It has been more than a week since the last blog so I thought that I would try and update the adventure. The big 'D' reared its ugly head last Monday. It had been a few weeks free of diarrhea but Monday it showed back up and they put me back on a medicine that I had just stopped. There have been a couple meds that they wanted me to 'ween' myself off of and this was one of them. So we retreated and went back on Lomotil. It seemed to help until last night and I am back in the 'wait and see' game.
My energy level seems to be improving some but in the middle of an activity I don't get signs that I need to slow down. For example, I worked Thursday and Friday. Most days that I go into work I stay for 4 or 5 hours. Friday I stayed for 7 hours and it wasn't until I got home that it became apparent that that was probably too many hours. So we keep taking it slow.
God is good all the time!!
jim
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ESV
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Year by year
It is interesting the way we track things. Our last few years have been marked by cancer. We don't really want to define the years by cancer but it sure has grabbed a lot of our attention. In 2007, Pam had cancer and major surgery in March to remove it all. In 2008, I had colon cancer and had major surgery in March to remove it (a foot of colon and surrounding tissue). In 2009, the colon cancer had moved into the liver and I had major surgery in March to remove most of my liver. The liver is an interesting organ that will regenerate if you don't remove too much. (In a rare two for one deal the surgeon also removed my gall bladder while he was at it.) So our last three years have been spent dealing with cancer for the majority of each year. And our last three months of March have been spent in the hospital having major surgeries. It has been quite the adventure and we have spent a fair amount of time considering whether or not there would be a tomorrow. This year's oncologist walked into the room, the day we were meeting him for the first time, and said, "well if we don't do anything you will die". That really wasn't news to either one of us but was just another occasion to consider whether or not there would be a tomorrow.
None of us really knows if we will have a tomorrow. But we are confident that there is a God who cares, who walks through these times with us and knows the number of our days.
God is good all the time!!
jim
Acts 17:27-28 Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for "'In him we live and move and have our being", ESV
None of us really knows if we will have a tomorrow. But we are confident that there is a God who cares, who walks through these times with us and knows the number of our days.
God is good all the time!!
jim
Acts 17:27-28 Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for "'In him we live and move and have our being", ESV
Friday, October 16, 2009
That time of year
Pam turned a year older yesterday, I do next week and one daughter-in-law does 5 days after that. But most important our granddaughter turns one on the 23rd. She is the picture of perfect cuteness.
Things continue to improve slowly. My energy is up and down but I've had no diarrhea for a month. Praise God!! The drug they continue to give me makes me break out like a 15 year old but it's really just annoying.
I'm working part-time Monday, Thursday and Friday. It feels good to be out of the house and somewhat productive.
God is good all the time!!
jim
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. ESV
Things continue to improve slowly. My energy is up and down but I've had no diarrhea for a month. Praise God!! The drug they continue to give me makes me break out like a 15 year old but it's really just annoying.
I'm working part-time Monday, Thursday and Friday. It feels good to be out of the house and somewhat productive.
God is good all the time!!
jim
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. ESV
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
So it goes
By Sunday the rockin'-n-rollin' had stopped so I did go to work on Monday. But I only stayed for a half day and I think that will be the pattern for a while. Until I get more strength I will just work four hours and then come home. Right now I intend to work Monday, Thursday and Friday. Tuesday being 'chemo' day and Wednesday a day to recover from Tuesday.
Yesterday was 'chemo' day and the doctor threw me a bone. He said we might just end this treatment after Thanksgiving. My numbers look good and I would be more than willing to be done. So we will see.
God is good all the time!!
jim
Psalms 106:1 Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! ESV
Yesterday was 'chemo' day and the doctor threw me a bone. He said we might just end this treatment after Thanksgiving. My numbers look good and I would be more than willing to be done. So we will see.
God is good all the time!!
jim
Psalms 106:1 Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! ESV
Friday, October 2, 2009
Oops
I didn't do 'day two' at work. I'm guessing that there was too much physical activity. We have to climb two flights of stairs to connect to other parts of the building and I was up & down them several times. Then when I got home I was up & down our stairs several times. By the time I headed to bed my insides were rockin' n rollin' and I'm blaming too much physical activity.
It was good to see several of the folks that I'd been working with.....Bob, Barb, Joe, Don, Doug, Miriam, Dick and the list goes on. Hopefully I'll be able the return on Monday.
God is good all the time!!
jim
Lamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ESV
It was good to see several of the folks that I'd been working with.....Bob, Barb, Joe, Don, Doug, Miriam, Dick and the list goes on. Hopefully I'll be able the return on Monday.
God is good all the time!!
jim
Lamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ESV
Thursday, October 1, 2009
A couple answers to prayer.
Many of you have been praying and we really appreciate you going before the throne of God on our behalf. So here are a couple of things to praise God for....
1) I have had no diarrhea for the past 3 weeks. The oncologist told me not to be surprised if it showed up again but it hasn't so far.
2) I went to work today for the first time in eight months. I took it easy but I was there for eight hours and seem to be doing just fine. We will see how tomorrow goes.
Thank you again for your prayers.
God is good all the time!!
jim
Psalms 111:7 The works of His hands are faithful and just; all His precepts are trustworthy ESV
1) I have had no diarrhea for the past 3 weeks. The oncologist told me not to be surprised if it showed up again but it hasn't so far.
2) I went to work today for the first time in eight months. I took it easy but I was there for eight hours and seem to be doing just fine. We will see how tomorrow goes.
Thank you again for your prayers.
God is good all the time!!
jim
Psalms 111:7 The works of His hands are faithful and just; all His precepts are trustworthy ESV
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Getting caught up
I have been waiting for the news to change and it has, some, so here goes.
In the beginning of chemo they were giving me two drugs and both caused diarrhea. Seven months worth. They told me that my diarrhea was the worst they had ever seen. We are done with one of the drugs and they, medical types, felt that they could get the diarrhea under control just battling one drug. So now I am taking one drug that causes diarrhea and 3 drugs to stop it. For the last two weeks it appears that the 3 drugs are winning. Bless God!! I have actually been able to leave the house (read: move farther away from the toilet).
Also, the fatigue seems to be getting better but I'm having to take it slow. I got to feeling pretty good last week so I trimmed the grass around the fence. That wore me out for two days.
So things are improving ---- slowly.
God is good all the time!!
jim
Psalms 25:10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. ESV
In the beginning of chemo they were giving me two drugs and both caused diarrhea. Seven months worth. They told me that my diarrhea was the worst they had ever seen. We are done with one of the drugs and they, medical types, felt that they could get the diarrhea under control just battling one drug. So now I am taking one drug that causes diarrhea and 3 drugs to stop it. For the last two weeks it appears that the 3 drugs are winning. Bless God!! I have actually been able to leave the house (read: move farther away from the toilet).
Also, the fatigue seems to be getting better but I'm having to take it slow. I got to feeling pretty good last week so I trimmed the grass around the fence. That wore me out for two days.
So things are improving ---- slowly.
God is good all the time!!
jim
Psalms 25:10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. ESV
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