STILL PRAYING FOR ANITA!

Anita was unable to have surgery to remove the cancer. I am praying hard for her and her family. She is loved by all that know her and I know that she is being lifted up in prayer by many people. God is the Great Physician and I pray for Him to guide her doctors in her care and to give her peace, comfort and strength during this difficult time. Ihope that she can feel the love that surrounds her!

PRAYING FOR ANITA!

I, along with many prayer warriors, are praying for Anita today! She will have surgery this morning at 8:30 to determine the extent of the cancer. We are praying that it is confined and that they will not have to open her chest. Anita is so courageous, strong, positive and funny. When she found out yesterday that she was having surgery today, she called Sherry and said "Sherry, I have just seen the best looking man I have ever seen....and he is doing surgery on me in the morning!" Talking about a good attitude! This is Anita's third time dealing with cancer in less than five years! She is strong, has tremendous faith and is in the hands of God, the Great Physician!

WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE

I have a good friend, Anita. She is one of those special friends that is always thinking of others first. I have treasured her friendship for many years. She was a great friend to Jennifer as well. She is on the IV team, and all her patients love and trust her. She always goes that extra mile for her patients. When Jennifer was a patient at ACH, she always kept up her supply of Velveeta in her room...and always made her laugh. Laughter is one of the best medications when you are in the hospital for two weeks! Anita was the perfect dose Jennifer always needed and appreciated. On the day we lost Jennifer, Anita was one of the first people to come to visit.
We have shared alot over the past ten years, even breast cancer! A few weeks ago, Anita was the life of the party at my ten year survivor party. She danced, sang and provided laughter for all. We celebrated her 60th birthday by having dinner in Hot Springs. Anita, Jo, Lisa E. and Sherry drove to Hot Springs to celebrate since I was down in my back. We had a great dinner and a great time. Anita's cancer came back in her bones after her diagnosis with breast cancer. She fought and won that battle as well. Yesterday she found out that it was back once again...in her chest. I just don't know why bad things happen to good people. Like Sherry said, how can you not hate cancer? I do know that Anita is a strong person and a fighter...she will get through this. She has raised two wonderful children that adore her, as well as everyone that knows her. Love and faith are very strong weapons against this horrible disease. I love you, Anita! I am here for you!

POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS

Our summer series at chuch this year is power, money and sex. Today Taido spoke on the power of relationships. How some relationships are a constant struggle...pulling each other in a different direction. Our assignment this week is to be submissive...to submit to someone that we struggle with. He used the visual of two people pulling on opposite ends of a rope...one trying to be more powerful than the other. Very good serm9n...good food for thought! This week, I will try to be more submissive!

BETTER DAY

I had a rough last few days...missing Jennifer...don't know if it was the fall in the air or what..but it was really consuming me. Today our church is providing school supplies for a Back to School Bash for the kids in the apartments next to our church. We were asked to provide school supplies and they will be given out this afternoon. It really is true that when you do something for others, you receive the greatest benefit. Yesterday, I got up and dressed and went to the store to buy my supplies. I will admit that I got pretty teary eyed in the school supply aisle. I chose the supplies that I think that Jennifer would have liked. I enjoyed watching the other customers choose their supplies. This is one project that Jennifer would have really enjoyed participating in....miss you so much, Jennifer!

ALWAYS MISSING JENNIFER!

I miss my precious Jennifer every minute of everyday...but there are days like today that it just consumes me! I don't know if it was the cool fall like weather this morning or maybe it is all the back to school supplies in the stores. I love to see and smell all the new pencils, crayons, notebooks etc. (doesn't that sound crazy?) Until Jennifer passed away, I would always buy her new school supplies (she loved writing) and a new lunch box...for her to take her lunch to work in. It's the little things in life that you remember about your loved ones that you sometimes miss the most! I long to smell her hair again or hear her cute little chuckle...I want to hear her voice and see her smile. I want to hear her say Mommmmm! I want to cook for her and listen to her dreams...I want to ask her if she took her pills and did her treatments.....it is never ending....some days are just worse than others.....I am still so very grateful that I was given the gift of being her Mother.....and so very grateful that our Lord has given me the gift of being able to see her again one day! I love you, Jennifer Suzanne!!!!

CRAZY DREAM!!!

A friend of mine that used to work with me at ACH now works at CARTI...when I have to go to the Breast Center which is in the same building, I always stop by and say hello and we get to chat a little. Yesterday when I stopped by, I told her about my leg and hip. She said I think if you have that surgery, you will have to wear one of those corsett things to keep you from bending or twisting (don't think my friend, Ben, mentioned this) LOL! I guess I had this on my mind when I went to bed last night and therefore had this crazy dream. Do you remember the movie "Nine to Five"? They hung their boss up on this trolley thingy....well, in my dream, I had to be hung on one of those trolley things....and Kimberly and Lisa convinced the trolley installers to put another one on to hold my arm up so that it would drain. Kimberly and Lisa are always telling me that I should hang my arm above my head from an IV pole or something when I sleep at night....needless to say, I did not care for the trolley contraptions and having to have my Bi-Pap suspended from the ceiling....was very glad to wake up and dicover that it was just a dream or should I say NIGHTMARE!

GREAT NEWS!!!

I had a clear mammogram today! I don't have to have another one for a year...YAY!!! Such a relief to get that over with...now if I can just get this back, hip, leg pain resolved, I will be a happy camper!

After the mammogram, went to IHOP with the awesome Pajama Mamas! We go to IHOP in our pajamas....such a good time...Patti, Joanna and Sandra are such wonderful friends and can always cheer me up and put a smile on my face...so thankful for good friends!

STILL WAITING!

I am still waiting to go for the bone scan and to find out how this pain is going to be resolved. I am trying to be patient! I am continuig to do the exercises that the physical therapist taught me. It just seems like I should have some answers by now. I really feel like I should be with Dr. Saer and I trust him to make the right treatment decision....but I am ready to be over this and back at work giving care, love and hope! I am very grateful that I am not causing the staff to be short at the hospital right now....glad that theyare still able to overstaff people.

My sweet sister, Kimberly, is trying to keep me, as well as Lisa and Pig busy with new crafting challenges...some quite interesting...she keeps the creative juices flowing! She and Lisa are great cheerleaders and I enjoy our crafting time so much!

SECOND OPINIONS

It is always good to get a second opinion before making decisions about your health. I went to see a doctor for a second opinion...a doctor that my friend, Ben, had been to for a similar problem to mine and had successful surgery to correct his problem a couple of weeks ago. I am happy to hear that Ben is recovering well and seems to be doing better each day...so happy for him! This doctor confirmed that I do have severe spinal stenosis and spondglolisthesis (sp), but also seems to think that alot of my pain is from my hip. I have thought this all along...from the very beginning...Dr. Curtner did as well. Everyone else I went to, said the pain was from my back, not my hip. Now I am scheduled to have a bone scan....am PRAYING that I won't have to have a hip replacement...aren't those for old people? I am certainly ready to get this pain resolved and get on with my life! Seems I always have to go the long way around things...guess it just makes me stronger in the end!