Prayer Request for Friend's Sister?

A dear friend has asked for prayers for her sister. Her sis just had a stroke and is not doing well. The poor woman also has a heart problem.

Sweet Lord Jesus, we all know your healing powers and your compassion. Please look gently on this woman and send whatever help she, and her loved ones, need at this time. We trust in you!

Praying for a modern day miracle...

Ok. Back on March 9, I first mentioned a friend's husband in the hospital with suspected afib. He was sent home a few days later with a lifevest (photo in this post) and told he needed to see cardiologists, have tests, and absolutely get a "defibrillator" implant.

That was almost two months ago. He still has not seen the cardiologist. His family is terrified. He is terrified and sleeping almost constantly. I suspect that is partially depression and partially fear that if he even moves, he will be in trouble.

His wife is worn out dealing with this. The lifevest often malfunctions and neither he nor she has slept through the night this past two months. The machine goes off at unexpected times. Or the narrow bands roll when he turns a little in bed and the sensor goes off. Whatever. They are worn out.

They had one appointment a week or so ago with a heart doctor but that was cancelled the day they were set to go. Now they are told he needs an echocardiogram first, so that is being scheduled but there are insurance issues back and forth.

This sweet couple is in their mid-seventies and worn out. I have no words except to ask for a miracle. They need the test, and they need a rather quick visit with heart doctor afterwards, and rather quick surgery. I don't know how long they can go on like this.

Sweet Lord Jesus, you are our ultimate healer, and you have performed miracles for so many. Please look at this couple, see what they have done for others, see how much they love and trust in you, and help them. You know what they need even better than we do. Jesus, we trust in you!

Answered Prayers: the good and the iffy...

Ok - 

The good - 

I was at the surgeon's office this morning even tho she originally didn't want to see me until this coming Friday. She said of the 2 cancers she removed, one was 3 cm long (about 1-1/2 inches). She took out the drain, and it won't even be a week until tomorrow! I am FREE! LOL   She covered that spot just for overnight with a small bandage and from here on, I can shower. The showers will help the steri strips to curl and peel off, and the stitches under those will dissolve. I can lift normally now, so I'll be able to lift Silkie into her carrier on the 6th for her visit to the Vet's office.

The iffy -

they did find cancer in the lymph node but that doesn't tell her whether it spread into the lymph system or just that one node. She did a referral for the oncologist who I'll see sometime over the next two weeks. Until I see that cancer doctor, I won't know my future or how long it is expected to be... so time will tell. I'm not trying to freak people out; I'm just being honest. I'll keep you all in the loop once I know a little more... 

Thanks for your prayers - I know they helped make this go more easily than it could have gone, comfort-wise!

Sweet Lord Jesus, thank you so much for always having my back. Thank you for hearing the prayers of my friends and loved ones and helping me figure ways to make it as easy as possible. And thank you for the patience I need while I wait for still more answers. Jesus, I trust in you!

Surgery update - the good, the bad, and the possibly ugly

Ok. I talked with my surgeon's nurse on the phone today.

The good

They took out both cancer nodules, which were an inch or two, at least, away from each other. They only needed one incision for that and a possible lymph node. I can remove the thick dressings Friday. If my drain continues to be "light," they might take it out late next week. The surgeon sent what she hopes is a lymph sample out for pathology. I didn't need pain meds. I wasn't dizzy or nauseous after surgery. I declined pain meds because I was sore rather than in pain. Considering they put so much into me in the space of a few hours, I had no reactions: saline via IV upon arrival, lidocaine to numb me for the two needles they inserted into the cancers followed by two wires and removal of the needles so surgeon would find right spot, radioactive dye to try to locate lymph nodes, and general anesthetic.

The bad

I'm still a little sore from all the twisting, turning and manipulation of the 2-1/2 hours of mammo tests, seemed like 30 to 40 photos. She is not sure whether the tissue sample is a lymph node. Apparently that is not always easy to identify. But if it is what we hope, they can tell us whether it has spread to the lymph system and we can try treatments.

The possibly ugly

If the tissue sample is not a lymph node, it means she cannot get one and we have no clue as to whether the cancers spread to my lymph system which can deliver it to anywhere in my body. At my age, they are reluctant to do chemo and/or radiation, and hormone therapy has its own risks.

Sweet Lord Jesus, I am taking this step by step, distracting myself from unsettling thoughts, with your help and your peace. Please continue to watch over me and my medical contacts and help me to deal with anything that comes my way. I trust in you.

Prayers for sister-in-law?

My sister-in-law, like my bro, is in her late 70s and has been dealing with extreme pain in her neck and shoulders. She has an appointment tomorrow for nerve tests. I worry about her a lot as my "hermit" of a bro doesn't realize how much he depends on her and needs her.

Sweet Lord Jesus, please look kindly upon her and bless her with the best medical person for these tests and diagnosis, as well as simple a path of treatment as possible since they live so far from town. We trust in you!

Outpatient surgery tomorrow - I think I'm ready...

Got everything on my to-do list done so I won't need to be concerned about stretching, bending or lifting while stitches are in.

Because of the pandemic, this hospital gives you a pandemic shower kit. Two bottles of what I call "decontaminant" liquid soap, 2 bath mitts, and an hourglass. You take one shower the night before and one the morning of the surgery. However, you have "rules." 

You do your hair first, rinse, then put on a mitt, and turn off the water. You pour half a bottle onto the mitt. This is interesting because it is an opaque white bottle and it is tricky guessing half a bottle - then you suds yourself from neck down. You must NOT get this stuff above your neck or into any mucous membranes, or your private area or butt area. So you are slippy all over. Then you pour the other half of the bottle onto the mitt and do it again. Then you do the hourglass which is 2 minutes. You just stand there, slippy and slidy, and wait. Then you rinse. Repeat the next morning. Hilarious, is what I calls it, hilarious. Anyhow, I'm finished with the nighttime one.

So, tomorrow, my friend picks me up at 7:30am, we must be there before/by 8:30am but it's quite a drive in commuter-time traffic and we don't want to be late. He drops me off and then waits for the call around 2-ish that I am out of recovery and ready to run home.

They will be taking x-rays and inserting needles in the lumps to be removed as well as into the sentinel lymph node, so even though the surgery is around 12:30pm, they need time to do the imaging, do local anesthetics and insert the needle markers, and other things. It should be interesting.

I'm not at all worried about tomorrow's double lumpectomy. Just a little inconvenienced by no water after midnight. I like my water. 

Mostly, I'll try to distract myself over the next 10 days until I see the surgeon on the 30th for the results to see if it spread into the lymph system.

Folks, at this point, I am not going to post any more about it. I am not going to stress over something I have no control over, so, as I said, I'll keep myself happily busy over the next 10 days... at that point, when I know something, I'll update you...

Rolling along...

A couple of quick prayer requests...

My friend whose husband is still waiting for a fresh referral to his cardiologist so he can get his surgery for the implant of a defibrillator says her son had to go back home so she's dealing with taking care of him herself now. He's wearing a life vest until the surgery but there are other issues with his health as well. She could use a few prayers for stamina, wisdom and anything else that will help her deal with this more easily.

Also, a friend's neighbor from years ago in another state is in the hospital with Covid. She didn't go out but one of the daughters and a grandson came to visit her.  She has the bad cough. Let's pray it gets no worse! I'm hearing too many stories of folks who did right with CDC guidelines but their families did not do right and infected them...

Sweet Lord Jesus, please look compassionately at these folks and their lives and fill them with whatever they need to deal with the curves life is tossing their way. Jesus, we trust in you!

Moving along, getting my ducks in a row...

Spent the morning with Silkie's litter box and litter. I use disposable ones now, sort of like a heavy paper mache but it lasts, with 1 cat, a whole month! But I must turn it on its side and cut "lips" on both long sides because it is pretty high. I'll put a photo here. Had to take the heavy bag with the old one and the old litter out to bucket outside, and put fresh litter in - I now use 1/2 clumping and 1/2 non-clumping because just clumping makes the sand stick to her fur and she can't clean properly because she can't lick the sand off. At that point, vacuumed area with stick-vac to get scattered dusty litter up and freshen area.

Made coffee for 4 days, and made a 6 day veggie omelet.

Cleared off the pantry counter so I can do a soup in the crockpot overnight. This included finally tossing into the recycle bin several empty large coffee cans and plastic coffee tubs that I had been thinking I would use for something and then admitted I had even more under a cabinet in the kitchen.

Making an EBTKS soup overnight - that stands for Everything But The Kitchen Sink - LOL - my own abbreviation. This one, I've tossed in a tub of frozen homemade stock which I defrosted in fridge overnight, a can each of diced tomatoes, Rotel original, and tri-beans (pinto, black and red kidney). Added about a half of a bunch of celery diced, 2 medium onions, and 2 diced zucchini. Then because I didn't have any of the shredded cabbage I usually prep and freeze, I tossed in a bag of riced cauliflower. I've been getting those recently because of "deals" and coupons. Very convenient. So that's in and will be done in the morning. Tomorrow night I'll do a ground turkey chili - the ground turkey is defrosting in fridge overnight.

Paid my prepaid flip cell phone online and set out a bag of yarn for one of my charity crafters to pick up. Since I'm required to self-quarantine until surgery Tuesday morning, I couldn't just drop it off to her like I usually do.

And Walmart delivered a big pack of 20 bathroom tissue rolls so I'm good for quite a while - it came today. Didn't want to run out to store, again because of restrictions, so I ordered that online a day or so ago.

Sadly, I didn't get to everything on my to-do list for today, but I managed to knock off a few items. Easy does it...

Tomorrow I hope to pack and document a few 13 gallon bags of finished charity crafter projects from my team and shove them into the closet before my stitches are in. I hope to also do two loads of laundry, set up the turkey chili for overnight tomorrow night, and maybe plop 3 plants into the front lot. I should also set out a gallon bottle to make iced tea overnight.

Rolling along...

And so it begins...

 And so it begins...

So, this morning, I spent 3 hours clear across town in a big hospital building. Parking lot was huge. Finally gave up trying to find a spot and did their complimentary valet parking. Took quite a while to do all the outpatient-surgery registration forms. 

From there, it was a little walk down a corridor for the blood tests, then a short wait and then the EKG. From there, it was what seemed like a mile-long walk down corridor after corridor following Covid Test signs to get the C19 test, and then, of course, back the same long walk. Had my quad cane with me, of course, and they would have brought a wheel chair but frankly, since it was nice and flat, no curbs, no steps, I opted for the long walk - I just took it slow - figured the Good Lord wanted to me to get a little exercise. Then back out for the car and the drive home.

Odd, this time. I had a lumpectomy in the winter of 2017, but that time they didn't give me a "shower package." I've got to read it tomorrow. They said a nurse would be calling to explain. I noticed something about a suction cup (to hold something or other from the packet) and something about an hourglass... there are 2 bottles of what I assume is something similar to radiation decontamination solutions in there - LOL. Saw something in there about "night before" and "morning of." It was all easier last time.

This time, the double lumpectomy is during a pandemic and I suspect that has something to do with the more complicated process.

Anyhow, it has begun.

So now I self-quarantine until Tuesday morning when my friend/neighbor will drive me there and bring me home when they call him to say I'm out of recovery.

All this, of course, presumes my C19 is negative... just because I've had both Moderna shots doesn't mean I can't get a mild asymptomatic case.

So this weekend, I will do the cat's litter box, a full laundry to make sure I don't have to do any linen changing with stitches under left arm alongside breast, and anything else that requires lifting of any sort.

Rolling along...

Prayers Needed for Friend's Husband with Afib Issues

I began asking for prayers for a friend's husband back on March 9, and again, here, on March 14. He was in the hospital for a few days while they diagnosed the Afib issues, then they sent him home with a life monitor to wear until he could see his own cardiologist and schedule an implanted defibrillator.

He was due to see his heart doctor this week and on the morning of the appointment, the office cancelled it! Now they need a fresh referral. He seems to be caught in a revolving door of medical red tape. Many of us totally understand how that goes.

Please keep him in your prayers, big time? We need someone in his medical team to see how urgent this is and that he needs to be seen ASAP. Thanks for all your prayers along the way. Please continue.

Sweet Lord Jesus, you know what it's like to be in a human body. You understand medical issues and you are our Healer. Please look compassionately on this man who has done much good in his life. Help his family by filling them with patience and wisdom while they wait for the red tape to untangle. We trust in you!

Update on That Family with 6 With Covid

We've all been praying for the 6 people in that family with Covid. That was the family with 2 generations infected - a mom and dad, and their son and daughter-in-law and 2 wee grandsons. Along the way mom & dad were both in the hospital and it looked very iffy.

I received an update yesterday on these folks and your prayers are being heard...

My friend said:

"All the family is doing better. The two that were in the hospital are home now and doing a little better. We ourselves are okay, thank God, although we already have the shots it can still get it. We are being very careful as to whom we get near . Thanks for asking and your prayers."

Thank you all for your continued prayers. God bless you for praying for people you've never even met.

Sweet Lord Jesus, thank you for hearing our prayers and helping this family so much. We realize this will take a little time but you have done so much already. Please bless those who prayed for this family, and please continue to keep this family in your healing compassionate heart! We trust in you!

Diagnosis from Needle Biopsy

Thank you all for your ongoing prayers. My breast care surgeon told me today that the two small masses are both cancerous. We discussed options. Thankfully she was able to dismiss removing the entire breast. At least at this time. She said they are trying to avoid extreme surgery these days because of the pandemic and also considering my age and situation. But if, for example, three years ago I had followed up my lumpectomy on that breast with radiation, and still developed these a few years later, they would have strongly suggested breast removal because obviously the radiation was not enough.

However, she will be able to do both masses in one outpatient surgery and also try to find and remove some lymph nodes if they are close enough to where she is working.

That is very very important to me. I need to know if it has spread to the lymph system.

They will call me by end of next week with date for the surgery. That date is likely to be at least three weeks away.

After that surgery, further treatments, if necessary, will be discussed.

So, thanks again for those prayers which so far has helped me to avoid the worst case scenarios. I will take it one step at a time. Thankfully my medical team values both my quality of life and they tie it to my age and situation regarding various treatments and solutions. I am very grateful for that and for all of you.

Sweet Lord Jesus, thank you for watching over me. So far, so good. I rely on your compassionate healing and your guiding my medical team along the way. Please bless all those who have prayed about this along the way. Jesus, I trust in you.

More Prayers Requested for Two-Generations of Family with Covid

We've all been praying for that little family where Covid infected two generations: a friend's daughter and son-in-law, and their children, my friend's grandson, grandson's wife, and a 4 yr old and a 1 yr old.

Daughter-in-law already in C19 ICU with diabetes complicating the treatment normally given, and son-in-law with positive Covid, followed by pneumonia.

Today, my friend updated me and they need more prayers - this is a tough one, folks. The son-in-law is not doing well at all. His oxygen levels are pretty low. Right now his 15 in the oxygen. The doctor says if he continues like that he’s to be on a respirator.

Sweet Lord Jesus, compassionate healer, we desperately seek your help for this afflicted family. Please help in whatever way each person needs. We know how much you can do. We trust in you.

Tests Done; Results Next Week

Ok. I had easy traffic over and back from my 10 mile round trip drive and all went well. Although at one point, she hadn't given me the full dose in her syringe of local numbing meds and when she had the instrument inserted and snipped some tissue the one time, I did yelp! I felt a bit embarrassed until she apologized over and over and said she didn't realize she hadn't emptied the syringe.  I'm just glad I didn't jerk at that moment. The pain really caught me off guard. I was afraid I had scared every other patient in the building. LOL

Came home, applied ice as directed, 1/2 hour on, 1/2 hour off, at location, for 4 hours. Wearing tight bra for 24 hours, even while sleeping. No heavy lifting or anything strenuous for 24 hours. Other than that, after biopsy procedure directions piece of cake.

Now we wait and see. I'll have the diagnosis either on my Wednesday visit to the surgeon or shortly after if we need to re-schedule a day or two. It takes 2 to 7 business days for the results to come back.

Thank you all for your prayers. I really appreciated them.

Sweet Lord Jesus, thank you for standing beside me and for helping to make everything proceed easily. And bless all those who said a wee prayer on my behalf. I trust in you.

Asking a Few Wee Prayers for Me, for Medical Issues

Ok, I guess it's time to ask for prayers now. Back on 1/9, I found a new small lump under my left arm, high up. Since I had undergone a lumpectomy 3 years ago for a small lump on my left breast, I was of course concerned. It took weeks and weeks to finally get a referral through the system. Last time, it was rapid, but now with the pandemic issues, I didn't want to go to 3 different offices to get the final referral.

I finally had a mammo and ultrasound done on 2/11, and the radiologist deemed the results "suspicious." It has taken this long to get to the point where my breast surgeon ordered a needle biopsy before coming to a final diagnosis.

Tomorrow I go for that needle biopsy. Don't worry. Had one before. Not a big deal. It's the results that concern me. I go to the surgeon on Wednesday for her diagnosis and suggestions on any treatment if there is a malignancy.

So, my friends, if you can manage a wee prayer for me? I am praying simply for a correct diagnosis and the grace to deal with whatever needs to be done. I held off posting about this all this time to avoid comments and questions that cannot yet be answered.

Sweet Lord Jesus, you have come through for me many times in my life. I ask for your loving compassion once again. Please fill me with the grace to deal with the outcome and please guide the medical people along the way for the correct diagnosis. I trust in you!