A New Bed

Today my new bed arrived and it's adjustable. I'll be able to sit up in bed or sleep at any angle that's comfortable. Really I can't wait to go to bed tonight. It could be a long sleeping-in tomorrow!! Of course, if it is as sunny as it was today I'll want to get up and enjoy that warm sunshine.
I'm noticing the effects of my chemo pills. My fingertips are getting very cracked and sore. I can especially feel it on my thumbs and pointer fingers. I'm lathering them with cream, but I can't keep them moist. The skin is just drying out. Oh dear... hope it doesn't get too much worse.

In His love,
Sandra

Changing of the guard

My sister from Alberta just left to return home so we have had a changing of the guard! Now my sister who lives close by has come to stay with me for a couple of days.

Yesterday I had my nephrostomy dressing changed (I have to have that done every week) and then I went for some routine blood work. All of that went very smoothly and that's good. I get rather uptight if I don't know what's going on, or if something is painful!

Well, I've got to get back to my knitting! I'm knitting with very fine yarn right now so this project will take awhile, I think.

Resting in His faithfulness,

Sandra

How great is our God!

What a glorious day it has been! I went to church this morning and though I sat away from the congregation, it was just so good to be in church worshipping with fellow believers. My sister was with me and after church we drove to my mom and dad's and spent the afternoon with them. One of my cousins joined us and it was just a "gezellig" afternoon (Sorry, non-Dutch followers- that word means "cozy"). Yes, it certainly was a good day. What a difference a week can make, and when I came home I just had to sit at the piano and play and sing some praise songs. "How great is our God, sing with me, how great is our God, and all will see how great is our God."

Singing His praises,

Sandra

P.S. Love those notes, T! I found more even yesterday. :)

Dancing

There is no box

Made by God

Nor us

But that the sides can be flattened out

And the top blown off

To make a dance floor

On which to celebrate life.

Kenneth Caraway

What a wonderful day I've had today. It 's just been so good to feel a little more energetic, and hungry, and pain-free. My sister and I even squeezed in a small shopping outing this afternoon. That was just plain fun! Tomorrow I begin the chemo pills again and I am hoping they go down smoothly and without side-effects.

Hail, hail!

Had a very good day today. Feeling so much better now that the kidneys are functioning well again. No pain medication at all today, absolutely no nausea! Thank the Lord - what a change!! Just feels so good to feel better, and eat, and dream, and adjust.
Had my appointment with my oncologist this morning. We are going to resume chemo again on Friday so I get to enjoy two more good days. Wonderful, wonderful!!
Just had to post some hail pictures. What a strange sight this afternoon to see hail in the blossoming heather.
Enjoy grandparents day tomorrow at school, students and teachers, and grandparents! Celebrate life and relationships and good days and sing, sing, sing!!!

Singing in His name,
Sandra

Nephrostomy

I'm finally awake enough to post a new blog. It's taken me all afternoon just to wake up. The procedure went well this morning at 11 a.m. I now have a tube straight from my left kidney to a bag outside my body. I'll have to get used to that and learn all the ins and outs of having a nephrostomy, but for now I think it's working quite well. There is still pain on the left side but mostly from the incision site and the surgery itself. Hopefully that will lessen and go away in due time. Home nursing care will be involved to change the dressings and help me adjust to this new "normal.". So glad I could return home again. I will have family staying with me at least for the next week - but don't hesitate to visit anyways! My sister just baked some delicious squares. Yum,yum....

Please pray that my kidneys will function well from now on and I can resume my normal chemo schedule on Friday again. Praise be to God, our Father, who knows what we need and when we need it!

Still leaning,

Sandra

God's Mercy

A quiet day with family,

Listening to sermons,

Playing scrabble on my iPad,

Talking with friends,

Enjoying my chair,

Listening to music

Eating meals (pretty decent sized ones, I'd say)

Being pain- free ( with the help of medication)

Exclaiming over the moments of sunshine

O, taste and see that the Lord is good. His mercy endures forever!

In His love,

Sandra