Hi prayer warriors!
Today Sarah's sister inlaw Rebekah Knapp & her husband Derek took their little daughter Natalie to the hospital at Johns Hopkins. Natalie is tiny. She needs her tonsils & adenoids removed but the drs are leery of putting her to sleep, due to her size. Today the J H drs said her skull is smaller than usual & she needs to have the pressure on her brain relieved. They want to do this at the same to eliminate a second time putting her to sleep. She'll have to have an MRI prior. Please pray for the Knapp family in this situation.
I called Rebekah and assured her that I'd call up my prayers!!! Don't let me down.
Prayerfully,
Barbara
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Biliary Examination
On April 29, 2010, at Fair Oaks Hospital I had a biliary tube and drainage bag installed to drain my gall bladder and liver. For the past 21 months it has done its task without problems. I have kept a bandage of gauze around the entry into my side and home health nurses, hospital nurses, Hampton, and finally I have changed this regularly. After 17 months I was questioned how often I flushed it with saline. I replied that it had not been flushed. When the nurse recovered from shock, she suggested that I begin daily flushing. Feeling that was a drastic change, I maintained weekly flushes. That kept everything clear.
On January 20, 2012, I had a scheduled appointment to have the "system" fully checked. It took most of the day to have it all examined and a new tube inserted as well as a new tube and biliary bag connected externally. When it was completed the doctor then talked to Hampton and me about selecting alternative treatments. I now have an appointment on March 8, 2012, with a surgeon. He will determine what would be the safest way to continue my bile drainage. My gall bladder is full of stones so something must be done. There are several options. Since my only gall bladder indication of problems has been my turning yellow on April 28, 2010, I am not changing my life plans to get this done immediately.
Very early in my pancreatic cancer stage 4 cancer treatments my oncologist recommended I continue life activities, particularly including travel. I have done this throughout these 21 months since my diagnosis. When I had my last orthopedic appointment, following my knee replacement and physical therapy, my doctor said "Get out and live your life!" When I said the PT said I wasn't quite done with therapy he replied "I'm the doctor." He'd explained earlier that he'd started to be an oncologist in medical school but had changed when he realized oncologists help their patients feel better while orthopedists can get you well.
The patient must do physical therapy but the doctor can take away the pain. Cancer doesn't work that way just as it didn't when he was in med school 30 years ago!
The reason I made my appointment March 8 is because we're going to "The Greenbrier Resort" in West Virginia in February and Hampton's 75th birthday is February 23. Everything is going well with my health currently so we're "living life!" If you're interested in visiting the website for Greenbrier make sure to spell it with an e, not a as Virginians do! The resort is celebrating "Tribute to the Virginias" currently with GREAT PRICES.
God has been right with me during this experience. I appreciate the prayers which have been prayed around the world in my behalf! May God be with all of us as we continue to "Live our lives."
On January 20, 2012, I had a scheduled appointment to have the "system" fully checked. It took most of the day to have it all examined and a new tube inserted as well as a new tube and biliary bag connected externally. When it was completed the doctor then talked to Hampton and me about selecting alternative treatments. I now have an appointment on March 8, 2012, with a surgeon. He will determine what would be the safest way to continue my bile drainage. My gall bladder is full of stones so something must be done. There are several options. Since my only gall bladder indication of problems has been my turning yellow on April 28, 2010, I am not changing my life plans to get this done immediately.
Very early in my pancreatic cancer stage 4 cancer treatments my oncologist recommended I continue life activities, particularly including travel. I have done this throughout these 21 months since my diagnosis. When I had my last orthopedic appointment, following my knee replacement and physical therapy, my doctor said "Get out and live your life!" When I said the PT said I wasn't quite done with therapy he replied "I'm the doctor." He'd explained earlier that he'd started to be an oncologist in medical school but had changed when he realized oncologists help their patients feel better while orthopedists can get you well.
The patient must do physical therapy but the doctor can take away the pain. Cancer doesn't work that way just as it didn't when he was in med school 30 years ago!
The reason I made my appointment March 8 is because we're going to "The Greenbrier Resort" in West Virginia in February and Hampton's 75th birthday is February 23. Everything is going well with my health currently so we're "living life!" If you're interested in visiting the website for Greenbrier make sure to spell it with an e, not a as Virginians do! The resort is celebrating "Tribute to the Virginias" currently with GREAT PRICES.
God has been right with me during this experience. I appreciate the prayers which have been prayed around the world in my behalf! May God be with all of us as we continue to "Live our lives."
Friday, January 6, 2012
Inspiration
Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer has been a BIG INTERRUPTION in my life! Priorities have been rearranged dramatically. Some things must be neglected, thus a change in life's schedule. Cancer was not in my life's plan.
Following next came my divine intervention. God has a plan for me and I had to undergo lots of health issues to continue living within God's plan for ME! The most recent issue was revision of my right knee. Revision is the word used to describe replacing your first prosthesis. The recovery time and physical therapy is the same as your first surgery. It was 14 weeks between removing my first artificial knee and replacing it with a new prosthesis. During that time I could bear NO WEIGHT on my right leg. That meant using a walker and hopping on one foot. Talk about limitations! I have healed from the surgery and finished physical therapy. I use a cane to walk, generally. When I go for a walk outside I use a walker for safety.
Now comes the inspiration. I have been inspired to share my experiences with others, particularly other pancreatic cancer patients. I hope to be able to instill confidence that with God all things are possible. Each illness can be devastating without the hope of Jesus Christ in our lives.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY, GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE
Following next came my divine intervention. God has a plan for me and I had to undergo lots of health issues to continue living within God's plan for ME! The most recent issue was revision of my right knee. Revision is the word used to describe replacing your first prosthesis. The recovery time and physical therapy is the same as your first surgery. It was 14 weeks between removing my first artificial knee and replacing it with a new prosthesis. During that time I could bear NO WEIGHT on my right leg. That meant using a walker and hopping on one foot. Talk about limitations! I have healed from the surgery and finished physical therapy. I use a cane to walk, generally. When I go for a walk outside I use a walker for safety.
Now comes the inspiration. I have been inspired to share my experiences with others, particularly other pancreatic cancer patients. I hope to be able to instill confidence that with God all things are possible. Each illness can be devastating without the hope of Jesus Christ in our lives.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY, GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE
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