Staying down a bit longer!

Got to the Doctor today, it was a bit nerve wreaking because she is new to me. My original doctor left about a year ago he moved to a different area. So I went to one of the Doctors that took his place. I had only gone to her once, and then she got sick and had to leave for quite awhile. I struggled a bit at once again going to someone new. I had developed quite a trust with my earlier Doctor and he seemed to go above and beyond for our family, during my last battle with cancer. I admired him and trusted him, so starting over was hard.
This new Doctor was nice and very thorough. As I thought... it was pneumonia, but she said that I am on the tail end of it. She was mostly concerned about how hard I was still struggling to breath. That is why I am so tired. So she gave me albuterol inhaler and asked me to stay down for 2 weeks, so that I won't get anything else while my immune system is jeopardized. It is hard for me to stay down usually, but honestly I am so tired that I don't really do much. So I really hope that I can start breathing well soon, so my energy will return  soon.
Thanks for your prayers and concern.
Good night dear friends!

Starting over!

   Starting over, well it seems like some times that is what you do in life...start over or start again! I sorta feel like that is what I am doing again with my body. I have been going the past couple of years to a spine specialist and as many of you know...she is amazing! She has helped me get back to living quite a bit these past two years. She had actually graduated me ( so to speak ) because I was getting so much better, then...I was in a car accident and got rear ended. Now my back and neck started hurting every day again and I am back to my chiropractor who is ...amazing also.
   I have worried so many times in my life, when one doctor or healer is no longer available for whatever reason, like they moved or had a baby or whatever, my concern has always been what we I do now, who will know how to help me. One time when I was telling Jeff, what am I going to do? Who will I go to? He just smiled and said " Sweetheart, you have always been taken care of. You always have the right person or Doctor come along at the right time, this won't be any different, you will be fine!"
   I need to remember that Starting Over is just a part of life and the key is to have faith that you will be lead to the right person at the right time. That is just all part of the learning process. But today I felt like we are beginning again and for that... I am grateful.
Thanks for always being there dear friends.
Good night!
 
"So it's like starting over again, but I look forward to the challenge. "
Lee Majors

"There is only one day left, always starting over: it is given to us at dawn and taken away from us at dusk."
Jean-Paul Sartre

Yet another road...

Our son Lee, has been suffering from severe muscle cramps. This has been going on for years and we finally thought we had found out what it was. We weren't sure if it was some internally or not. For the past year and half, we have been in and out of the Doctor's office, Emergency room, Specialist's office, Chiropractor and Hospital for CT scans, X-rays and Ultrasounds. All of which haven't really given us specific solutions.
I wrote on Mother's Day that we thought we had finally got a diagnosis...Psoas Muscle Spasms, we were thrilled to at least find out what it was and go forward. The problem is, although it looked for sure that this was our problem and an easy fix...2 months later, we are realizing, the attacks aren't going away and we still are not sure what is causing them.

Two weeks ago, Lee went to a church youth camp for 3 days. During that time, he had 3 attacks, 2 small ones and 1 big attack. The doctor and nurse that were there, witnessed them and promptly told Jeff and I that they did not think this was muscle attacks that Lee was having and suggested that we take him in for further testing right away.

Am I scared? YES! I am struggling with the NOT KNOWING what it is, so once again we are going down another road in search for the right answers. It has been hard on Lee, he has not been able to get a job because of this and many other areas of his life are restricted and have been put on hold, until we get this figured out. He is more frustrated than scared, I am glad about that. I pray that soon we will find the right answer and more importantly...be able to find a cure for this. It is hard watching your child suffer. I would rather it be me any day, but that is not how life works.

So we will continue going down road after road, until we finally find the right answer...please keep us in your prayers, we could sure use them.

"I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future."  ~Author Unknown

"It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts."  ~K.T. Jong

Why can't I catch health instead?

Well, as many of you know... my luck isn't the best and it seemed like it sure hasn't changed lately. I knew when I got up this morning and kept coughing and didn't feel like anything, that I had better get my self to the Doctor. I have tried so hard to stay away from Jeff ( who still isn't feeling that much better) but it happened any way. The Doctor told me that I had an ear infection, bronchitis and pneumonia, I knew that I was hurting, but it made me sad to know that I have it again, just 3 months after the last time I had it. At least I am home, that was terrible being that sick and so far from home. So I guess there is something to be grateful for?  Now I am not going to discourage you tonight, by telling any more about myself, but I will leave you with a few quotes about health. Thanks for always being there my dear family and friends. I might not be the healthiest person in the world...but I am one of the happiest person's, because of my association with so many good people like... YOU!

Thank you!

"The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling."
~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields,

"The... patient should be made to understand that he or she must take charge of his own life.  Don't take your body to the doctor as if he were a repair shop."  ~Quentin Regestein

"If I had my way I'd make health catching instead of disease."  ~Robert Ingersoll

The Human Touch

I love this story, because I do believe that we all at one time or another... underestimate the power of the human touch!

During the first two decades of this century, a great number of babies under one year of age wasted away in hospitals and children's institutions and died from unknown causes. In some institutions it was customary to enter the condition of all seriously sick infants as "hopeless" on admission cards.
Among the doctors who were confronted with infant mortality daily was Dr. Fritz Talbot of the Children's Clinic in Dusseldorf. Dr. Talbot had uncommon success in dealing with sick children. For many years, as he made his rounds, he would be followed from ward to ward by groups of interns seeking new ways of handling children's diseases.
One such intern was Dr. Joseph Brennermann, who told this story.
"Many times we would come across a child for whom everything had failed. For some reason the child was hopelessly wasting away. When this would happen, Dr. Talbot would take the child's chart and scrawl some indecipherable prescription. In most of the cases, the magic formula took effect and the child began to prosper. My curiosity was aroused and I wondered if the famous doctor had developed some new type of wonder drug.
"One day, after rounds, I returned to the ward and tried to decipher Dr. Talbot's scrawl. I had no luck, and so I turned to the head nurse and asked her what the prescription was.

"'Old Anna,' she said. Then she pointed to a grandmotherly woman seated in a large rocker with a baby on her lap. The nurse continued: 'Whenever we have a baby for whom everything we could do had failed, we turn the child over to Old Anna. She has more success than all the doctors and nurses in this institution combined.'"

http://www.getmotivation.com/stories10.htm

 

"Each Warrior wants to leave the mark of his will, his signature, or important cats he touches. This is not the voice of ego but of the human spirit, rising up and declaring that it has something to contribute to the solution of the hardest problems, no matter how vexing!"  ~Pat Riley

" Analytical software enables you to shift human resources form the rote date collection to value-added customer service and support where the human touch makes a profound difference"   ~ Bill Gates

Anyone need a Doctor?

Obviously I needed one or two today, because I was at 5 different appointments. I started out at 9:00 am at the hospital for my weekly Physical Therapy apt for my lymphodemia. Those are always good for me, but make me feel drained, as she is moving the toxins around. Next, I had a quick appointment with my oncologist to see if he thinks there are any problems with the lumps under my arm that are still swollen.The Physical Therapist was a bit concerned. He really didn't think that they were an issue, he then mentioned that you can have quite a bit of pain and soreness up to a year after your last radiation treatment. If he was trying to comfort me, it wasn't working. He didn't seem real concerned but then again, he isn't the one hurting either. I don't mean that rude, but isn't it true? The one that is going through it, is the one probably more concerned and they are the ones who have to deal with the time factor. Like you can have symptoms and pain up to a year afterwards, yikes...I am only 2 or 3 months out. Time is definitely an issue, especially when it involves PAIN!

My third appointment was with a L.M.D. rep for FLEXITOUCH. It is a company that has developed this machine that basically does what my Physical Therapist does for me, except this is something I can do myself every day in the comfort of my own home. ( didn't that sound like a sales line? ) It massages you and then at the same time helps you drain the toxins out of your body. He was very knowledgeable about lymphodemia and he seemed way more concerned about me, as my Physical Therapist does. I wonder why doctors aren't that concerned about it? Maybe because that is not their job. Their job is the treatments or surgery, but a Physical Therapist are the ones that are trying to get you back to life, back to living without pain and so many restrictions. How grateful I am that my Physical Therapist was concerned enough to have Lance come in and let me test this machine out. It takes an hour a day when your lymphodemia is mild to moderate like mine. You have to do it twice a day if it gets acute.

This machine also would definitely be for PREVENTIVE from getting lymphodemia in my arm, hand, legs and etc. He asked if I wanted to see some photos of women and men who had acute cases? I said no thanks, I already know I don't want mine to get worse or spread any where else. Then I asked for the price, we have great insurance through Boeing, but the part that is not covered... is high. They do have payment plans and scholarship type of things so... we shall see?

I have sold things most of my life, I am actually not too bad at it either. But listening to Vance and his presentation was wonderful,he had all the facts and figures to help me see how wonderful this FLEXITOUCH machine is. I wondered how many men and women with lymphodemia, really turn him down? I kept reminding myself of the price, but then after a certain point, I thought "if it keeps me from getting lymphodemia anywhere else or having it get worse, how could I not invest in it?" Lymphodemia is a life long problem, it does not go away, it can just settles down, but it is a life long issue that you have to deal with. You don't grow back lymph nodes, once they are gone they are gone. That is why I didn't want as many as I had taken out.

I wonder what it is like to sell to someone that is hurting, someone who is sitting there for an hour and can't go anywhere accept listen to you? To sell to someone that realizes that their lymphodemia is going to continue to take more time out of our life? I mean, some times it is down right discouraging to have to continue to fight one more battle after another. Cancer was already a tough battle... but even after that, the fighting continues, it just is labeled something else. I have said more than once... that no one can afford to have cancer, time or money wise. Cancer can be a full time job in and of itself. With no securities or benefits, that can be discouraging at time.

A dear friend that I spoke to today said something that I thought was worth repeating, she herself has had a very trying life and had some huge losses in her life, one of her biggest was the lose of her son. As a mother I personally can't think of anything worse, but her sweet sister told her at the time of the funeral. "YOU CAN BE BITTER OR YOU CAN BE BETTER!" What a great and profound quote! That is certainly true about anyone's life, especially someone who has had more than their share of struggles. "YOU CAN BE BITTER OR YOU CAN BE BETTER" because of it. It is your choice! I know for sure that all these trials and problems are to teach us great wisdom and to help us to become better people, not bitter ones!

There are days that we might not accomplish that exactly, but we need to try and remember to be gentle with ourselves and to try and learn from our situations. Many times, even the worst experiences can be like treasure chests, with hidden treasures of knowledge, that will teach you sooooo much! So here I go again, down another curve in my road, uphill too! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers in my behalf, this has been one of the hardest journeys I have ever taken, plus one of the longer ones too. May we all be, more prone to examine the situations in our lives and then realize that we can either be bitter (why is it happening to me?) or better ( what do I need to learn?), it is our choice.

The last two appointments were for Lauren, she has come down with the flu! I am grateful for our doctors, physical therapist and others who share their concern and their knowledge that helps us get better and ultimately to teach us how to take better care of ourselves. Don't forget to look for those hidden treasures of knowledge. Remember..."KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!"

"THE SUPERIOR DOCTOR PREVENTS SICKNESS; THE MEDIOCRE DOCTOR ATTENDS TO IMPENDING SICKNESS; THE INFERIOR DOCTOR TREATS ACTUAL SICKNESS" ~ Chinese Proverb

"WHENEVER A DOCTOR CANNOT DO GOOD, HE MUST BE KEPT FROM DOING HARM" ~ Hippocrates

"MY DOCTOR GAVE ME SIX MONTHS TO LIVE, BUT WHEN I COULDN'T PAY THE BILL HE GAVE ME SIX MONTHS MORE" :) ~ Walter Matthau