September 15, 2006

I WITNESSED THE HEALING POWER OF GOD!!!

Hellooo Dear Ones!!! Ohhh what a day today was! At 4:30 a.m. the alarm went off and laying there I thought to myself "ohhhh, just ten more minutes Dear Lord, give me just ten more minutes!" But alas I couldn't afford the extra 10 minutes that my tired body desired so desperately. You see I had to have my Aunt Barbara at Abilene Regional Hospital (49 miles away) by 6:00 a.m. to have a biopsy done on the mass that has been found in her right lung. So, reluctantly I drug my weary body from my warm snug bed and began dressing for the long day ahead. Much to my suprise Aunt Barb. had coffee made (though she could not partake of it herself) and was sitting at the table in silent prayer. I took her trembling hand in mine and together we prayed asking God our Father to give her the strength to endure the procedure that lie ahead, and for His peace that passeth all understanding during this...the scariest time in her 67 years. At 5:45 a.m. we began the journey. Once at the hospital, after being prepped, poked and prodded, we were patiently waiting for "her" turn when a dear lady and her husband was brought in and put in the area next to Aunt Barb. The lady was there to have the same procedure performed as my Aunt, for the same ailment...a cancer tumor in the right lung (how ironic huh) I watched as the husband reached over, lovingly took the hand of his wife, and together they went to the Lord in prayer. It touched me how the husband rose to his position as the head of their union, and verbalized how they both were prepared for the worst scenerio, but as children of the most high Father they humbly asked for "mercy, grace, and favor to be bestowed upon the love of his life, and for a healing touch from the great physician." The peace that fell upon the room was felt by all who knew the Lord personally and when they took my Aunt away...there was a smile on her (my Aunts) face, joy in her heart, and the sound of her beloved chuckles could be heard as she was wheeled down the hall. Aunt Barbs procedure took approx. 45 mins. which was shorter than they first predicted it would take. Everything went smooth as glass and they were able to take three excellent samples, before I knew it...she was back in the prep and recovery room. The procedure was done with local anesthetic, but she still had to remain for an additional 2 hours for observation due to the possibility of the lung collapsing. NOW for the miracle. After my Aunts procedure the dear Lady above mentioned was taken in for "her" procedure. Now remind you...it was the same as my Aunts for the same exact ailment. Her procedure took approx. 30-45 mins. longer than my Aunts did and her husband was beginning to get a bit concerned. Finally they rolled her back in, and the relief flooded the dear husbands face like a tidal wave. He began to question why it took longer than was predicted, was there an unexpected problem??? Did they find something new??? "Noooo" the nurse said, but "we need to wait for the doctor, there is something he wants to discuss with the two of you." I thought to myself "hmmm...if it isn't a problem, or more tumors than first expected...then it HAS to be good news right Lord???" Needless to say Aunt Barb. and I both were anxiously awaiting the answer. Now I must explain how the procedure that was performed on both my Aunt and this dear lady is done. They put the patient in a CAT scan machine, they lock in on the image of the tumor so they will know "exactly" where to insert the needle that is used to extract the needed tissue, give the patient shots to deaden the area, and as they are inserting the needle they are continually up-dating the image. Well the doctor came in with both sets of the dear ladies x-rays. The CAT scan images that were taken when the lady was first diagnoised clearly showed the golf ball size tumor....AND the CAT scan images that were "just" taken as they were going to do the biopsy which CLEARLY showed a clear and healthy lung....NO SIGN OF ANYYY TUMOR!!!! Now dear ones...I am not making this up, Aunt Barb. and I "both" seen the two sets of images with our own eyes (the lady was in the bed right next to my Aunts.) I HEARD the doctor tell the couple that he had NO explanation on how it could be. the tumor WAS there a week ago as big as life, but today...there was NONE!! He told the couple that was why it took longer than usual...he had ordered not one, not two, but THREE new full sets of CAT scans done because he just "couldn't find any sign of a tumor ever even being there" PRAISSEEE GOD!!! Now you may wonder why "this" (someone else's miracle) has been so uplifting, because before witnessing this my Aunt Barb. had already resigned herself to death, carrying no hope of healing or survival and, as I'm sure you all are aware, a person's frame of mind is very important in overcoming such a disease. Now, she has grasped on to the hope that what God has done for one, if it be his will, he shall do for her. But now I must add, my Aunt Barb. also has Alzheimer's and it is progressing :( For those of you who are not familiar...it is a horrific disease and honestly...cancer taking Aunt Barb. would be much more merciful than Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's took my great Aunt on my momma Pat's side of the family and it was a disease that drug out for years and it caused much sorrow, and pain for all. Even my Aunt Barb. says that if she has her preference, she would prefer it to be the cancer that takes her...she has experienced the passing of a loved one from Alzheimer's and THAT disease she fears. All I know is our family is praying "God's" will. Though "we" may not understand it...his will is perfect, and HE knows best. Well dear ones, I am exhausted and I will be staying up keeping a watchful eye on my Aunt through the night so I am going to close and take me a nap while my cousin is here visiting her mother. Keep us in your prayers for you all are surely in mine. Take care and God Bless you one and all....xoxo Kathryn
Posted by Kat at 03:04:57 | Permanent Link | Comments (3) |

September 13, 2006

You Asked for it....Here it Is ;)

Wellll...Hello Dear Ones!!! It's been brought to my attention that it has been a while since I've up-dated my blog. Hmmm well yeah....3 months (gosh where has the time gone?) maybe they were right! lol My life has been a whirl wind since moving here to "smallville" Texas. As some of you know, I left my husband and home in Oklahoma and moved down to my parents home town here in Tex. My marriage, well it is still on hold though Roy and I are "talking" and he has now decided that "I" am what he wants in life, "with me" is where he wants to be, and so therefore he is looking for a job here, and is making plans to pack up "his" life and move away from "his" family and the only area on Earth that "he" has called home for over 30 years so that he and I can work through our problems and hopefully save our marriage.......we'll see. I pray that it will come to pass and that he and I can resolve issues that have plagued our marriage for so long and become united as one in the eyes of man and God once again. I love my husband...he is a good man, with a tender heart, and a good match for me, as long as he stays off the alcohol...we'll see. OK....now for what has been going on in my life for the last three months......Buckle Up, it's a crazy ride!!

Myself, my youngest son (16year old Paul) and my foster son (17yr old Corey) moved down here and into a single wide 3 bedroom, 2 bath, mobile home that my biological mother (momma Shirley) shares with her sister (my Aunt Barbara). The plan was that I would become the care giver for my Aunt Barb. (who is a brittle diabetic, suffers with emphysema, and is in the 2nd stage of Alzheimer's) so my biological Mother could join my truck driver Dad on the road, she is now learning to be a truck driver herself so the two of them can "team drive". A crazy twist to my story is that My biological parents have reunited after 40 years of being a part...THATS a story in itself, and something that I am "still" adjusting to....it's still strange. Anyhow. My 25 yr old daughter decided she couldn't stand being so far from her mom so she loaded up and followed. Then my 20 year old son decided he wanted to join the family moved here got a job and then moved his son and the mother of his son here as well. THEN my 14 yr old step-son (home for the summer) decided he wanted his momma K (me) and HE came here as well...soooo....all of a sudden we found 7 adults, 3 teen-age boys, and a 15 month old (plus 4 dogs a cat and 3 fish) living under one roof!! Needless to say it was a crazy mad house ZOOOOO around here for a while. Everywhere you looked there were body's, heads, elbows, and .... well you get the picture lol There is absolutely NOOO housing in this town, unless you want to "buy." THAT I don't understand a town wants it's community to grow, but yet they won't provide adequate housing??? OOOK anyhow... my grandson and his mother have gone back to Odessa, my step son has gone back to Georgia, my daughter Kym went back to an ex (whom I can't stand) in Oklahoma, and I am elated to announce that after 3 months I have finally found and leased a very nice place for my two teen-age sons, my 20 yr old son and myself. PRAISEE THE LORD!!! To say that the last three months of my life have been busy would be the understatement of the century, but it has now moved into a more calm, scheduled routine life for which I am sooo grateful. Then we got the bad news...

I took my Aunt Barb. in for a doctors appt. She had taken a "small" fall out of a chair (praise God no bones had been broken) and shortly after she began experiencing pain in her right shoulder and chest area. The doctor felt that she might of suffered a hairline fracture or possibly messed up her rotary disc in her right shoulder so she ordered x-rays. We got the results of the x-rays and it showed an "abnormality" in the right lung sooo a CAT scan was done....the results have now proven that she has got an inoperable cancer mass almost the size of a tennis ball in her right lung that is moving outward and has already begun to attached itself to the outer region of the lung and is moving into the bone :( all I can say is WAAAAAAAAAAA. We go in next Friday to discuss the diff. treatments available to her and to decide how we are going to attack this invasion. The prognosis is not good, and this is EXACTLY the path that my Aunt Barbs. mother (my grandma Ingram) traveled. My grandmother had taken a fall, broke her wrist, 2 months after the fall was diagnosed with lung cancer, and died 4 months later :( My Aunt Barb. has already come to terms with it, has already accepted the lot that has been handed to her, and has peace about it (she is a child of God and knows where her soul will spend eternity so she has no fear of death)....it's the rest of us that are not doing well :( It's been de ja vu for the rest of the family....a repeat of what they went through with their mother, and now their sister is traveling the same path and they are not accepting it very well. For me....my heart is so sad. You see as an infant, and a young toddler, it was my Aunt Barb. who cared for me. When I found my birth mother after 40 years, it (unfortunately) was NOT my mother that I remembered, but my Aunt Barb. I remembered her touch, her hugs, her scent. So ironic that it is "I" who is the one caring for her now. I am so sad about this news. I want to scream..."IT ISN'T FAIR!!!! I JUST FOUND HER!!!" but I know that everything has a season...EVERYTHING, including our life. I DO know that as bad as having the diagnosis of "cancer"....it is still far more merciful than Alheimer being what takes her life. Alzheimer is a HORRIBLE disease (a great aunt on my momma Pat's side of the family died from it) Alzheimer strips every ounce of dignity that a person has, it is a disease that affects the whole family in such a negative way. Yes....far better that it is cancer....but still WAAAAAAAA. So my days are now spent running back and forth to docs., treatments, and giving my Aunt the very best "daily" care that I possibly can. WHATEVER my Aunt Barb. wants, she gets, and NO ONE better tell me not too. Even though I now have a place of my own...it is still here with my Aunt that I stay. I was cheated out of so many years with a warm, loving, gentle woman who loved me and cared for me as if I were one of her own....I'm not being cheated out of even a second of her love and life now. Sooo dear ones. THAT is what has been going on in my life. THAT is why I've not been on and blogged for so long. I will say that I have missed it, and all of you, and I promise that I will not stay away for so long. I have forgotten how theraputic writing is. Just know that you all are in my prayers. I must get going for now...time to head back to the doctors. Keep me in YOUR prayers, and pray for my Aunt Barb. that the rest of her life here on Earth is one as free from pain as possible, full of family, friends, and full of LOVE and peace. Til fingers meet key-board, and eyes meet screen again....take care and God Bless....xoxo Kat

 

 

 

Posted by Kat at 15:33:31 | Permanent Link | Comments (2) |