FAMILY
Our second-oldest daughter, Holly, was home for about three weeks before she moved out again. She has found a place to live and a job in Ankeny/Des Moines, IA, which is where she attended college and where many of her friends still are. She left this past Sunday afternoon, and we all miss her a lot, but are happy for God's provisions for her. She had a job interview this past Monday afternoon which must have gone well, since they hired her and had her start working Tuesday morning. She also found a really nice living situation: a Christian widow who rents a room to young single girls for a modest monthly rental fee. The woman has had at least two other young ladies stay with her previously. It works well for Holly to not have the burden of a lease and the expense of an entire apartment, and I'm sure the woman appreciates not having to live alone.
Our oldest daughter, Emily, has lived in Grand Rapids, MI, for the past three years. She has the last Friday in September off work, so she will be coming home to visit that weekend. Ever since my new diagnosis, she has really wanted to be home with us, so we are looking forward to seeing her again! It is also good timing, since her visit will be after my first appointment, and I will have more details to share with her.
Heidi, Ben, Rose and I continue on with our daily routines. We do homeschooling in the mornings before I head to work for the afternoons. Rose will be a part of "Wednesday Club" again this year--a small homeschool group that meets once a week. The first day of Wednesday Club starts this week. Heidi still has her part-time job at McDonald's. Ben and Rose continue to have weekly piano lessons on Monday afternoons; Heidi is no longer taking lessons, but she continues to play a lot as our church pianist. Our garden is winding down, but there is still a fair bit of work to be done in it yet this season, and the kids have been good at helping. Rose is the delivery girl, visiting neighbors to share our extra vegetables. On a few occasions now, our next door neighbor will send us a loaf of zucchini bread after we've given them some zucchini, which is much appreciated by Bob and the kids. :)
Bob has had a bit of a shortage in hours at work, which is typical this time of year, but he said there may be an opportunity for quite a bit of overtime coming soon, which would be a huge blessing. I think my Love is carrying the largest burden of all of us. Personally, I think being the spouse of someone with cancer can be the most difficult role. Most of us would rather be the one suffering than have to watch our spouse suffer and not be able to do much about it. And most of us would probably prefer to be the one potentially taken than be the one potentially left behind alone. On top of that, being the husband, I know there is the pressure of being able to provide financially as well. Bob is handling it all quite well, I think, but he has referred to the "weight on his shoulders," so I know he is feeling it.
Rose probably asks the most cancer-related questions, and she often wants comparisons to her friend's mom and former teacher (Amy Veldman), who passed away a year and a half ago from cancer. The other kids have had a few questions about what is going to happen at my appointment, but otherwise, the most common question is asking me if my leg hurts.
We have been able to do quite a few fun things as a family, especially when Holly was home, so everyone's spirits are pretty positive and normal. There is a disc golf course just across town, and many evenings will find at least Bob and Ben, and sometimes the girls, too, playing a round or two before dark. We've had a few fires in our new fire pit, played Frisbee, tossed the football, or played volleyball in the back yard. Bob and Ben are also involved in a couple fantasy football leagues which keep them occupied.MEDICAL
My leg pain continues to be drastically reduced, which is a huge praise. I have only taken ibuprofen two different times in the past week. I can always "feel" the spots in my hip area, but I hesitate to even call it "pain" most of the time...more like occasional twinges that let me know it's still there. I have had the referred pain down my leg here and there, but usually it eventually fades away without getting too bad and without me having to take medication. I still walk to and from work every day, which is only about three blocks away. This past week I also played a bit of Frisbee and volleyball with the family, with only minor pain afterward. Other than the hip/leg pain, I have no other symptoms.
I am convinced that refining my diet again is what reduced the "extra" referred pain so significantly. Even though I mostly ate healthy forms of grains and sugars, they can still cause inflammation, so eliminating them has reduced the inflammation-induced pain. I would strongly encourage any of you with chronic aches and pains to change to an anti-inflammatory diet as well--it is amazing how much it can help!
I am currently trying to get some pre-determination/pre-authorization through our insurance for my upcoming medical care, since I am unsure what it will cover and what it won't. Hopefully, I can get some answers this week. I will have to submit medical claims myself, too, because the clinic does not bill insurance. I am very thankful that I have experience billing and working with insurance companies, since that is what I do at work most of the time. It definitely makes this process a lot easier and less stressful!
PRAISES/PRAYER REQUESTS
Requests:
- Continued strength and growth spiritually, mentally, and emotionally for our family
- Wisdom in decision-making, medically and financially
- Faithful representation of our Lord and opportunities to share the gospel
- Enablement and blessings for our friends organizing a benefit on October 7, and good weather that day
- Time with Emily and Holly
- Reduced pain
- An appt. within a couple weeks instead of having to wait longer (apparently it can be very difficult to get in at this clinic)
- Possible overtime for Bob
- A dear friend is organizing a benefit (brat fry/bake sale/raffle) on Sat., Oct. 7, at our local Piggly Wiggly grocery store! She made me cry when she told me, so we joked that she had finally broken through my "ice queen" exterior. :)
God is good all the time!
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