Our burning bush was spectacular on November 1!
Our dear friends Darrell and Regina stopped by to see us on their Saturday visitations.
What precious people whom we love!
On Sunday, November 2, we celebrated our pastoral team. We appreciate Eli and Ellie Albring, our youth pastors, Andy and Sherolyn Stroud, Wilson, Marshall, Kari, and Ellisyn, our pastors, and Darrell and Regina Stetler, our visiting pastors. They are wonderful people and shepherds to their flock at Burlington Bible Church! We believe we are part of the best church we know about!
Monday, November 3, I went to Occupational Therapy for wrist therapy,
where resistance was added to my exercises.
where resistance was added to my exercises.
I don't know if this particular exercise of rolling the velcro covered thing on the velcro covered board did it to me, but from this time on, I have had pain in my left shoulder and within a week, the inability to raise my left arm and use it in most normal activities!
I began working on the baby girl Stetler memory quilt.
November 4, Elizabeth and Janet enjoying the front porch.
Our back corner tree and the neighbor's turning tree.
We enjoyed the turning leaves on our daily walks.
Watching a very long and wonderful funeral of a man we knew slightly who died suddenly.
There have been so many unexpected deaths lately. It pays to be ready to go at any moment!
There have been so many unexpected deaths lately. It pays to be ready to go at any moment!
November 6, I completed the piecing of the memory quilt.
November 7, I had my CT scans of chest, abdomen, and pelvis. The report showed that the anti-cancer treatment I had been on the last four months had done nothing to decrease or reverse any cancer. It had spread to new places including several lymph nodes in my neck and upper body. My left shoulder now has cancer, besides more in the backbone, ribs, sternum, and pelvis. It made us very glad I had insisted on scans this month, instead of waiting another month as the doctor had wanted. I knew things were progressing because of the level of pain I was in so much of the time.
My daughter Elizabeth sweetly made me some cinnamon rolls using crescent refrigerator roll dough, since I had a craving for cinnamon rolls. I haven't had much of an appetite for such a long time, so when something sounded good, she was determined to make it happen!
On Saturday, November 8, we were invited to a "Zoom Baby Shower" for Chandler and Melissa Witter. Everybody who was at the shower was on zoom. They live in Texas, far from their grandmas and other family members. It was very special. We played a couple games and watched them open all their presents that had been piling up waiting for this day!
The Pooh baby quilt I made for them was featured in the October post.
Even though they got the box we sent, they did not open it until during this Zoom Shower.
We did not get a picture of them with it, but they were thrilled.
Sunday, November 9, we had Darrell and Regina Stetler over for Sunday dinner.
November 10, we got a little bit of snow.
Rowen took me to the hospital for my total body bone scan.
During the wait time between the radioactive injection and the scan, we saw the OT lady again. I told her how my left shoulder was no longer working. She said my cancer issues were much more important than my wrist rehab. She took all my measurements and was pleased with the progress I had made. I was discharged from OT.
The bone scan results were also disappointing, showing widespread cancer in my bones.
The next day, I had a runny nose and tickle cough and since I had other appointments coming up, I did the responsible thing and did a Covid test. It was positive. So I rescheduled the appointments for later dates. I never lost my taste or smell, did not have a fever or body aches (different from the bone pain), so I had a light case, and my family did not get sick.
This may have been the day of my last walk around the block on November 12. I was wearing my left arm in a sling because of the pain in that shoulder.
We had a game night. Dahlias and Play Nine
Rowen's score on that hand is -20! Pretty rare!
November 15, Rowen put the ramps back in place.
We ordered some front button shirts to be able to get on my left arm easier.
Beautiful day, and I tested negative for Covid.
Sunday, November 16, we did a walk/ride around the block.
How my precious daughter ministers to me every day
putting on my compression socks:
Rowen and Elizabeth put the first baby quilt in the frame for quilting on November 17.
Doing editing work in the morning for a friend,
and quilting one-handedly in the afternoon when Rowen was available to be there for my every need.
Putting on the binding; thanking God for the strength to get it done!
Many prayers answered!
Showing the purple with dots flannel of the backing.
The next day: the little boy quilt
Rowen and Elizabeth are a team to install in the frame.
Rowen hid any thread ends when I needed him to and he turned the rods for every new row.
It was very fast to do these small quilts.
I could not have done it without my helpers.
The finished boy memory quilt.
The backing is "denim" flannel.
On November 21, we delivered the quilts to Maria and Kent for their babies
on our way to my oncology appointment.
I had labs drawn first, and the doctor showed us the bone scan pictures. Everywhere it is dark is presumed cancer.
My calcium blood level was very high, alarmingly high, because the cancer had been breaking down the calcium from the bones and sending it to the blood. Too high of levels can cause confusion, coma, death. So I went to the infusion lab and received a bag of Normal Saline, and a small bag a little after this picture of Zometa, a drug that reverses the calcium problem.
It was a long appointment, but we were thankful to get help before it got worse.
The Zometa made me nauseated the next day. That was not fun, but it didn't last too long.
I also had a couple days of fever with it.
That Saturday, November 22, Elizabeth snuck out of the house and got Randy from the airport! It was a shocking surprise to me, as I knew he was in Phoenix at the winter camp meeting with his family. I had no clue he was winging his way to spend a few hours with us. He has always been the one who pulled surprises off on his mother! This picture was after I calmed back down to finish balancing the checkbook.
Breakfast with Randy
Sunday dinner with Randy
Randy took this picture of us on our Sunday afternoon walk.
We wanted to go to church that night, but my fever came back, so we stayed home
and watched more Phoenix camp meeting.
Randy left early Monday morning to return to Phoenix and drive his family home to South Dakota over the next couple days. We appreciated his heart of love and sacrifice to come and be with us.
My neck started hurting so much on Monday, that Rowen bought this neck brace at Walgreens and ordered a more comfortable one from Amazon to arrive Wednesday. I tried ice packs on my shoulders for that pain.
We were so happy when they arrived safely.
Tim's family had an Airbnb and Emily stayed with us. She got on the nursing schedule to share the load with Rowen and Elizabeth. I had excellent care.
Jason and Karen were able to join us on Wednesday and Friday. We were so happy to be together!
My more comfortable neck brace arrived on Wednesday.
We enjoyed singing some hymns together,
Some fun happened downstairs
Thanksgiving dinner
Felix waiting patiently until it was all ready.
Lots of good conversations
Kitchen helpers
Dahlias
Regina came by to give Emily a hug!
More Dahlias on Friday
Tim, Brenda, Charissa, Felix, Piper, and Emily left at 8 am on Saturday and Jesus gave them safe travels all the way home to Joplin, and for Emily, on to Tulsa, Ok. Thank the Lord!
The last day of the month, November 30, I was able to go to church two services, even though there was a lot of low back pain. I was glad I got to go and have communion with the Body of Christ.
We are thankful for all of the help God has given this month, even as my health and strength has been declining, and my pain increasing. His grace is sufficient. We are thankful for the dear ones who visited us and showed us they value us by their effort and time.
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