Adversity is Not My Favorite Word (and an update)

   I was not really "pumped" about this morning's devotion.  The first line, "Expect to encounter adversity in your life..." did not make me want to read more, but I did.

...Stop trying to find a way that circumvents difficulties.  The main problem with an easy life is that it masks your need for Me...anticipate coming face to face with impossiblilities: situations totally beyond your ability to handle.  This awareness of your inadequacy is not something you should try to evade.  It is precisely where I want you- the best place to encounter Me in My Glory and Power.  When you see armies of problems marching toward you, cry out to Me! Allow Me to fight for you. Watch Me working on your behalf, as you rest in the shadow of My Almighty Presence. (Jeus Calling by Sarah Young, p.241)

    This devotion reminded me of a part of the book Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

Living an obedient life does spare us from many problems that are the natural consequences of a life lived apart from God and His ways. But that does not mean that those who follow Christ will be exempt from problems...Even those who have been redeemed live in earthyly bodies and have to deal with the realities of temptation, sin (both our own and others'), disease, loss, pain, and death. Becoming a Christian- even being a mature, godly Christian- does not wrap us up in some sort of celestial cocoon where we are immune to pain...But -here's the good news- God is not removed or detached from our problems...the God of the Bible is "a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1KJV).

Found some great scriptures....Psalm 46:10, Psalm 100:5, Psalm 121:1, Psalm 91:1 &2 (Link is to all of 91...it's all good!), and I Corinthians 10:13.
   Definitely need God through this.  Even though I may not be thrilled about this particular segment of my life journey, I am thankful for a God who is by my side. I am thankful for a God whose character never changes. I am thankful for a God who reveals His love through His word, His creation, and His people.
    So on my floor we have a Cricket Wrangler.  Now, the Cricket Wrangler is very similar to a Cricket Hunter, except he doesn't really go on hunts.  He just takes care of the crickets that appear in some of the light fixtures and vents. I had heard about him, but didn't need his services until today when I noticed a couple of dark insects crawling across inside my ceiling light.  He took care of them quickly without harming them. I heard from a nurse that she saw a cricket crawling along the floor board toward the Cricket Wrangler.  I'm thinking he may also be a Cricket Whisperer.

Update:
  Today was definitely a good day. No extra chicken soup or blood needed! Temp stayed down. Very patient tech guy at Apple talked me through moving my iTunes library to my "new" computer (should have been done 3 years ago) and now have my Nano up and running! So blessed with visit from a precious friend and surprise visit from Sis and Nephew. Walked them to the elevators...nephew wore a mask backward;made me smile. Sharing my powdered peanut butter with the nurses. Enjoyed calls, texts, cards, posts, and emails. Continue to rest in the Presence as God remains unchanging and faithful!

Rest, Relax; Odd Conversations...(and an update)

Learn to enjoy life more.  Relax, remembering that I am God with you.  I crafted you with enormous capacity to know Me and enjoy My presence...When you walk through a day with childlike delight, savoring every blessing, you proclaim your trust in Me, your ever-present Shepherd. The more you focus on My Presence with you, the more fully you can enjoy life. (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, p.236)

Got the "Grace is an ocean" analogy going on!

    Today I needed to actually practice rest and relax.  I had more chicken soup (that's what platelets look like) and was able to get unhooked long enough to wash, change clothes, and wash my hair. (Yep, it's still there, but it's coming out...) After washing my hair, I experienced some pretty severe chills (a lovely side effect). When they started, the though Relax came to mind and breath prayers of Jehovah Shalom, God of Peace came to mind.  God brought the exact friend I needed with me to be the calming influence in the not-so-calm state of activity. As I focused on breath prayers and relaxing my tense muscles, I was aware of her whispered prayers of peace and wholeness (I should say here that the hospital staff was outstanding in their care...I didn't want you to think they weren't present.). I was able to relax and remember God is with me.  I'm savoring the blessings of friends God puts in our path who travel this journey...for a time or who join us at several points in time.  I proclaim my trust in God, Ever-Present, Ever-Faithful, Unchangeable!
   Odd Conversations...(If you get grossed out easily, you might want to skip to the Update.) So lately I've been having some weird conversations with God and my nurses.  One of the conversations involves poop. (Yes, this definitely gets "cool aunt" points!) Because one of the side effects of chemo can be diarrhea, I decided to pray about what I call "chemo poop." I let God know that I really didn't want to experience that particular side effect, so if I could "soft, not runny" would be good.  So this is one prayer I'm so glad has been answered. (Okay, if you're thinking, "She really shouldn't have posted that," remember, you could have stopped reading.) I'm not thinking this is sacrilegious because I know God cares for every aspect of my life.  I do, however, think sometimes when I pray for specific things, like poop, He probably chuckles a little. One of my nurses and I had an interesting conversation about boogers today. (More "cool aunt" points!) We were discussing the dryness of the hospital air, because I had requested a nasal spray.  She said she had noticed on the days she works her boogers are bigger than the days she doesn't.  I thought that was interesting because just this morning I was thinking that my boogers hadn't been this big since I was like five years old. When she left my room I thought, "Did I just have a serious discussion about boogers?" Wow...

Update:
    Another good day. Comical incident: A doc came in while I was having breakfast and  introduced himself.  I asked where Dr. B was.  He said that he was the doc that admitted me last night.  I said, "Really? Because I've been here two weeks." The look on his face said "mortified." He apologized for being in the wrong room.  I told him not to worry about it and to have a good day.  Great visit with dear friend who was calm in a not so calm situation; So more platelets today and it looks like I will be well cared for at least another week. They keep taking blood and putting it back in. Learning a lot about medical equipment. Enjoyed visits from friends, calls, texts, emails, and cards. Sad about not being at our back to school kick off, but was told about it. Relax seemed to be the word of the day...resting and relaxing in God's ever-faithful presence.

An Eclectic Conglomeration of Thoughts and Observations (and an update)

  Just so you know, this post might leave you saying, "Wow, she was all over the place. Maybe they need to monitor her meds better."  No, really, I'm fine...or as fine as they tell me I am.  Some things in the post might seem a little odd to discuss.
   First...I continue to enjoy my time in God's presence.  The scripture verses sent by friends, on daily postings, and in my devotional continue to be knit together in the perfect manner to convey just what I need for encouragement and support.  In addition to the theme of JOY, I've been learning more about the many ways God reveals Himself in every situation.  The following was on a card I received today (again...perfect timing):

Difficult things can cause us to ask, "Why did this happen?"  But if we're trusting in Christ we never need to ask, "How could He let this happen?"  God may never reveal all His reasons to us, but He has revealed His character to us.  His character assures us that He never makes mistakes, is never uncaring, and that He never separates Himself from our need. ~Roy Lessin

  I've posted the song "Even if..." by Kutlass before.  Just found this video where the band comments on the song.  In less than two minutes you can see God's character. It blew me away when he said, "God cares far more about the end of the story than the middle of the story."

   Moving on...cravings.  It's really weird.  With my bout with breast cancer, I stopped drinking sodas and craved large amounts of cottage cheese. (Okay...I see that perplexed look on your face!)  So this time, with leukemia, I've been craving large quantities of milk...usually 1%.  After have something like 8 cartons yesterday, I got a bit concerned and did a little online research to make sure I wouldn't over do it. (The doc's not concerned.)  I curtailed it to to 5 today.  I'm thinking it has something to do with the bone/calcium connection.  I've also found that when I get ready to take my oral chemo, eat my graham cracker pudding (my own recipe of 1 serving of graham crackers with enough milk poured over to make it gooey), it seems to work better.

   Since I have to brush my teeth so much and keep bacteria out of my mouth, I have noticed my teeth are nice and white.  I can contribute that to the lovely saline/baking soda rinse I use every time I am near the sink.  Hey, having white teeth is a perk!

   Next...I've discovered that my favorite pizza is probably not a good choice for me at this time.  As a science teacher, I will just say one word...flagellants. I would go into more detail here, because, as an aunt of two nephews (who assure me that some things they think are funny are "boy things") I think my coolness factor may go up, but in the interest of grossness, I'll stop. [Ooo...just read that last sentence...hope you understand what I'm saying!]

Update:

(Just kidding...this isn't the mask!)

   Finished Chemo bag #7 at around 2am this morning.  Was told that the I would be observed closely the first 48 hours after.  Still getting fluids...hence the frequent trips to the bathroom.  Donned a "beautiful" yellow face mask so I could stroll through the hallway. The doc continues to use the word "amazing" when he examines me. Doc told me I would be sticking around a bit more and hoped I stayed as bored as I am now. Enjoyed cards, emails, texts, calls and visits.  Sometimes I think, "I'm such a slacker!" or "Shouldn't I be more sick?"...but then I'm reminded that it's not about me.  I need to stop thinking that way and continue to praise and enjoy the blessings of friendship and health provided by my Ever Faithful God!

When to use Hand Lotion and Other Useful Information

   Yeah, long title, but it fits.  Over the past week there have been several things I've had to discover or learn about staying in the hospital.  I thought, as another public service, I should do a post of some things you might need to consider when going to the hospital, especially if it is to be an extended stay.
   First, if you want to really impress the admitting staff and the nurses that take all of your information, have several copies of your up-to-date medical information to give out.  You should see their eyes light up! Of course, now I mine is going to be two pages. Hey, but information is power...right?
   Next, it's important to organize cords and tubing to avoid tangles and alarms.  Having rubber bands and velcro straps (especially with a computer) are handy.  When pushing around an IV pole and listening to music, make sure cords are up to avoid wheels...just saying!
   It's a good idea to learn how and where to turn on all of the lights in the room.  Every room you're in is different.  If one thing works in one room, it may be different in another room.  Always take a night light.  I've learned that sometimes I have to get up several times in the night and if I turn on too many lights it's hard to get back to sleep.  I turn on the observation light to get me to the bathroom with my night light.
   One thing that took me a while (a week) to learn was to put hand lotion on after I put on lip balm.  It is so hard to pull off the little cap when your fingertips keep sliding off. You just can't imagine how frustrating it was to forget this day after day...okay that sounded whiny, sorry. Well, I had a breakthrough and it sure made my day even better!
   Okay, done.

ORANGE POWER!

    My OU Sooner friends don't have to worry...this isn't a post about OSU Cowboys.  It is about the color orange, which happens to be the color for the Leukemia Awareness Ribbon.  It's just convenient for me that I happen to be an OSU fan and have a few orange t-shirts already in my possession.
   As a public service, I felt inclined to inform everyone of the variety of causes you could support when you wear orange if you wanted to cycle through the causes to which you lend your support. Those causes, in addition to leukemia and OSU, are hunger, feral cats, diversity and racial tolerance, motorcycle safety, Multiple Sclerosis, Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria (Israel), and many more.  Check out Awareness Ribbon Colors And Meanings to find a pretty impressive list of many colors with many meanings.
  I have a sweet friend who has changed her facebook pic to an orange Leukemia Awareness Ribbon.  I know this means she love me, because she is very much a crimson and cream person (OU) . I believe this is the only reason she's every worn orange on purpose. You know who you are and YOU ROCK!
   Okay, today's public service announcement is over. I'm done!

Chemo May Lend Itself to Humor

  In reading The Council of Dads, I came across something that made me smile.  When talking about the side effects of chemotherapy, Bruce Feiler wrote, "The resulting list of dos and don'ts is quite precise, including no sushi, manicures, or tattoos.  Really, how do metrosexual Japanese bikers get through this?!"  Not that I ate sushi, got a manicure, or a tattoo when I was having chemo, but I did do one thing that was very not like me at all.  When I realized that I would loose all of my hair, I went to lunch with a bunch of my friends, then  we went to have my hair cut (by a friend who is a hairstylist).  I had my almost shoulder length hair cut to a little over an inch, then dyed neon pink.  (I could post a pic, but will spare you!)  It was kind of fun to do something so unexpected.  It wasn't long after that I was wearing a wig.  I have pics of Sis, M, and L wearing my wig.  After chemo, my hair came back in really dark and really curly.  I was at the post office and a lady I didn't know stopped me and said, "I love your hair.  Where did you get it done?"  I replied with a chuckle, "Oklahoma Oncology with chemo, but a perm may be easier." She actually smiled.  She introduced herself...she was a nurse! I learned that it was okay to smile and have fun, in spite of the seriousness of the situation.