I will try to handle this in sub topics for those of you that don't want/need every detail...
Regarding the Cost...I was happy I was sent a run down of the charges from PPVI ahead of time with my appts and initial paperwork. I do not like surprises. We knew we were fortunate to have in network coverage, so we were going regardless of cost, but I didn't think it would be quite as much as it was and so learning this allowed me to break the news to Craig before the bills started rolling in. Our coverage isn't as good as the first time I went down (I used to have 90% coverage in network after a $500 deductible with a $1500 out of pocket max-last time I had no problem meeting this, but I had the ultrasound series and the hormone series done as well). This time we have 80% coverage and a $3k out of pocket maximum. We have $1700 left in our flex account (so we can use that medical expense money pre taxed) and I thought that would close to cover it. Haha. Not exactly. The bill from Hilgers that showed my 20% said $880 if they lasered endo. But the bill from Creighton (I had to call specifically to get these numbers) were astronomical. For example, one procedure, the hysteroscopy I think, was $11k. That may not have been my portion, but you do the math. That was one thing of several. So...we skipped the details and dear Lynn cut right to the chase. I had barely touched my deductible. The $3k is on top of that. I was definitely hitting the maximum. So my question to you all is...what else should I be seeking to get done this year?! Insert husband's small heart attack. Now, fyi, Creighton gives you 10% off of what you pay within 5 day, so there you go. Where else are you gonna make 10% these days? I know our bills are nothing compared to what you out of network and out of country folks are dealing with, so I won't dwell on this. I will say that out of country, I would do it again. I would. Hands down.
On being there in general...I must say, I wasn't worried about the surgery really. That may seem weird, but I will do my best to explain to you the range of emotions I was going through. I was back. in omaha. With my children. Rewind to 6 years ago, no idea if I would have children. And now I was back. I honestly know that if we can't have more children, we have already been blessed beyond words. So I guess that took some stress and anxiety away. I also just knew this was where I needed to be and I knew how blessed I was to get to be there. We drove just three hours to get there, so I am grateful to be so close. I desperately wanted to go to the celebration they had at PPVI but couldn't. This was my time. To say my thank you's. To introduce my babies. My "reunion" started a little earlier than expected, at my pre op appt for the hospital. Of all things, Nina remembered me, knew I had longer hair, a different last name, knew my story (I had shared it with her last time), remembered that she found my murmur (I have 3!). What a joy to share what has happened since I left Omaha. Her sister who lives 2 hrs away is also now a patient of Hilgers. I have a strong hunch she didn't know about Hilgers until I told her and that is why her sister saw him, but that is just part of my vague memory and I didn't realize it until after I left so that is unconfirmed. I left flying high and kept hearing my mother in the back of my mind telling me to come down off the ceiling. I was flying high and talking fast! I wanted to kiss everyone I encountered there and the tears flowed easily as I drove from Creighton to my pre op ultrasound at Pope Paul VI. I did call my mom and TRIED to pull myself together.
The ultrasound was supposed to be with Jeanine, but it was with the new girl. Young, cute, heart in the right place, knows she has the best job ever, I loved sharing our story with her. Then on to my appt. I wasn't sure who it was with there, and then I saw Dr. H. Yes, I was a little freaked out to be in the same room with him. Seriously. I wasn't sure if my appt was with him or Dr. Kargas (sp?) but it was both. Hilgers was first and he has a doctor from Mexico shadowing him. I told him my mind would be mush with him in the room, but I swear the Holy Spirit took over and I was brave and succinct and articulate like I haven't been in the last 20 months. Thank you, Jesus. It felt so good not to be tongue tied! I laughed at the thickness of my chart and was told it was 2 of 2, haha. I was able to recap my story for him, and even though he knew it in general, it was nice for him to have a succinct summary (yes, me succinct; now you know it was the Holy Spirit!) and you could tell he was thrilled to hear it and have the other doctor hear it as well. I really enjoyed my time in the room. Of course we bonded about how the pill is the cure all for everyone I know, how ob/gyns have defined life conveniently after implantation, frustration with the HHS mandate and how people think pill=healthcare, etc, and how evil and insidious infections are. He told me that 20% of his patients are positive for infections, but 60% respond positively to antibiotics. He thinks there are simply bugs out there we don't know about yet. I mentioned my desire to have the surgically trained Napro docs distinguished in some way on the website. He has felt that way too, and expressed that before, and is working on it (but seriously how long does it take-add a star or something, lol!). He is also working on the phone ap and confessed he received a package to start it recently but had been busy. He gets a pass. The man is crazy busy. I mentioned a little frustration about people not getting the full benefit of Napro when they don't take advantage of mailing in the blood work and he completely agreed that it was a major part of what they need to do their job. Its explained in his text book and he stresses it to everyone he trains-that was new to me. I know it is expensive folks, but it is so necessary to get the full benefit of what he does. He said nice things about how he is always impressed at what a smart group of clients he has so I wanted to pass that on to all of you. When he left, I felt set with the plan we had for the next day. I got to see Dr. Karges as well and tell her my story (Dr. H asked me to). She was wonderful. She relocated her family to Omaha and worked under him a year. When she goes back she is it for Texas and they are lucky to have her. Her time is almost up so Texas, here she comes you lucky dogs!
Surgery Day...What to say? This is the time I began to think about how my dear friend stopped breathing during the meds used to calm her prior to anesthesia-this happened just one week before my surgery. That was my only nervousness and I still knew it was rare and kept it pretty much in check. I took my time to stress with everyone that I get crazy nausea with anesthesia and CANNOT take narcotics. I have learned these things the hard way given I have had 5 eye surgeries, 2 D&Cs, 2 cysts removed, and this was my fourth laporoscopy. Yeah, I guess this is what I do in my spare time! They did all the things that worked well last time PLUS a motion sickness patch behind my ear. Which was great except it did totally dry me out and I could not swallow crackers without chugging a ton of water. They put these like, support hose things on to prevent blood clots, and they also had me wipe down again with those crazy wipes. But I knew I was in good hands and they put up with me desperately wanting my kids in the room even before the IV. I just didn't want the only hr they were there to be dh chasing them in the waiting room. So they came back and all was well. Charlie didn't even notice the IV (he was on the other side), but he has seen me get plenty of blood work. (We did prep him a lot and got pearls of wisdom from him such as "mom, if they give you a shot in your belly button, run!") The kids were actually really good in the room and entertaining and distracting for sure. Then back I went. They didn't tell me they were giving me something to relax until I asked because the room was moving as I switched beds. I am glad b/c if it was what Nan had it would not have relaxed me! Before I knew it, it was over. I had zero stomach pain that day (I guess they numb it up good), but that night the shoulder pain hit hard. First right, then left, then right again. I was told to sit up 45 degrees and use ice packs and that was the only thing that helped. I never did really get too nauseated. I remember women saying they couldn't leave the hospital until they went to the bathroom. I thought that meant a bowel movement, but am glad that was not the case. I have a tiny bladder and peed almost immediately out of recovery (all that IV fluid, I am sure). But a bm, well that finally came tonight-a full 72 hrs post pre surgery enema. And if that is TMI for you, well then you probably are not in the right place :)
Surgery Results...The next day I brough the whole family in for results. Dh knew to take the boys out if I couldn't hear, but again, they were super good which is crazy. They did have each other though, usually all the entertaining they need. And cheerios. Pretty sure we left a few of those crunched everywhere we went. Anyhow...there were some unexpected results. I wish I had details of my last surgery on my blog, but I don't. I knew this time they would likely find endo, but not a ton. The soreness I experienced hadn't been back very long. They found 3 spots and lasered them. They also found a micropolyp (associated with infection and/or inflammation) and a cyst in the cervical canal (which was inflammatory in nature). He found a mini/accessory fallopian tube-crazy right? He said it is common in women with endo. They also found, in general, a lot of inflammation on the wall (they can only treat with abx b/c surgically it would cause too much scar tissue)-do you see a theme here people?! Inflammation can be from endo or infection so not a lot of answers on that one but consistency is clearly my middle name. Hoping the results of the cultures will clarify the culprit. They saw spots from previous lasering, but not a lot of scar tissue, which was good news. Now for the 2 pieces of shocking news (to me at least). First of all, my tubes were blocked. What?! Yes. I got confused on the details because it sounded contradictory, but he couldn't get the dye through at all and they were blocked, but then he did eventually with a different technique. They are open now, yet he couldn't get the wire through? This sounds like Alive in Hope, so if T or anyone has clarification on this, I would appreciate it. But I am sure it is either infection or endo related because that is the theme in my life. And secondly, I have an abnormality that is assosciated with 2nd trimester miscarriages. Its a large septum. I suck at anatomy so he drew a triangle pointed down and then another triangle inside it attached at the top (flat edge). He said the space it is taking up can affect the baby as it tries to grow. It is associated with miscarriages around 16, 18, or 20 weeks. Ladies, can I just tell you how important it is to have a lap-I learned so much! They are not just for folks that suspect endo. I think they are a good idea for anyone with infertility, they are meant to be exploratory in nature and IF is as good a reason as any to have one done IMO. I know it is surgery, and no one wants unnecessary surgery, but exploring is necessary when questions are unanswered. He said that any ob/gyn that worked with me would need to do frequent ultrasounds and keep an eye on my cervix around that point. I think the treatment is a stitch (cerclage-anyone here need one of these?). I have comfort knowing that for whatever reason, it wasn't an issue with my 2 kiddos here (and the miscarriages I had were earlier, with TEBB cycles and good prog so we are still confident they were due to infection) and therefore there is less chance it will be in the future. I seriously can't imagine a 2nd trimester miscarriage. Someone would have to commit me.
On the logistics of being there with children...let's see, one room, 2 adults, 2 young children. Hmm. I don't know how you cosleepers do it, maybe it is because you start them out doing this early, but I don't know if even that would have helped. My kids have never really been a good match to sleep with us. Charlie will literally say, you can go back to your room now (we do some snuggling with him in his bed, but just for a minute). lol. And he is a talker. So anyway, we had Charlie in one bed, dh and I in another and AJ in the pack and play. Since the world series was going on there, and then after that the Olympic swim team trials, there was NO ROOM AT THE INN! Eventually we got a hotel (two, dh had the pleasure of changing hotels with both boys while I was in surgery b/c our hotel didn't have a 3rd night) but our hotel had none of the amenities that would have made it go smoother. Like location. Or a microwave. Or a fridge. Or a hot breakfast. Heck, continental would have been nice. Nada. So I packed. And packed. And packed. I organized. I printed off directions from every which way and researched kid friendly things to do. I packed swimsuits and bouncy balls and a entire thing of toys (heck, they play well with them on their own at home, why not at a hotel?) Let's just say if we could have kept the luggage rack wheely cart thing (why yes, that is the technical name for that), we would have. That was prime entertainment. And the telephone, unplugged. AJ enjoyed spilling powdered coffee creamer on the hotel carpet and then spent the next 24 hrs there sneaking licks of it. Ewwww! Rock star immune system-check. And flushing the toilet was big fun for him, as was unwinding toilet paper. He could open the doors there thanks to the long doorknobs. The schedule went out the window and the naps were all off. Charlie alternated between fake snoring and every possible attempt to engage us in conversation. AJ slept fabulously in pack in play in the pitch black bathroom (we had a handicapped room for the first hotel) when we finally got to town and to bed after a late dinner that next night (my appts ran long with all that talking), but that presented a bit of a problem. Let's just say I wet my pants one night and dh peed in a cup. No lie. Okay, now realize that I needed do an enema pre surgery. What did that look like? Wheeling AJ out of the bathroom asleep. Administering it laying down on the bathroom floor-both 'approved" positions were laying down-on towels of course. Using the bathroom. Showering. Wiping myself down with those nasty antibacterial wipes. Go to get dh to do my back and he is sound asleep. Because what else is there to do in a dark quiet hotel room with all the lights off at 10pm. Something about laying on that floor made me all too aware of how much I probably needed those nasty wipes, but I didn't like how dirty I felt having to use them. Dirty times 100 even post shower. The next hotel we had didn't give us a handicapped room so that was probably the worst sleep ever for me and kids (post surgery), but we all managed and there was plenty to laugh about. (I go to pick dh and kids up after pre op appts and receive this text-"C just pooped on the floor." Um, evidently potty trained for a year doesn't mean we don't regress at a totally foreign place (referred to repeatedly as the Cozy Cone by my Cars loving child, his only previous hotel/motel experience). Shockingly, the kids were not crabby at all despite the crazy schedule. Example-they woke an hour earlier (at 6am), never took a nap in the new hotel, and went to bed about 2 hrs later than normal. We really squeezed in the activities too (arrived Monday pm, Tues 9am-1pm zoo, Tues afternoon all my appts while they napped, Wed one of those bouncy inflatable places before my surgery which was scheduled for noon (yes, I starved. It didn't start until 1:45pm actually!), and we even hit the children's museum after my post op (there were lots of benches and I let dh do the running and lifting). We headed home after that since dh wasn't able to get Friday off (today. My mom came and stayed with me). They were clearly happy to be back in their own beds because C took a 3 hr nap, ate dinner, and went back to bed; AJ had to be woke at 8pm for dinner and was easily put back to bed. All in all, it was a pretty great trip, and like I said, plenty to laugh about when you throw the kids into the mix.
Back home and feeling alright...So that's it. It was plenty of news, as you can imagine, and I am ready for life to be dull again. I am fine with all the diagnoses. As usual, I feel better to know what I am dealing with and attack it head on. I wasn't expecting to get the green light to ttc again so soon, but here it is. Not this cycle (I am on CD 6) BUT NEXT. Again, I just feel like we are plugging our nose and jumping. If we stand around analyzing this too much, we may just stay on the ledge and what fun is that? So here we go again. Stay tuned...But first things first, does anyone know how soon I am allowed to be intimate? The pelvic rest box was checked but it said f/u with doc or X weeks and that number was blank. Obviously my f/u was the next day, I didn't think to ask Dr. H about it, figured it would be in my discharge instructions. Just curious.
Some bad news from friends...Completely changing topics, today has been a funk due to some really bad news I received from 2 dear friends. First of all, my friend Nan underwent her double masectomy last Wed. We are grateful that her scare with anesthesia turned out alright and was reversed quickly, but SCARY! But now, as of today, those lymph nodes they expected to be okay ARE NOT. It has spread. She will be doing radiation. Of which her mom died of (not from cancer, she was cancer free, but the radiation had done bad dammage to her lungs). We are devastated by this news. We were flying so high, the chemo had shrunk that tumor so that it wasn't even recognizable. Back to reality. Nan has cancer and she is still in the fight of her life. Prayers needed. And my dear friend Laura, who only has one brother in his thirties whom she is very close to, lives in town, has three YOUNG kids (oldest is eight)...has mesothelioma. They have no idea how he got this rare cancer from asbestos, which makes it all the more scary (who else was around it? Laura? the parents?). They gave him a month or two (actually his family-he and his wife didn't want to know). They flew him to Boston to the people who specialize in this. He was on the list for surgery. They just did some serious bloodwork and testing and determined he is no longer a candidate. That was the news this Wed, the day of my surgery. He is still in Boston, half the family there, half at home in my state. Then the email today came that he will be in heaven soon and his dad and three kids are desperately trying to make it to Boston to say goodbye. My.heart.is.breaking for this family and their very young children. Please take some time out of your day to pray for them and the soul of Sam.
I am on the journey we are all called to-to accept God's will and perfect love. Whether I am white knuckling it with my eyes shut tight or standing up with my arms outstretched enjoying the ride, I try always to let God be the driver and not bail out the side when there are bumps (like IF!). On good days, I trust He won't run me into a tree. :)
6.29.2012
6.15.2012
Suffering, Anxiety and Hope
My little sister suffers from anxiety. I recently gave her my dove necklace. Seeing how much she treasures it and knowing that she is a quote person like I am, I have gathered many encouraging quotes for her from the bible (and one other source). I hope that these are helpful to you or you can share them with someone who needs to hear them. (Don't we all need to be reminded of God's lvoe for us at one time or another?) And if you have any favorites that apply and aren't on here, I'd love for you to leave them in a comment! I used American Standard version. Thanks!
p.s. I wanted it to be one page, double sided, but I should have known God had more to say, lol. You will see the big space, keep scrolling there is more! I had issues with formatting. Its amazing how, since I took this on a week or so ago, quotes are pouring out on facebook, the radio, literally everywhere. God knows what she needs to hear more than I do, I am trying hard to listen and remember them all!
Psalm 139: Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
Exodus 3:7 The LORD said, "I have surely
seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their
cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 "So I have come down to deliver them…
Matthew 5:1-12 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying. ,Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Luke 12:11 “"When they bring you before the
synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what
you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say;” 12 “for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that
very hour what you ought to say."
Mark
13:11 “"When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand
about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it
is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit
Acts 13: 52 And the
disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit
Romans 5: 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God
has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to
us.
Psalm 31:25 Be
strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord
p.s. I wanted it to be one page, double sided, but I should have known God had more to say, lol. You will see the big space, keep scrolling there is more! I had issues with formatting. Its amazing how, since I took this on a week or so ago, quotes are pouring out on facebook, the radio, literally everywhere. God knows what she needs to hear more than I do, I am trying hard to listen and remember them all!
Psalm 139: Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
Isaiah 41:10 Do not fear,
for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My
righteous right hand.'
1 PETER 5: 6-11 Therefore
humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the
proper time, casting all
your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the
devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing
that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren
who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who
called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm,
strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 3: 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of
righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation and do not
be troubled.
Luke 24:26 “"Was it not necessary for the Christ
to suffer these things to enter into His glory?"”
1 Peter 4:13 but to the
degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also
at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation
1 Peter 2:21 For you have
been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you
an example for you to follow in His steps,
1 Peter 5:10 After you
have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His
eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and
establish you
Matthew 5:1-12 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying. ,Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Revelation 2: 10 “'Do not
fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of
you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for
ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
PSALM 94: If the LORD had not been my help, My
soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence. If I should say, "My foot has slipped," Your loving kindness, O LORD, will hold me up. When my anxious thoughts
multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul. Can a throne of destruction be allied with You, One which devises mischief
by decree? They band themselves together against the life
of the righteous And condemn the innocent to death. But the LORD has been my stronghold, And my God the rock of my refuge. He has brought back their wickedness
upon them And will destroy them in their evil; The LORD our God will destroy them.
Isaiah 35: They will see
the glory of the LORD, The majesty of our God. Encourage the exhausted, and
strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious
heart, Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come…
Philippians 4:4-9 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say,
rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit
be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all
comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally,
brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever
is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any
excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and
heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with
you.
Jude 1:2 May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to
you.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually
grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!
Psalm 55: 16-18 As for me,
I shall call upon God, And the LORD will save me. Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur, And He will
hear my voice. He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle
which is against me, For they are many who strive with me.
Acts 2: 3 And there
appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on
each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with
other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterances.
Acts 8: Then they
began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.
Acts 11: 15
"And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did
upon us at the beginning.
John 20: 22 And
when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “"Receive
the Holy Spirit.”
Luke 3:22 and the
Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out
of heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased
Luke 11:13
“"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"”
Isaiah 57:15 For
thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
"I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of
spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of
the contrite.
Acts 10: 38
"You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit
and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were
oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Titus 3:5 He saved
us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but
according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy
Spirit
Acts 9:31 So the
church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built
up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit,
it continued to increase
John 14:26
“"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name,
He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to
you.”
John 1:32 John
testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of
heaven, and He remained upon Him.
Matthew 3:16 After
being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the
heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,
Matthew 6:25-34 “
For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you
will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds
of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of
you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? So do
not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will [a]care for itself. [b]Each day has enough trouble of its own.
2 Corinthians
4:6 For God, who said, “ Light shall shine out of darkness,”
is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Luke
12:6-7 Are not five sparrows sold for two [f]cents? Yet not one of them is
forgotten before God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
He loves each of us as if their were only one of us. –St. Augustine
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 your paths straight.
Romans 12: 1-3 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the
mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, [a]acceptable to God, which is your [b]spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this [c]world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind, so that you may [d] prove what the will of God is, that which
is good and [e]acceptable and perfect.
Psalm
147: 1-6 Praise [b]the Lord! For it is good to sing
praises to our God; For [c]it is pleasant and praise is becoming.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the
outcasts of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up
their [d]wounds. 4 He counts the number of
the stars; He [e] gives
names to all of them. 5 Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
His understanding is [f]infinite.
6 The Lord [g] supports
the afflicted; He brings down the wicked to the ground.
Jeremiah 29: 11 For I know the plans that I [a]have
for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare
and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
6.08.2012
Giveaways Orphan Style
Man, I love a good giveaway, and I really love them for a fantastic cause! These families adopting orphans really know how to get people excited! Like last week when there was a need to raise $10k in 10 days to get another $10k and fully fund a family traveling in less than two weeks. Crazy right? A mac laptop was up for grabs. And you know what? They got funded in less than three days. Insane, right? Read about it here.
http://covenantbuilders.blogspot.com/2012/06/pay-it-forward.html
It's fun, but its no joke. These are real giveaways with real prizes (ask our own Mrs. Mikes who won an ipad in a past giveaway!) but they are also for a really good, really desperate cause. It is truly a life or death situation for these children. http://covenantbuilders.blogspot.com/2012/06/grief.html
So, how can you help? Join the giveaway fun! This one ends tonight at midnight and has a slew of prizes (50!) including an ipad-you can even win more than one prize. Go check it out! You don't have to donate if you can't, just share and be entered. See website for details including who this sweet giveaway benefits!
http://soholdfast.blogspot.com/2012/06/50-prizes-to-celebrate-50-months.html
The next ipad giveaway I want to tell you about goes until June 15th. This is a family whose story I am more familiar with. You will love it. Check out the story and the giveaway details here. You always get entries for sharing on Facebook or your blog, so everyone can participate!
http://journeytoreunitetwoangels.blogspot.com/2012/05/ipad-giveaway_15.html
And finally, here is a Kindle fire giveaway with some other very cool prizes (6 total) including yummy Rocky Mountain chocolate factory goodies and $50 to Chili's. This was will end by July 1st. This is their last fundraiser before they go get their little girl and they are still in need of $14,000. Please give them some love. Even a blog post like this one gives 2 entries!
http://bringinghomeourgirls.blogspot.com/2012/06/big-huge-grand-finale-fundraiser.html
Pray. Donate. Share. We can make a difference when we work together for a common cause!
http://covenantbuilders.blogspot.com/2012/06/pay-it-forward.html
It's fun, but its no joke. These are real giveaways with real prizes (ask our own Mrs. Mikes who won an ipad in a past giveaway!) but they are also for a really good, really desperate cause. It is truly a life or death situation for these children. http://covenantbuilders.blogspot.com/2012/06/grief.html
So, how can you help? Join the giveaway fun! This one ends tonight at midnight and has a slew of prizes (50!) including an ipad-you can even win more than one prize. Go check it out! You don't have to donate if you can't, just share and be entered. See website for details including who this sweet giveaway benefits!
http://soholdfast.blogspot.com/2012/06/50-prizes-to-celebrate-50-months.html
The next ipad giveaway I want to tell you about goes until June 15th. This is a family whose story I am more familiar with. You will love it. Check out the story and the giveaway details here. You always get entries for sharing on Facebook or your blog, so everyone can participate!
http://journeytoreunitetwoangels.blogspot.com/2012/05/ipad-giveaway_15.html
And finally, here is a Kindle fire giveaway with some other very cool prizes (6 total) including yummy Rocky Mountain chocolate factory goodies and $50 to Chili's. This was will end by July 1st. This is their last fundraiser before they go get their little girl and they are still in need of $14,000. Please give them some love. Even a blog post like this one gives 2 entries!
http://bringinghomeourgirls.blogspot.com/2012/06/big-huge-grand-finale-fundraiser.html
Pray. Donate. Share. We can make a difference when we work together for a common cause!
6.04.2012
Surgery Scheduled and Prayer Request Updates
Cheryl/Sheryl (sp?) called me back from Dr. Hilgers. It is nice to talk to a familiar voice after all the turnover there. She used to do my cycle reviews and now she does surgery scheduling. I have surgery scheduled with PPVI on June 27th, a Wed. This means my family and I will drive down Monday night, stay the night, enjoy Omaha with the kids and do preop appts on Tuesday, surgery Wed, post op Thurs at 10am and leave at the end of the day Thursday.
The surgery will be an exact repeat of 2006-lap, biopsy, hsg, etc. I am so grateful to get in much earlier than I had anticipated (we thought August). Because of this, we are going to avoid this month. It it were an August surgery, I would really have mixed feelings about that. My whole plan that we did after Charlie that worked so we repeated for AJ has gone a little off course in terms of timing. I am at peace with it though. The important things are the meds that were in place are still in place, with the exception of the estrogen (recall I can't be on estrogen anymore due to my factor V). Amazingly, my estrogen levels have been fine on hcg without it, which is such a blessing.
Even though the surgery is an "exact repeat", of course it really isn't at all like my surgery in 2006 and I am keenly aware of the difference. I have two beautiful babies I am forever grateful for. Going into surgery in 2006, I had no idea whether I would ever have children. There was uncertainty in the future. Going to my surgery this summer is like the reunion and thank you to Pope Paul VI I have always hoped for. It didn't work out for us to go to the celebration last year, but I so wish it had. I can't wait to go in there with my children and thank them all, each and every one, for all their hard work, and show them all my two little angels: Charles Raphael, after the archangel who's name means "God has Healed." And Anthony James, whose name Anthony means "flourishing." (The other names each have are for dh and my fathers).
On a completely different note, my friend did miscarry and she is in quite a state of despair. Please pray for peace and healing for her on all levels, as well as proper diagnosis and treatment, so that she may conceive and carry to term a healthy baby (many!)
My friend who has cancer is doing fantastically well, meaning the tumor has shrunk to the point it is not manually detectable by a trained professional. Her goal is stump the ultrasound tech at her last scan. She will hopefully be going into her surgery (June 20th) at stage zero! The surgery is quite invasive-double masectomy and ovaries removed as well. She will have a huge recovery and two more surgerys for reconstruction and general tweaking. She is going to need all the help she can get caring for her two children, 3 1/2 and 2 1/2. She was having pretty minimal effects from chemo until lately-she had to have surgery to remove a fingernail from her index finger (infected, dominant hand of course!), a huge rash all over, and coughing to the point of throwing up. All of this and I am most frustrated with her dissertation advisor who has put her through the ringer and continues to push her date back causing her to defend in the worst condition she has been since chemo started. Please pray she actually gets to defend this Friday and comes through it alright!
My dad is doing alright. No change. He can't have back surgery until October, so its quite frustrating. He has good days where he overdoes it, followed by three days of constant sleeping.
My sister is learning all she can about my niece's Celiac's and they are doing great. Your suggestions were amazing and I am so grateful for you all! The trick is to diagnose whatever is going on with her five year old. She has been battling excema since birth and tested negative for Celiac's. They are looking at sister diseases and also retesting her with another method in six months.
Lastly, my good friend Laura's brother (only sibling) has been diagnosed with a horrible and rare form of cancer. His prognosis is literally one or two months (he was dx 3 weeks ago). He is married with three young children, only in his thirties. They are trying to get a second opinion from an expert in this specific cancer. They are devastated, of course, but have a beautiful faith that is carrying them.
Finally, I am collecting phrases, bible verses, and general inspiration for my sister who suffers from anxiety. I have a holy spirit necklace to give her and am also giving her a page of bible versus etc that will help her in times of discouragement. Your suggestions are welcome. I am including Jeremiah, the one about the sparrows and counting every hair on her head, etc :)
The surgery will be an exact repeat of 2006-lap, biopsy, hsg, etc. I am so grateful to get in much earlier than I had anticipated (we thought August). Because of this, we are going to avoid this month. It it were an August surgery, I would really have mixed feelings about that. My whole plan that we did after Charlie that worked so we repeated for AJ has gone a little off course in terms of timing. I am at peace with it though. The important things are the meds that were in place are still in place, with the exception of the estrogen (recall I can't be on estrogen anymore due to my factor V). Amazingly, my estrogen levels have been fine on hcg without it, which is such a blessing.
Even though the surgery is an "exact repeat", of course it really isn't at all like my surgery in 2006 and I am keenly aware of the difference. I have two beautiful babies I am forever grateful for. Going into surgery in 2006, I had no idea whether I would ever have children. There was uncertainty in the future. Going to my surgery this summer is like the reunion and thank you to Pope Paul VI I have always hoped for. It didn't work out for us to go to the celebration last year, but I so wish it had. I can't wait to go in there with my children and thank them all, each and every one, for all their hard work, and show them all my two little angels: Charles Raphael, after the archangel who's name means "God has Healed." And Anthony James, whose name Anthony means "flourishing." (The other names each have are for dh and my fathers).
On a completely different note, my friend did miscarry and she is in quite a state of despair. Please pray for peace and healing for her on all levels, as well as proper diagnosis and treatment, so that she may conceive and carry to term a healthy baby (many!)
My friend who has cancer is doing fantastically well, meaning the tumor has shrunk to the point it is not manually detectable by a trained professional. Her goal is stump the ultrasound tech at her last scan. She will hopefully be going into her surgery (June 20th) at stage zero! The surgery is quite invasive-double masectomy and ovaries removed as well. She will have a huge recovery and two more surgerys for reconstruction and general tweaking. She is going to need all the help she can get caring for her two children, 3 1/2 and 2 1/2. She was having pretty minimal effects from chemo until lately-she had to have surgery to remove a fingernail from her index finger (infected, dominant hand of course!), a huge rash all over, and coughing to the point of throwing up. All of this and I am most frustrated with her dissertation advisor who has put her through the ringer and continues to push her date back causing her to defend in the worst condition she has been since chemo started. Please pray she actually gets to defend this Friday and comes through it alright!
My dad is doing alright. No change. He can't have back surgery until October, so its quite frustrating. He has good days where he overdoes it, followed by three days of constant sleeping.
My sister is learning all she can about my niece's Celiac's and they are doing great. Your suggestions were amazing and I am so grateful for you all! The trick is to diagnose whatever is going on with her five year old. She has been battling excema since birth and tested negative for Celiac's. They are looking at sister diseases and also retesting her with another method in six months.
Lastly, my good friend Laura's brother (only sibling) has been diagnosed with a horrible and rare form of cancer. His prognosis is literally one or two months (he was dx 3 weeks ago). He is married with three young children, only in his thirties. They are trying to get a second opinion from an expert in this specific cancer. They are devastated, of course, but have a beautiful faith that is carrying them.
Finally, I am collecting phrases, bible verses, and general inspiration for my sister who suffers from anxiety. I have a holy spirit necklace to give her and am also giving her a page of bible versus etc that will help her in times of discouragement. Your suggestions are welcome. I am including Jeremiah, the one about the sparrows and counting every hair on her head, etc :)
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