thread for middle age to older Christian women.

bandwoman1234

Ade

Yes Faith, waiting IS hard! Back in the 70s I found a breast lump and was terrified. It took two weeks to get a doctor appointment, then another week for a mammogram. I was told I would receive an answer within 2 weeks. Two weeks came and went (meanwhile the fears CONSUMED me everyday). I finally called the doctor's office and was told that if I had not heard anything I could presume all was ok. That gave me SOME relief. Another week went by and I was upstairs making beds. The kids were off to school and James was at work. Then the phone rang. A voice on the other end said, "Mrs. Bonsell, the doctor says that your test is abnormal and you will need to see a surgeon immediately." (Blunt huh!) I felt a shock run through me, and I was stunned. I took a deep shaky breath and walked downstairs. Then I heard "His Eye Is On the Sparrow" come on the radio and I remembered the verse I had read that very morning - Matthew 6:26
"Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" A complete peace washed over me then. I made the appointment with the surgeon and it was right after the follow up to my regular doctor appointment. My doctor examined me again - AND NO LUMP WAS TO BE FOUND! I said, "Does this mean I can cancel the surgeon appointment?" He said I could and asked, "Have you been praying?" He was a believer too - and we rejoiced in the Lord. I really believe that my bout with the "real thing" was far easier because of that blessing long ago from the Lord and I praise Him for it.

We are SO thankful for answered prayers regarding your blood tests. I think most of us, when not feeling well, have the same "OH NO!" response. My tests showed just arthritis in 2 lumbar vertebrae & hip & inflammation in the connecting tissue of the hip. Whew! Thanking the Lord too! The lump in my under arm remains and ultrasound was 'ok' (but I don't trust the ultrasounds or mammograms because they "lied" about the cancer in the first place.)

We are in God's hands...the very best place to be!

Blessings upon your day, Sisters,

Ade

Faith-840

Ade, yes we are truly in God's hands and sometimes we just have to be patient and "wait for the Lord". That is not easy for me!

Nancy, thanks for asking, yes, I'm still wearing the heart event monitor which is a real hassle. I did get a break of several days when one of the leads cracked and exposed the wires so they sent new ones. I am so ready to be done with this. I doubt if they will find a problem, as one of the nurses told me on the phone that there were no reports of anything in that first week so I'm thinking it's all related to my GERD which can cause similar symptoms to what I've had. Our bathroom project should be finished by Wednesday so thank God for that. I can't wait to get things back to normal although, there's much cleaning up to do. But, it will all be worth it in the end. I hope you've found some answers to the problem with your cat. I can imagine that it has been very stressful for you.

I'm praying for all of you here and hope you all can enjoy a nice weekend. We are getting some much needed rain but I'm ready for some sunshine and much cooler weather with less allergens in the air. They're terrible for me right now.

Sending love and prayers,

Faith (in the future)

Ade

Look who stopped by my office window just now for a long cool drink! (The red you see is petals from my beautiful Crepe Myrtle bush)

bandwoman1234

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days. I have had a bout of insomnia and another episode with face and arm burning. I think it is from the cat enzyme product I have been using so much lately. My cat went to the vet on Friday and no UTI but an ear problem. She actually used her box on Friday after they shaved off some hair that gets in her way but that unfortunately was short lived. I would covet your prayers for wisdom and solutions.

Let's remember to pray for Cindy. I believe she is having her surgery today. Let's pray that her surgery goes smoothly with good pain control and a speedy recovery so she can finish this part of her treatment and see what the next phase brings.

Ade, your visitor to your pool is a beauty. Your story of healing initially is truly amazing.

Faith, I continue to pray for you as you deal with GI issues, heart monitor issues and the stress of this bath remodel which hopefully will be worth all the effort.

I will be praying for you in my swim session today.

God bless you dear sisters.

Love,

Nancy

Ade

Joanne, our hearts go out to you as our prayers lift you up to our Lord. I pray for correct answers and diagnosis, that it is NOT a serious thing, and can be treated easily without anymore antibiotics. May the Lord Himself grant your doctors wisdom, and you, - His peace. I know how when something that CAN be serious lingers and stumps the physicians how very fearful AND frustrating it can be (from James' migraines and fevers!). Jesus knows your every feeling and has compassion beyond what we can even comprehend. I pray you will feel His peace and comfort now as you have to wait a little longer.

Nancy I am sorry your dear kitty is STILL having her problems which become YOUR BIG problems! I pray for answers to solve this - or that the Lord just has her to stop. I know how very attached we are to our little companions and how this very much disrupts your household. If all else fails would she use in front of her box one of those disposable piddle pads for training puppies? Maggie is going through a time of terrors all of a sudden. We are in the thunderstorm season and if she even senses a storm far away she panics. I hate to get her doggy Prozac but it may come to that. ( I wish we could reason with them!

Nancy I know how exhausted insomnia makes you! I had it when I was on the aromatase inhibitors. I was also having nightmares when I DID sleep. I switched taking my L-Theanine to evening and the sleep was much better and the nightmares stopped. - Just a thought. Praying your bout (again) with face & arm buring leaves quickly.

We lift up Faith and Cindy today too and pray that Faith has no heart issues and that Cindy's surgery and recovery go perfectly, that God's peace and healing be with you all.

Love,

Ade

bandwoman1234

Joanne, you know we are praying for you. These banners are for you and for anyone who needs hope today.

Cindy, praying the the surgery was successful with good margins and I pray you are resting comfortably now with good pain control.

Ade, I had to refuse the cat antidepressant because there is not way I could give my cat a pill. She is extremely loving but has an aggressive streak when aggravated so that is out. The compounding was a last ditch effort but I am sure would be too expensive. I am sorry to hear about Maggie. One of my neighbors told me about a thunder blanket for dogs. Just an idea. The fireworks around my neighborhood I am sure have not helped her situation at all and probably contributed greatly. I know I have some tough decisions to make and it has been pretty agonizing as of late.

Take care dear sisters. I will be praying for all of you at my swim session today.

Love,

Nancy

Cindymb

Thank you Nancy and others for your prayers!

I had my lumpectomy and reconstruction to both sides and came home last night. One drain and very thankful that pain has not been bad at all. I go to the surgeons office on Friday to get the drain removed and bandages off. Hopefully will be able to switch from this itchy tube top to my zipper front athletic bra.

Please pray with me for clear margins and negative lymph nodes. I think she took two.

🤗 Cindy

bandwoman1234

Cindy,

It sounds like you are doing great. I have prayed for clear margins and for pain control. Also praying no lymph node involvement and you can get drains out soon.

Love

Nancy

bandwoman1234

Dear sisters,

I have a praise regarding my cat. I won't bore you with the myriad of things I have done including standing on my head (LOL I wish). Did God intervene? Did my combo of things work that I believe the Lord put on my heart? I don't know............but I do know that the Lord has been using this for my good even though the journey has been agonizing and uphill. I know that He wants complete control over our lives and that He wants us to fully trust Him no matter how painful or unpleasant. I know He spoke to me several days ago and told me to lead my life as I would normally and not let this litter box issue consume me as it was.

I can honestly say that I have gotten more things done in my house these last few days than I could ever imagine was possible. Some things that were overwhelming me are finished or on the way to being done.I went out to breakfast and am on the way to photographing this formal gardens which is a WW1 museum and grounds. I haven't been there for a couple years and I am excited. They have just redone the whole area and I can't wait to get some flower pics today.

I am praying for you all.

Love,

Nancy

IntoLight

Nancy, Praise God for the little miracles He performs in our lives everyday! I know there are many I don't even recognize as miracles. I am happy that you are doing so well, and will continue to pray for your challenges.

I am leaving Friday for a road trip to AZ and CO to visit family. We are spending a week in Keystone and a week in CO Springs and a couple of days both ends in Prescott, AZ with family. I am a little nervous about the altitude in keystone for a week, but will soldier on! We did this a year ago (sans Keystone) and it was great even with a 2-year old in the car. It is monsoon season in AZ and the driving can get treacherous so I covet your prayers for safe travels. IWrite, I will try to contact you once we arrive.

I pray we all have the freedom to enjoy our summer even if it is relaxing enjoying the animal world from our windows. We have baby Seagulls on our roof right now which I can see looking out my kitchen window (I live on the top floor). They are very noisy and are just learning to fly, but will be gone in a couple of weeks.

Ade

Nancy we are delighted in your breakthrough and praising the Lord with you.

It seems James is running a bit of fever the past few nights - and tonight has gone to bed early not feeling well. . . again. I just feel like crying. Please, Lord, not again! So discouraged.

Ade

bandwoman1234

Ade, I have been praying for you and James. I can just imagine how devastating this is to watch James going through this over and over with no answers or solutions. Know I am praying. I have not seen any evidence of my cat using her box all of today but not sure if she is holding it or going someplace I have not discovered. My situation is certainly not the same but I believe what God wants us to do is the same. We have to surrender every part of our life to the Lord and we have to give up control and let Him be in control. This is SOOOOOOOOOO hard for me but I really do believe that in all of our situations that are so awful to go through that is what He wants. I pray that God will give us the peace and grace we need to go through these earthly challenges knowing that one day we will not have to deal with sickness and pain and heartache when we are in our eternal home with Jesus.

Chris, praying for your road trip to AZ and CO and praying you have a marvelous time. Praying you will be able to handle the altitude. Love your little seagulls. So cute. I love watching my birds and it is so fun to watch them. One of my little hummers today was hovering looking in my dining room window. They make me smile.

Continue to pray for Joanne as she struggles with bad reactions to the meds as she tries to find solutions. This has been going on for a long time and as you can imagine this is scary, frustrating and exhausting.

Here are some pics from my camera outing yesterday. I had high hopes of getting lots of rose pics but unfortunately the Japanese Beetles were destroying most of the newly planted rose garden. They are also munching on my new roses.

Love,

Nancy

IntoLight

Nancy, I love the rosebud! I could blow it up and put it on my wall--gorgeous!

bandwoman1234

Thank you Chris, that means a lot to me. Have a safe beginning of your road trip tomorrow.

Love,

Nancy

Ade

Nancy you are so right about surrender. The Lord has spoken with me about that several times but as you said it is extremely hard when the matter is so important and you look at the consequences should prayers not be answered as we pray. James said he wonders if the stent is closing. It is the smallest they make because the vessel is so small. It's blockage is what caused his 2nd heart attack just 2 weeks after his open heart surgery and they told him they can't go in again this close to his surgery - so he feels like he is doomed. Not one of the 3 physicians has really gone to bat for him to get the medication he desperately needs in over a year. This is affecting us both and I am terrified to lose him.

Your flowers are simply exquisite! I surely hope your little companion is not hiding her goodies somewhere else now. They're such stubborn little things - much like us! Sometimes when we're on the porch a hummer will come and just hover in front of our faces to study us. It just takes your breath away! One of the joys of life - and we NEED those don't we!

Chris, blessings on your trip!

Cindy, hope you're resting and healing well and get GOOD news!

Joanne keep us posted - we're still lifting you up in our prayers.

Praying for all of you dear sisters, may the Lord meet all of your needs and hold you close.

Ade

Lita57

Ade, is there a patient advocate you can contact?

I don't know - and maybe I'm jaded at this point - but I think once we get to a certain age, some insurance companies and medical facilities just give up on us. I don't know what their rationale is but I wouldn't be surprised if it's: "Well, s/he is over 70. They're probably gonna kick soon anyway, given their condition and co-morbidities. So why should we cough up extra insurance money for another procedure."

I hate that we live in a world like this.

L

Ade

Lita perhaps you're right. He can only take two anti-cholesterol drugs - both fairly new and extremely expensive ($1,500/month) and neither the VA or Medicare wants to cover it. We even have the parts F & D Medicare. His cardiologist's nurse has supposedly applied for a type of grant from the pharmaceutical companies but he keeps getting turned down. (IF she did it!) However THIS is the nurse who SAID they had "plenty of samples" so to meet them at a clinic an hour away and she'd give them to him "until the paperwork came through". We traveled there and - oops they're OUT of them. Then she said she would MAIL them (Their office is 3 hours drive away) when the med samples came in again. Well we haven't gotten a thing. James has an appointment with the cardiologist next month and I think the Doctor needs to know his nurse seems to be dropping the ball on this IMPORTANT matter of meds. IF James' stent is closing it could have maybe been prevented with either of the 2 meds had they been started soon after surgery. The doc said he wanted James on them. We are kind of financially stuck - make too much for free meds but not enough to afford that much a month on top of other meds, hospital bills and insurance premiums on a fixed income with prices going up all the time. We just need a breakthrough from the Lord on this before it is too late. (Or an advocate who can get it done!) Thanks Lita!

Cindymb

I got my drain removed and bandages off today. Received good news that the margins were clear and nothing showed in my lymph nodes.

I feel so undeserved of the Lords mercy but thankful to be used by Him. This trial has changed me forever. I pray that Ill continue to see all of life's blessings, great and small.

I pray for all of you daily. Thank you for praying and being here for me even as you go through your own trials. You are Jesus' hands and feet. ❤

bandwoman1234

Cindy, that is GREAT news and I imagine you are breathing a little easier now. Will you have any further treatments? I have a friend who they gave the option of 5yrs on an AI or radiation and she chose the AI and is doing great.

I have a miracle to report. Yesterday I was very discouraged with my cat as I could not see anyplace in the house she had gone to the bathroom. She usually deposits her number 2 outside the box in her room but nothing.

I lined her floor with new kitty pads that I bought plus the doggie pee pads that she won't even step on. I have made a special effort to play with her more etc. Anyway last night she did BOTH in her litter box. She hasn't done that here at my house for years. (At my Mom's house she uses the box faithfully) So I am praising God. A friend of mine prayed with me and felt this was a spiritual battle so I am handling it as such.

Ade, it sure does sound like this nurse has given you the brush off regarding these meds. I would press the doctor and keep pressing. I know there are ways of getting the pharmaceutical company to pay but not sure how that works. We all continue to lift you up. I know how discouraging you must feel. I pray that the Lord will wrap you in His loving arms of peace and give you hope this day. We pray this fever in James will be gone!

Joanne, you know we are praying for you as well. I feel that God in several of our circumstances is stretching our faith and in the end we will know the purpose for our suffering if not in this life in the next. I know that hearing that can be little comfort when we are currently suffering but I have seen God give me peace when I have me in agony over my cat. I pray that He will do the same for you. I am believing the end will be in sight for your arm infection and that you will be stronger for it.

Lita, how are you doing?

Chris, we are praying for your road trip.

Lisa, how are you doing?

Faith, we are lifting you up regarding all of the challenges you are facing with your health and with the stress of this bathroom remodel.

Hershey, how are you doing?

Jean, how are things with you?

Take care dear sisters. This is my ministry partner and my day to minister at the assisted living facility on the Alzheimer's floor. It is a blessing and a challenge.

Love,

Nancy

bandwoman1234

Let's also pray for some that are more behind the scenes but do pray for us.

Ellen needs prayer for what she believes is spiritual warfare going on with relationships with her DH and his children. Let's continue to pray for a victory in this area and for restored relationships.

Angie (from the West coast) actively prays for the ladies here with their church ministry of which she and her DH lead. I know she has offered to take prayer requests in the past and we are so appreciative of this even though she does not actively post like in the past. She is a busy woman.

Angie (from the South) needs our prayers. She is a nurse and as my memory serves was having a difficult time with the younger nurses who didn't understand how fatigued she was from treatments. I don't know if she ever got disability but we are praying for you too.

I know we have had some new members pop in and we welcome any updates from all of you.

Love,

Nancy

bandwoman1234

I want to have a special prayer for Debbie (Foots) knowing that she struggles with her health but rarely asks for prayer. She has been so gracious of her time and efforts on BCO for so many years and has blessed so many people on this thread and her other threads. Debbie, know that we all love you very much and miss when you don't post your lovely poems and prayers. I pray that you and Faithful Grace (her service dog) are being strengthened by the Lord even when you feel your own strength failing you at times. We pray for the breathing issues that you have and the thyroid issues that are a big concern. Lord give Debbie a respite from all of her challenges and I pray that your joy and peace would flood her heart this day. Amen

Love,

Nancy

bandwoman1234

Teka, how are you doing? I know you like to take breaks from the threads from time to time but you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Nancy

zjrosenthal

Greetings my dear ladies. I don't post as much as when in active treatment but read every day and pray for all of you. I am serving at VBS this week and my great granddaughter Valentina is attending. She is 3 1/2 and doesn't attend church. Please pray that she will be touched by Jesus this week and for energy for me. Love, Jean

footprintsangel

Healing Power

God never allows a burden 

Too difficult to bear. 

All things are for a purpose

And God gives us in His care.

We thank God for His grace

His love is always there,

And He forgives, as we forgive

God presence--we declare.

All healing power God offers,

Do not doubt or fear--

Just ask the Lord to help You,

The Bible makes it clear.

God listens as we pray,

He is our guiding light.

Trust in God's power and love-

All things will turn out right.

I, the Creator, who gave them life. 

Peace, peace to the far and near, 

says the Lord; and I will heal them. Isaiah 57:19

footprintsangel

Sweet Release

Dear Lord, I thank Thee for this day

And for Thy tender care;

I come to Thee on bended knee

And call on Thee on prayer.

Dear Lord, I thank Thee for this day

And all my gracious friends;

I look around at those I love

With joy that never ends.

Dear Lord, I thank Thee for this day;

Come fill me with Thy peace;

Oh, hold me in Thy gentle hand,

And grant me sweet release. By Hope C. Oberhelman

Teka

Nancy,

I've returned from a 4 week time out from the threads.

In my prayers one and all.

bandwoman1234

Thank you Joanne for your kind words. You know I am still praying for you for and end to this. Cammie has done ALL of her business in her litter box for the past two days. This is truly a miracle. The vet told me last year that if she was doing number two outside her box all this time there was little hope of her changing. When God steps in He can do anything He wants and I am SO thankful. I asked for wisdom in changing things and I believe God showed me ways of changing things to make Cammie happy.

Jean, I pray for Valentina to come to the Lord. You never know what might happen. She could end up being the influence her Mom needs. That is how it worked in my family. It was first me and then every one else.

Teka, welcome back. Thanks for your banner. I love Mark Twain. I hope you had a good respite and enjoyed the last few weeks. One of my neighbors is from NY and going to her HS reunion in a few weeks. She has been communicating with a guy "friend" for quite some time. They will meet up soon. I feel like I am in the middle of a soap opera. LOL I get a new episode every time I am out and see her.

Debbie, so glad to see your posts. I can so relate to your words today. Thank you for sharing those. I pray that you are doing okay.

Take care dear sisters.

Love,

Nancy

footprintsangel

Answers

I asked God to strengthen me-

I prayed all through the night.

For I have heavy burdens to bear

That may not turn out right.

And then God did answer me;

" The burdens will not stay;

Just trust in my Word and keep the faith-

I will lead the way.

And believe you will have strength--

You are in my care.

There are churches for worship and songs to sing-

Blessing are yours to share."

And, then I quickly realized-

If burdens come my way....

Faith will shield me- God is there-

Answers come as I pray.    By Edna Massumilla

bandwoman1234

I guess this banner was meant to be. I realized after saving it I had already used it a few weeks ago. I know this is reflecting my own personal journey in faith for now.

Debbie, that post is really hitting home for me. I have heard God say to me so many times these past few weeks to "Just trust Me". Faith is believing without seeing. Then when answers do come it builds our faith muscles so much in the stretching of them.

God bless all of you today. Going to a visitation and funeral today for a very remarkable man.

Love,

Nancy