Category: medical treatment

Posted on in Aging, Book quotes, Faith, Family, Humor, Just do it, medical treatment, Music, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Writing Life, Yield

Oi, Yoi, Yoi

Urban dictionary says of this Hebrew phrase: “A reduplicative diminutive of oy expressing frustration or exasperation.”

The best laid plans for a schedule get blown to pieces by doc and dentist this week. Yep, Monday and Tuesday mornings have been my inviolable times to write. Dentist could see me at 11:40. Dermatologist can see me at 11 AM (her only opening all week), so I called dentist to take his 2PM opening, so guess what? This is my few minutes. Yep, I really need a new schedule. Especially if I am to continue being a volunteer to help sort and stock food stuff at Inter Parish Ministry on Tuesdays when Bob goes to work in their parking lot directing traffic. Drawing from my reading this morning …

O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long. In Jesus’ name. Amen

A W Tozer The Pursuit of God

“Begin in mercy a new work of love within me.” To be drawn anew into His love by mercy. What an enormous gift! Oh yes, readers, yield to Him and ask for a new work of love within you.

He is never more delighted than when we yield to His work of love within us.

God is a Person, and in the deep of His mighty nature He thinks, wills, enjoys, feels, loves, desires and suffers as any other person may. In making Himself known to us He stays by the familiar pattern of personality. He communicates with us through the avenues of our minds, our wills and our emotions. The continuous and unembarrassed interchange of love and thought between God and the soul of the redeemed man is the throbbing heart of New Testament religion.

Tozer Pursuit of God

“The throbbing heart of New Testament religion,” I just love that! The church we currently attend places huge emphasis on how many are baptized each year. Tozer emphasizes “continuous and unembarrassed interchange of love and thought between God and the soul of the redeemed person” as the HEART of the New Testament. Where is that taught? Once baptized what happens to those souls? Is their growth in knowing Him as celebrated as their decision for baptism?

This time of year we are many times seeking the perfect gift for another. Are we seeking the heart of the New Testament for ourselves? Continuous and unembarrassed interchange with the Holy One. Oh yes, Lord help me to make that our gift exchange this year!

What do you think God would want the most?

Nope, not something necessarily in a box. I think what He most desires is our unhindered yieldedness to Him. Our ears open to listen. Our wills yielded to obey. Giving Him our all because He gave all for us. Each one of us. Individually. Unreservedly.

I think God is amused by the following song written by Woody Guthrie and sung by Pete Seeger. If God has a mailbox this is what He wants in it the most!

Of course, you must find a box you fit in, someone to help you with the stamps on top of your head, etc. I hope the song plants the idea firmly in your mind that most of all God desires all of you as His gift.

Posted on in Art, Beagle, Book quotes, Faith, Family, Humor, Just do it, medical treatment, Memories, Nature, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Worship, Yield

Mahalo, A Word We Learned in Hawaii

  • Mahalo – Thank You – (even on the garbage can flaps)
  • Bird feeders full and busy with bird traffic
  • Cake to bake and pies to create
  • Sweet potatoes 25 cents a pound and bound to cost less after Thursday!!
  • Lucky responding well to Glucosamine Chondroitin, though she still limps
  • turkey!
  • then turkey sandwich spread will follow
  • cranberry sauce
  • lately more sunny days than gloomy
  • Our Lord and Savior
  • Advent begins
  • books of our faith, including prayer books and hymnals
  • online Christian music I can search and play
  • shopping online makes some this so much easier
  • Baby Francesca continues to improve
  • white bread, mayonnaise and left over turkey slices sandwich!
  • fragrant candles
  • those who read my blog and comment
  • those who read my blog and are encouraged but do not comment
  • Betty continues to improve
  • Margie making great strides in her recovery
  • Outdoor Christmas lights
  • the wonders on our walk at Ten Mile Creek park
  • The joy of taking Lucky for a ride
  • wind moving the pinwheels reminds me of the movement of the Holy Spirit
  • those willing to help the less fortunate
  • landscaper who sweeps up leaves off the lawn
  • my friend Lori who absolutely loves all things Christmas
  • banyan tree sending out new leaves on Maui
  • Bob selected cookies for us
  • Willing contributors to Empower Youth toy drive
  • Zoom study of Franciscan book, meeting 10 people there weekly
  • union Township crochet and knit group
  • Crochet and knit monthly meeting at Convent
  • Bi-weekly group with church folks
  • Our family
  • Grandchildren!
  • Mint Chapstick
  • good medical care without too much waiting
  • dental care
  • safe walking area
  • my spiritual director
  • But wait! There’s more!! As Kathy says “There is ALWAYS something to be grateful for!”

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5: 18 KJV


Posted on in Faith, medical treatment, Prayer, Thanks

Keep Praying!

Great good news! Infant born recently is now off the ventilator. And the doctors have determined her leg will not need to be amputated. Grandfather is so delighted. Please keep praying for Baby Francesca.

Your prayer for the parents, grandparents and siblings are SO appreciated. I cannot thank you enough!!

Posted on in Collection of Quotes, Faith, Illness and Health, Just do it, medical treatment, Special Event, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks

How Many Days?

Is November 23, 2023 the only day this year you will be giving thanks? Day 327 of the year.

Traditionally it is a time to give thanks for all the sacrifice and hard work done for the harvest. In modern times people take time off work (4 day weekend starting Thursday) and spend time with family and friends over a large feast held on Thanksgiving Day.

https://www.calendardate.com/thanksgiving_2023.htm

Few if any of us have participated in bringing in the harvest of food! Feasting, football and family we have a better understanding about.

I am asking though about giving thanks to the Lord of the Harvest. To God, “from whom all blessing flow.” Being grateful, giving thanks as a way of life can change us from the inside out. Forming the habit of thanksgiving we can change how our eyes see, how our brains interpret.

So how many days this year have you given thanks? There is rarely an easy way to answer that. Perhaps you have set aside a day per month to list things you are grateful about? Likely, more than one thing made that list?

This could be a good time to decide to change and make it a daily habit to give thanks. Not just a rote prayer at meal time, but an actual listing of things.

In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.

People feel and express gratitude in multiple ways. They can apply it to the past (retrieving positive memories and being thankful for elements of childhood or past blessings), the present (not taking good fortune for granted as it comes), and the future (maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude). Regardless of the inherent or current level of someone’s gratitude, it’s a quality that individuals can successfully cultivate further.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier

Then this comment from New York Presbyterian Hospital staffer

The holidays are about more than presents and being together with family and friends — they’re also about being thankful. Turns out, being thankful can have many positive health effects. Studies show practicing gratitude can lead to more intimate and connected relationships, less depression, more motivation and engagement, and better overall mental well-being.

https://healthmatters.nyp.org/is-gratitude-good-for-your-health/

I like the clarification above about past, present and future. This truly is a quality we can cultivate. Here in Ohio, this is not the time of year to cultivate the land, The soil of your heart, however, is waiting for you to sow the seeds of gratitude and gratefulness. Imagine the harvest you will reap in body, mind and spirit from this minimal conscious effort!

The research shows that 3 a day – three moments or events that you are grateful for – every day – every single day – can have a huge impact on your health and well-being. What do you have to lose? Why not begin now if you are not already doing this?

We can set our watches to remind us to stand or get a certain number of steps daily. Why not set your watch to remind you to pause and write out 3? Not so difficult when you think about it.

We do not have a record of how often Jesus was grateful and gave thanks, but there is this quote:

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Matthew 11:25 NIV
Posted on in Faith, Illness and Health, medical treatment, Music, Prayer

In the Throes

In 2013 I was put on a new prescription. While adjusting to the medication I wrote, “And so misery invited agony who brought along distraction.” Part of that phrase has been running through my mind the last couple weeks. Doctors took me off antihistamines in preparation for allergy testing. Itching has practically sent me out of my cotton pickin’ mind. Itch is not really understood well by the medical community. It does seem to run akin to pain. If you have ever suffered intense, prolonged itching you can well relate to what I am writing.

I have this bizarre itching on palms of my hands and soles of my feet. No rash, no other symptoms. If I scratch long enough and hard enough I skin turns bright red and at times seems bruised, but no lasting symptoms. Seems to be much worse when I lie down to sleep. Nothing eases it, I mean no cream, no lotion, no ointment. I even went so far as to apply Lidocaine patches to my palms and sleep with gloves on to keep them in place. Okay, that did give a little relief. Then I found I could not read my tablet in bed unless I cut one fingertip off the gloves so i could turn the pages! Which I did and then shed black fibers all over the bed.

So no antihistamines allowed for 5 days. I have cried out to the LORD so many times during this. Trying to be still and rest the other night a phrase from a song rolled through my mind, “Suffering children are safe in His arms.” Amazon music had no clue. You Tube found it though! I had no heard this regularly for over 20 years when we used to worship at the Milford Vineyard! Such comfort it brought me this particular night. I listened to it over and over again.

3 minutes 44 seconds of comfort
There is none like You,
No one else can touch my heart like You do,
I can search for all eternity Lord
And find, there is none like You.

There is none like You.
No one else can touch my heart like You do,
I can search for all eternity Lord
And find, there is none like You.

Your mercy flows like a river wide,
And healing comes from Your hand.
Suffering children are safe in Your arms,
There is none like You.

There is none like You, ( There is none like You, Lord)
There is none like You.

I can search for all eternity Lord,
There is none like You.
I can search for all eternity Lord,
There is none,( there is none,)
There is none Lord,
There is none like You.

By the time you read this I will have been to the allergist for a treatment plan. I did want to share how the Lord comforted me in the night. I know He can do the same for you if you cry out and listen for the still, small voice.

Posted on in Collection of Quotes, Faith, Illness and Health, Journal, medical treatment, Music, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Worship, Writing Life

Grace in Our Helplessness

Haven Ministries publishes a monthly booklet of devotions entitled “Anchor Devotional.” The month of September, 2023 featured the writings of John Newton, compiled by writer Miller Ferrie, “to celebrate the 250th anniversary of when the hymn “Amazing Grace” was first sung.”

The entry for September 16 reads:

The grace of Jesus Christ humbles us. Hymn-writer John Newton knew this well and wrote the following:

Self-righteousness has had a considerable hand in dictating many of my desires for an increase of comfort and spiritual strength. I have wanted some stock of my own, I have been wearied of being so perpetually beholden to {God}, needing to come to Him always … as a poor miserable sinner, I should have liked to have done something for myself in ordinary circumstances, and to have depended upon Him chiefly on extraordinary occasion.

I have found indeed, that I could do nothing without His assistance, nor anything even with it. I am now learning to glory only in my infirmities, … to be content to be nothing that He may be All in All. But I find this a hard lesson, …Humbled I ought to be, to find I am totally depraved – but not discouraged, since Jesus is appointed to me by God to be wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; and since I find that … He keeps alive the principle of grace which He has implanted in my heart.

John Newton

What a challenge I have had. In so many ways I feel like Newton. August I was exhausted by life and likely too many activities. September I had a decayed tooth cut out by oral surgeon, with anesthesia, antibiotic, gauze, ice packs and pain pills afterwards. My face was bruised and I was in a lot of pain. I kept hearing the Cory Asbury song lyric “You take good care of me.” And it is true.

A few days later I slammed the car door on two fingers of my left hand. So grateful they were not broken. As the saying goes, I “Could not win for losing!” Scalp psoriasis exploded and I began itching, not just on the scalp. Within a few days I was itching all over and hives developed on one side of my neck. Read about something called opioid itch. Wondered if it was the pain pills? Heard the song below. I love Einaudi’s compositions.

Entitled Monday. Sounds to me like the LORD giving living water into my writing.

Out of my mind with itching I began Benadryl on my own along with my usual dose of Allegra. Kept hearing Brandon Lake lyric, “Praise, give Him praise, give Him praise in the highest; I’ll praise You anywhere.” Rough going, and truly a sacrifice of praise.(Hebrews 13:15) For several days a line I wrote in April, 2013 had been on my mind, “And so misery invited agony who brought along distraction and insomnia.” With all those medications I did not have insomnia though I did wake myself several times while scratching in my sleep. Eventually insatiable itching centered on palms of hands and soles of feet with NO rash, NO blisters, NO nothing, just usual skin. Wondered if I would actually scratch my skin open? Even at times itching the skin web between pointer and middle finger. What is this??

I saw the internist. He put me on steroid tablets with Allegra and Benadryl to continue. My appointment with Dermatologist October 5 was much awaited. I just wanted some answers to why is this happening? Assuming we can get it under control, how can I avoid this in the future? Itching stopped for two days and then returned.

October 5 I wrote:

Here am I naked before You
Clearly bothered by itching and pain
Ankles, shoulders and head all ache
Steroids have surely about gone
Driven to distraction I try to contain my hands
nerve endings igniting continuously
I bring my broken self to You
Naked before Your eyes You see
within, about, and through me
Lord be my comfort I pray
Show me how to cope with this
Lead me in paths where I can write
bring You glory and honor and praise
Here am I naked before You.

Dermatologist too was stumped, concerned but uncertain what caused all of this. Did full body check up while asking questions and pondering my dilemma. She took a biopsy of my right upper arm which mimicked something on my chest.

She put me on Zyrtec in evening and Allegra in morning. New Clobetasol shampoo. Wondered if there might be liver or kidney problems. Even mentioned possibility of lymphoma. Ordered a slew of tests (at least eleven) from both blood and urine.

Eventually itching has tapered off. Certainly not gone, but live-able. The test results have been rolling in through My Chart. They are all normal. Occasional palm itch. Maybe once a day bout of sole itch.

I cannot say with Newton and Paul ‘I glory in my infirmities’. Guess that sounds like a hypochondriac to my ears. (Guess I need to study the commentators to gain a better understanding of the concept.) This is a very long post, but was uncertain how to shorten it. I have been enabled to write and post the blog. I went on a weekend retreat at the Convent where I have been an associate for many years. Life continues, but my body, which loves to play ‘Stump the Doctor” continues to baffle me and the professionals. John Newton was right, the grace of Christ does humble me. John 5:30a is such a powerful truth. “I can do nothing on my own.” By His grace I live and write.

During the retreat I was blessed with this portion of Celtic Compline

Calm me, O Lord, as You stilled the storm

Still me O Lord, keep me from harm

Let all the tumult within me cease

Enfold me, Lord, in Your peace.

The Felgild Compline

To read the entire Compline go to https://www.northumbriacommunity.org/offices/wednesday-the-felgild-compline/

Posted on in Aging, Humor, Illness and Health, medical treatment, Prayer

Auto Immune Disease

My friend and I both have this auto immune condition called scalp plaque psoriasis. It is a scaly itchy condition with lumps on the scalp. I swear I feel like a @#*(&#@% monkey. I scratch unconsciously because it itches almost every waking hour. I have even woken myself up scratching in the night. The warning is not to scratch as that can make for hair loss. When one itches like this the warnings mean nothing.

Not only do we itch but we also shed these overgrown skin cells. Don’t think dandruff, think heavy snow storm. Nope there is no cure. There are some prescription remedies that try to tame the symptoms. No cure. Oh, I remember! They are PRACTICING medicine on us. We are the practice subjects, along with 7.5 million other Americans. yikes.

Snow Squall

I read my iPad mini in bed. Sometimes I am too tired to put it away in the drawer and simply slide it under my pillow. When I got up this morning I heard a slide then bump. I looked in the drawer. Nothing in there. I moved my pillow aside to make certain I had not missed it. Then I saw the blizzard of skin cells on the dark blue sheet. Yuck. Sure enough, the iPad had been under my pillow and slipped off the end of the bed. I got down on the floor (a feat in itself!) but I could not see it. The dog wondered if I was doing morning stretches like she does. I call her Slinky Dog. I got out the bedside mini flashlight. There it was. Had to find the extension picker-upper thingy. Got on the floor again and retrieved the iPad. Finally, I went to the front closet to get the sweeper.

I have heard it said we should vacuum our beds several times a year because each of us shed skin cells, but this was ridiculous. I suppose there is a snow storm headed to my bed every single night as this condition continues. She recently commented how badly she needed to vacuum her black car seat.

I brush my hair and there are snow squalls. At times, white out conditions!

I am not entirely hopeful the dermatologist can bring this under control. And now, sadly, I have it on my ear, too. Never. Ever. Ask what else can go wrong.

LORD, I need patience and now would be a really good time to send that! Amen.

Posted on in Aging, Faith, medical treatment, Prayer, Traveling

Please Pray for Me reposted

I wrote this in advance of medical procedure.

I had a tooth cut out yesterday by oral surgeon. Seems the molar had decayed beneath the crown (on the lingual side?) so badly that if they tried to pull it most likely it would just break. So yes, I had anesthesia similar to twilight sleep during a colonoscopy, then he went about cutting it out. Promised me stitches that would dissolve on their own.

All this to say this type of disruption sends Type 2 diabetes into chaos, not to mention the pain of extraction and subsequent healing. Will be sipping chicken noodle soup broth, milkshake with a spoon, applesauce, whatever I can think of trying not to fill a crater with stitches with food scraps.

Not like I have never been through this before: I will only have 8 teeth of my own left after this procedure. Dentist plans to build a “flexible partial” 4-6 weeks after extraction. This will be an autumn of soft foods and large dental expenditure.

Will be relieved to get the nasty taste from this decay out of my mouth. My teeth have been rotting for over 50 years. I gave up on them a long time ago. With all the other health issues I just got to where I did not care any more.

So please, pray for me and for Bob as he takes care of me during recovery. We had dinner reservations at a church for a program entitled “Death over Dinner.” I had to cancel my reservation since it occurred day of extraction and I won’t be eating anything, needing to stay close to my ice pack. I found it amusing as I age and decline. Humorous that the verse below did not include ‘toothless wonder.”

Even to your old age and gray hairs
    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Isaiah 46:4 NIV
Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon

Thank you for your prayers!

Posted on in Aging, Faith, Humor, Illness and Health, medical treatment

Itchy Itchy OH SO ITCHY!!

There is a saying, “After 40 it’s patch, patch, patch.” I have been saying, “After 70 we just crumble.” No joke. I was diagnosed last year with plaque psoriasis on my scalp. Now a friend has it, too. She even gets it in her ears.

Mayo Clinic says: Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes a rash with itchy, scaly patches, most commonly on the knees, elbows, trunk and scalp.

Psoriasis is a common, long-term (chronic) disease with no cure. It can be painful, interfere with sleep and make it hard to concentrate. The condition tends to go through cycles, flaring for a few weeks or months, then subsiding for a while. Common triggers in people with a genetic predisposition to psoriasis include infections, cuts or burns, and certain medications.

Psoriasis is thought to be an immune system problem that causes skin cells to grow faster than usual. In the most common type of psoriasis, known as plaque psoriasis, this rapid turnover of cells results in dry, scaly patches.

The cause of psoriasis isn’t fully understood. It’s thought to be an immune system problem where infection-fighting cells attack healthy skin cells by mistake. Researchers believe that both genetics and environmental factors play a role. The condition is not contagious.

No one ever wants to hear the words chronic and no cure in the same sentence about themselves. Well, here we are again! At least we know it is not contagious!

I mean crumble, literally. The plaques itch and I am told not to scratch them as that can lead to hair loss. Oh great! I could become bald, too? Because frankly, it is almost an unconscious thing to scratch these areas. And when I do scratch them, there are crumbs, not tiny dandruff flakes, more like actual crumbs of scalp that drop off. Just lovely. If you want to see photos look them up on your web browser. Too gross to post here.

An auto-immune problem. Whole other type of AI. Poop. Maybe we should turn the Artificial Intelligence bot brains loose on this one and see if they can develop a safe cure?

I realize this is not life threatening. It is not cancer, or leukemia, heart disease, stroke. Just a miserable auto-immune ailment with no cure. If you have this I wish you luck. There are treatments meant to alleviate some of the symptoms for some of the time. But the symptoms return. I hope you can get a respite from them.

I feel rather like a dog! More like a woman with her hand on her head, scratching, scratching, shedding.

Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
    We are the clay, you are the potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.

Isaiah 64:8 NIV

This is one where I will ask the Father, “What were you thinking?” Maybe like chronic pain it is meant to call me back into His Presence?

Posted on in Aging, Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Family, Humor, Illness and Health, Just do it, medical treatment, Thanks, Yield

Yikes

This week for me holds appointment to get new orthotics and shoes. I do not meet the medicare criteria even though diabetic. Thus, the appointment will be self-pay.

Another appointment for physical therapy. Only opening was during my writing time Tuesday. Good thing I worked ahead!

Another appointment for check up with internist. Are you getting the picture?

We have a dinner to celebrate someone turning 82.

There is an ice cream social with another small group. Figure 20 some folks.

I have been taking Imodium AGAIN this morning. Fear to eat and headache that comes with that running to the bathroom. So back to Tylenol.

So far, Monday has brought a lousy week here.

But, who me? Complain?!? Yep, that’s me.

When my son was very young I was cleaning the bathroom one day and thanked God that I could kneel before HIS throne and not just the one in the bathroom. This week I likely have the cleanest ceramic throne on the entire street!

Grateful we have good medical care and can afford (so far) the things we need to pay for out of pocket. Wish doctors were not ‘practicing” on us and actually had some answers for some of this stuff.

Grumble, grumble old lady.

I am not as hearty as I think I am.

So how did it all work out? A week after I wrote the top part here is my report . New orthotics and shoes are on order. Physical therapy was not as painful as feared. I have done the exercises every day, so far. (Trying to be good for strength and healing.) At dinner for 82 year old I ate some food though not a good appetite. Regretted it the next day.

Saw the internist. He ordered oodles of tests. All the results came back normal. WHAT?!?! So what is the cause of all these bathroom runs? Might never know. He sent Rx for stronger than Imodium drug. Before I took even one dose it all stopped occurring. Thank You Lord.

Maybe eating a sampler (or flight) of ice cream flavors healed me? If only that were true!

So 2-1/2 weeks of the green apple quick trots and I am fine now. Truly. My friend with sciatic pain is still suffering. Bob’s lungs are enjoying clear air this morning after lightning storm moved through last night. They say we are to have rain storms today. Part of me is hoping so.

Pain since Thanksgiving in shoulder is not gone, but no longer consuming all of my attention. Lifting things carefully and trying to use it more than last number of months.

Tonight is Bob’s last meeting as an HOA board member. Tomorrow he works at the election. A draining week for him for certain.

John Eldredge reminds us in Resilient that these are this we are going through. Going through – not necessarily setting up housekeeping here. I am glad to know this in not my final home. I love that Scripture calls me an alien, a sojourner.

Dear friends, since you are immigrants and strangers in the world, I urge that you avoid worldly desires that wage war against your lives. 12 Live honorably among the unbelievers. Today, they defame you, as if you were doing evil. But in the day when God visits to judge they will glorify him, because they have observed your honorable deeds.

1 Peter 2: 11-13 CEB

Immigrants and strangers, just wish the locals would not share their green apple quick trots and other ailments with us! Okay, so it is a little out of context, but you get the idea I hope!

Life is hard she shouted!