So Whatchagonnado 'eh?

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way."
(James 1:2-4 MSG)

Hello! Seems when life plops some more lemons into your lap, you needed to decide what to do with them.  I mean, you have already made LaDonna's famous Lemon Bars, Lemon pie, Passion tea lemonade, Lemon chicken... you get the picture. 

What am I going to do with more lemons????   I am going to choose Joy and show the love of my Savior even more because I now know it so annoys the enemy!  

I do not like 'processes' at all. I am a bottom line Type A Driver personality. Dish me a problem, I will dish back a quick fix.  Well, sometimes life is a PROCESS, not a QUICK FIX.  Oy.  This past year has been such a learning 'process' for me. I do not like to be still. I like to be movin' movin... I was not able to do that. I have slowly been allowed to up my endurance. And I mean s-l-o-w-l-y. The girls are secretly happy that I am dancing around the house again, even it their encouragement comes out as, "Oh, mom, you are so lame(o) when you do that!"  I choose Joy and dance all the more!

Just a couple of weeks ago, we took the girls to Washington DC to look at grad schools. Caleb had to stay behind due to midterm tests and fun engineering things like that. I was able to walk the Mall where the monuments are! Took me awhile, but I went all the way from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial and back and then some more. I had to take breaks to rest a little, but we kept going on! My most difficult time is going uphill, so that tuckers me out fast, but then I just take a little time and catch my breath. I also know my limitations, and avoid them. This is hard for people who are not around me a lot to understand. They tend to try to feel bad for me, when I am having the time of my life!!!  One sweet family friend does not 'walk' anywhere.. she marches, and at full speed ahead! By the end of the day she figured me out. I make my own fun and if I can't keep up with you...don't worry about me... I stop to smell the flowers more than most people these days... and guess what... I love the fragrances!!!  

I had been coming to terms with being a stay at home wife after the 5 surgeries this past year. I am well on the mend and was entering back into society, volunteering, having lunch with friends, meeting the girls for coffee dates. I had some very serious job interviews, but nothing was panning out. I was either over qualified and under-educated or under-educated for a level 1 position (who really needs a Masters to input data... seriously now I have over 30 years of hands on knowledge.) 

Then I was blindsided by needing an additional surgery... in just a few weeks!  

Seems a remnant of Buster is blocking the way for some other small stones to exit. GOOD NEWS is that there are no NEW stones!!!!  See... Joyful!!!!   And the left kidney is stone free!!!  Another reason to be JOYFUL! God is so faithful!!

So now on November 30th, I will once again attack the remnant of Buster...  He and I have been talking. He knows his days are limited. I know the process is almost over, then it will be rest and rejuvenation time... then time to RE-FIRE it up again!!  Woooo hooo!!!  

What process is God leading you through today? No giving up allowed. If you need some help, just give me call or text or email ~ I am here for you. Let's skip on over this while singing... click on to enjoy :o)

Joyful, joyful, we adore thee

God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flowers before thee,

opening to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;

drive the dark of doubt away.

Giver of immortal gladness,

fill us with the light of day!

Signed, 
A Muse of the Remnant.... Christine

I am Free Indeed

Hello Everyone!
I am released to do as I please! Well, within certain limitations. 


I went in for the all day test to see what foods, minerals, medications and stuff could be causing the kidney stones to form. This is a normal procedure that is done 3 times after you have had challenges with stones. And seeing that  my kidneys thought that they were in the masonry business, this was a very needed test.


Results came back:  Inconclusive.  Haaaaaaa  I broke out in pure genuine belly laughter when I was read the report. I knew it was an attack from the pit of Hell, and now this proves it. I mean really, who grows kidney stones that are 3"x4.5" and 1.5"x3" without a reason? The only concrete inconclusive thing they could come up with (that did not show in the test results) was that a few years ago I broke my back and was put on a regimen of high doses of rx Vitamin D and bone builders. 


So what do I do to avoid getting more stones? What foods do I shy away from? NONE!! was the answer. They said that so far I can eat anything I like within means. I was low in citrates, so I need to take Potassium Citrate 3x a day and they do want me to have at least 1-2 homemade lemonades per day and 100oz of water, which I have done for over a year now, so that is no biggie. I make my own homemade either Passion Tea Lemonade or Zinger Berry Tea Lemonades in a big gallon container and sip on that throughout the day along with ingesting a small pond of water. hahaha. (swishing sounds all the time when I walk.. gotta love it!)


I also had uric acid in this test which can form gout in joints, but when they took the blood test to confirm... Nada... None... Ziltch.  God is so faithful. 


They also said that my energy level should start to return to normal over the next month or so. Yay! I keep doing a little more than I should at times, but that is because I feel so good! Then I have to have a 'slow down' day. (Roy gets rather annoyed with me when I overdo it) So, I am going with what my body says... and yes, it does tell me to get on the treadmill and do upper body weights along with telling me to sit down in the recliner for a bit.


Some of my close friends will love this... I can once again drink coffee!  Yes, it no longer repulses me ... well, except black coffee. Rachel was home for that awful fiasco... and she laughed through it all too! So a little creamer in the old coffee and I am good for one cup a day. wooo hoooo!!!  Then I need to drink that 100oz of water!!! (slosh)


I return to the doctor in a month and we will do another all day test.  Can't wait!!


Right now I am enjoying life!  Aimee is all graduated from Baylor and deciding on her next adventure; Rachel is loving working at ORU as the Admin Sect for the ICAA dept; Caleb passed all of his classes in Engineering Professional school at OSU and only has 3 more semesters; Roy is back working at Callidus of Honeywell...  I am still laid-off and searching out another Web Producer or Web Content Specialist position.. and I know that God will provide in His timing.

God is faithful. I was munching on today's Psalm 30 reading blessed my socks off... err... my sandals off....

(1) I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me.

You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, 

and you restored my health.

You brought me up from the grave, O Lord.

You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

Signed... A Muse of the Remnant.... Christine

The Stent is Out!

Oh.. WOW. Do I feel better!

Yesterday was my appointment with Dr. G for post-op from my March 27 lithotripsy. For some silly reason I was actually dreading this appointment more than anything. I talked it over with Roy and he basically said that I was operating in fear (not his exact words, because he is so kind when he speaks to me [but I could read 'tween the lines]). But I was operating in fear of the unknown.  I had Googled kidney stent removal and I should not do those things. haha. It looked horrendous. It was not. It was quite uncomfortable, but not excruciating like my mind had played it out. Now I would not want to do that again... just saying.

 First we took xrays to see that that stent was still in place and see how many stones/debris were still there. Looked like in the lower right lobe there was a stone party of debris waiting to exit, but Dr. G said gravity was in effect and just keep drinking all the liquids (4-5qts of water a day) 

Dr. G teased me because it was my first procedure in all these 6 months that I was actually awake for. His nurse knows how to handle his humor and made him behave as best she could. He does have a good sense of humor, which I do understand. The procedure took all of 10 minutes, and I was done. He showed me the stent and it was odd looking at best. My body hated that stent. I am one out of 100 ppl whose body tries to reject it but it had to stay from February 10th thru yesterday. My body is now happy with me, and I can tell the difference already.


When I arrived home, I felt odd and then passed some huge stones. Not even kidding. Took me aback for a few minutes. Today I passed more LARGE stones that were remnants of Buster. I do believe that the stent's job was done and was now blocking the larger broken up stones from passing, which were in turn were blocking all of the tiny stone debris party from leaving as well. The more stones I pass... the better I feel! I know that sounds odd, because it does hurt to pass the stones, but now when they are out, I feel so much better all over. Soon there will be no more stones to pass. Selah. 


So, in conclusion... I am being delivered from the remaining kidney stones! God is faithful!


Isaiah 53:4-5 (NLT)
"Yet it was our weakness/sickness/disease he carried;
It was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
BUT He was pierced for our own rebellion, crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed."


Thank you Jesus, I am forever grateful. 

Signed... A Muse of the Remnant...  Christine

⁴ 

Adventures in Kidneyville

We arrived at Oklahoma Surgical Hospital at the appointed time of 7:30am for my 9:30am scheduled second surgical lithotripsy for my right kidney. These people here are so nice and again escorted us everywhere after our free valet parking and they will not take tips! 


Roy and Oma accompanied me today, and that was such a blessing. Rachel kept trying... but Roy did not get her texts as to where we were because they block cell phones on the third floor. She waited until he texted her after 10am when I was wheeled back to surgery. She has taken wonderful care of me this evening, making supper and doing a Braums run!


During my pre-surgical whoopla we had some trouble getting an IV in. After the 2nd try, they called in the specialist and she got it immediately. She did not gloat either. I found myself consoling the first girl letting her know that I am a hard stick. I reminded her that I had her the last time and she did just fine. She was just so precious.


As I was laying in the hospital bed, being worked on for the prep, I could hear crying babies and little kids. This gave me time to pray for them. Can you imagine how scared those little ones were? Broke my heart. All this poking and probing and hurting! And prayed for calmness and peace for the parents who looked like deer staring at the headlights. 


Dr. G came by to give me a pep talk and to let me know he was ready to get this thing going, but we had to wait on the lithotripsy machine. We high-fived and he was on his way out. The person using it first was still in surgery. I pray that their procedure went well and they are recovering as well as I am. So around 10am Dana my head surgical nurse came in and wheeled me into the operation room that I swear was -10 degrees... it was cold!!! And I love cold... but when I have more on me than a thin hospital gown and some non-slid sockies.  Brrrrr.


My anesthesiologist was a hoot. She was already well versed on my bilateral vocal cord challenges and had everything under control (and personally I think she couldn't wait to hear the depth and resonance of my snoring abilities..hahaha) They talked me to about what all they were going to do and I saw the xrays. Whew... that one piece of Buster (affectionately named kidney stone) was big and was completely blocking the exit of the kidney and had a bunch of gravel behind it. No wonder I was still hurting so much! 


Then came the IV drugs... and then the gas mask... and then ZZZzzzzzzz


I woke up in recovery and I guess was yet again entertaining them beyond belief with the snoring. I wanted to shout.. NO THERE IS NOT A PROPELLER SHOVED UP MY NOSE!!!!.... hahaha.  Anyway I did find out that my oxygen level does drop considerably when I fall asleep. It is not apnea, but they would like me to have a sleep test this year sometime to see if a CPAP machine would help with that or not.  Now, the way I found this out was interesting.  Seems that I forgot to do ONE thing... take off my nail polish... so they put an oxygen sensor strip on my forehead... and I swear they super glued it there. I came to this conclusion when they removed it. I did more than whimper and still have a red mark there. hahaha.  (note to self... always remove nail polish before surgery) 


Finally a few hours later they sent me to post op and then sent me on my way.


A few things we noticed different this time:

• I noticed that I was super whoozey for a long time (hours) afterward. I guess they gave me more IV drugs this time. 
• I have been RAVENOUS hungry since then as well. HUGE difference from last time when I couldn't eat anything at all!  That means that they gave me Prednisone and that my Potassium levels are good!!

I am home and in my sweet recliner, resting and rejuvenating. Life is good. God is Faithful.

Signed... A Muse of the Remnant..... Christine

Lithotripsy Round Two Scheduled

Hello!

Had my appt with Doc G last Tuesday and he said we will do another lithotripsy on March 27th. He showed me on the xrays that part of Buster (affectionately named right kidney stone) did not break up as much as they thought and it was now blocking the remainder of the stone 'debris' from leaving... hence why my back is still hurting. We will be at the Oklahoma Surgical Hospital again. I really like that place. I have decided that I need to write up a booklet on comparing the different hospitals around Tulsa seeing that I have now been at 3 of the major ones in the last 5 months. 


Wednesday night I started feeling not-so-good. Thursday I got up to a 102 temp and it lasted all day and night and then Friday (today) I got up and it was still there, so I called Lynne at Doc G's office. I was really hoping that it was just the crud that everyone around here seems to have. It is not. The tests from Tuesday had just gotten back to her office.


That internal infection that I had taken those nasty Rocephin shots 2 weeks ago for has not gone away. I will have 5 more days of shots again, today was my first and will have a standing date next week. This infection has to go in Jesus' name. It has no right to invade my body and take up residence. It has to leave now. 


They will check me again next Thursday to make sure that it has left my body before the next surgical procedure, and let me declare ... the last surgical procedure with these kidney stones. Enough is enough. I am ready to walk in complete health and wholeness according to the word of God. 


What have I learned through all of this? I am an ongoing project of God and that he has an infinite sense of humor with me. He reveals new things to me all the time to work on, and He knows my boundaries better than I do.

• Patience... Things will be completed in His season, not mine. There are reasons why I have to wait on Him and his timing is always correct.
• Trusting... If you know me well, you know I do not trust easily. Probably why I have only a handful of close friends, but many aquaintances. I am learning to trust people, and to trust God more. When I get down on myself I hear that still small voice say, "I have your back kiddo.. no fretting allowed."
• Not being so serious and letting my humorous side come through more... I can even tell by my writing in this blog that my more 'colorful' side come through more. My immediate family knows that I can be a cut-up and comedian, but I rarely share that. I guess that goes back to 'trusting' 'eh? 
• Committing to my word (when I say I will pray about something, I pray about it right then.) I notice that so many people on Facebook say they will pray, but know that if I type that I will pray for you or your loved one - I am praying. (please give an update too... that helps to know if we should continue)

Learning so many other things too that I am not ready to share with you, but just ponder inside my heart for the time being. 

Love and hugs.... A Muse of the Remnant

Christine

No, Really Buster... You have to GO

Hi friends!
Seems that we will have the opportunity to repeat the lithotripsy to the right kidney. Buster did break up, and I have been passing the stone debris, but several pieces of Buster did not break up quite small enough to pass even with the stent. I hear that this is a normal thing to have transpire. 


On March 6th I return to Dr. G's for full x-rays to make sure I have passed all the kidney stone debris that I can, then we will set up for the next (and final) lithotripsy! Woo hoo!  I must say that this procedure is much easier to recover from than full blown surgery. For some reason my mind had not wrapped around the fact that I would still be passing 'stones' of various sizes after the procedure. When it started about 3 days later, I almost panicked... then read back up on it all and took a pain pill and let it happen (like I had a choice. hahahaha). I did save a few... kinda like trophies. hahaha.


All of a sudden the next week I felt terrible. I had no energy, could not tolerate solid food and felt like a Mac truck ran over me again. I called in to talk to nurse Lynne to explain how I was feeling, because if this was part of the healing process, I thought 'so be it'. She said to come in immediately for some tests. 


A few days later I received a call to report to the doc immediately.  Somehow, through the past 3 procedures, my body was attacked with a superbug virus that my body just could not fight off by itself.  I then was told to come in for 5 straight days for 2 shots of an antibiotic that is usually used only via IV. But for me, they would dilute it with lidocaine and then give me the shots so that I would not have to have a hep lock and IV all week. Those shots hurt! Thank Goodness for the lidocaine. I cannot even imagine the shots without it. One in each hip each day for 5 days. But it is just one of those things on my road to recovery.  By the second day of shots, I was already able to eat food again.  Today, I am feeling so much better. God is so faithful.


God is faithful - That is, God is true, and constant, and will adhere to his promises. He will not deceive. He will not promise, and then fail to perform; he will not start anything which he will not perfect and finish. 


The process isn't always fun, but the outcome is going to be amazing!


Signed...  A Muse of the Remnant
Christine

Bye, Bye Buster

I had the lithotripsy today at Oklahoma Surgical Hospital at 7am. It went so well!  God is faithful.


The day started with Roy attempting to wake me at 4:50am. 'Attempting' being the operative word there. I couldn't sleep last night for awhile, so I was up getting all of the kids Valentine's packages ready to mail out, writing out some bills and letters, and doing a few things around the house. Sleep finally took a hold of me around 3am. I finally roused shortly after 5am and we headed out. They escort/usher you everywhere at this hospital. You are truly a 'guest' there. Loved it. They even have FREE valet parking for everyone! 


As always, I requested to talk to the anesthesiologist to explain about the vocal cord paralysis and my immediate imitation of Darth Vadar upon falling asleep (snoring loudly in a wheezing fashion which is normal to me now, though alarms people who do not know me). I am always very thorough on this, and let them know sweetly that if they follow the procedures laid out by my doctors, I will not wake up with a tracheotomy.  This guy listened intently and assured me all would be followed.  As soon as he left, my sis-in-love, Stacey who was up there with Roy and her hubby Brian (Roy's brother) said that I scared him so bad that he is going to run away. Haaaaaa.


I was wheeled to radiology for an x-ray then we headed to surgery a little while later. Upon entering the operating room, I am greeted by a grandfatherly type guy who introduces himself as Plan B. He will now be my anesthesiologist. HAAAaaaaa.  Obviously the first guy did not feel up to the task, and I am thankful that God orchestrated it that the 'best' was already in the wings waiting to be guided by the Master Physician. God is so faithful.


Dr. G showed up and tickled my feet and got everyone laughing and in a good mood. Then things became fuzzy and then the mask... and then I woke up in the recovery room, and it was all over. Praise Jesus!  Tube was already out, and vitals were perfect. Now I just had to wait for a Post Op room, and then an hour later I could GO HOME to my recliner!  God is so faithful.


Dr. G said that they:
1. Removed the 2 stents from the left kidney from the previous operations
2. Inserted a stent into the right kidney
3. Blasted Buster and a small cohort in the right kidney
4. Blasted another stone trying to form in the left kidney. Actually he told Roy he 'blasted it to dust'


I am passing some of the blasting debris now, but it is not painful, just annoying.  I am taking pain meds because my back and side area where they did the procedures does feel like it was hit by a Mack Truck and already is bruised, but I know that will cease soon.  God is faithful.


I want to thank you all for your prayers and kind words through all of this. Thank you for helping to hold up my arms when I was weary, like Aaron did for Moses. You are so appreciated and loved.

Philippians 1:3-6  Message Version
Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.

Signed A Muse of the Remnant....
Christine ~

Brutus is Conquered... Now on to Buster....

Hi Friends and Family!
Please feel free to leave me comments. I love reading comments, good, bad or indifferent. 

I wanted to let you all know that I am finally feeling pretty good these days. I do get tired when doing multiple things in a days time, but that is what naps are for, right??? Can I get a witness? hahaha.  But really,  most of the aches and pains from the last surgery in December to free Brutus are ebbing quickly. The most annoying things are the incisions. They are healing up and itching and the steri-strips are annoying and catch on clothing. Ok... done whining... I thank my God that He has brought me through this. 


Now on to Buster.  He is residing my other kidney.. the right one. He is not as big as Brutus was, thankfully and Dr. G has me scheduled for a lithotripsy (Lithotripsy is a medical procedure that uses shock waves to break up stones in the kidney) So far they have this planned at Oklahoma Surgical Hospital on Friday, February 10th and I will be the first one back. They said they are going to try to make this an out-patient surgery... where I can go home several hours later!!! to my recliner!!!  Glory!!  My recliner and I have become quite acquainted in the last few months. To reward it for being a bestie, I ordered a new chocolate brown cover for it from SureFit which Roy and I will put on it this weekend. Good friends need to be rewarded, don't you think?


We have received blessing after blessing through all of this. I love all the cards and flowers, and the dinners from family and friends. You will never know how much we have appreciated all of you. 'Thank-you' hardly seems to cover it all, my dear friends and family.


Our insurance blessed us this morning. First surgery bill in October at St Franny's came to $26k and BCBS paid all but $2,600 of it. Glory!! I thought that was great. Then came the December bill from second surgery at St. John's.. $75k. wowza (heart kinda skipped a beat when I opened that bill up... haha)... But today we received the BCBS EOB (explanation of benefits) and we only have to pay ... drum roll please.... $120.00.  Yes, that is not a typo. God is so very very good and faithful. 


I know that as the other bills associated with this come in, He is Jehovah Jireh and Jehovah Rapha... and goes before us, as well as being our rear-guard.  Trust in Him with all of your heart and don't lean on your own understanding of things, in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct your paths.  


The Word is truth people... jump on board.

Signed... A Muse of the Remnant