Gratitude

This is the third year I am posting this song in honor of Thanksgiving. Often we think of this holiday as being thankful for our abundance. And we are! But sometimes being thankful means just being grateful for God's provision in ways we don't normally see. Sometimes in lessons learned, sometimes in viewing something differently, sometimes there is blessing in our want. Because in our want we learn to seek for God's presence. On a glad note, my colonoscopy has been moved up to next week! Dec. 1st. Thank you, Lord! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Your Hands by JJ Heller

I hear this song every day on our Christian radio. As I deal with daily pain, I am reminded that even still, I rest in God's hands, He will never leave me. I continue having abdominal pain and nausea but am now scheduled for a colonoscopy n 3 weeks. My prayer now is that my doctor can work his magic and get me in much sooner than that. Will keep you posted!

Lost in a maze

I feel like I am wandering in medical never-never land. Don't know where I'm going, don't know if I'll get there, don't know anything. I am have been through scopes, scans, x-rays, radioactive dye, radio waves, and still have no answers to the nagging question as to what could be causing this pain on my side, and daily bouts of nausea. Like running around in a maze, it seems I run into a dead end at every turn. My liver/spleen/gall bladder ultrasound this past week turned up with nothing either. Both my oncologist and my gastroenterologist called me Friday, explaining that they have ruled out all the normal things this could be and are ready to move on to the more abnormal causes. They They, along with my ob/gyn, have recommended a colonoscopy which I am being scheduled for next. Hopefully sooner rather than later. I'm determined to not give up, though some days I sure feel like it! Thankfully, my docs aren't giving up either.

The End Of Pink October

October's Breast Cancer Awareness month is behind us now, so I thought I'd share a photo of my pink ribbon shirt from the "behind", the backside! For once, I found a not-so-cheesy pink ribbon shirt I love! This, on my birthday, while shopping with my sister who had come out to visit from Las Vegas. We had loads of shopping and out-to-lunch fun as well as kayaking adventures enjoying Virginia's fall splendor! (See photos below)

This week my doctors are trying to determine the cause of my 3-month-long g.i. issues causing me pain in my right side. We are half way there, now, after having had a nuclear scan of the biliary system yesterday. That is the system whereby the liver creates bile, then sends it along to the gall bladder and then onto the small intestines (as I understand it). Well, what should have only been a 90 minute test watching the radioactive tracer make its way through the system, it was evident that the tracer wasn't moving after the 90 minutes. The radiologist came in, took a look at my 90 minute movie (in about 3 minutes) and then asked me, "Have you been ill"? I gave him a quick run down of what my symptoms have been (achy pain on right side, cramping on left side, nausea, taste of blood, etc. short, I know something isn't right in there) , He explained that we had a problem and that for some reason my liver isn't emptying. He then injected me with a drug that would cause cramping and nausea (gee, thanks for that) so that the duct would be forced open and he could then watch and see what happened next. About another hour and a half later, the tracer had then moved along to the small intestines and they sent me home. I now have an ultrasound scheduled Thursday this week (day after tomorrow) and hopefully that will shed some more light on my insides and lead us to a diagnosis. Thanks for your continued prayers!