It's the end of the third week in this stage of "Interim Maintenance."
I'm tired. Ed's doing well. He came home from the hospital this afternoon. He'd been there since Tuesday, really the treatment started on Monday with accessing his port and blood tests, then a back-pack of fluids attached to him via IV overnight before actually being admitted to the oncology ward.
I feel somewhat brain-dead, but I wanted to write about a few things happening.
Thank you for your prayers. I am hearing from you, that you have been praying, and I know that....because your prayers are being answered.
Treatment for his ALL is going exceedingly well, and I am grateful.
This week on the ward I saw many less fortunate patients. There is certainly an aura of pain and despair on that floor. I'm not sure how some of those nurses can handle it!
We had an interesting talk with the chaplain a couple of days ago. He told about the difficulty he had with families who were in despair. As believers in Christ we are spared SO MUCH HEARTACHE!
Ed had a fun discussion with him on conservative versus liberal/progressive ideas, both political and theological. I wish you could have heard it. One nurse thought that Ed was reading from a textbook as he expressed his thoughts...! Funny. Ed IS articulate. I think the chaplain appreciates a patient/family who does not despair, but hopes. He indicated that people like us were rare.
That is too bad.
We have this expectancy---hope----that everything is going to work for GOOD, and even though the course of illness has its suffering, it seems so minor to the hope that is before us in Christ.
It makes all the difference in the world.
Today I had a long chat with a young Muslim woman who was working on the floor. I've spoken with her before. Today I got to share the hope of salvation in Christ Jesus with her. She compared her religion to mine, but I made sure to point out that Christ FORGAVE sin, took the punishment for sin, and we must BELIEVE in Him, and Christians do not earn their way to heaven. I do know that this is a huge difference between Islam and Christianity. She listened with openness, and bade us a friendly farewell when we said our good-byes this afternoon. Pray for her. I know that she is a devout Muslim.
There were several social events for patients this week that Ed took part in. That was fun for him. He met several new people. I do appreciate everything the hospital staff comes up with for making the course of treatment easier.
My eldest son and his wife have made the move to Washington state. They are in the process of finding jobs and an apartment. I'm happy to report that they've got a good outlook. Possibilities are forthcoming! His Army Reserve company commander has been positively saintly, allowing them to stay at his home with his family, and helping conjure up employment for both of them.
Really, God is so good!
Other news: We celebrated 25 years of marriage last Friday with my parents and all of our children. We had reservations at a nice restaurant, and we had a lovely time. No, it wasn't the actual day, but we all got to be together for the last time in awhile. Blessings!
I've left the endless chores and duties here at home to go to the dogs, literally, and nothing has been happening here but for the goodness of our friends who have picked up where we dropped things!
My friend, D, baked up some fabulous "sprouted bread" a-la "Trim Healthy Mama" and also some THM muffins for me to enjoy! I found a delicious hunter's stew in the refrigerator for supper tonight that she made for us. Wonderful! So grateful!
I always feel a little numb after being in the hospital all week, even when I'm not a patient. I drove straight from the hospital to Northern Lights Chorale practice last evening. I was so exhausted I could hardly sing, but as the evening passed I revived. Music does that to me.
The concert is going to be good. Our spring concert wasn't the best, and we've all made a real commitment to learn our music and not miss rehearsal this fall. The difference shows. We have been invited to sing at a choral convention in Mahtomedi along with some stellar choral groups from the Twin Cities. We have a few perfect pieces to perform there, and I am excited about it.
We have three performances this fall, on three different weekends. Come if you can.
Other music: I already posted some video from the West Metro Organ Crawl. Ed and I got to participate all day, visiting and hearing pipe organ concerts at four churches in the west metropolitan suburbs. THEN, in the evening, there was a concert on the Phipps theater organ in Hudson, WI by Ron Roades.
It was a day of organ variety! We got home at 10:30pm tired, but energized!
Pipe organs breathe, and so do humans, when making worshipful music. Worship energizes, and I think there is a link to the desperate need we all have to worship weekly. It rejuvenates us for the next week! Something to think about. I know that I felt able to go back to the hospital and finish up business there today after singing from the heart last evening.
It's a beautiful evening, and a lovely weekend stretches before us. I hope you have one too.
Thanks for your time, catching up here.
I'm tired. Ed's doing well. He came home from the hospital this afternoon. He'd been there since Tuesday, really the treatment started on Monday with accessing his port and blood tests, then a back-pack of fluids attached to him via IV overnight before actually being admitted to the oncology ward.
I feel somewhat brain-dead, but I wanted to write about a few things happening.
Thank you for your prayers. I am hearing from you, that you have been praying, and I know that....because your prayers are being answered.
Treatment for his ALL is going exceedingly well, and I am grateful.
This week on the ward I saw many less fortunate patients. There is certainly an aura of pain and despair on that floor. I'm not sure how some of those nurses can handle it!
We had an interesting talk with the chaplain a couple of days ago. He told about the difficulty he had with families who were in despair. As believers in Christ we are spared SO MUCH HEARTACHE!
Ed had a fun discussion with him on conservative versus liberal/progressive ideas, both political and theological. I wish you could have heard it. One nurse thought that Ed was reading from a textbook as he expressed his thoughts...! Funny. Ed IS articulate. I think the chaplain appreciates a patient/family who does not despair, but hopes. He indicated that people like us were rare.
That is too bad.
We have this expectancy---hope----that everything is going to work for GOOD, and even though the course of illness has its suffering, it seems so minor to the hope that is before us in Christ.
It makes all the difference in the world.
Today I had a long chat with a young Muslim woman who was working on the floor. I've spoken with her before. Today I got to share the hope of salvation in Christ Jesus with her. She compared her religion to mine, but I made sure to point out that Christ FORGAVE sin, took the punishment for sin, and we must BELIEVE in Him, and Christians do not earn their way to heaven. I do know that this is a huge difference between Islam and Christianity. She listened with openness, and bade us a friendly farewell when we said our good-byes this afternoon. Pray for her. I know that she is a devout Muslim.
There were several social events for patients this week that Ed took part in. That was fun for him. He met several new people. I do appreciate everything the hospital staff comes up with for making the course of treatment easier.
My eldest son and his wife have made the move to Washington state. They are in the process of finding jobs and an apartment. I'm happy to report that they've got a good outlook. Possibilities are forthcoming! His Army Reserve company commander has been positively saintly, allowing them to stay at his home with his family, and helping conjure up employment for both of them.
Really, God is so good!
Other news: We celebrated 25 years of marriage last Friday with my parents and all of our children. We had reservations at a nice restaurant, and we had a lovely time. No, it wasn't the actual day, but we all got to be together for the last time in awhile. Blessings!
I've left the endless chores and duties here at home to go to the dogs, literally, and nothing has been happening here but for the goodness of our friends who have picked up where we dropped things!
My friend, D, baked up some fabulous "sprouted bread" a-la "Trim Healthy Mama" and also some THM muffins for me to enjoy! I found a delicious hunter's stew in the refrigerator for supper tonight that she made for us. Wonderful! So grateful!
I always feel a little numb after being in the hospital all week, even when I'm not a patient. I drove straight from the hospital to Northern Lights Chorale practice last evening. I was so exhausted I could hardly sing, but as the evening passed I revived. Music does that to me.
The concert is going to be good. Our spring concert wasn't the best, and we've all made a real commitment to learn our music and not miss rehearsal this fall. The difference shows. We have been invited to sing at a choral convention in Mahtomedi along with some stellar choral groups from the Twin Cities. We have a few perfect pieces to perform there, and I am excited about it.
We have three performances this fall, on three different weekends. Come if you can.
Other music: I already posted some video from the West Metro Organ Crawl. Ed and I got to participate all day, visiting and hearing pipe organ concerts at four churches in the west metropolitan suburbs. THEN, in the evening, there was a concert on the Phipps theater organ in Hudson, WI by Ron Roades.
It was a day of organ variety! We got home at 10:30pm tired, but energized!
Pipe organs breathe, and so do humans, when making worshipful music. Worship energizes, and I think there is a link to the desperate need we all have to worship weekly. It rejuvenates us for the next week! Something to think about. I know that I felt able to go back to the hospital and finish up business there today after singing from the heart last evening.
It's a beautiful evening, and a lovely weekend stretches before us. I hope you have one too.
Thanks for your time, catching up here.
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