Fat Hand (and other things)

Thursday Night

Saturday Night
(See my knuckle dimples!

I was at Stacey's soccer game on Tuesday night and as I left I could almost see my hand on the steering wheel puffing up bigger and bigger as I drove.

By Thursday it looked like the picture on the left. My skin was again bright red after the game (in which I had prepared with sunscreen and long sleeved shirt). I kid you not, there was no sun whatsoever shining on my skin anywhere. I really have no idea what caused the swelling. It wasn't til last night when I looked down and saw a glimpse of my dimples where my knuckles are. I hope that means we are going in the right direction.

The lymphedema, for some of you who may not know, comes from the fact that my right lymph nodes have been removed when they took out the three tumors the second time I fought this disease. It swells up at times but there has been nothing close to this! If this is going to happen every time I go outside it will be a long summer!

Some of you have asked about whether or not we have heard from Mayo yet. It seems that they have changed their procedures and I have to sign a release of my medical records before they can look at them. The office called me Friday to let me know. I drove down right before they closed and signed the form. So NOW Mayo can take a look at things.

I have had the same question asked me quite a few times lately so I thought I would take this post and give you all an updated specific prayer requests:

1. TOTAL healing from cancer.
2. That this treatment is working! (Next PET scan is May 7th)
3. That Mayo can give us some insight into what we are fighting.
4. Reduced swelling of my right hand.
5. Reduction or elimination of neuropathy numbness and pain in hands and feet. (I am currently unable to knit, crochet or write without pain and this is VERY difficult mentally for me!)
6. Continued prayers for the children as they process and deal with a sick mom and their relationships with God. That they know that God is still GOOD through all of this!
7. PRAISE for a monetary gift from Aiming For a Cure (if you want to donate money to a wonderful cause...check them out, they have a website if you want to Google them) so that we can take a weekend trip as a family this summer. We are going to take the kids to the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter. We have wanted to to that for so long!
8. A weekend this summer that is free and I am feeling well so we can take the trip.
9. Fatigue...this treatment is two weeks of fatigue and only one week of feeling decent (I am learning how to do a lot of things from a sitting/laying down position).
10. Praise for the ladies who come on Tuesdays and Fridays to help me clean the house. It is nice to have company and a blessing to rest in a clean environment! We are SO very thankful for the people who have brought us meals too. With my lack of appetite it is hard to even think about what to make for supper!
11. PRAYER AND PRAISE for my amazing husband!!! Pray as he has taken over so much of what I can't do right now. He is currently planning and getting ready to install all of the electrical in the basement. It is always good to have a distraction when you are fighting cancer as we have found out through these last six years. I have been extremely blessed to be married to David for 26 1/2 years. He takes great care of us all.

Thank you all for reading to the end. I can't thank God enough for all of you who follow the blog. When I see some of you I haven't seen for awhile it is always the same thing. "I know we haven't seen each other in so long, but I keep up with your blog and pray". THANK YOU! God is hearing you and holding us all!

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.