thread for middle age to older Christian women.

gb2115

Praying for you Chris

bandwoman1234

Since BCO is not allowing any pics apparently I won't be able to do a Mother's Day banner but I am wishing all of you mothers a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!

Carol, I am glad to hear that your hip area of concern is not a concern for your doctor. That was a long MRI and I am sure glad that is over. Sounds awful. However I do pray that you can get some relief. I just saw my old muscle therapist a few days ago as I still order a supplement from her. She was saying so much of back pain is due to the hip flexor muscle. I do hope your DIL can give you some exercises that will work.

Jean, I am glad to hear no cancer for you. I am sure that is a relief. Sorry you have to wait to get into your LE doctor but once you get started you will be given some gentle exercises to move the lymph fluid properly. I hope that will be a big help for you.

Chris, it does seem like that would be a good thing to ask for a dose reduction of Verzenio. When the treatment makes you feel worse there has to be something that can be done. I'm glad you have some family coming in soon to help with the TV and the kitchen. When I think back my Dad would have been lost too setting up the kitchen for my Mom. The kitchen was my Mom's domain and it sounds like the same for you. So hard for both of you. I do hope you can get an on call oncologist who will try a dose reduction for you asap.

Take care everyone.

Love,

Nancy

gb2115

Happy Mother's Day!

Missing my mom terribly this morning. My husband wished me a happy day and then asked about the look on my face. :-(

Are any of you lovely ladies crochet experts? I'm pretty good after probably 10 years or so of practice, but am facing a conundrum with a blanket border. I would normally text my mother to ask her. She always gave me good advice. I realized I don't know any other crocheters.

IntoLight

Gb, Happy Mother's Day. I miss my mom too! She has been gone nine years now...

I crochet but am self-taught. But my half-sister is an expert. So if I can't help you, she can. What do you need?

Sunshine99

gb, I've gone to Google a lot of times for knitting advice. You Tube has some really good (and some not so good) videos.

Carol

gb2115

I can try to explain. I made a large granny square blanket, made up of lots of squares attached together with single crochet. Each square is finished with double crochet around, with a chain 3 space in each corner. I wish to do a SC border around the entire outside, but along the sides I have many chain three spaces held together with SC. So spaces right along the edge. I don't know if I should SC into the chain 3 spaces as part of the border, or SC into the chain stitches themselves, above the spaces. I tried it both ways and it looks fine either way, so does it really matter?

I would put a photo on but it's not working.

IntoLight

gb, I don't think it really matters as long as you like the outcome. I would have to see it...sorry. I will let my SIL know to see if she has a suggestion.

IntoLight

gb, my SIL sent the following answer to your crochet question...

I've done it both ways as well but prefer doing sc in the ch space (not each chain), which most patterns say to do. This tightens up the chain to make it more taut. It really depends on the look you like the best.

Hope this answers your question. Chris

gb2115

Chris, thank you!!

bandwoman1234

Hi dear friends.

Chris I am glad you were able to help GB out with her crocheting. Were you able to get a dose reduction? I sure hope so and that you are feeling better.

I have spent quite a few hours in the woods the last few days photographing the Virginia Bluebells. I went out tonight again but my hoped for photo just never materialized. I was trying to get a deer among the Bluebells but the one deer I saw was just too evasive.

Take care dear sisters. I only have two PT sessions to go and it is definitely helping.

Love,

Nancy

Sunshine99

Nancy, that's beautiful, even if it wasn't your hoped-for shot.

Carol

bandwoman1234

Thanks Carol. I took shot that on a different day where I was quite happy with things that evening. That shot is one I am going to make a greeting card from. I tried to post another pic but BCO didn't let me for whatever reason. I was telling my PT therapist about that adventure in the woods. I was walking along on the trail in the woods and I heard this strange sound behind me which I knew was not your typical nature sound. I turned around to see this man operating a battery operated truck. I stopped and talked to him for a little while. He said it was his walking buddy. He showed me his brand new phone that I had actually been looking at for myself and then he showed me this gorgeous shot of this deer among the bluebells that he had taken with his phone. It was his shot that gave me inspiration to go back the next night (yesterday) and see if I could get a similar shot. No luck. Then the words of a neighbor and my therapist started ringing in my ear. They were afraid for me going into the woods by myself. My therapist said at least tell someone where you are going which I never do. So I started getting a bit nervous since I don't usually go into the woods in the evenings. So I was hot and tired and decided to give up on the deer. When I got to my car who did I see just coming. This same guy, now with his wife and his walking buddy as he called it..........his mechanical truck. I had to laugh. Then I realized instead of leaving I should have been coming. There was surely going to be some deer to see but my practical side took over. Too dangerous for me at least for that night. I was just remembering you mentioning your 34th anniversary earlier. When is that approaching? Before the BCO update I could have easily gone back to find it but now it is a different story. I hope you are doing well and have figured out a solution to your hip pain.

I am praying for all of you dear sisters.

Love,

Nancy

Phil. 4:4-9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

bandwoman1234

Well see if this photo gets to stay. With my mirrorless camera my files are so huge I can't get the file much smaller using my normal means. These Bluebells in the woods for as far as the eye can see is truly like walking into a magical kingdom.

I've resized several times. Let's see if this will stay.

IntoLight

Nancy, your bluebell shot is beautiful. I love all the intracies and colors of God's beautiful world. I am also thankful your PT is working for you. And I agree, please tell someone when you are going off into the woods by yourself.

I felt better today and was able to actually put my bathroom together plus do some other little things. I still had to sit down between tasks, but it felt good to be able to do that. My husband is having a bad time--I think doing it all himself is getting to him and the little things are building up so I appreciate some prayer for him. Perhaps that is why God gave me a good day. I actually feel hopeful that maybe I can get everything done that has to be done in three more weeks. I see my oncologist tomorrow and will discuss my dosage needs with her then.

Take care dear friends. May God overflow your world with many blessings. Chris

bandwoman1234

Chris, I am SO glad to hear you felt better today. I have prayed a lot that things would fall into place before your guests come in for your big anniversary celebration. The fact that you haven't had a dose reduction yet feels like good news. Hopefully with a reduction you will feel even better. I do hope this continues. I will pray for your DH. I don't think I realized how much my bc affected my family until I was in the thick of it all. I can certainly imagine that your DH trying to do it all now has been overwhelming. I will definitely pray for him. When you think of this whole year for your family it has been a huge amount of big changes which usually means big stressors. I am amazed at all of you keeping it together under enormous pressure.

I wanted to share this pic so bad but it is not meant to be yet. It is a big field of bluebells. I did send a PM to the moderators to ask what I have to change to be able to display it. Yes, God's creation is a truly magnificent gift for all of us to enjoy.

Have a good night dear sisters.

Love,

Nancy

bandwoman1234

zjrosenthal

I am still waiting for a prescription to be sent for my Lymphedema treatment. Please pray for it to be sent soon. It has been nearly a month of jumping through hoops to get this done.

IntoLight

Jean, praying for a quick resolution to your prescription problem. It seems like it is getting harder than before to get medical help especially when it involves insurance issues.

I am also praying for ladies on this site to have a good week. May God shower you al with His many blessings.

zjrosenthal

Thanks for prayers A prescription was finally sent. It will now take 1-3 days for the PT to check the prescription then a call from them to check my insurance and finally they will call me to schedule an appointment! Medical care sure is a mess these days!

bandwoman1234

Jean, I did see your post but I have been gone a good part of the day and didn't have a chance to post but I did pray for you regarding getting treatment for your LE asap. I am glad to hear that a prescription was finally sent. Praying it will all work out so you can start treatment very soon.

Chris, how are you doing? Have you had more days of feeling improvement?

Have a good night everyone.

Love,

Nancy

zjrosenthal

thanks Nancy. They're supposed to call and set up appointments by the end of the week.

IntoLight

Nancy, I am still struggling with diarrhea. My oncologist is keeping tabs and I can control it if I need to. I try not to overdo the Imodium as it sends me the other direction. Today and yesterday were not good days. I will be thankful when the house is done so I can rest. I try to just sit on these days but I don't tolerate the mess well and keep getting up. I want everything in its place... I think if I could feel well and have one full day of energy I could get it all done. But that is not going to happen. I am not a good patient!

My cousin has pancreatic cancer and just came out of a three-day coma. She was diagnosed last summer and her daughter is expecting her first baby. I am praying she lives long enough to see it. The baby is due in two months and I pray this is God's will that she live long enough to meet her first grandchild. This has been weighing heavy on my heart.

Jean, I am praying for you every day.

bandwoman1234

Jean, I do hope by the weekend you will have some apts lined up so you can rest knowing there is a plan in motion. I am not very good at hurry up and wait so I can understand your frustration.

Chris, I wish I could wave my magic wand and have everything in your house fall into place for you. I feel your angst not feeling up to doing what you know in your mind you want to do. Letting go is so difficult but I pray that you will be able to do that so you can rest on the days you need to. Did your oncologist lower your meds or is that not going to happen at this time? I am sure sorry to hear about your cousin. I am sure this is so difficult for the pregnant daughter. I will pray that your cousin will live to see her first grandchild.

Is your 50th on June 2? I have that date swirling around in my head. Is that correct?

Wheatfields, If I am remembering May 25 is your surgery date right? Praying for you as you approach this time.

I will be praying for the needs expressed. May God meet each one of you at your point of need. May you feel His love and compassion for what you are going through. Thank Him in advance for what He is about to do for YOU.

Love,

Nancy

wheatfields

Dear ladies,

Yes Nancy, my hand surgery is scheduled for the 25th, I guess they call a day or two before and tell you what time to be there and with instructions. I live 75 miles from the Orthopedic Institute and so we are hoping it's not terribly early that we have to leave. Although out here 75 miles just means about 90 minutes The pre op appointment entailed only an EKG and so I was very pleased about that.

Jean, I'm praying that you will very soon have appointments set up and a plan for treatment. And Chris, we are praying for you too, that you will be feeling better each day and everything in the house will fall right into place. And also prayer for your cousin and her daughter.

GB, I am glad you are crocheting! I did some cross stitch when I was younger and now wish I had kept at it a little more. I did dig out an old cross stitch that I started years ago and am working on finishing it. But now I notice how our eyes aren't quite as good or our fingers as we get older.

Keeping you all in prayer!

Wheatfields

gb2115

Wheatfields--I finished my blanket. I should take a picture soon and post it. I think it's quite lovely. I have a cross stitch bookmark that I started but don't work on it so much. I now have blurry close up vision when I wear my normal near sighted glasses, that started during Taxol. I guess I probably need progressive lenses or something, but am putting off going to the eye doctor. I just kind of peek under my glasses (which are pretty small) to see the tiny stitches, but it gets exhausting.

gb2115

Ladies, I feel led this morning to ask for prayer support for work. My workplace has been going through struggles, many struggles, as are many healthcare environments. We all had a traumatizing situation the other day with a patient, so that's been hard. And then we found out that our covid exposure may be about to significantly increase, possibly without adequate respiratory protection. None of us are happy and are doing all we can to try to make it not happen. Management can choose to not go this route, so it's not yet a done deal. I'm asking the Lord to just make this not happen to give our very tired office and staff a break. Thank you...I'm going to try to emotionally gear up to walk back in that place.

bandwoman1234

Wheatfields, we'll be praying for your hand surgery for next Wed. May 25th. I am glad that your preop wasn't too bad. I do hope that you don't have an early surgery since you have a long drive. Praying for success and that it will relieve your pain. Praying against anxiety and fear going into the surgery.

GB, praying for your work place. I do hope that decisions will be made against having more Covid exposure in your working area. We would love to see your crocheted blanket. Hopefully you will have better luck posting a pic than I have lately.

I too used to do cross stitch until I broke my wrist. Then finger issues took over and now my eyes probably wouldn't work for it now. I am ready to leave for my second to last PT. It has gone very well and is definitely helping.

Chris, continued prayers for you and for all of you.

Love,

Nancy

IntoLight

I thought I would share my "annual report" I shared on FaceBook this morning. Feel free to skip if you wish.

Six years ago today I was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Though the journey has been tough, I have learned so much about God, my family and friends, and myself. During this time I have lost many friends and family to this horrible disease and I often ask why I am still here. Even in the midst of the storm God has been always by my side. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for God is with me. His rod and His staff they comfort me." From absence of fear to overflowing cups of blessings God has sustained and provided. My beloved husband and daughter are quick to provide for my needs and patient with me when I struggle. On June 9th I will celebrate 50 years of marriage to the love of my life. There was a time I thought I wouldn't make it this far, but my God answers prayers. Never take for granted the day God has placed before you or the people He has placed in your life. During these last six years I have gained a family I never knew I had and a new community of friends when I thought my life was about over. I pray every day for the salvation of my family and that the love of God will overflow in all whom I know. Thank you for being a willing part of my life. God is good!

HersheyKiss

Chris, thank you for sharing your Facebook post. Your love for God and family is beautiful.

GB, I hope your work situation improves and management takes the necessary precautions to protect its employees. So many parts of the country are entering a fifth COVID wave. This virus doesn't seem to miss a beat finding hosts.

Wheatfields, I pray for a successful surgery on Wednesday. Will your wonderful nurse friend go with you?

Nancy, I'm so glad that PT is helping you. I saw a new physical therapist yesterday (my previous one retired from clinical work). She started me right off the bat with mobility and strength exercises. I hope they help with my shoulder stiffness.

Wishing everyone a peaceful weekend.

bandwoman1234

Chris, your post really touched my heart. I have been privileged to have gotten to know you during this period of time. I have prayed for you many, many times that God would give you many more good quality years of life on this earth. I know it has not been easy and it has hurt my heart during those times when I knew you were struggling. I feel honored to have you as a friend. You are such an inspiration to all of us who have met you on this thread. Your faith in God through the tough times has been a great role model for all of us. I remember you talking last year about your 50th anniversary and not knowing if you would still be here for it. Well, you have almost reached that milestone. It is obvious that your family and your new family mean the world to you. Opening up your new home and inviting all into it for this great celebration is about to take place. When you look back at all the challenges you have had with this year alone it is truly a testimony of God's grace working through you. Your word "trust" has probably been a more powerful challenge than you could have possibly imagined for this year. Just as metal is made stronger by going through a fiery furnace your faith has stood the test of many trials by fire. You are a blessing to the ladies on this thread and I am sure you are a blessing to all of the people you meet. My prayer is that you will thoroughly enjoy your special day on June 9 and you will feel well enough to really appreciate it. Thank you for your post and for being vulnerable and honest.

Love,

Nancy