Sunday, January 27, 2008

Update

I’ve been getting a lot of emails and questions about how I’m doing so I thought I post another update.
  1. I think things are finally starting to move along. I can eat food portions the size of a plum and hear my tummy rumble a couple of hours later. I’m still hesitant to eat more than that. I’ve tried chicken, beef, different casseroles and guacamole (avocados are easy to digest). I’ve also had ½ a pb and j sandwich (yeah!). I’m up to and maintaining 107 lbs (with the continued help of TPN).
  2. I’m still having bouts of cramps although it’s not as often.
  3. I’m also having trouble sleeping. I can fall asleep just fine, but once I wake up, it’s hard to get back to sleep…the TPN pump is just too loud at 3am! Please pray that I sleep until 5:30am each night (or should I say morning).
  4. I’m still experiencing shortened attention span. I’m also pretty impatient & bored (especially with the kids gone). I have a couple of typing projects to do which are usually right up my alley & feel like doing neither of them. I’ve been convicted by the Lord to be content with my position right now b/c He is in control & has me just where He wants me. Please pray that I stop wishing things were “normal” and that I see Him through this all.
  5. My daddy is doing well…still tired and moody at times, but eating up a storm…especially ice cream since he’s not so sensitive to cold stuff. He goes for some type of scan in a week or so.
  6. The kids are doing well in school. I met with Caelan’s CSC team to develop his IEP (individualized educational program); he qualifies for an hour of help/day. I can’t wait for them to get started & see some results. He may also be evaluated by the new OT (occupational therapist) at the school. Matt went to the school for Caelan’s birthday to have lunch & was impressed to see how calm Caelan is in class (without being drugged as was suggested by a well respected doctor)…there’s no way he could have ADHD. The developmental pediatrician was not happy with any hints of opposition on our part…“medicate, medicate, medicate”. I’m glad we chose not to. We may go for a 2nd opinion this summer.
Thanks for your continued prayers and support.

Love
Stephanie<><

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Praise Yahweh

Hello, All…

I thought I’d post a quick update.

  1. We had snow & the kids had a lot of fun playing in it.
  2. My Daddy finished his last chemo. The doc chose to not give him 1 of the drugs since it was his last treatment. It was the drug that caused all the problems so he’s had energy, been eating, cooking, etc. For the 1st time since he started chemo, he was able to eat ice cream (2 times!). His hands & feet are still a little numb but they should be back to normal soon. He goes in a week or 2 for a CAT-scan & some other tests (I think), but we are fully expecting for his body to be clean b/c he passed his earlier CAT-scan.
  3. For the 2nd time in 2 weeks, my Daddy has gout. It can be a side effect of chemo. He’s taking meds for it & should be back to normal in a few days.
  4. I had a bad day on Thursday…ate something too heavy & threw up like crazy. I almost ended back in the hospital. My stomach itself hurt until yesterday, but praise God b/c everything settled down, I didn’t go to the ER, & I’m eating again.
  5. I still have a little over a month to go before things are expected to return to normal. Please pray for patience.
  6. The kids are doing fine in school. Homework takes a little longer than I’d like, but hopefully, we’ll get into a routine, soon.

Thanks for all of your prayers, emails, cards, phone calls, etc to offer encouragement & support. They are appreciated. Most importantly, thanks for giving all the glory, honor & praise to the God who is in control of all this apparent chaos & who isn’t surprised 1 bit by any of the events.

Love in Christ,
Stephanie<><

Monday, January 14, 2008

Results of Doc Appointment

Hello, All…

I saw Dr Cameron today & found out that my stomach emptying has improved but is still deficient. I need to go back in a month & do the test all over again. It’ll be small bites & sips of water until then as well as no heavy lifting, cooking or housework. (It’s not as nice as it sounds.) I also need to firmly massage (OUCH!) my incision for 5 minutes 2 times a day to soften the scar & help it heal more.

I was discouraged & came across the following excerpts in a devotional & really felt God speaking to me in the restlessness of my present circumstance: “Many foolish decisions have been made out of the emptiness of discontentment…We want something more, something better, because we’re not quite happy with our lot in life. We forget on unwavering scriptural principle: God is the Author of our lot…Christ…is the Fixer, & only our trust in Him will deliver us from our restlessness. That trust, if cultivated rightly will give us the contentment that David expresses in this psalm (Psalm 16). It will define for us our security…The key to contentment is to refuse to define your life by your present circumstances. It’s to know that you are where you are because God is sovereign.”

On another note, the kids had a good 2nd day of school, but Caelan is struggling with homework. I’m very thankful to my neighbors for taking the kids to & from school today. (For those of you who don’t know, the kids were enrolled in the base school since I need to concentrate on recovering & can’t homeschool right now. Last week was quite emotional for all of us.)

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Love in Christ,
Stephanie<><

Friday, January 11, 2008

First Day of School

Hello…

With all the inquiries, I thought I’d send out a quick note to let y’all know the kids had a great 1st day of DOD school…no tears on their part (but plenty on Mom’s…just not in their presence).

There was an assembly where they were introduced as the new kids at school, & then Caelan got recognized for his birthday. (On another note, he may be behind academically; however, his teeth are quite advanced. He’s already got a 12 yr molar. CRAZY!!)

Since it’s a school for military kids, they’re really great at making new kids feel welcomed. I found out that they’re each in class w/ a child from a family we knew in Cherry Point when the kids were all babies. Caelan told me that he didn’t recognize Sophia or Isabella b/c they weren’t babies anymore & looked different. They’ve been playing with these girls at the playground for a month now, & I didn’t realize it.

This afternoon, we found out that Caelan qualifies for educational intervention for his learning disabilities so that’ll be great for him. It’s quite a relief to FINALLY get confirmation of what I knew was wrong instead of continuing to be told that all is “ok”. Hopefully, he’ll be sailing along in a few months.

We are all together again after a day of separation. We all survived & no one's head exploded or anything like that!

Thanks for all your prayers, emails & phone calls concerning our need to put them in school & my continued healing.

Love,
Steph<><

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Update for Wednesday 01/09

Hello, All…
There are lots of things going on in our house…

  1. Food & Steph: I’m tolerating small amounts…translation a bite or 2 at a time. I’ve been told that this is quite normal. I’m eating things like mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, toast. I think I’ll try applesauce later. I discovered that fo me, Cream of Wheat & Malto Meal were not good ideas. Please continue to pray for things to continue to be properly processed. Also, I’d like to get off TPN sooner or later (I really don’t like having a PICC line…less freedom), but I’m not sure how much I have to be eating before I can get rid of the TPN & PICC line.
  2. After much prayer & deliberation, Matt decided to enroll the kids in the local DOD school to keep up their education while I’m recovering. He said it’s not fair to either them or me to put that type of pressure on my recovery. I’ve cried like a baby, but I agree with him. It’ll be quite the transition for all of us. The kids will start on this Friday 01/11/2008. Caelan will be put in 2nd grade b/c of his learning disabilities. Cassidy will be in 1st grade. I’m not sure what the future holds, but we’re looking at this from the present perspective & hope/pray that God will allow us to return to homeschooling this fall. Pray for the transition & for us to be joyful in the midst of this life change.
  3. Matt isn’t sure where he’s going for his next job but knows that he’ll be stationed here b/c of my health issues…we will not be moving.
  4. My upper GI is scheduled for Monday at 11am; the appointment with Dr Cameron is at 2pm. Please pray for favorable results.

Thank you for your continued prayers & encouragement & support. I appreciate it so much.

Love,
Steph<><

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Sadness

I just wanted to let you know that the kids are going to be enrolled at the DOD school here on base. We were already thinking of enrolling Caelan b/c of his learning disabilities, but Matt decided to enroll Cassidy to give me the downtime so I can recover. It's also not fair to the kids to delay delay their education & make them behind just because I don't have the strength & attention span to teach them right now.

He’ll be in 2nd grade & she’ll be in 1st. I guess I’ll take the paperwork in tomorrow. I’m trying very hard not to be sad & cry. I understand why my hubby made the decision, but it's not something I ever planned to do & it doesn’t make it any easier.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9

Please pray for me to accept this as a blessing from the Lord. Pray for the kids to adjust to the new routine & environment (neither want to go...lots of tears). Pray for us to adjust to the new routine & daily separation.

To God be the glory!

Love,
Steph<><

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Diet Upgrade

Dr Cameron’s PA Heather just called & gave me permission to start upgrading my diet.

PRAISE GOD! PRAISE GOD! PRAISE GOD!

NOW, I need you to pray that it goes out the correct end & that it doesn’t come back up!!!

I am so excited & GOD IS SO FAITHFUL!!!

Grace & peace to you & yours,
Love in Christ’s holy name,
Steph<><

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Update for Wednesday 01/02/08

I have an appointment for an upper GI/barium study on Monday 01/14 to see if my stomach is emptying. I’ll see Dr Cameron after that at 2pm. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pray that things work b/c I am HUNGRY!!! I would love to be able to eat anything & get off the TPN & lose my PICC line so I can be “human” again.

I am 5 wks post op & still on restrictions like no lifting anything more than a gallon of milk, no cooking, no cleaning, etc, etc, etc. It’s very hard for me to do nothing. I hate being bored.

Matt’s doing a great job of hooking up my TPN each night & unhooking it in the morning. He goes back to school on Monday so I’ll have a week of disconnecting my TPN w/o him. Of course, the kids are all too willing to assist in the process. Needless to say, they are glad to be home with the whole family again.

Thanks again for your prayers…most importantly, pray for our witness during this whole ordeal.

May you experience the grace, peace & blessings of God today.

Steph<><