thread for middle age to older Christian women.

Teka, thank you. There was someone from NY that responded to my post. Several from CA. It was unbelievable and uplifting.

How did your apt with your orthopedic specialist go today? Is surgery on the table at this point? I have been praying for you.

I spent a good part of this afternoon at the vet with Cammie. I have been concerned about her. She has to be sedated every time I go so it is not like your typical apt would be. The vet was pleased that she gained weight. I have been giving her an appetite stimulant but it has been causing side effects. The vet would like to wean her off the meds. Cammie would be happy about that but I am not so sure how that will go. Time will tell.

Have a good night.

Love,

Nancy

Nancy,

I had lying down knee X-rays in ER on April 15th. June 9th, leg X-rays, standing straight with legs together, slightly bent with legs together then legs together lying down. PA could tell that L leg slightly longer than R leg. Different individuals over the years have asked if I was lame because of my walk. I now know why!

PA said there's bone spurs and break down in the R knee causing pain, given cortisone injection. Maybe in the future......lubricating injection (which has to be special ordered and weeks for arrival). PA said knee surgery is rough and 6-12 months to recover and last option if all else fails. Sports Medicine in Lake Placid has an excellent reputation and patients come from all over to receive care. I'm not going to 2nd guess their treatment recommendations. NO MRI, other tests or X-rays at this time. Thankfully, I am now one of their ongoing patients.

I am already feeling better from cortisone injection.

I'm enjoying less pain and backing off on tylenol every 4 hours to every 6 hours.

Finally, getting relief from 8 weeks of misery!

MY next appointment on July 21st.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Sweet Cammie has her good days then her bad days to give you worry.

Maybe a pic of new porch railing!?

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I remember helping Gram pick tiny wild strawberries for her delicious homemade wild strawberry shortcake with baking powder biscuits, wild strawberries and whipped cream.

Daughter's pic at her home.

*tiny wild strawberries*

Carol, thank you. My swan story is still alive and well. It is such a great reminder of God's goodness. I have that print blown up and professionally framed and on my living room wall. I don't ever want to take that picture or that story for granted. God works in mysterious and interesting ways and it is never the same from one person to the next. All of us have a story to tell which are as unique as we all are as individuals. I had someone from San Diego respond to the swan story. I am still dumfounded that I didn't realize my story was posted to the whole country!

Teka, I am SO glad to hear that your cortisone injection has helped you so much. I discovered years ago that my left leg is shorter than my right one and I now have a shoe lift built into my orthotics. It can really throw off your back so perhaps someone can help you with that. I have a good friend who is my age. I thought for sure she would opt for knee surgery and she opted to NOT have it. She is also a bc survivor and I can certainly understand her holding off on it. I just got an email that she is going to do the Chicago Marathon (walking only) for World Vision and clean water. I can't imagine but she likes to set high goals for herself.

Cammie is so thrilled to get some hard and tight mats behind her ears removed. I was relieved that it was mats because I was fearing a tumor. Unfortunately the girl who did it missed a big mat just under that area. Cammie does not want me to brush her but I have fooled her lately and got in a few swipes before she realizes it.

Our landscapers have not trimmed our bushes yet and my front porch area looks like a jungle right now. I want to have them trim before I post any pics of my front porch. I am not finished with my flower in the front either. First waiting on the porch contractor and now waiting on the landscapers. I just bought 23 bags of mulch and unloaded 15 of them onto my patio in the back today. I feel like I have just had a weigh lifting session at the gym!

I love hearing about the wild strawberries. Thanks for sharing your daughter's pic of them. I haven't eaten any sweets since the middle of Jan. so no shortcake for me but I hope you will get to enjoy some.

Chris, I am so thrilled that you are enjoying your time of celebration and watching all the action that is going into your big celebration. I can't tell you how happy that makes me knowing you have longed for this day for a very long time. Yes, please share a pic of the cake when it is all finished. I am continuing to pray that you will feel good and that you can live in the moment relishing every single thing going on around you. I am glad you are not getting tired of my swan story. Every time I share it it is never quite the same. I did have some residents from CO who responded on Nextdoor.

GB, how are you doing? I got my bird feeders back up and they didn't miss a beat as I had feared they might. I put my hummingbird feeder up on Wed. and Thursday and today I have seen a female and male already. I am thrilled about that. How are your Bluebirds doing? How are things on the work front?

Hershey and Jean, I am praying for your PT sessions.

Wheatfields, praying that your recovery continues each day.

Shannon, praying that you will have victory over fear and that you can relax knowing your treatments are finally over.

Have a great weekend dear sisters.

Love,

Nancy

Thank you Nancy. Unless they run out of the contrast dye, my scans will be on Wednesday. I'll check in for the nuclear med injection at 9:15, then get the CT scan at 10:00. Then back to the nuclear med scan at 11:30. After that, home for a nap!

Thank you for your prayers, as always!

How are you feeling? Are you able to enjoy your new deck?

Carol

Carol, I am praying for you for Wed. Hopefully if they told you they had reserved scans for top priority patients then you will get your CT scan as promised. I know it is a long day when you have to have all of these things. Praying for strength on test day and praying for GOOD NEWS in your results.

I am still having quite a lot of issues with my GI tract and some things are getting worse. If things don't calm down I may have to take some drastic action. I am still on my detox diet. I have lost 21 pounds and the good thing in that is that I have been doing some strenuous yard work and am tolerating that better. Today was tough as the heat index is very high and a heat advisory warning was issued. I have been in a race hauling bags of mulch as I have a young gal coming on Wed. to detail my car. I can't haul bags of mulch in my back seat AFTER she spends all afternoon on the inside of my car so that has been my story for the last several days. My porch rebuild is unfortunately nothing I can really enjoy. It was just one of those things that had to be done. My shrubs are too high around it so I never sit on my front porch. However I have a very nice fairly new patio in the back which I rarely use. Yeah, I know. I tend to be on the go a lot and then when I stop I just want to relax in my Lazy Boy and watch TV. I'll have to post some pics of my flowers on my patio. I am still waiting for my landscapers to trim the bushes so I can post a pic of my front porch. I got out my own hedge trimmers last week and trimmed some bushes so I could get my flowers out. I am still waiting to mulch this front area and get my cascading fountain up. Lot's to do yet and the weather is going to be brutal.

GB, I'm sorry that your work is a burden. I remember many years ago having a type of crisis not knowing if I wanted to make a change in my work situation. I am not exactly sure what changed but I stayed put and it all worked out in the end. I think my attitude changed along the way and I am sure I prayed for guidance and direction. I am glad you have your birds to put a bright spot in your day. I would love, love, love to have bluebirds nesting in my yard. I don't have any birdhouses up but I was looking at some they were selling on TV recently. So cute but I opted out.

As far as your meds I was on an AI and I was told by my cancer team that exercise could really help with the side effects. I do think it did help. I was a swimmer and walker during that time. I pray that God will help you to navigate all of what you are experiencing.

Chris, praying you are soaking up all of the celebration going on around you. I would love to see some pics of your special cake when you have time. Praying that your drug has not caused you to feel bad and that you are still enjoying your family.

There are tornado warnings around us but thankfully it is not in our particular area and I hope it won't be.

Take care dear sisters.

Love,

Nancy

GB, oh no. Praying that you can keep cool with your portable until you get your AC fixed. I hope that will happen on Thursday. Our feel like temp is around 110 today. I worked outside mulching yesterday and will probably stay inside today. Yesterday was hot and humid but nothing like the next couple of days.

I just saw a Papa male cardinal feeding one of it's babies on my patio. I had no idea that little one was a baby cardinal as it doesn't look like the adult at all. I think they might have a nest in my hedge as I have seen them in there more than usual. I wish I could have caught that on camera.

Take care.

Love,

Nancy

Nancy, I loved your swan story and the picture! I am praying for your GI issues, and also do be careful in the heat for it has been very hot and if I think it's humid here I know it's even more sweltering further east. GB, I'm sorry to hear of your work situation and also praying that your AC is soon fixed and that the blue birds continue to provide lots of joy. Hershey, I'm praying for your continued PT sessions and self care at home. Also, Carol, we will be praying for your scans tomorrow, and Chris that you are feeling good and enjoying family now. My hand is getting better, the right one sometimes has a little pain, which I could live with, although my nurse friend said it can take a cortisone shot a while to work, it does seem better than it was. The left thumb that had surgery is healing, and I am doing the exercises faithfully, but I can see where I have a ways to go before it's as flexible as the other thumb. I have a yearly mammogram coming up on the 28th of June, and an appointment with the oncologist. I'm feeling guilty because the first two years since my diagnosis I was pretty good about nutritional eating and now it'll be 3 years, but in the last 6 months I've really been off the bandwagon, eating healthy maybe 2/3 of the time but the other third having whatever I like. Praying for you all and thank you for your prayers!

Love, Wheatfields

GB, I'm so sorry about the refrigerator. Can it be repaired, or is it time for a new one? Power companies in my area offer rebates for the purchase of new refrigerators. Perhaps that is something to investigate.

Wheatfields, your rehab sounds like it is going very well. Your nurse friend is such a good encouragement, and I'm glad that she is there for you. I will pray for a good mammogram report on the 28th.

Hi All. I have been praying for you all when I can.

Today I dropped my Auntie off at the airport and my son and his family leave in the morning so my celebration is almost over. I am sitting at the hospital right now waiting for my Zometa infusion which is given at precisely every 84 days. It all has been wonderful to have everyone here but I am ready for rest. I have started a lower dose medicine and am already feeling is effects but I'll make it.

I ask for prayer for my son and his wife. My youngest grandson, who is two, is extremely strong-willed and screams at them. They have the patience of saints but it is wearing on them. Pray they can find a good behavior solution. Their older two are wonderfully behaved so this is real hard on them. We are praying once they are home they can get him back on a good routine which works.

I haven't forgot you want a picture of the cake. Perhaps when everyone leaves I can Gary it done. Gotta go...Chris

GB, I'm sorry to hear about your refrigerator. Some days DO feel like we have a target on our backs!

Nancy, I'm sorry you're dealing with heat issues. Weather continues to be crazy all over the place. Flooding in Yellowstone? Is that a first? I'm glad you're getting your car detailed. I'm sure it will look great inside and out.

My scans came back as stable, so I'm thankful for that. I couldn't get the bloodwork done because they couldn't find the order. Oh well. I'll try again on Friday.

Chris, I will be praying for your son and his wife and their two-year-old son. It sounds like a super challenging time for them.

Love to all, (and anyone I missed)

Carol

Nancy, I've used Bonide's Burn Out Weed & Grass Killer in the past. It's all natural, has a wonderful clove fragrance, and works best when applied on a sunny hot day. Amazon carries it in the 32 oz spray bottles.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

Honoring all of the Dad's who are in our lives now and for those who have passed. Enjoy this special weekend.

I have rarely posted a picture of myself but I will today. I had a wonderful last few days. I reconnected with my best friend from elementary school. She moved to another area of town and we went to separate junior high schools and then went to the same high school but we had already made new friends by then. She was a cheerleader and I was a band geek. We met on Classmates.com which is a site that reunites high school friends. Other than one other time we hadn't really seen each other for 53 yrs. We talked for an hour and a half and it was wonderful. We are going to stay in touch. She lives in Berkeley, CA. Then the next day I walked almost 6 miles. I am sure a world record for me in my older age. This picture was taken at our the Morton Arboretum in our area. I got to see another old friend who I hadn't seen in person for several years. We had lunch and spent the afternoon hunting for these sculptures through out the many acres of the arboretum. Then yesterday I had a wonderful time at a legacy brunch celebrating our church's 55th anniversary. There is a four day festival going on with a carnival and arts and craft fair and a concert all to help welcome our community and hopefully get them to come to church plus celebrating our legacy. Needless to say I have been pretty wiped out but getting ready to go to church now.

This sculpture is a whole series of man and nature entwined. I'm the one in the front. LOL

I hope you are all doing well this weekend. We have had some really nice weather which is about to turn very hot and humid again soon.

Oh BTW. My friend and I got to visit the swans and they have 7 babies. The mother was hiding in areas we couldn't really see very well but we were very close to Papa swan. I hope to visit there soon with my good camera.

Love,

Nancy

Nancy, lovely picture of you. It almost looks like Mother Nature is watching over you!

Honoring dads today. My half-sister confessed our biological dad was not the best dad so I feel blessed that God sent me to one who taught me the love of God, family, and fishing! I am not doing well today so I shall nap and rest.

That is an amazing sculpture, Nancy, and you look great in your skinny jeans!

My brothers taught me to fish. We'd take our golden retriever to the lake and fish for crappie and blue gills. Our dog would go for a swim with the mallards and scare away the fish. Silly dog.

Chris, I hope you are resting and will feel better soon.

Nice photo Nancy!