Beautiful Day

The weather was just gorgeous today. After Women's Bible Study I spent the rest of the day outdoors. Picked green beans for dinner, puttered around, began cleaning up for fall. We are supposed to get rain and a big drop in temperatures tonight...but it will just be a taste of fall as the temps go right back to mid 70 - 80 by the weekend. So I won't worry about having to get anything indoors yet. Hard to believe it's almost October. Seems like I was just taking my seedlings outdoors to harden off before planting! Time keeps rolling on. I am having a few more lab tests done tomorrow, checking on the Cushings. Step by step we will get this nailed down. Daniel missed school for the first time this year...headaches again. John is going to take him to the ENT soon as we can get an appointment. With all my health issues over the last months, we completely forgot that we were going to see about sinus surgery or corrective surgery on his deviated septum. He hasn't had many headaches, but over the last week the frequency has really increased, so I guess we'd better get him checked out. We certainly are keeping the medical community solvent this year!

Rainy Monday

Hurricane Rita arrived in Cincinnati - no wind, just alot of rain. But it was fast moving and has already cleared out and the sun is back out this evening. Picked more tomatoes and am working on another batch of sauce. Tried to get a little housework done...I only have one more day of restricted activity and lifting. Unfortunately I am still struggling with the shortness of breath. I hope it is the adrenal mass that is causing it, so I can look forward to getting back to normal. But I also need to be willing to accept the limitations that God wants me to have. It is a little depressing to think I may not feel better, but may have to learn to live with this - but it is early to think that yet and John reminds me to let the endocrinologist do her work and take her advice. I was so looking forward to feeling better after the heart cath - thinking my symptoms were being caused by a blockage. I am very grateful not to have the blockage, but do hope that they can figure out why I feel like this and that we can do something about it. Wait, wait, wait, wait on the Lord! Patiently and cheerfully, dear Lord help me wait that way.

Being a willing vessel

I am just amazed at how God works through all of our lives. So often we think of ourselves as isolated and alone, that what we are going through is just happening to us. But we are interconnected with our family, our friends, neighbors, even strangers who cross our paths. Long ago I began the practice of praying that I would be "a willing vessel" in God's Hands, that I not only wanted Him to work through me, but I wanted to do so "willingly". Sometimes I feel that with His strength, I am willing - other times I know that I fight against what He brings into my life and yet He is patient with me, and brings me to the point that I let go and open my hands and pray "Your will be done". It is a growing process and I am thankful that we have a gentle and patient Lord.

With all the health things I have been going through, I have trusted that God is at work and has a reason for all of this. He has kept me calm and I have really learned the blessing He gives us by helping us rest in Him. It is so much easier to be calm and have peace when we get to the point that we know He has all things under control.

I have a friend who has asked me "Why would God put you through all of this, if He was going to remove the blockage" My answer to that has come through many of my family and friends' emails...sharing with me how they prayed for me. Here is one example from my uncle:

"Pat and I drove by Patti's house, this evening before dark, and Patti had just come home from work and was sitting on her front porch. As we drove up, she came down the steps holding her coffee cup and leaned down by the car window and we started to talk. Since we had not been in contact, as Patti had been working, she didn't know yet about the, "no blockage," when they did your catheterization. So, I told her. She let out a whoop, set her coffee cup on top of the car, clapped her hands together and said, "I knew it, I knew it." "I prayed that when they went in there that they wouldn't find any blockage. I am going to write that in my prayer journal." She knows that she was not the only one praying for your good report, but she was one of them. She was overjoyed, and we all were, too. Praise the Lord!"

God allowed this to happen in my life to strengthen our faith, to encourage us to pray for one another, to teach us that "all things are possible with Him". Everything is in His hands - I pray that each one of us remembers His lessons and that we take part in the blessing that He gives us when He tells us to trust in Him with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding! Praise Him for Him glorious gifts!

God's gracious gift

Well by now most of you who read this know that I had quite a surprize at the hospital yesterday. I went in to have a heart catherization after a nuclear scan indicated a blockage in one of my heart's vessels. For several months my blood pressure has been high...140/93 and 149/99. Yesterday my blood pressure was 117/53 just before the test and never got much higher during or after. When they injected the dye to look for the blockage - it was gone! No blockages at all and everything else about the heart looked good. So many people around the world were praying and I am so thankful that God provided this answer. I will follow up with the endocrinologist next about the tumor on the adrenal gland...and praying that God will remove it (either with or without the doctor's help)

Friday is here!

Yesterday was a very productive day at work...lots of stuff wrapped up to close the year and a good start on getting the new year in order. Today I worked on 3 baskets of tomatoes and we have a huge pot of spaghetti sauce ready to can. I am trying to get the house in a little bit of order before I go for my heart cath on Tuesday. We did get a good rain today, but it didn't cool things off at all. So I do a little housework and then sit in front of the fan until I dry off again. Interestingly I read today in an article about coronary artery disease and angina - that one of the symptoms is excessive sweating! I've been struggling with that for several years. Well, I am going to get started on some chicken fajitas for the boys' dinner tonight. I think I will pick green beans in the morning and put them in the crock pot with the little cottage ham I got at Krogers. I always think of how Daddy loved making beans and cottage ham....I miss him so much!

Wednesday Bible Study

Today was the first women's bible study for the new school year. I was so excited that they have changed the day they have it on to Wednesdays (my day off) so I am able to attend this year!! We are studying Hebrews. It was so nice to visit with everyone and actually have time to talk (it seems like Sundays there just isn't enough time to talk) I stayed after bible study and worked a half day - looks like we are ready to close the year (Sept 04 -Aug 05 is our fiscal year). Tomorrow I'll begin work on setting up the new year.

Heart Cath Scheduled

I was very happy with my cardiologist, Dr. Naz. She took time to answer my questions and explained the reasoning behind her recommendation to schedule a right heart cath. It will be next Tuesday at 10:45 am at University Hospital. They will not know if they will be able to clear the blockage until they perform the cath and put the dye in to see where it is and what it is. If you want to know more check out web md
http://my.webmd.com/hw/heart_disease/hw204075.asp

I am glad that this will soon be taken care of! Thank you for all your prayers!

Pizza Sauce

Put up 14 pints of pizza sauce using the pressure cooker today. John and I went out to the garden to pick some tomatoes for the vision banquet tonight. There are a ton out there again - so tomorrow when I get home from work I need to pick them and start on another big batch of spaghetti sauce.
I sliced the brandywine tomatoes and sprinkled them with fresh basil, white wine vinegar, olive oil and feta cheese. Everyone at the banquet liked them and it was so easy to do.
The vision banquet went really well and this year we had something I've been wanting us to do for years - a ministry fair. I hope alot of people signed up to help.
It's going to be a busy week, but I'll try to at least post something on Tuesday after I see the cardiologist.

Happy Birthday Daniel!

Daniel picked Seafood Casserole and Mrs. B's Share Cake for his 17th birthday celebration and wants to watch the movie "Spaceballs". So we are all set for a nice time at home. John and I gave him "Driving Classes" as his present. Since he did so well in Summer School, he was allowed to get his temps. Now we will set up the classes (which the state requires) and hopefully he will be a good student. I attended his Open House last night and was really impressed with Lakota East. All of his teachers are enthusiastic and helpful and very accessible. Daniel loves his Network Systems class and it is so nice to see him really enjoy studying in an area of interest to him.

Cardiologist appointment made

Well, I was so surprized to get a call from the endocrinologist's office this AM that they have made an appointment with a cardiologist for next Tuesday (13th) at 1:30. So when things start rolling, they really move! John will be glad, as we have met our deductible for the year and he is anxious for all these procedures to be covered! More later!

Test results are rolling in!

After months of what has seemed like endless waiting on test results - we are finally getting answers and results in a timely way! I LOVE my new doctor - she is an endocrinologist and so thorough and helpful and willing to spend time answering my questions. Today she called and offered to set up the appointment with the cardiologist for me. She also had more test results. My fasting glucose level was good, but the results of my glucose tolerance test indicated diabetes. She thinks the mass on my adrenal gland is causing the diabetes but is waiting for one more test to confirm that. If that is the case, it is good news because they can remove the mass and that should reverse alot of my problems, including the diabetes. It is a pretty simple surgery done with a laproscope. She said that my LDL cholesterol was low and that my triglyceride level was good. She even said I could email her with any questions!
So God is answering our prayers for a good doctor and for wisdom in analysizing the test results. Please pray for a good cardiologist!
On another note - tonight was Open House at Daniel's new High school, Lakota East. I was really impressed with his teachers and feel like he is in the right place. His network systems class is fantastic! Wish I could take it with him.

No wonder I'm short of breath

My stress test results came today: coronary artery disease. I need to see a cardiologist for a full explanation but evidently I have "1 vessel disease" and on the report the cardiologist who read my scan stated "moderate severity inferior completely reversible defect consistent with ischemia" Well - completely reversible sounds good to me. Guess that's why I've been having pain in my left ribcage....must not have been the ribs, but the heart underneath them. I am so glad to finally be getting some answers!

Quick Update

It has been hard for me to get posts on here with all that is going on at this time of year (school, end of fiscal year at work, doctor's appts, garden, canning)
I met with Dr. Amanda Denney on Wednesday - an endocrinologist. She is wonderful - I am very hopeful that she will nail down what it wrong.
One thing we know is that I do have the anti-bodies that attack my thyroid and that the thyroid is slightly enlarged and no longer smooth. I will eventually develop Hasimoto's thyroidosis (like my mom) but at this time it has not caused enough damage for me to need to take medication. We will keep watching it.
She was concerned about the tumor on my adrenal gland and that I may need it removed. She suspects that I either have Cushing's disease or metabolic syndrome. We are completing tests now to determine which it is. We are also more thoroughly checking about the possibility of diabetes. My sugar has continued to go up, even though I have cut sugar out of my diet. I have lost 7 pounds now - but my blood pressure is elevated.
Thursday I had numerous blood tests, a glucose tolerance test and a CT scan to check the adrenal tumor. Friday I spend 4 hours at the cardiac center having a thallium stress test - this will tell us if my heart is okay (because of the high blood pressure, shortness of breath and chest pains when exercising - she wanted a more thorough test than the echo I had) I will be completing a 24 hour urine test this weekend. So we should begin to get answers by the end of next week.
The group I sing with is doing a song called "Wait" and I am really holding on to the words: "Wait on the Lord, wait for Him patiently and He will lift you up on eagles wings and you will soar. His ways are perfect, His timing is sure, His heart is loving and pure."
Many people prayed for me to find the right doctor and I know He has answered that prayer.