8/12/18 Topsy-Turvy

Dear Family and Friends,

Steve has been doing most of the blog posts as I’ve lived a topsy-turvy life this past month.  I give thanks to God and my dear husband and children who have seen me through it all.

1)  Two trips to Houston brought tons of tests and disappointment.  Yes to the first trial.  A week later, no to the first trial.  Yes to the second trial.  A week later, no to the second trial.  Home to resume care under my Seattle oncologist, Dr. Goff.

2)  Hospitalization at Northwest Hospital with an infected port. Port surgically removed.  Sent home with some complex mouth infection, which has included bloody sores so painful that even liquid touching them made me cry.

3)  Back home with disorientation and inability to balance.  I didn’t know where I was or whose house I was in.  I couldn’t finish a thought or answer a question coherently.  I slept constantly anytime I saw a place to lay my head.  This was very distressing for all of us.  But perhaps the strangest of all was my new introduction to the world of falls.

4)  I have always been a very steady and athletic person.  But all of the sudden, I was falling about 3-5 times per day.  Falling down stairs.  Falling over in the bathroom.  Falling on walks.  But my favorite of all was the now infamous “bunny fall.”

We have an odd contraption/fence/stairs thing that allows us to reach our bunny habitat for feeding, playing, and visits.  I am forbidden from crossing this contraption without help.  However, one day only Daniel was home and while he was in the shower, I was getting tired of waiting to see the bunnies.  Let me set this up further by saying Steve had been recently cleaning and needed a place to set two giant loads of unfolded laundry.  He temporarily placed the two baskets right across from the end of the bunny gate next to Daniel’s bathroom door.  I make the climb to go see the bunnies and when done with my visit, I returned to the fence contraption and started to climb. I placed one hand on each wall, and as I tried to lift my legs over the four-foot high fence, my feet and hands caught.  I looked to the left, looked to the right. Looked straight ahead and realized I had but one choice—to let my body fall full force forward, head first, into the two baskets of laundry, while my feet and hands were still stuck on the fence!  I then rolled out onto the ground screaming for Daniel, who came flying out of the shower (towel on) to see my predicament.  After a thorough exam I was left with nothing but a bad headache.  I had been upset to have that laundry there but now we know—it was for good reason!

5)  Day by day my mouth has healed, infections are gone, sensical speech has returned, and I finally passed my goal of 7 days of no falls so I no longer require assistance everywhere I walk and go.  Such freedom!

6)  Other issues have appeared.  I have hugely puffy ankles now, which we will discuss with the doctor Friday.  My circumference is like a giant pumpkin now as the cancer in my liver grows and fills my belly with liquids.  We are attempting some chemo on Fridays to slow the growth and hopefully slow the pain. My basket of pain meds is about as large as our laundry room. 

As I watch my husband sacrifice in so many ways to care for me in sickness, I send out these words of love to him written by singer Dan Fogelberg:

Through the years as the fire starts to mellow
Burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks
And the pages start to yellow
I'll be in love with you
I'll be in love with you

To my children, who are missing work to care for me and loving and serving me as Jesus has taught them, I am so incredibly blessed to be your Mom and am so very proud of you. And I’m also so blessed to have a daughter-in-law like Riley, who shows up to the hospital at 2 am with provisions or comes over after a long day of work to wash dishes.

And my hymn for the week reminds me that through daily pain, suffering, and sorrow, keeping my eyes on Jesus makes it well with my soul.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul;
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And has shed his own blood for my soul.

My sin—O the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
"Even so"—it is well with my soul.

Horatio Spafford

Thank you for your love and prayers for us.  And oh—for the delivery of flowers, cards, and my favorite—slices of Simply Desserts Cake!  Small rays of sunshine interrupting suffering and filling me with joy!

Love,

Gabrielle

PS – Breaking news as of Friday afternoon: my blood counts were good so I was able to get chemo today. Hooray!

Outdoor fun with Sunny

Lake Chelan

Richmond Beach

Richmond Beach

Lake Chelan with Marti and Merle

Jericho visit yesterday

Sunny loves his "hello kitty" towel

After removing two liters of fluid off my belly, I'm eager to get discharged from  the hospital yesterday!

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