Good News

We got good news.

I will be honest with you. I didn't expect it. Maybe my own life's circumstances and several of those around me in the current time let me expect the worst. More of that for another day.

Today I will choose gratefulness.

Jeff's tumor was all removed. No chemo needed as it had not invaded the muscle wall so no scans or other such stuff either.

Because of the high recurrence rate of this kind of tumor, he will be a regular patient for the days ahead to monitor. I will take it!!!

I had so much going and my mind was clogged that I didn't respond to most of the comments last Saturday. I am beyond grateful for each and every one. They were read and meant so much to me. I hope to calm down and catch up with each of you this week.

I am not going to do a post this weekend, because Jeff and I are going to go to Auburn on Thursday and spend the weekend. I am gonna go walk a few trails with Gus and relax.

I am closing in on a stitching finish. I cannot wait to show y'all Valerie's name. It is so adorable. I have two small things to add and one half of a letter to stitch. 

I will return to normal programming over here next week with some stitching, flowers, reading, and whatever else I can think of.

Thank you blogging friends for all your prayers. 

I will share why one geranium is bigger than the other.

Until next week when I hopefully will be rested in mind and body...Sandy

An Update

Well this past week didn't go quite as planned. We are back to waiting on news.

I will start at the beginning and move forward. I am finding it hard to concentrate on much and writing is almost nonexistent. When things are weighing on my mind I can write lots of journal pages. I can't write much at all right now.

I came across this sentence in my reading this week. 

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." --- Albert Einstein

I am doing my best to stay busy and keep moving.

Last Tuesday, we woke up thinking we had to do something to not think about surgery. After I was sure I had all things done for Mama so that I could not visit her until today, we grabbed a late lunch and headed to a water front park with Gus. We ate at a picnic table, then I walked Gus. We headed down to the water and sat on a bench and just held hands. Gus was tired from his walk, so he let us just sit quietly. We decided going to Tucker's baseball game that night was better than just moping.

Wednesday morning after a fitful sleep we headed to Pensacola. The doctor gave a great analogy of what he was hoping we were hoping we were dealing with.

He had described the tumor as large and having been there for a while, but he hoped it was like a slash pine and not a long leaf pine. Because we live with those trees all around, the analogy made perfect sense. The slash pine grows big but without putting down a tap root...sometimes quickly big. The long leaf pine grows slower because it is putting down its tap root. He hoped we were dealing with a slash pine without roots.

That wasn't quite what we got. He ended up having to scape pretty deep thereby keeping him from injecting chemo into the bladder on Wednesday as part of the procedure. Most tumors in the bladder according to my research are not good (hard to write the C word) and getting it out and injecting with chemo was the best case. So much scraping had made the chemo too much for Jeff to stand.

The doctor was hopeful he got it all, but we are back to waiting on pathology reports which take a week. I kept hoping we would hear yesterday, but alas that didn't happen.

Wait it is and try to keep busy.

Often when we have outpatient surgery, it is thought it isn't going to be so bad. He has been in a lot of pain. Mornings are especially hard. I think it will take a little more time to heal up. He can't be away from the toilet too long and it is painful and causes spasms, so it is up front and in the face a bit too much for my good. 

We will persevere ----

Romans - 3 And not only this, but [a]we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

I will write again when I get the pathology report. That is it for now. Like I said, I will be able to later, but for now...I am moving to keep my balance.

The picture above is of one of our neighbors. It is what I love about my neighborhood. An eclectic mix of homes and this one shouts Old Florida.

Just a cute picture of Valerie in one of Lindsay's old dresses.

And a little boy got an accident haircut.

Praying for good news.

Be back soon...Sandy