thread for middle age to older Christian women.

Nancy, glad you are getting your porch work done even if it had to happen today. I am also praying for your fatigue--I know firsthand how that feels! I continue to pray for Jean, Shannon, Carol, Hershey, gb, and Wheatfields. All our issues add up and make things harder while fighting this disease. I am thankful God cares and walks beside us. I feel better after stopping my medicine completely while waiting for a reduced dose. But I think I overdid it yesterday because I felt pretty good, and am paying for it today. I forget I just can't do things. So I will play couch potato today.

Take care dear friends. Chris

After a couple of days considering what to do since the treatment made my lymphedema worse I decided to see the PT lady once more on Tuesday and let her know I'm not comfortable with having my arm wrapped again until I see the hand doctor I made an appointment for on Wednesday and also speak to my lymphedema doctor down at Sloan-Kettering . I feel a little bit more in control and less frustrated now that I've made a decision on what to do going forward. I have been treating the pain and swelling with ibuprofen and at-home gentle massage. The swelling has gone down and the pain is almost gone. Thank you all for your concern. Jean

Chris, I know you understand fatigue as you have been through so many challenges which have resulted in a lot of fatigue. We can so easily overdo and I know you probably feel enormous time pressure to have your house in perfect condition for you incoming family. I hate it that it hit you the next day after having a better day but I do believe God sidelines us sometimes because He knows we need the rest. I am glad to hear that you are off your new med until getting a lower dose. I do hope you will have many days of feeling much better with more energy to do what you would like to do. Yes, I am very grateful that this porch project finally got off the ground as I had this fear that he was going to blow me off completely.

Carol, yes the saga continues. This year has been the worst for me and contractors. I have had to hire handymen for most of my adult life and I don't ever remember having a year like this. God must be teaching me something that I am having to learn over and over again. Not quite sure. But today very little got done because of a big problem so the two day project is looking like it might be more like a week project because they never put in a full day's work. In the scheme of life this will be a minor blip on the radar and I keep telling myself that. I have laid this project at Jesus feet numerous times and I find myself having to do that daily now. The fatigue is concerning since I don't know the source. I imagine my weight loss and my detox program have contributed to this somehow but it may be my body adjusting to all of it and my meds trying to adjust as well. I am still forcing myself to walk almost every day. Is this your weekend with your family I believe? Hoping that will be a blessing.

Jean. I am glad you feel better after putting a plan in place. I know that always helps me when I am feeling out of control and frustrated. I suffer from fibromyalgia and that issue has caused me a lot of grief with many physical therapies I have had in my life. I have to just stand up to the therapist and say I can only do so many of these reps because it is making my pain worse or causing other areas to become painful. Some are more receptive than others. I hope you will find that yours will be and I am glad you have helped reduce the swelling yourself. I never had to experience the wrapping in my LE therapy so I don't know what that is like but I know you will figure out what is best for you. We do have to be our own advocates as we all know after the myriad doctor apts we have to have just for BC alone.

Wheatfields, how are you feeling now post surgery? Hopefully much less pain.

Teka, praying for you as you wait to see your ortho doc.

Hershey, how is your PT coming along? Has your Mom started their community garden yet? I bet she will really enjoy that. There is healing in watching things grow and having an active part in that process.

Shannon, I am sorry to hear about your Mom. Hopefully she will have many good quality days left to enjoy.

GB. has any decisions been made yet affecting your workplace. I have been praying that the Covid exposure will NOT happen.

Enjoy your Memorial Day tomorrow everyone.

Love,

Nancy

Take a moment today to appreciate the ultimate sacrifices our men and women in the military have made for us to be able to celebrate freedom in America. Enjoy your day.

Please pray that mt Lymphedema PT goes well tomorrow and she cooperates with my plan to see a hand doctor and speak with my Sloan-Kettering Lymphadema Dr before continuing treatment. Also that I will get copies of all my measurements while there to give the hand doctor on Wednesday and send to Sloan-Kettering. Thank you all for your support. Jean Prayed for you all.

Jean, I have prayed for you that your plan will play out as you hope it will and that you can continue treatments which I pray will be effective and that you will have peace in this situation.

I need prayers today. Yesterday I did my usual grocery shopping and then decided to work out in my yard. It was hot but very forceful winds so I wasn't all that aware of the heat. I spent several hours working and right when I was just about to finish and go inside and eat a very late lunch a friend stopped by. We talked for maybe an hour or more and I was getting very parched and in need of water. I was dirty and didn't invite her inside. When she left I was so wiped out and I still had to collect all my tools and put away. As soon as I got inside I immediately felt nauseated and I did get sick. I felt queasy the whole night and don't feel great today. I thought I had an early car apt today and I misread my calendar and it is tomorrow thankfully. My contractors have not shown up and they knew they could work even if I was gone. I have been drinking electrolyte water and it is a special order powder that goes into my filtered water. I am guessing I had heat exhaustion with dehydration. At any rate I would appreciate your prayers. I have much on my to do list and probably nothing is going to happen today other than laying around and resting.

I hope you all had a good holiday weekend.'

Love,

Nancy

Nancy, I hope you're feeling better today. It does sound like heat exhaustion. I had that a few times when I was a kid and played in the sun too long. It's miserable and we didn't have electrolyte water at that time (as far as I knew.)

Carol

Thank you dear sisters for your prayers and your concern. I am taking it easy today and just finished a big electrolyte drink. I knew I was exhausted yesterday as my friend and I were standing and talking. I hadn't seen her for quite some time even though she does go to my church so I wanted to catch up. I was completely surprised at how fast once I got inside my house I felt sick. I know I have not been feeling my normal self and will have to take it easy working outside. When noon came I was so frustrated with NO contractors at my house working so I texted the guy and basically said this is NOT working for me working less than a half a day at a time and having a two day project looking like it is turning into a two week project. I got some fast action after that. They didn't ring the doorbell today and I have not gone out to greet them. I already said I was not feeling well from yesterday. I did see one railing in place........finally. He said the woodwork would be up today. I'm still not holding my breath on that one but I did say I need a longer range plan that I can schedule around. So we will see what happens but I am hopeful. I was afraid materials might be stolen from my front porch as my garage does not have room to keep this with my car inside and I live on a corner where it would be very easy in the dark to carry off this expensive wood. I understand delays can happen but not appearing on the work site until afternoon and then leaving after only a few hours work is just very unusual to me. I started on this project last summer and ran into wood shortages. When I start on my new windows project I hear there is a shortage of aluminum and work can't begin for some for three months out. As I have said before in the big picture this is only a small blip on the radar. So I will put on my big girl panties and deal with it. LOL. Thanks again for your prayers.

Love,

Nancy

Good news Nancy! Send pictures when it is all done.

Great news Jean. Lots of prayer answers in your post!

Jean, so glad that things are working for you and obviously prayers are being answered.

My project is not quite done. My contractor works very slowly and meticulously and he spent an enormous amount of time being sure the nail heads would not show. It was 2:00 and he hadn't even started priming yet. He vowed to finish today. I ended up having to plug in two work lights and shine them through the kitchen window so he could see as he was working in the dark at this point. His Dad picked him up and they left at 9:40 PM. They are coming back tomorrow and touching up any places that need it since it was very hard to see. I started feeling very nauseated this afternoon. My young contractor found a wasps nest and asked if I had any spray which I did. In his spraying the nest my whole front door got covered in spray. He opened the door to give me the spray back and I don't do well with chemical smells at all so I am hoping that was all it was and that I do not have a stomach virus. I am totally exhausted from this very long day. I am sure the contractor must have been wiped out as well.

Chris, you will laugh at how small my front porch is and how this turned into such a deal. I have had it rebuilt in the past and it was done by two experts, a carpenter and a painter and it was a no brainer. It was done very quickly. Like I have mentioned before once the job is all done I will tell you the back story in all of this . My landscaping needs to be replaced but not this year. I will maybe post a pic so you can see it. My landscapers have not trimmed yet and things look pretty shaggy at this point but I'll see if I can post a pic of it. Nothing exciting but I am so thrilled that it will be done after tomorrow.

Have a good night everyone.

Love,

Nancy

Wheatfields, I am glad you are doing well and it sounds like things are improving already. Hopefully now that a few days have passed you will have less pain and more use of both hands.

I just heard on the news of a breakthrough in rectal cancer in a small study. The participants did not have to have surgery or chemo and all are in remission. Jean, this was from Sloan Kettering that an oncologist discovered this amazing therapy. These types of things can be a huge breakthrough in all forms of cancer. Praying it will help for breast cancer.

My porch is finally done. A day later than I thought but done. It has been quite stressful and there have been several other things happen that I definitely feel has been an onslaught from the enemy. I know I need to stay very close to Jesus as he is my source and my protector.

I am praying for you all and mention each of your known issues up in prayer.

Love,

Nancy

Thank you Nancy. My oncologist appointment went well yesterday. I am feeling pretty good because I have been off treatment for a couple of weeks. God's timing is perfect! But I am supposed to start back on tomorrow... I am just sitting here waiting for everyone to arrive--both sons and their families and my Auntie.

Glad you got your front porch finished. Now I am praying for complete defeat of the enemy!

Wheatfields and gb, I join others in continued prayer.

Blessings, Chris

Hi all, may I ask for prayers for another member from the Stage IV threads? Her name is moth and she's really sick with her liver mets. If this latest treatment doesn't work, she may move on to hospice. My heart is so heavy.

Thank you,

Carol

Carol, I didn't realize Moth was struggling so much. I will surely pray for her.

My family is here and I am so happy. God is good!