A Little More House to See...

Here are a few more picture of the house.  It is such a blessing and a miracle for us!  Also, a little bit of a walk down memory lane.  It was built in the early 90's so the wall to wall mauve and forest green carpet along with the tiny flower wallpaper in every bathroom and the kitchen really brings back memories of our first apartment and the style of decor during the time when we first got married.  We have some fun plans for updates and look forward to having space to move around.  

We have loved our current neighborhood and at the time we moved in the house was a blessing too.  God has taught us so much and we are excited to move into a house where we feel like the roots can go down deep.

Laundry room off the kitchen

Wall opposite the washer and dryer

Hall bathroom

Hall bathroom

Boys room - they already have a plan to cover the pink carpet until we can get new laid

Girls room

Master bedroom

Master bathroom tub

Master bathroom vanity

Wanna See the Kitchen?

Zach gets his first tour...and wants to share it with you!

I apologize, I am not that great at "all picture" blog posts.  I will do my best.  I know some of you far away have asked about the new house.  Tonight we were able to get into it again.  Zach was so excited, it was his first time to see inside!

Today I give you a look into the kitchen and dining area...tomorrow some more!

Front view outside

Island in the kitchen - yes we can ALL make cookies together!

Kitchen - looking out the window to the backyard

Looking into kitchen from dining room (shopping for a stove)

My first pantry!

In the dining room looking out the back window

Kitchen - looking toward the dining room

Back view outside

Heart Work

Okay, so I have not posted for a few days.  Let me tell you the truth, you would NOT have wanted to hear what I had to say.  I didn't like hearing the thoughts that have been going through my head and so, I chose not to subject everyone else to them either.

Now though, after a few days of settling into the routine of morning and evening cleaning and repacking of wounds as we wait for over a week for surgery, and getting over the truth that I failed at taking care of my wound vac properly, I am in a better frame of mind.  In fact, I am able to focus on some of my "mom duties" and realize there are a few things that need fixing.

The main thing is helping my two daughters who are TOTALLY opposite learn how to dwell together in peace while they share a room.  Miss Clean and Tidy vs. Miss Messy is not what you want happening in your house day after day after day!  Bless their hearts, they both are trying to be themselves and live the way they are best comfortable.  They will be GREAT college room mates for someone after another 7 years of practice!

For now, the climax of the week came this morning when the blow up about clothing borrowed and not returned as promised was when I realized that I had just let these girls go back and forth for the last couple of weeks, annoyed more than concerned that they were learning to get along and working through their problems in a way that would work for them.  I love that God has given me insight into how each one of them are wired, He is so great to provide the parenting wisdom when we ask! (James 1:5)

With each of them I was able to talk them through the emotion part and get through to the heart part where each of them could be convicted and realize that they weren't dealing with each other in love and respect, putting them in each other's shoes.  This evening has been great, they have come together over sushi and in our house sushi (along with a lot of love) covers a multitude of sins!

Then there is the boys...Ryan is growing up before our eyes.  He stands up to my eye and he is taking on some pretty big challenges.  We have been able to spend more time together in the last couple weeks and I have felt pretty in tune with him.  The littles have also enjoyed that Mom can once again snuggle (even if only lightly).  Matthew and Zach are enjoying stories in my lap and all the things they need to fill their tanks.

Then there is my wonderful, awesome, husband...what a blessing he is to me!  He has taken on every challenge that has arisen from this cancer journey and learned what he needs to and along with the physical needs that have come with the wound packing and the pain management, he has continued to pour out his love and given me the confidence to accept what is happening to me and my body and still make me feel like the center of his world.  What a blessing!

As a little cherry on top of this week of hard emotional work, a little milestone occured tonight.  As we got ready to go out to eat I threw on a pair of blue jeans to wear and it worked...they were comfortable!  For the two hours we were out, I wore regular "go out to eat" clothes and not a frumpy pair sweat pants and a t-shirt!

Some Good News and Bad News

Wow...what a day it has been today.  God has been SO good, SO patient with us, SO much a Father to us in these last few months.  I am overwhelmed with the riches that He has given to us to our family, in our relationships, our perspective on life, in the building of our faith and the coming together as a team to make His glory seen!

It started, a day like many others, except for the slim chance that we could have an acceptance of an counteroffer we got in response to our counter offer.  Someone offered on our house yesterday.  As much as we would like her to be able to have it, we couldn't give it to her at the price she wanted.  So, we countered.  And she countered, and we countered our FINAL offer.  She wanted to talk to the bank today to see if it would work.  We decided not to get our hopes up.

So, like I said, was not expecting anything, still praying that God would allow us to bless her if that was His will (and we feel that we are blessing her with the price and the extras that have agreed to).  That aside, I had a doctors appointment to check on my "angry" spots.  David came with me and voiced his strong concern that nothing seems to be getting better.  Doc took one look and said "lets get her into surgery, it will take about an hour and we will take care of these once and for all".  And, out he went.  So, bad news, another surgery on October 3rd.  Out patient, and short but another surgery.  This time my physical has expired so even though I have had two surgeries this summer, I will still have to go see my family doctor to make sure I am healthy enough to have surgery.  (Although seems I am not healthy enough to heal from the last one so who knows what is the determining factor for THAT!)

BUMMER I am thinking, when will I ever feel better????  UGH!  I went right down to the lab to get my blood work done since I was there anyway.  I know the whole PCI building in and out.  Someday when I get bored with my life at home, I may try to get a job at the Caribou Coffee shop there at the clinic.  It seems like a second home to me!  Of course I will have to get bored with my life at home first and I have too much on my to do list for that!  After coffee with my honey, I dropped him back off at work.

Once home I arranged for childcare with my mom for next Thursday and settled into my recliner with the rest of my coffee.  Not ten minutes later, the phone rang.  The realtor was on the other end telling me that the counter offer was accepted and we need to come into the office and sign the new contract!  It really isn't real yet for me.  A little more after the kids got home and they were super excited.  

I know it has been a hope for so long that now it will take a while to get used to the idea!  I mean, selling our house wasn't even on our radar til mid June!  God has been so amazing to provide just enough distraction during every step of the cancer journey to have my eyes looking ahead toward a great possibility of a new house and then He has had me busy with recovery during the big stressful waiting period of selling the house.  We do not deserve any of the blessings He gives, we are truly thankful that He gives good gifts to his children!

Cancer Files: Bye-Bye Binders!

Whoopie!!!!  I am binder free!  The day came that I was looking forward to and also fearing.  The doctor said I don't NEED the binders to keep me all together anymore.  After week four, my body should be able to maintain it's new shape without much help. (I wore them til week 5 and 2 days just to be sure!)

The fear came from the fact that I haven't been comfortable (in fact, I have been very UNCOMFORTABLE) without one even just laying on my bed longer than 10-15 minutes.  So, I was a little afraid of walking around with everything "unbound".  With the wound vac doing its own thing, it isn't that bad after all.  With the gaping wound being vacuumed closed, it is MUCH more comfortable moving around than it has been.  I am not happy with the healing on the right side top incision so tomorrow at the doctor we will have to see what he has to say about it.  It is funny how the right side that had the cancer has reconstructed pretty well.  The left side that we opted to include to try to keep things even and uniform is causing some problems and that incision is getting worse, not healing.

We will just keep following doctors orders and one of these days we will see some progress.  But for now...I need to find time to get to the chiropractor.  The binder was doing my back's work for it and it has forgotten how to keep me upright without complaining!

Nothing That Pain Pills and a Game of Monopoly Can't Fix!

Pain pills are really equivalent to antidepressants when you are recovering from a major surgery.  Especially if a few complications arise through the experience.  I hit a pretty low low today.  The hole in my incision, the fact I can't keep up with housework, the fact that 11 year olds don't keep up with the housework, and that there is not much traffic AT ALL to see our house that is on the market...well, it was enough to put me in a not too wonderful state of mind today.

Why couldn't I shake these things was my question I asked myself in defeat?  Pain meds had run out and I only had one to last 24 hours.  Again, doctors needed to approve and there was no fax to the pharmacy by closing time.  Thanks to my dad, he took Matthew and his cousin out to the garden with him this afternoon and I got a reprieve and an afternoon nap.  MUCH appreciated!

While I was napping the text came that my prescription was ready to pick up and away I went!  Then, not long after I got back home, David came arrived.  Not just from work, but from Des Moines where he had been for two days in a training.  He was happy to take over and give me time for the pain meds to kick in.  He finished up supper and served it up to everyone.  It wasn't so much that the pain was gone when the medication kicked in, but I could concentrate better, I could tolerate more and I could enjoy a game of Monopoly with my kids. 

Ugh...I have to admit, I am still a mess but God is still good, and I will get through this!

Cancer Files: Recovery Continues

I got home from yesterday's adventures at the Wound Clinic and certainly didn't feel like sitting down and typing about the whole experience.  But then I remembered, I left everyone in my last post saying that I would. I sat down and tried, to no avail.  So, tonight I will give everyone a catch up...

The curious girl in me looked up "wound vac" on YouTube and yes, watched a video of the installation.  It was helpful to know what to expect and I like to be prepared mentally.  It started on Tuesday when I went into my check up with the plastic surgeon.  He took one look at the abdominal wound and said he was sending me to the wound clinic to put in a wound vac.  He (like my husband here at home) said that this healing process is not progressing like he would like to see.  He did a little snipping and a little poking around and then sent me on my way.

Once at the wound clinic I was told that they were working with the insurance to make sure that it would be covered before they put it in since each day I have it will be very expensive (so expensive in fact, that the nurse wouldn't give us a figure).  They got me all registered and typed in all of my information before the doctor came in.  Just hearing him say "Oh yeah, this will heal up quick with the vac in place" made that little glimmer of hope reappear.  Unfortunately, they couldn't confirm the coverage for Tuesday so they again packed my wound full of gauze and sent me home.

Fast forward to Wednesday at 2 o'clock.  I am back at the wound clinic approved by insurance to put it in and get the healing jump started!  It is amazing what it does (tonight when my husband got home from his trip to Des Moines for a conference he was relieved to see it doing its thing).  They put a piece of foam into the wound and seal the area.  There is a tube that is inserted into the foam and when the vac is turned on it sucks all of the air and moisture out of the area.  It keeps the wound together and gives it a much better chance to stay clear of infection.  They said a 8-10 week healing time can be reduced to 2 1/2 - 3 weeks.  I am looking forward to reporting they were right!

Hopefully my picture won't gross anyone out, the kids think it is cool!  They put an extra piece of foam coming from the wound and attached the tubing a little farther away from the hole so it wouldn't cause any irritation.  The wound itself is the part along the bottom.  The picture is after the vacuum had started the suction.

I am looking forward to going in tomorrow and hearing the measurements.  I will get a new set of foam and tubing tomorrow.  In the meantime I carry this little pack around with me that if you listen very carefully at times sounds like I had too many beans for dinner!  It makes my boys giggle so it is all good!