Blake Health Update 2010/09/01

~

We are home from hospital.

Blake received his infusion of Remicade this afternoon.

Hallelujah!

He is thrilled.

I am thrilled.

Our family and friends are thrilled.

God is Good!!!

Blake should be good for 8 weeks now.

Next infusion date is around end of October 2010.

I am going to bed now.

I am tired.

I have slept in a geri-chair for five nights in a row.

Tonight I get a real bed.

A flat bed.

My body aches.

The humidity and the geri-chair are causing me great discomfort in my joints.

But my boy has his meds, so I won't complain.

I am one VERY happy Momma tonight.

God is good.

All the time.

All the time, God is good.

Amen.

Good night!

~

Blake Health Update 2010/08/31

Sometimes.....

you feel.....

like your balloon.....

gets deflated.....

That's kind of how we're feeling at the moment.

Blake's Remicade will not be administered today. We are looking at a high possibility for tomorrow, Wednesday.

Our nurse, Amy, (who is one of my favourite nurses here. She is the nurse who gave Blake his very first Remicade dose last Fall on Connell 6.), came in and said that because of the high cost of the medication, the Pharmacist was required to sign the order. Because he did not sign it until after 4pm yesterday, the order did not get processed until today. Therefore, the meds will not arrive until tomorrow..... hopefully.

We're naturally disappointed, especially because of the fact that the Doctor has authorized our discharge as soon as the meds are infused. Blake was supposed to play his last show with Grampa's Goodtime Gang tonight before he heads off to school in New Brunswick this weekend.

It's disappointing that he doesn't get his medication today; and it's disappointing that he doesn't get his last show with "the boys".....

However.....

We are still grateful for this bed and the care that we have received here. We are still grateful that the doctors have admitted him in order to receive this medication at no financial cost to us. We are still grateful that Blake is not in a lot of pain. We are still grateful that God's plans always succeed. We are under His care and mindful that He is still in control.

Blake is feeling better now than first thing this morning. He woke up to a really bad migraine that was affecting him in behind his eyes. After some Tylenol #3's and some Gravol and a little nap, he is much better. I believe it has likely resulted from the barometric pressure, as opposed to the Crohn's Disease. Blake does well to take this Disease in stride. He shouldn't have to deal with this, but it's now a part of his life and he'll have to learn to adjust to it. As a mother, we want to just take on the pain and issues ourselves; but I'm confident that the Lord will use this hurdle to bring glory to Himself through Blake. Blake has already come to terms with so much in his conversations with the Lord since his diagnosis last Fall.

We ALL have so much to learn, don't we? And it will continue to be so until the day we meet our Lord face to face.

Until then, I hope you have a big bunch of inflated helium balloons in your life! (Inhaling some of that helium can be fun, too! [she said in a high-pitched Mickey Mouse tone] haha)

In the meantime, you know where WE will be!!!!

Have a great day, folks.

Blake's Health Update 2010/08/29

Howdy! Howdy!

We're reporting to you LIVE from Kingston General Hospital!

Friday morning (Aug 27) I got a call around 8:30am that a bed was available for Blake. I could've reached through the phone and hugged the woman, Lori, from Admitting!

Jon drove Blake and me into Picton to do some errands and then we headed to Kingston. My hopes for getting the Remicade medication ordered by Friday afternoon to receive on Saturday were soon squashed when we didn't even get to see the doctor until Friday night at 11pm!! He informed us that since the Pharmacist had the weekend off, they likely wouldn't order the meds until Monday and hopefully they'd arrive for Tuesday.

THAT means that we are just layin' around here completely bored. Because Blake is only in a very minimal amount of discomfort, this seems quite dull and mundane for him. Little does he know this is the life I've lived every time we've been in hospital.... just sitting around; but I've always been OK with it because I knew that Blake was receiving pain meds to feel more comfortable.

However, THIS time, because he's not in pain, it seems quite boring and senseless to him to be in here. However, we DO feel fortunate to have this bed; and hopefully within 48 hours he'll have his meds working their way through his veins, providing some healing to that ol' gut of his.

We are in a room with three beds this time. Doug is the gentleman in the bed next to the door, beside Blake. He's an older man who is dealing with some tumors near or in his brain. He's a quiet fellow but extremely nice. His son and daughter have been in every day and they bring Doug's dog, Merlin, in here for a visit. Merlin is an eight-year-old Shelty. Doug's very happy to see his doggie.

Mark is the other gentleman in the bed across from us. There are some mental issues with this young man, but he also is able to carry on an intelligent conversation although he likes to whisper. The first night he slept through the night dreamingly! LAST night was a different story completely. They gave him a bed alarm, as he is too unsteady on his feet to walk by himself. The bed alarm goes off to alert the nurses that he's "on the run". Last night I'm sure the alarm went off no less than eight times. It is an extremely LOUD ALERT. Imagine standing beside a fire alarm. Poor Doug has been very bothered by it. I think he's like me and needs his night-time sleep.

At one point in the middle of the night the nurse couldn't convince Mark to get back into bed. They are very kind and courteous to the patients here; however, at 3am I wouldn't have the patience that they do. Mark couldn't understand where the noise was coming from and he would grab the phone and start pushing buttons and try and hang up the receiver to shut the noise off. Then he heard a patient's I.V. alarm go off, from another room, which is a quieter "beep........ beep....... beep......... beep......." and he hollered out, "Alex! The microwave is done!" hahaa

A few of the nurses don't remember to use their "indoor voices" in the middle of the night. They walk in to see a patient and flip on all the lights. Add the annoying bed alarm and the sound of Mark trying to hang the phone back on the hook, it gets to be a little much sometimes. Back in the Fall when we were staying in hospital, the nurses were quiet and used flashlights when coming in to assist a patient. Guess each floor or wing has different protocol.

Yesterday afternoon I went to find Father Ray, the retired priest who shared a room with us a month or so ago. He's still here in hospital waiting for a room in a nursing home. He looks wonderful and is able to walk on his own now without the need of a walker. His sister Isabelle had popped in for a visit with him at the same time I was there, so I was thankful to see her kind face again.

Then last night I took Blake down to visit with Father Ray & Isabelle for a while. We had a nice chat with them, as well as with another lady who "lives" on Connell 4 waiting for a bed in a nursing home. She has to have kidney dialysis three times a week. Blake is very good at encouraging these people and ministering to them with his words. She was so happy to visit with us that she walked us to the elevator when we left. (Actually, she had a motorized wheelchair, but Blake kept up to her pretty well! haha)

This morning, Sunday, we have already listened to a church service online. Blake has just returned from his shower. After lunch we are headed to a movie theatre down on Princess Street. The Doctor gave us an afternoon pass, which we are grateful for. We'll likely walk to Blockbuster as well and rent a few movies because we forgot to bring some from home.

The meals haven't been too bad here. Today is the day that Blake starts receiving the meals that he chose off the menu, so I think he will be more pleased with his trays when they arrive. Yesterday's menu was not so appetizing for him. I, on the other hand, had a most FABULOUS supper on Friday night. The cafeteria had Chicken Marsala and it was TO DIE FOR!!!! Chicken cutlets smothered in a sauce (that, according to the internet, is made from mushrooms and Marsala Wine). Oh it was heavenly. Served on a bed of noodles with some string beans and carrots on the side, I was feeling like a queen!

And just so you know, we have not had the "mushroom smell" in our room yet. hahaha. You can know what I'm talking about by referring to a previous post. Simply CLICK HERE for the Mushroom Soup story. (And thanks to my friend Janet who snuck that can of Mushroom Soup into my mailbox at church..... you're quite the comedian! Maybe I'll make Chicken Marsala! haha)

We are thankful for this care facility (even the bed alarms.... I suppose.... hahha) and thankful for the great doctors and nurses who work to keep one of my baby birds comfortable.

We are continuing to be grateful for the Lord's provisions. He gives us what we need, when we need it. We are constantly in the shadow of His wings and so thankful that He loves us.

Thank you for your prayers, and we pray that God blesses YOU!

THE MORNING WATCH

I want to share with you an excerpt from a book I received as a wedding gift over 21 years ago from our minister and his wife, Rev. & Mrs. R. McCaw.

"My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord" (Psalm 5:3)

THE MORNING WATCH

Let your first act be to come to Him, your Father, just as you are. Get quieted, soothed, and comforted by thus "lying on His breast" and taking in a large draught of His presence. Take time for this.

Then, with His loving arms around you, and your soul at rest in him, tell Him how you love Him, what He is to you, and how you want to praise Him for all that He has been to you; and if any sin or failure is on your mind, confess it while thus close to Him.

Then, as you would roll off a great burden, resign yourself and all that concerns you into His keeping, and above all, to be emptied of self and filled with Him. Give the reins entirely into His hands --- the reins of your whole being and of all your affairs --- and take, so to speak, a long breath of relief.

Then, after a little season of quiet, restful waiting in His presence, to receive any communication or manifestation that He may have, rise, and with prayer, read carefully your chapter for the day, looking out for any message from Him that there may be in it for you, and hiding it in your heart.

Then, kneel once more, and talk to Him about those nearest and dearest to you, separately or collectively, and about any others who specially need your prayers.

And, lastly, close your hour of communion with Him, with a song of praise, or with words of thanksgiving repeated aloud, in entire reliance on your great High Priest to render them acceptable.

from the book

A Threefold Cord

Compiled by Helena Garratt

Page 243 - August 24th

STILL MY SOUL BE STILL

Don't you love it when God knows you need something.... and then He sends it?

I needed this video's message...... and He sent it.

[Please remember to hit the PAUSE button on my music at the very bottom of the page before you click PLAY on this video.]

"Still my soul be still
And do not fear
Though winds of change may rage tomorrow
God is at your side
No longer dread
The fires of unexpected sorrow

God You are my God
And I will trust in You and not be shaken
Lord of peace renew
A steadfast spirit within me
To rest in You alone

Still my soul be still
Do not be moved
By lesser lights and fleeting shadows
Hold onto His ways
With shield of faith
Against temptations flaming arrows

Still my soul be still
Do not forsake
The Truth you learned in the beginning
Wait upon the Lord
And hope will rise
As stars appear when day is dimming"

Words and Music by Keith & Kristyn Getty & Stuart Townend

Family Updates

I should have some words of wisdom....

or a funny joke.....

or an updated picture of someone in my family.....

or a comical video......

or a beautiful hymn......

I should have SOMETHING interesting to post on here......

But, frankly, I'm so tired tonight, I don't believe any of it would make sense.

I just thought I'd give a quick update on Blake's situation.... which is basically the same as the last few weeks..... other than he's getting more and more fatigued with each day..... as well as experiencing some back and abdominal pains.

Yes, Dose #3 is just around the corner.... if we could get a bed at Kingston Hospital. They called on Friday (and left a message on our machine while we were actually STILL in Kingston for Blake's appointment at the clinic!!!), but when I called back to the admitting department, I had told the lady there was not much sense in us coming and waiting for four whole days before he'd even get his meds (which by the way only takes two hours to receive). I told the lady I really thought for that amount of time that perhaps someone who was really ill and needed the bed should have it, and that she could call us Monday or Tuesday when a bed became available.

Well, obviously a whole lot o' people decided to run to Emerg this week and get admitted to the hospital because we have not received any word yet of an available bed. Now I'm frustrated thinking that we should've just taken the flippin' bed on Friday and sat the whole weekend in there twiddling our thumbs. At least Blake likely would've had his meds by today.

Oh well, the Lord is still on the throne. And He's not up there pullin' His hair out and wondering what's gonna happen next. He's aware of the situation and He knows how to handle it.

So THAT, folks, is the long and the short of it.

As for the rest of us, well, let's start with Jacob. My middle son who has moved to the big city has obviously decided that he's quite capable of living away from home and not having to give his mother ANY kind of update WHATSOEVER. Clearly it's as if he's dropped off the face of the earth. I mean REALLY..... WHAT boy can't pick up his cell phone and at least TEXT his mother two or three words????

"Hi Mom"

"Doin' fine, Mom. Don't Worry"

"Everything's going great here, Mom"

"Mom, send money"

"Mom, any clean clothes you could FedEx to me?"


Nope. Nothin'. Not a gosh darned flippin' word out of him.

He is SO grounded when he gets home.


And Jared? Well, as you've read from previous posts, his soccer season finished with a placing of FIRST (way to go, Jeb). His baseball tournie last week moved them to the championship game; however, Mr. Rain moved in and things got postponed to Thursday night. So tomorrow night we will meet head-to-head with a team who has been known to be a little.... ummmmm..... aggressive. They are out to win. Having a coach who likes to come in first at all cost is NOT a good thing in my books. He was whining to the officials last weekend about some issues that weren't really issues in anyone ELSE's books; but he was just bein' a pain in the hiney, I guess. So.... we get to play HIS team. [Oh JOY! Oh BLISS!]

I told Jared, "PLEASE just go out and have fun! And if there are any problems, you can be assured I will yank you off the field before you lose a bunch of teeth!". Apparently this team started a fight with the other team on Monday night. One kid ran right out to the pitcher's mound to clobber the pitcher. Another player moved in to protect his pitcher and.... well, I just don't want to see that happen Thursday night. That's not what I signed my kid up for. I hope we have an extremely strict umpire who doesn't put up with that kind of nonsense. I'd make them all run laps so they're too tired to fight. hahaha. Guess that's why I'm not a coach.

So, I am praying that this last game of the season is fun for the boys. Hopefully, as parents watching from the stands, we will be able to encourage them to enjoy themselves. They're a good team of kids... I've had a fun season. Have fun, Wellington Lynx.


And Jonny? Well, he's truckin' his little heart out. He's out West right now. Had deliveries in Saskatchewan and Alberta. He's waiting for a load of pipe to come off the line and then will take it to Nebraska, where a load of meat awaits him to come to Toronto. Worked out to some good coin, so I hope it all clicks. He's loving being back on the road. I'm glad for him. He's gone through more in the last few years than anyone should have to..... he deserves something good for a change. Go get 'em, Jonny-Boy.


And as for me, I have appreciated some time to get caught up on some little things. Still have a bit more paperwork to attack, but overall I am pleased with some stuff I've got done around the house. It's not perfect by any means, but I am slowly getting things to a point where I can do some painting and updating. I've mentioned before that our bedroom still has just the primer paint..... that's been there for about 17 years. Oh well, at least I can see where the mosquitoes land on a white wall. hahha.

Well, folks, I'm gonna hit the hay. I'm really drained tonight. I have gone through this week with a truly thankful heart for so many things. Unfortunately I have not been keeping a list as I should be. (I should be keeping a list so I can write them on my other blog, My Gratitude Journal.) But as I drive or go outside or read or do housework, I spot things that I take the time to say, "Thank you for [this & that], Lord. I appreciate that."

I truly am a blessed woman.

And now, back to you folks. You have all been busy, I'm sure. Drop me a line and let me know what's up. Summer is busy and we'll soon be back in our "routines", but I miss speaking with so many of you. (And SOME of you are NOT UPDATING YOUR BLOGS! tisk-tisk). Take a second and drop me a line through the Comment section below, through gmail email, or through Facebook. I want to know how you're doing.

And I certainly will update once Blake hears from the hospital.... or if Jared wins the championship game.... or if Jake remembers his Mom's cell number......

[grin]

TO DO LIST

hahahahaa..... I love it.