which means waking me up at night or early in the morning with stomach pains.  When my body is under a lot of stress, it responds with physical symptoms.  I still have been walking fifteen minutes a day.And attempting to do one or two things to keep the house going, but I also need those morning and afternoon naps.  Wish I could tap into Joel's energy source

 I figured out how to put our P.B.S app on the roku t v this week.  So now we can watch any of the PBS shows on our TV, which is great for us. One show we enjoy is called the Marlow Murder club. Of course, there's All Creatures Geat and Small.  And old favorites like Father Brown and Sister Bonaface. There is also a comedy show called Happy's Place  starring Reba.Mcintyre and that is pretty good.  We feel like these are all better options for us at night.  

So this week, I am grateful for a new mum plant to brighten the front of the house and for pumpkins to make us smile.  Grateful for fall and all the colors and smells and sounds that come with it.  Grateful for an appointment set up and changed to a week earlier, and the hope that we'll still get a better cancellation.  Grateful that we have so many people encouraging and supporting us.  Grateful for the p b s app. Grateful for all the texts, the phone calls and the emails that we receive on a daily basis.  Grateful for all this, and so much more.  

Enjoy your weekend.!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good saturday to you on this September day, in northern iowa, where the leaves are just showing a little color in different places. It is my favorite time of year.  Our resident squirrels have been digging holes in our flower pots to bury winter goodies, which they probably never will find again.And we have a resident rabbit who comes out every evening and grazes on the leaves of our petunia.  Joel and the rabbit seem to have some sort of agreement that if he chews on the leaves and not the flowers, it's all okay.  Our geraniums and black eyed Susan are still flowering .....out of reach to the bunny.

Joel spent a week doing outdoor projects on the house and catching up on office work.  Thursday He and 4 others from Trinity church took a ride around Clear Lake..  That's quite a large lake that they go around.  He also got a couple other bike rides in.  Last night we both made homemade pizza together using a cauliflower crust that we purchased.  We add refried black beans as a topping for sauce, ground turkey, cheese and black olives. Joel adds red sauce to his.   A fun treat!  

I have been trying to do a few things around the house.  I made Joel cookies with a bit of his help. Walking 15 minutes most days.  Making bathrooms sparkle.  It seems right now that I need two naps a day.So that takes up time.  Morning is coming early for me around five o'clock.  We heard from Mayo clinic on wednesday and I answered a lot of questions for 2 different people.  We will hear from them by this coming.Wednesday. I also contacted my lymphedema p t and she wants to be part of the team that will be set up for me.  It is a roller coaster ride of emotions as we walk this journey.  One day at a time..  So grateful for everyone's love and support.  

We have been watching a show on hulu live called Saved by the Barn.  It is actually a show about a sanctuary in Michigan, where they rescue farm animals, mostly. We love stories about animals.And this is very encouraging and very interesting..  it is so hard to find anything decent to watch.   Another good show is on prime video called The Repair Shop.  It takes place in England and I may have mentioned it before.. People bring in family treasures to be restored.  

This week we are grateful that a place like Mayo  clinic is less than two hours from our home.  We are grateful for all the medical people who make up that world.  We are grateful for all the love and support.We have received from people when sharing this latest medical drama.  Grateful that fall is on its way Grateful for all the colors and the smells and the sounds of Autumn.  Grateful and Joel has homemade cookies again and we both have enjoyed homemade pizza.  Grateful for t v shows that distract us at night.  Grateful for bike rides around the lake for Joel.  Grateful for our resident rabbit and squirrels that entertain us.  Grateful for the quiet neighborhood we live in.  Grateful for God's promise to always be with us.   Grateful for phone calls emails and texts. Grateful for all this, and so much more.

Enjoy your weekend.

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this hot and humid weekend in Iowa.   We are heading towards ninety degrees for both days and breaking records I expect. Summer has definitely returned and is not giving up easily.  

Joel got in a couple bike rides this past week, but certainly nothing like last summer.  He's been putting together a cart to hold some of his wood pieces and doing other worthwhile projects in the garage.  He did clean all the floors in the house.This week, which is a project in and of itself.  Mostly he's joined me as we played the waiting game for results of tests.  I have been recovering from the biopsies and the draining of the fluid. Managed a bit of house cleaning too.  And walking. 

Speaking of walking, on Friday, I had a glaucoma appointment at Mayo clinic and the ramp we usually use is closed.So we did a good deal of walking to get to my appointment in the Gonda building..  At least, I got my twenty minutes of walking in on Friday.  We did receive the results of the biopsies on wednesday and were quite shocked to hear that the cancer I have is a rare undifferentiated pleomorphic Sarcoma and probably from the radiation i  had.  It is rare and they do not treat it here.So I will be going to Mayo clinic to see a Sarcoma specialist.  We start all that business on monday.  

The past few weeks have us certainly taking one day at a time.  Intentionally enjoying the moments we have.  Like yesterday when we stopped last minute at a family members for pizza and hugs on our way home.  A memory made.  

So today, I am thankful for another safe trip to mayo clinic in rochester and for a good report from the glacoma doctor.  Grateful for a quick visit with Helen and memories made over pizza.  Grateful for porch sitting, for biking and walking, for laughter and for tears. Grateful for all that Joel gets done in a week to keep this house running.  Grateful for the phone calls that keep us connected to those we love and care about.  Grateful for emails and texts and photos that we get in an instant.  GratefulFor the many, many, many people who are praying forJoel and me. Grateful for all this, and so much more..

Enjoy your weekend!