A child's heart!

As a Mother, I remember when my kids were sick and how I worried about them. Now I am a Grandmother  ( Nana )  and I realize that I still worry just as much. Angie came to stay with me for a 3 day Sleep Over and she has been so sick. She really didn't do much at all while she was here. I stayed right by her, checked her temperature,  tried to do all that I could to make her feel better or at least comfortable. She didn't want to eat much at all, so I just tried to keep liquids in her and I did get a few Protein drinks in her. Her fever would just go up and down often. We were able to do something fun for about 20 mins, then you would see her lay down her head a lot and just go to bed. Poor thing, finally this morning she woke up with a high fever so I got ahold of Amy and we got a Doctor appointment for her, then I took her to home in time to go to it.
She was so cute, she said "Nana,  are you going to be ok by yourself while Poppa is gone, since I can't be there?"  I smiled and tried to explain to her that I would miss her but I would be fine. I just wanted her to get better.
She never complained at all, what a sweetheart and still it was a fun 3 days, because I got to still be  with her.



Then I got an text from Brad and Krystal saying that my little Grandson Kai had an accident today, and they have been sitting at the ER trying to get stitches in his head. Poor little guy, how I wish could fly to Texas right away and be there to take care of him and just hold
him. Oh how I love these grandchildren of mine! And I hurt when they hurt...just like when I was a Mom.

This photo that I found on Pinterest, reminded me how sweet these little children's hearts are. They love their stuffed animals and dolls and they are so sweet. I loved being a Mom and I really love being a Nana.

I am tired, I am beat but... I am blessed!

Good Night dear friend!

It's a scary time of the year!

I was interested in this article, since this year I am trying very hard to stay healthy...especially during the flu season! Since we are talking about scary things... this close to Halloween, thought this is something everyone should read. I think my kids had all 3 of these medical problems, more than once in their life!
Motherhood is tough, but some times just knowing that your kid is not the only one going through it...can be a huge relief on your heart. The one that scared me the worst ( with each child ) was the Night Terrors. There is just something about being woken in the middle of the night to your child screaming, that is scarier than any Halloween costume!
So get ready for this season Moms!
Good Night dear friends!

Story sponsored by

3 'scary' medical problems for kids

• .

By Melinda Rogers

For University of Utah Health Care BrandView

Published: Wednesday, Oct. 22 2014 2:00 p.m. MDT

   

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Summary

Protect your children from common ailments so that they can enjoy the holiday this year.

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It's that time of year when creating the perfect look as a ghost or goblin means your child might win an award for best costume at a Halloween carnival.

Dressing up to appear scary is one thing but when a health condition causes red, itchy skin or watery eyes with a fever that creeps on unexpectedly, the problems can make mom and dad's heart jump more than any ghoul hiding in the shadows.

University of Utah Health Care's Nathan Bexfield, M.D., gives a rundown of some common ailments that can give parents a scare and offers tips for helping little trick-or-treaters get on the mend in time to enjoy one of the most fun holidays of the year.

Fifth Disease

One minute your child's skin is normal and the next thing you know, what appears to be a series of red welts have erupted. For a second, you wonder if your child has been slapped in the face.

But if other mild symptoms appear, such as a low grade fever, headache, runny nose, sore throat, itching and nausea, there's a chance your child could have Fifth Disease.

Fifth Disease is a viral illness that causes a condition called an exanthem, which is another name for a rash or skin eruption. Fifth disease is also known as "slapped cheek" disease because the rash can cause a child's cheeks to become quite red.

Fifth disease is spread from one child to another through direct contact with fluid from the nose and throat. It can also be spread through contact with infected blood. It is moderately contagious.

It's caused by the human parvovirus B19 and if your child picks it up during the winter months, he or she isn't alone. The disease is most common in the winter and spring among school-aged children.

Symptoms usually show up four to 14 days after being exposed to the disease. About 80 percent of children have very mild symptoms for about a week before getting the rash.

About 20 percent will have no symptoms at all before the rash appears. The rash generally starts on a child's cheeks but spreads to the trunk, arms and legs. It lasts about four days.

Physicians usually treat symptoms of Fifth Disease, but because it's a viral infection, there isn't a cure.

"We often recommend drinking fluids, taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen and using an antihistamine for itching," said Bexfield.

"It's also helpful to practice basic hygiene practices, like hand-washing with soap, and for little kids, remembering to cover their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing."

He noted that pregnant women should try to avoid exposure to children diagnosed with Fifth Disease if possible.

"If a pregnant woman has been exposed to parvovirus, she should tell her obstetrician," he said.

Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease

What is Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease?

It's an illness caused by a virus that results in a distinctive rash. It causes small, blister-like bumps in the mouth, and a rash on the palms of the hands and feet.

The rash may also appear in the diaper area and on the legs and arms. The lesions in the mouth usually appear at the back of the throat.

Like Fifth Disease, Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease is caused by a virus. It's common in children, particularly children younger than age 10. It is seen most often in the summer and fall.

The virus is usually spread through fecal-oral contact, although other modes of transmission have been reported.

"Unfortunately Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease is highly contagious. It's not uncommon to see outbreaks occur in daycares or in other places where young children are in close contact," said Bexfield.

Symptoms include blister-like bumps in the mouth (usually near the throat and tonsils), the feet, and the diaper area, and rash on the arms and legs. Young children may also display a fever, lack an appetite and generally behave out-of-sorts.

Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease is usually diagnosed through a visit to a health care provider. The rash and mouth blisters of hand-foot-and-mouth disease are unique, and usually allow for a diagnosis simply on physical exam. A swab of the throat or stool could be sent to the laboratory for testing, but results often take two weeks or more.

There is no specific treatment for Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease, although increasing fluid intake, allowing for rest and using approved pain relievers can help with symptoms. In some cases, physicians may recommend an anesthetic mouth rinse to help with pain in a child's mouth.

Night Terrors

It seems like your child is in a blissful state, fast asleep after a long day. But just when you're finally finding some time to relax on your own, you're jolted by screams from your child's bedroom to find him screaming, kicking and thrashing all while he's still apparently asleep.

The culprit may be a night terror, which is a partial waking from sleep where a child is frightened, but cannot be awakened. The child's eyes are open, but a parent often can't get him or her to pay attention.

After anywhere for a couple minutes to a half-hour, the child usually falls back to sleep and often doesn't remember a thing in the morning (while you might still be worried about what happened).

Night terrors, however, are common, says Bexfield. He recommends parents do the following to help a child through a night terror:

•Try to help your child return to normal sleep. Do not try to awaken your child. Make soothing comments. Hold your child if it seems to help him or her feel better. Shaking or shouting at your child may cause the child to become more upset.

•Protect your child against injury. During a night terror, a child can fall down a stairway, run into a wall, or break a window. Try to gently direct your child back to bed.

•Prepare babysitters for these episodes. Explain to people who care for your child what a night terror is and what to do if one happens.

•Try to prevent night terrors. A night terror can be triggered if your child becomes overly-tired. Be sure your child goes to bed at a regular time, and early enough to give him or her enough sleep. Younger children may need to return to a daily nap.

He also suggests making an appointment with a pediatrician if night terrors continue to interrupt a child's sleep on a regular basis, or if a child does something dangerous during an episode.

"While unsettling, night terrors are generally not harmful," said Bexfield. "But if they seem to be occurring on a frequent basis, it never hurts to get in touch with a doctor to talk more about the problem.

Found the article HERE:

PS Remember that Motherhood is tough...but you are tougher!

Incredible Mother's Plea!

I hope you enjoy this article that Jason F. Wright wrote today. Since it is almost Mother's Day... I thought it would be perfect! Good night dear friends!

Dying Woman's plea leads to adoption, bittersweet Mother's Day!
May 7, 2013

On Sunday, May 2, 2004, Gael and Steve Shaffer of Woodstock, Va., walked into New Hope Church ready to worship. When they walked out an hour later, they'd taken an unexpected call from God.
With permission from the pastor, a local woman named Carol stood that day and announced to the congregation that she was suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and had only a short time to live. The single mother didn't ask for prayers, money or a healing miracle - she pled for someone to adopt and raise her 7-year-old son.
The sickly, long-suffering woman had already made arrangements for her son and daughter to be adopted after the mother's impending death. But plans for her son, Max, had fallen through. His 12-year-old sister would move to Maine to live with her biological father, but young Max had no such options.
Through the salty tears of a dying woman, Carol stood spiritually and emotionally bare before the worshippers and asked, "Will a family please adopt my son?"
The Shaffers' eyes met and they exchanged more than just a quiet glance. They shared the kind of moment that only comes when husbands and wives recognize that God isn't just their perfect creator, he's also a partner in any healthy marriage.
The Shaffers had been married just two years, and the middle-aged couple had already raised children in their first marriages. They'd considered and investigated traditional adoption and the idea of raising a baby together was attractive. But if the pieces couldn't fall into place, they'd take the time to enjoy their new life together.
Over the next few days, Steve Shaffer says that friends, family and their pastor encouraged them to consider adopting Peyton Maxwell "Max" Mahaney. But it wasn't earthy voices that had the greatest impact. "All week long," Steve said, "God worked on our hearts."
Six days after Max's mother stood in church, the Shaffers took the young slugger to his Little League baseball game and to lunch. It seemed as though they chose to try to behave as a family to determine whether they could actually become one.
The next morning they all awoke to Mother's Day. As is custom in many churches, each of the children at New Hope was given a flower to present to their mother. When Max approached his mom sitting reverently on her pew, she quietly suggested Max deliver the rose to someone else. "She told me to give it to Gael," he recalled. "She was going to be my new momma."
Watching her son walk away and hand the rose to another woman must have been among the difficult things for a mother to do. But when God called, Carol answered.
He was also calling the Shaffers, and they answered with courage. On Monday they began meeting with lawyers and social services. On Friday, Max came to spend the weekend with them.
He never left.
Just 12 days after his mother stood up before God and the congregation to ask for help from his children, Max had a new home.
As expected, Carol's health deteriorated, and within two weeks, she was gone. A few days after her death, the couple had legal guardianship and the entire journey had lasted less than one month.
Though the housing arrangements and other logistics took time - Max slept in a hallway for some time - Steve noted how prepared they seemed in other ways. "God prepared our hearts long before the physical things were ready. Though we have no blood connection, there's been a matching of gifts and talents. Somehow, it's all just worked."
That's what happens when you answer the call.
Nine Mother's Days have passed and Max is more grateful than ever for his adoptive parents. "I feel so privileged and blessed to have them in my life," he told me. "They've provided everything I need, and even some things that I want."
Max admits that he was, "worried, nervous and scared" in the early days of their relationship because he was too young to appreciate the miracle of the moment. "Today I know they want the best for me and they also help me to reach my best. I appreciate that, even though I do not show it."
Spoken like a true teenage son.
Gael Shaffer, the woman who became guardian with a simple Mother's Day rose, was quick to deflect praise to her husband. "I've learned what a tremendously important thing a father is in a child's life. Max had never known a father until Steve. Max was hungry for what a father could provide, both the shared experiences and the discipline. I hadn't had the opportunity to observe the change that occurs when a father appears in the life of a child who has never had one."
Keen observations from a humble woman, but may she never forget that when God called, she was on the other end, too. Families start with mothers.
To flavor my understanding of Max's unusual journey, I asked his first grade teacher for her observations on this unique family saga. Melissa Dodge of W.W. Robinson Elementary School was Max's teacher the year his mother succumbed to her illnesses.
After heaping praise on the Shaffers for opening their hearts and home, Dodge offered that Max was her special challenge that year. "Max was defiant, stubborn, contrary, bright, strong and loyal and he knew exactly how find my last nerve - every single time. Max has grown from a defiant little sparkplug on his own agenda to an amazing young man. He has become exactly what I knew he could, what I hoped and prayed for. He always had that special spark but in his early life it was diminished and overshadowed by his circumstances."
Dodge calls Max her greatest success story. "Not because of anything I did for him, but for what he has accomplished. He has taught me that no child is a lost cause and each one has potential for greatness. Sometimes you have to go digging for it."
Most of us will never adopt a child, much less in such unusual fashion. Nor will we likely be asked to grant a dying mother's risk or upend our lives in some other dramatic way. No, our opportunities to serve probably won't include a Mother's Day miracle.
But what if the call came? Could I have responded the way this family did? Would you have recognized heaven's hand in putting that particular son of God in your path? Shouldn't we all be ready to embrace one who might not share our blood, but who shares our spiritual DNA with the same eternal father?
On a Sabbath Day in Virginia nine years ago, without knowing, a Christian couple set an example for the rest of us. No matter the question, no matter the service and no matter the sacrifice, we must be ready.
When God calls, will you have the courage to answer?
 You can read more of Jason's work here:

Truly making a difference!

 I read this article the other day about this small town Doctor, who still makes house calls. As I read the article found here:
I was impressed with what this sweet Doctor, and for what he was doing for the people who are his patients in this small town of Georgia.
In my quest for Doctors throughout my life and the life of my kids...I still think it is ok to uphold some of the things (standards) that this dear Doctor does every day. I understand the world has gotten bigger and more complex... but some things should always be there, when you work with people. I will highlight a few of them in this article. I know that many of you would almost laugh when you think of ever finding a Doctor who is like Dr. McMahan. Still there have been a handful of Doctors that we have found like that... and how they have blessed our lives...has been amazing. So I am grateful for their compassion and concern (real concern) for me and my family!
 
He is there to be the best Doctor for these people, money doesn't drive him. Personal connections do make all the difference!
Imagine this: You are a young doctor who has recently graduated from medical school. An excellent student, you could choose to practice almost anywhere—including Atlanta, where your advising professor has connections. Instead, you set up shop in a small southern town, much like the one you grew up in. It's the kind of place where the neighbors all know each other, where families have lived for generations and still attend the same church. It's also a place where a young doctor is unlikely to get rich.
He listens and looks them in the eye!

  I notice that with each patient, McMahan listens intently and looks them in the eye when he talks. He acknowledges later that the eye contact is deliberate. "That's the No. 1 complaint I hear about other doctors," he says. "Patients say, 'He never looks at me! He's always on the computer.' So I always look up. I put my hand on their shoulder." He shrugs. "Sometimes compassion is even more important than a prescription."
  He uses the experiences that he has had to go through in his life, to support and understand each patient!
Such personal attentiveness does take effort, McMahan admits—especially given that computerized medical records have become ever more complicated, with dozens of menus that a physician must click through during each visit. But he's sympathetic to patients who feel as if they're being ignored. When McMahan's then 24-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare cancer in 2008, the family sought treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York, and the process deepened his perspective. "When you carry some of the battle scars that your patients carry, you meet them at their level," he says.

He goes the extra mile!
Besides running his private practice, the doctor spends one morning each week making the rounds at the local nursing homes, checking medications and visiting with patients he knows. He also treats patients at the local detention center, a mixed-use facility in Ocilla that houses immigrations and customs detainees, along with federal inmates.

He is trying to teach them to over come certain habits that are damaging their health...that is a hard sale!
Starting out, McMahan provided mostly acute care, what he describes as "lumps, bumps, rashes, colds, sore throats." These days, though, he's more likely to see patients with multiple chronic diseases: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease. Most are overweight, and many smoke. (In Ocilla, smoking is still permitted on the grounds of the local hospital—a policy McMahan has been trying to change.)

As the doctor to a high-risk population, McMahan spends much of his time trying to convince his patients to eat better and to exercise: unpopular prescriptions in the rural South. "It's like the Pogo cartoon," he says ruefully. " 'We have met the enemy, and the enemy is us.' "
  As a doctor, McMahan says, he can sometimes feel powerless in the face of people's habits. "We're a bunch of hardheaded southerners," McMahan acknowledges. "But we're talking about societal issues now. Is health care a privilege or a right, and who pays for it? And how much do you get when there's a limited resource?"

Since starting out, he adds, cutbacks by insurance companies have eaten away at the modest profit margin he once relied on. "For many family doctors, it's nearly impossible to make a living now," he says. "You have to make enough to pay the light bill, and to pay your employees—while still trying to be compassionate and not overcharge patients. That's why so many physicians these days are selling their practices."

For a moment, McMahan seems glum, but then he shrugs the mood off.
He is doing what seems like the impossible but he likes what he does and knows that is what he is suppose to do!
"The truth is, this is what I want to do," he says, as we walk out into the warm night air. "I like being a family doctor. I believe all Americans deserve a physician that they can rely on. That's one thing I'd like to publicize: You can get good care in a small town. And I'm doing what I can to keep it that way.

What a great article, and what a great concept!
Good night dear friends!
 
"A physician is obligated to consider more than a diseased organ, more even than the whole man - he must view the man in his world."  ~Harvey Cushing

 A Short History of Medicine
2000 B.C. - "Here, eat this root."
1000 B.C. - "That root is heathen, say this prayer."
1850 A.D. - "That prayer is superstition, drink this potion."
1940 A.D. - "That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill."
1985 A.D. - "That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic."
2000 A.D. - "That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root."
~Author Unknown

A Mother's Heart

   Tonight at a meeting, I was able to talk for a moment to a friend of mine whose son got very sick a couple of years ago and they never could figure out why. Her son now is doing great and healthy again. I was just curious how they found their answers and how she as a Mom, handle all of it. It was nice to talk to another Mother, heart to heart. She knew exactly what I was talking about when I mentioned Lee and how we still don't know what is going on and the frustrations that come with that. Now Lee hasn't had an attack in almost 7 weeks, but the concern is definitely still there because we don't have any real answers.
   I shared with her the number of times I have pleaded with the Lord to let me have the problems, not my son. She knew the exact feeling and concern I was talking about. I asked finally how they got his problem diagnosed and to my surprise she said " we didn't, it just went away". Then she added "looking at the young man my son has become today, I realized all those things made him who he is". She knew that the Lord taught him things during that time that he might not have learned in any other way.
   So she really didn't have any real answer for me, she just gave me a hug and said " I will keep you guys in my prayers". I thought what a wonderful gift it was tonight to connect heart to heart with another Mom and to be reminded that our Heavenly Father is in charge, and we just need to have faith and know that everything will just work out. I needed that wisdom and insight tonight, and I needed that hug too!

Good night dear friends!

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me.  They have clung to me all my life."  ~Abraham Lincoln

"If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been."  ~Robert Brault

"Grown don't mean nothing to a mother.  A child is a child.  They get bigger, older, but grown?  What's that suppose to mean?  In my heart it don't mean a thing."  ~Toni Morrison

Life is just hard sometimes!

I got some bad news today...from myself!  Remember, how I said that I had almost been completely healthy for one year? Well, that wasn't true. ( I didn't mean I lied on purpose ) I happened to be going through some of my posts on my blog from last year, and realized that I got pneumonia (once again) in August and it wasn't until Sept 20th that I was back to health. So that means, I was only healthy for 7 months straight! Far cry from a year, I know...I was so disappointed.

But still, I need to remind myself that it has been ages since I have been healthy for even 3 months at a time, so...I guess I am not doing too bad ( I think this is another half empty/half full test here? ). And I was doing too much, pushed my body too far, let my schedule get to full and I was worried about my son ....plus, I didn't honor THE WALL. Shoot when you say it like that, it almost seems like I deserved to be sick or that I was asking to get sick.
Some how all those things don't make me feel better but, I have repented and have committed to try once again to be a bit smarter and simplify my life a bit more. But can I at least be honest with you and say...that it felt great to be out and about, busy, serving, teaching, giving, active, helping and participating in life! When you have had so many down days,months and years as I have, it is hard not to want to be out and about in the world. It is a lonely place to be at home by yourself and only taking care of yourself. Service, makes life sooooooooooooo much more enjoyable!

So with that confession, I am going to bed. I was about 5 % better today, and I can think of a hundred things I am behind on (from being sick for 6 days now) but...I am just going to turn off the lights and go to bed. I hope someone out there is learning something from this blog?  Because I am trying to be very honest, not matter how bad it makes me look. :)

Good night dear friends!

 

“What do you first do when you learn to swim? You make mistakes, do you not? And what happens? You make other mistakes, and when you have made all the mistakes you possibly can without drowning - and some of them many times over - what do you find? That you can swim? Well - life is just the same as learning to swim! Do not be afraid of making mistakes, for there is no other way of learning how to live!”  ~ Alfred Adler

"A man's errors are his portals of discovery."  ~ James Joyce

“The only normal people are the one's you don't know very well.”  ~ Alfred Adler

Faith and Prayers needed!

I was reading an article today and it made me think of my dear friend who is going through more medical tests tomorrow with her husband. He has been sick for quite awhile, and they still are doing more and more scans and tests to see how they can help him. I have watched her stay by his side, and she continues to pray for him to have comfort and healing. I think it is hard to watch someone you love hurt or be sick. Sometimes you wish it could be you instead of them...maybe that's the Mother in all of us?

Here is part of the talk that I read, I hope it helps her, and any of us who are going through times in our lives where there is an illness and we need to be healed.

We know that the prayer of faith, uttered alone or in our homes or places of worship, can be effective to heal the sick. Many scriptures refer to the power of faith in the healing of an individual. The Apostle James taught that we should "pray one for another, that ye may be healed, " adding, "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" ( James 5:16 ).
A recent nationwide survey found that nearly 8 in 10 Americans "believe that miracles still occur today as [they did] in ancient times." A third of those surveyed said they had "experienced or witnessed a divine healing."

As children of God, knowing of His great love and His ultimate knowledge of what is best for our eternal welfare, we trust in Him.  ~ Dallan H. Oaks April 2010

So tonight, I will say my prayers and remember this dear friend and her family. I will pray that the doctors will find a way to bring comfort and healing to her husband. I will pray for all of those who need healing of any kind. Yes, I feel grateful to know for myself that God hears and answers our prayers.To also know that miracles continue to occur today, our family have witnessed them ourselves. I also humbly realize, that the our Heavenly Father knows each one of us and what we need, now I need to trust and have faith ...with whatever the outcome is. This talk was a great reminder of that. Good night dear friends!

"When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen: there will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly".  ~ Patrick Overton

"The most important thing in illness is never to lose heart."  ~Nikolai Lenin

"Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death."  ~Author Unknown

What a wonderful day!

I am completely worn out but very happy. Tonight was our Annual Neighborhood Open House and we had a ton of people come and stay, to enjoy the food and atmosphere of the Season! We started having our Open Houses over 16 years ago, only missing one when I was diagnosed with cancer. How blessed we feel to have soooooooooooooo many dear friends that are like family to us. There were many that couldn't come or who have moved away, but some how I felt they were still here in spirit with us ( maybe because I was missing them so much). But I am beyond spent so I will leave you with this sweet Christmas story.

Gift from the Heart, A

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December is the busiest time of the year. Everyone's busy preparing for the holidays and continuing family traditions. Has it ever crossed your mind, as to how many really stop and think what Christmas is all about? Are we teaching our children the true meaning of Christmas or how many gifts need to be bought? If we have taught our children the true meaning of Christmas, what we've instilled in them will be carried into generations to come. I like to see families create traditions all year long. After all, the original gift to all of us here on earth, was given from His heart. For through our hearts, one single gift of kindness, can touch an endless amount of hearts forever.

This is a story about a child that saw the importance of giving and never thought about giving up. Some may think a child isn't old enough to carry enough wisdom to teach us all a lesson in living. But I've learned a heart grows from life's many challenges and sometimes a child's challenges can be far greater than some adults. We met a little girl seven years ago, during one of my daughter's occasional hospital stays. Her name was Beth and she was my daughter's room mate for a week. Beth was a very happy girl despite her medical problems she was facing. Her long blonde curls always seemed to bounce with her smile. The girls got to know each other well and had become good friends. On the pediatric floor of the hospital, we saw many seriously ill children. It was so sad, even though my daughter had an incurable kidney disease and not a very good chance of living to see old age herself. We always saw many children with all kinds of cancer, and sadly enough Beth was one of those children. She was doing two weeks of chemo and radiation. I was amazed at her will and determination to never give up despite how very sick her treatments made her. She was always concerned about my daughter and the other children with cancer she grew to know over her many hospital stays.

My daughter's IV treatments were done after a week and I was happy to finally bring her home. We were awaiting the final discharge orders when Beth appeared from the other side of the curtain that separated their beds. She said, "I want you to have this. I know you need a new kidney, so keep this angel pin with you till you get better. She will watch over you so you smile all over. My friend, John gave this to me to watch over me, but it's time for this angel to watch over you. When you get your new kidney and smile, you can give this angel to someone that needs her too. I'm done reading my book so here's my bookmark that has a poem on it called, Don't Quit!, I know it by heart anyhow." My daughter thanked her and the girls exchanged hugs and big smiles. I knew, we may never see Beth again, but we never forgot the gift she gave from her heart that day. During that year, we found out Beth has passed away. It was so sad to know such a beautiful little girl was no longer bouncing smiles to everyone she would meet. Her sincere kindness will stay with us forever.

We kept that angel for six more years. My daughter had gone beyond what medical journals had studied and expected from her disease. Was it the angel watching over her or pure luck? My daughter ended up on kidney dialysis for over a year, and one month after almost loosing her, a kidney became available and she received a transplant. My heart tells me, an angel upstairs was watching with a loving smile. My daughter had kept that angel pin and now she felt it was time to give it to someone who needed watched over till they could smile again. She gave it to an elderly man trying to overcome the damage from heart problems and undergoing extensive therapy. His family has informed us, that when he returns home he wants to give the angel to someone he knows suffering from a brain tumor.

How many families and hearts this angel has touched no one knows for sure.

But all it took was one single gift of kindness, that has and will touch an endless amount of hearts forever.

So this Christmas season, look around and see that gift that can't be bought. Create a tradition with your children or maybe someone you love. Make someone's day and do the unexpected, let a friend know you care, or greet a stranger with a warm smile. Give the gift that keeps on giving. It's open twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, it's a gift from your heart. After all, isn't that what Christmas is all about?

"From home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another. The warmth and joy of Christmas brings us closer to each other." ~Emily Matthews

"The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing other's loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas."  ~ WC Jones

It's personal!

I read an article the other day in the news, of an elderly woman who had died. In the article it talked all about what this elderly lady had accomplished in her 80 some years. I like that her daughter mentioned to the reporter  "that elderly lady was my MOM! "  Life is very personal or at least it should be. When our lives get busy, I think we tend to forget that person in the car in front of us going  unbelievably slow...is someone's father or grandfather, and maybe they are just learning how to drive. Or when we are waiting a long time in the check out lane because the check-out lady is taking forever...we need to remember that is someone's mother or sister, who may have just had a situation in her life that forced her back into the work field at her age, or she is just new at her job. Yes, taking time to see people for who they are or try to understand why they do what they do... that takes time and patience.

Once again for our DATE NIGHT, Jeff and I watched a movie ( we didn't get out much when I had pneumonia ). The movie that we watched was a lot about this same line of thinking. It was about a kid who nobody really cared much about and nobody really wanted to get involved with. Then along came a family, who personally took it upon themselves to get to know all about this kid and he eventually became family to them. It was not easy, the family and the boy came from 2 different sides of life, but still they took took the time and effort to get to know him and no judge him on face value only. Because of their patience, unconditional love and help, this boy's life was transformed for the better. He had a very rough start in life and yet because someone personally cared, his life was never the same!

I love the story in the book of John, chapter 5 verses 1-9.  In Jerusalem there by the sheep market was a pool which was called (in the Hebrew language) Bethesda. This pool (like a hot springs or mineral springs) was known for it's healing powers at certain times. When the water was moving( troubled ), then the first person who got in, was to be made whole from their disease. Great multitudes of people with various problems waited by the pool, to be the first one in. The story goes on to tell about a invalid man who lived in Jerusalem and had suffered with his disease for 38 years. Jesus saw him at the pool and knowing he had been in that condition for a long time said unto him "Wilt thou be made whole?" The impotent man answered him, 'Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool; but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me' Jesus saith to him 'Rise, take up thy bed, and walk'. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked.

I guess the obvious moral of the story is that with the Savior's help there were many miracles that happened on a daily basis, but I also thought about what this man must have felt like. Everyone was pushing and walking over or ahead of him to help themselves. How many times do we rush by in life and not see, someone who is in need of help. That takes time and patience. That takes really looking outside of ourselves. It was a wonderful story and once again the Savior's example was a perfect lesson for us all ...to slow down and personally get involved with other people's lives. It not only will bless them, but our lives will be better too. Service does that to you!

Thanks to all of you who have personally taken the time out of your life to help me and my family. We are truly grateful for your Christ-like example!

"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light."
Albert Schweitzer

"Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have." ~ Jim Rohn 

“Do something for somebody every day for which you do not get paid.” ~Albert Schweitzer

Just Breath!

I don't think we truly appreciate something until we lose it or don't have it available to us anymore. I have had that problem these past few days with breathing. I got sick while in SLC and I knew I needed to get home as soon as I could. I was grateful that I had enough strength and AIR to fly home.

Today I went to the DR and the results are in... I still have bronchitis and pneumonia. I actually already knew that by the way I felt, but at least we were able to talk about what I needed to do and the steps we are going to try and take to get my immune system up and functioning again. I am grateful that Dr. Kraft is so compassionate and attentive. He has a great spirit about him.

So once again, I am grounded. I know it is for my own good but oh....this is getting old. I was hoping now that summer was on its way, that maybe so was better health. I guess I just need to be more patient. Thanks for all the calls and emails. A dear friend even brought us over dinner tonight. I am telling you, there are ANGELS here on earth. For them, I am truly grateful.

I pray that all of you are well and happy. I pray that you will be grateful for the ability to just BREATH! It sure makes life a lot easier when you do! Good night!

"Breathing is the greatest pleasure in life."  ~Giovanni Papini

"Focusing on the act of breathing clears the mind of all daily distractions and clears our energy enabling us to better connect with the Spirit within."  ~Author Unknown

"Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and all good things are yours."  ~Swedish Proverb

"If you woke up breathing, congratulations!  You have another chance."  ~Andrea Boydston

True Friendship

So many of you have been checking on me and I am very grateful for that. I did make it back to the Doctor and I still have the pneumonia and bronchitis, but after he gave me an inhaler... it has been a bit easier to breath this evening. I am very thankful for that. Another dear friend brought us a delicious dinner tonight. The calls, the emails, and everything have been really appreciated.

There are times that I wonder if I can keep doing this, one sickness after another?  Sometimes I feel very sorry for myself. I just want to be healthy so that I can be a better wife. I want to be healthy so that I can do more things with my kids and grand kids. I want to be healthy so that I can get back to walking and just do some basic things, things that I enjoy doing, things I am missing out on... things that many people take for granted.

But I have to admit that having so many of you that believe in me, makes me want to get up every day and try a little harder. Thanks so much for you love and concern. Good night dear friends.

" A FRIEND IS ONE WHO BELIEVES IN YOU WHEN YOU HAVE CEASED TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF."

"TRULY GREAT FRIENDS ARE HARD TO FIND, DIFFICULT TO LEAVE, AND IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGET."

Love

Each month I receive emails and stories from Care pages, mostly it is about cancer survivors. The article I got today was interesting and I thought I would share it with you...Why? Because I believe that each of us knows someone that is going through a tragedy in their life. I think any pointers on how to help them and comfort them is important. I always try to remember when I am reading something that some of it, I may not believe or agree with. My goal is always to glean as much good out it as I can, I hope you will do the same. See what feels right and what makes sense to you and then go out there and improve the world with the love you have in your heart! Good night dear friends, many of the suggestions you will read in the article won't be new to you...because you have already showed many of these wonderful attributes to me, thank you !

 

 

One New Yorker Asks, What Is Love?

By Marie Suszynski

Karen Porter Sorensen, the Brooklyn, N.Y., author of love (luv) n. who asked perfect strangers for their thoughts on love in New York City, saw first-hand that people do, in fact, have a yearning for love and connection with others.

She also learned that one of the most important gifts we can give someone — especially someone who’s going through a health crisis — is love.

It’s easy to get swept away by love when you’re in a new romantic relationship. The real question is: How do you show love to a family member or a friend when you’re filled with grief over their illness? Sorensen has some ideas.

What Love Research Revealed

For seven years, Sorensen ran a “love research booth” in New York City and offered people walking by a single rose in return for answering five questions about love, such as, “What is love?,” “Who taught you love?,” and “Has your love ever been tested?”

Why did she embark on this project? In part because Sorensen’s brother was diagnosed with a mental illness and he couldn’t express his emotions. Suddenly her brother didn’t believe in love anymore. “In some ways [the book] was a testament to him,” she says.

Loving Someone Who is Ill

Her research also helped her learn how to love family members when they were going through a health crisis. Not only was her brother struggling with a mental illness, but her mother fought breast cancer and survived, and her grandmother also became ill and died a week before Sorensen finished her book. Here’s what her research taught her about coping:

• If nothing else, just listen. One of the greatest things you can do when someone you love is sick is to be available to her and listen to what she has to say without judgment and without having expectations of what you want her to say, Sorensen says.
  Being with a loved one living who is ill is uncomfortable, but it’s important to put your own feelings of discomfort aside and focus on her. “If you can, make space available for people to share whatever they want to share,” she says.
• Be present, even when it’s painful. “It’s easy to check out and get caught up in your own grief,” Sorensen says. But it’s important to enjoy the moments you have left with someone who’s seriously ill. She and her family played Hungarian music for her grandmother during the last days of her life, which was something her grandmother loved when she was younger. And everyone in her family decided to dance for her grandmother, even though their sadness didn’t make them feel like dancing. “Find moments of joy even in the most difficult situations,” Sorensen advises.
• Wear bright colors. When Sorensen did her love research on the streets of New York City, she always wore a red suit and red hat. Simply bringing color to somebody is powerful, she says. She used the same philosophy when she visited her grandmother when she was sick. When she walked into the room wearing bright colors, she noticed her grandmother light up.
• When the person who is ill wants to be alone, try helping their family members. People who are sick sometimes don’t want others to see them vulnerable and in pain. Sorensen has a friend who volunteers to sit with people who have life-threatening illnesses to give them company. But she noticed that one of the men she visited, who had always been friendly and usually welcomed her, started sending her away. Instead of leaving, she sat next to his daughter in the next room instead and offered her a listening ear.

"Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is."  ~ Gary Zukav

"Love one another and help others to rise to the higher levels, simply by pouring out love. Love is infectious and the greatest healing energy."  ~ Sai Baba

 

I need to be thankful!

After 6 days of the flu, I finally got a bit of relief today. My head is still congested, my throat is still sore, my chest is still tight, my breathing is still labored but.....my body aches are gone sooooooooooooooooooooo I need to be thankful! I just got back from the Doctor to make sure that I didn't have pneumonia. I don't but, he still is concerned about my breathing and so he wants to listen to my lungs again on Friday. So I am still going to be home bound for awhile and very careful not to overdo. But another thing to be thankful for is that my knees are  not hurting, why? Because I am doing absolutely nothing! Guess that is the answer, just lay around and do nothing all day, what a life.

Actually my surgical consultation was yesterday for my knees. The results are in, I have 2 torn meniscus on each knee, I have arthritis in both knees and I also have no padding left behind both knee caps so... it is bone on bone when I walk and that is why it hurts so bad. We are trying to decide now if I am going to have the surgery soon or after the holidays. Probably in January some time, that will be a great way to start off the new year....more surgery! :)

So I am trying hard today to be thankful for the little things like....no more body aches, having at least ONE nostril open to breath with, thankful that even though I have the flu, it is not SWINE FLU, and feeling like I might live to tell about this.

I will close with this quote which seems appropriate for me today

"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." ~Buddha 

 

 

“Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.” ~ Grandma Moses

 

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it"  ~ Charles R. Swindoll