Good evening...Don & I had a wonderful day together yesterday and all we really did was hang around the house and do nothing!!!!! Neither of us was feeling particularly spiffy - he was "under the weather" and had been to the doctor on Friday afternoon without putting up a fuss (translated that means he was really sick) but after good medicine, a little rest, and some OJ, he started to feel a bit better. So Saturday night we had a bite to eat & watched a fabulous movie called "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story". We're doing the Netflix thing - don't know if any of you do "Netflix", but for us it's wonderful. We pay the $4.99/month and get 2 movies each month. That's just about all we can get in in one month and sometimes not even that. The problem is I'm the one that picks the movies and we've had some hum-dingers!! The worst - absolute worst - one was about 2 brothers who hadn't spoken or seen one another in years. One, who lived in Iowa, wanted to go see his dying brother who lived in Minnesota, but didn't have a driver's license or car (I think). He decided to drive his lawn mower through IA to MN for a visit. True story (we tend to go for the true story ones) but slow???? S L O W - it was worse than watching paint dry. Awful. But I would encourage you to watch this one about Ben Carson...wonderful and just plain uplifting!!
Radiation starts again in the morning - I have weekends off and it's a nice break. I asked what the radiation is supposed to do as I really didn't know, never having been through it or close enough to ask anyone who has. Radiation shrinks and destroys the tumor/tumors...yea!!! The radiation "beam" I guess you call it - though I'm not sure that's what it is (guess I'll have to ask tomorrow) points directly at the tumor and, for me, it's a 10-second zap and that's it. There are different types - internal as well as external. Mine, right now, is external. Takes longer to put on the hospital gown (and keep it closed) than the actual treatment!
We are not discouraged but we start the countdown - again - to the meeting with Madison on Friday to get the details of the next phase - the chemo. (Last week's meeting was canceled to do the death of our doctor's father-in-law.) Seems we live in our "happy place" for awhile, then reality hits as we get closer to that next phase. Though I do not feel "sick" - tired & "weird" sometimes (Don says it's the pain meds that are making me loopy!!) the overwhelming and looming-large cancer thing is always right there coloring every moment...BUT larger than all that is the conviction that God and His angels are there ahead of and around any threat of defeat. I do not mean to say that I know we will beat this and I will be healed - perhaps I will and AMEN!!! AND AMEN!!!!! - but I do not know that for sure. Hear me loud & clear - THERE WILL BE VICTORY NONETHELESS!!!!! Thank you for your prayers, cards, phone calls, e-mails, visits, hugs...oh, my! Do you know that since this all started a month or so ago, there has not been one day - not ONE day - that we have not received cards, letters, or notes in the mail! Every day brings 3 or 4, sometimes 8 or 10. Our little living room/dining room looks like a Hallmark store!! It's a blessing - even the one "sympathy" card I received! Now that took my breath away for a second! Life is just hilarious sometimes!
Take care - and keep your eye on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith...consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary & lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2 & 3)
Love to you all...
Don & Deb
Debbie, you certainly have a wonderful way of expressing yourself. In our prayers daily.
ReplyDeleteLove ya,
Dick and Norma
One of the thoughts that rattle through my mind as I read both your updates and others comments back is the beauty of God's plan from the begining. He wanted and established a system (when we allow it to work) to be a unit, or family of God.He never leaves us but He also created a way to touch us physically through the family of God. Holding on to one another and holding up each other. I know this is elementary and all of us "know" this but we sometimes allow other things to push into our daily stuff and miss the wonderful power of united! Thank you Deb for all your writing and letting us into your daily stuff, I can only imagine how hard it must be, but it is powerfully binding us. Thank you. km
ReplyDeleteGood morning Don and Deb.
ReplyDeleteI remember when you watched that movie about the two brothers. Maybe it was a "slow" movie but I also remember what a funny story it was when you talked about it. Have you ever rented a movie from the 'Little Red Box'? They are at various locations around town, Walgreens, etc. It only costs a $1.00 to rent a movie but you have to return it the next day. The selection might not be the greatest but you might want to check it out.
If there was some way we could take this 'cancer thing' from you we would. But we can't. So we pray for God to help us understand and trust Him in all things. I know that this is a scary time for you and our family but with the help of God and good friends we will get through this together. Remember you are never alone. We love you guys so much and are praying for you continually.
We will be thinking about you this week and praying that the doctors in Madison will be wise in their decisions about treatment.
Enjoy this gorgeous day.
Love you much,
Doug & Donna
Once, I drove a lawn mower through Iowa! No, wait that was my VW...
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