October 31 Quiet and peaceful

Saturday:    My recovery has gone very well this week. It sure has been QUIET around here without the grandchildren. I miss them very much. My stomach is healing up very nicely. The bruising around the incisions have lessened, and I don't hurt nearly as bad as I did--I can even sneeze now and blow my nose without wincing! Yay! I'm still on the full liquid diet, but I added cream of potato soup yesterday and enjoyed it a lot. I mixed it with a can of milk, blended it real good in my tiny blender, and then microwaved it. I have another half of it to finish up today.

Brenda has been a constant help, friend, guide, "mother" all throughout the week. I've spoken to her every day via FaceTime. It's always wonderful to see her kind face. She came yesterday to help me with groceries. I had planned to pick up the groceries at Meijer (I ordered them on-line and got one free pick-up), but when I tried to start my car yesterday, it wouldn't! Brenda came and drove me to Meijer, helped bring my groceries inside, and then she asked to try starting my car. She got it to start! Yes! I took it for a drive after Brenda left, and while I was out and about, I drove through Wendy's and picked up a few more chocolate Frosty's for my nourishment.

And speaking of nourishment, every day so far I have eaten this:

• one helping of Cream of Wheat (with cinnamon and brown sugar)
• one strawberry yogurt (Activia)
• two chocolate Ensure (yuck)
• one bowl of creamy soup
• lots of water
• one helping of jello or pudding
• sometimes a scoop of ice cream or sherbert at night

Lots is going on about COVID. We are seeing an upswing in Kent County, and for almost the first time since this nightmare began, I actually know several people who are "down" with it. Dylan and Kelly have friends who have it, so they have had to isolate all week. Kelly has had to cancel clients. They sound like they are doing okay ... I wish I could be of help to them.

Emma informed me that the high school has shut its doors once again as of last Friday. A few COVID cases prompted this. PLUS, their good friend Larry--at whose house Emma is living--has contracted COVID. He is not a healthy person to begin with (diabetes, heart disease, blood disorder). Emma has had to quarantine from work as a result.

One of our Bible study ladies has also contracted COVID. She is a young single woman who runs her own floral business here in town. Several of her business partners have COVID and now she has it too. Our Bible study group meets virtually, so none of us have been exposed. 

So what on earth have I been doing? 

I've been making cards, naturally! Consequently, I have been almost 100% happy the entire week! I LOVE making cards. I love the beauty God has created, and I love His beautiful Word. I hope to make three more cards today! 

Also, I have returned to playing Solitaire Scrabble. Pathetic, I know it! But I have so much fun playing Scrabble. I just do Player A against Player B ... and I win every time!

Of course, Matey is always very near by ... he's quite a rascal these days.

It's a beautiful day as far as the weather is concerned. I am going to force myself out into the cold and take an actual stroll around the block in a little while--perhaps I'll take my camera with me.

October 25, A welcomed visit

Sunday:  Since I had done so well with visitors yesterday, I messaged Jesse that it would bring a smile to my heart if he could stop by for a brief hello. He told him to bring anyone who wanted to come with him!

Emma and Jesse came over and visited for about an hour with me. It was SO wonderful to see them! We had such a nice time talking. I had hunted through my refrigerator before they arrived and separated out any solid food that was already opened and that would "go bad" in the next few weeks unless I gave it away. I found two loaves of Emma's favorite breads, some all-beef hotdogs and buns for Jesse, some assorted snack food, and chips and crackers from my pantry too.

Look at how handsome my Jesse is! Hey, and listen to this--I have been praying about extra income for him--COVID has affected his supplementary income and he has a serious problem near the end of the month just making it. On Friday, Jesse heard from a friend of a friend who needed a driver of a rented truck to transport to Chicago, pick up some restaurant equipment, and return it to Grand Rapids.

Jesse is an excellent driver PLUS he loves to drive! So he did this job and was paid well for his labor! Thank you, Lord, for meeting Jesse's real need. My heart felt like bursting listening to Jesse describe his adventure to Chicago! There is promise of more driving for this fellow in the future--nothing regular, but at least something to supplement. I just could not be more thankful.

October 24 Excellent care

Saturday:  Well, this is my second day home from the hospital. I am on what is called a "full liquid diet" (as opposed to a "clear liquid diet") and I am already pretty yucked out thinking that I have many more weeks of drinking ENSURE, chocolate notwithstanding. The chocolate certainly beats out the vanilla by a long shot, but it still tastes nasty. BUT it has protein, which is much needed at this point since I am not getting much nutrition otherwise.

I was laying on the couch late this morning, thinking about all the stuff I had to give thanks about ... but my brain kept going to something that I WANTED that I hadn't received--which is really bratty of me--but I was just longing for some flowers! I mean, don't sick people usually receive flowers?! So I just kind of casually mentioned this to the Lord ... looked up and asked Him for FLOWERS ... barely got the "Amen" spoken when I noticed a red van pull into my driveway. I opened the front door and read "Rockford Florist" on the side of the truck! A dear woman carried up this beautiful vase of flowers to me! I was SO amazed ... truly! God! You are so AWESOME. Talk about feeling LOVED. My friend from Muskegon (Gail) sent them to me with the kindest note attached. But the timing of their arrival ... SO wonderful!

My dear friend, Karen dropped over mid-afternoon. I love Karen so much. She is difficult to describe because people just don't get any nicer or more beautiful than Karen ... but God has given me a whole handful of beautiful people, different from each other, but ALL of them kind and caring friends. Karen brought over FOUR Frosty's from Wendy's !!  and TWO different Chinese soups! PLUS, she sat down and we visited for two hours, which seemed like perhaps TWO seconds. I love Karen so much. I drank one of the Frosty's and froze the other three. I love Frosty's!

AND, just as Karen was leaving, dear dear DEAR Brenda arrived with this absolutely perfect humidifier! Look at it! It's just right and I could even figure out how to put it together and operate it ... practically a miracle! The air is super dry in my little house during the winter and I find that when I try to sleep at night, I get a dry hacking cough--which has been terribly painful with these incisions. But this humidifier has given me much relief already! Thank you, Brenda!

Just a few more shots of these darling flowers ...

Thank you, Lord, for friendships ... for the kindness of dear women who YOU have placed in my life to bless me. I am filled up to the top with their love ... and with Your Excellent Care !

October 23

Friday:   I came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. Ruthanne and Terry had come up Tuesday and were at my house taking care of Matey. It was so nice to see them and visit with them yesterday and this morning. They have now driven back to Detroit. My refrigerator is full of the liquid foods (!!) that I am able to eat in the next week--LIQUIDS ONLY--although they don't have to be clear at least. I can have puddings, jell-o, yogurt, Ensure (a protein drink), Apple juice, Cream of Wheat cereal, cream of Chicken soup and those kinds of liquids. So I am all set. 

I have four rather sore incisions. The larger of them is the one the tumor came out from. All are darkly bruised, sealed with some kind of skin glue (!!), and seem to be healing. That's good. They are creepy to look at.

Tuesday, just before Dr. Onesti wheeled me into surgery, she stopped next to where I was laying and told me she was going to do something. 

"This is something that I do with all of my patients, no matter what. I can do it out loud or I can do it silently--but I pray before each procedure and ask for God's blessing. May I pray out loud for us?" 

So with my friend, Brenda, holding my left hand and Dr. Onesti holding my right, she prayed and gave thanks to "the God of the Universe who created every cell" in my body and asked that none of them be cancerous. She prayed His blessing over every surgical instrument, the surgical robots, computer, anesthesiologists, nurses, and asked Him to bless us no matter the outcome. I think the mile-wide smile stayed on my face the entire 35-minute procedure.

Yes, Dr. Onesti was able to do the shorter procedure and did not need to re-route all of the plumbing. She did caution, though, that when I return to a regular diet, if I have trouble eating and becoming full immediately (that would not be good), she might end up having to do the longer procedure--evidently the tumor was closer to the connector than even the MRI had indicated--but she is hoping this is all I will need. Me TOO. 

For the next six weeks, I have been told that I cannot lift more than TEN pounds--last week they had mentioned fifteen pounds, but at discharge the paperwork indicated TEN. They had a picture of a gallon of milk and stated it weighed EIGHT pounds. I guess for the next month or so, I will not be with my little ones. Perhaps they can stop by with their parents just to say hi for a brief time. I will miss all of them terribly.

Thank you, Lord, for taking such good care of me at the hospital--for the kindness of all of the nurses and doctors and for family and friends.

October 18 Quarantined

Sunday:  No in-person church today. No Emma. No visitors. Sigh. Thankfully, I could worship on-line with Calvary. It was an encouraging and challenging service. 

I've been charting my breathing exercises in preparation for Tuesday's surgery, along with drinking this icky stuff (protein and immune system booster). 

This is the drawing Dr. Onesti did to show me what they are going to do Tuesday. The two pictures are essentially the same, except the bottom picture shows more of what will happen if they have to re-route my stomach/intestines. But hopefully, it will be a simple tumor removal, a 35-minute procedure, overnight stay and then home on Wednesday. See the top right corner in both pictures? The round thing with the little arrow extending down is a diagram of the tumor. Dr. Onesti hopes that it is attached to my stomach wall by just a tiny fragment. The robot can simply lift it up and unattach it--snip, snip ... stitches, and then a done deal. 

But since the tumor is located so close to the "faucet" or "drain" that attaches the intestines to the stomach, if the tumor isn't just "floating" and barely attached, but rather is laying down and embedded into the stomach, then she is going to have to cut more extensively--removing the faucet completely and re-routing the drain on the other side of my stomach and into the intestines via a different route (all inside, thankfully).

GIST = gastrointestinal stromal tumor. These are not aggressive tumors, but CAN be cancer. The tumor will be examined carefully once it is out and then determination will be made as to whether it is benign or malignant. Naturally, I am asking the Lord that this will be the first and more simple procedure, and that the tumor will be benign. But ... either way, God is calling the shots. It's good to know that He holds me in His loving hands. 

October 17 Just a brief time with KT

Saturday:  I was informed yesterday at my Pre-Admit Testing over at the hospital that when I am tested for COVID this afternoon, I have to self-quarantine until surgery. I'm glad they told me that ahead of time! I had to cancel my weekend with Kaity and with Emma too.

I drove over to say a quick hello to Emma this morning and drop off a box that was delivered to my house for her. It was good to see her and to have a little time together. THEN I drove over to see Kaity over at the "new" house. I took my container of magnetic blocks to play with while I was there.

I have gotten my $100 worth out of this fabulous toy many times over. Just to watch Kaity's joy while building and completing a project is worth it to me!

I have enough tiles so that a few people can build and enjoy playing together. I was working on a castle with a bridge/walkway between the towers. Kaity was working on this cute house (below to the right). She wanted me to photograph every angle of her house.

We have two instruction booklets with design ideas ... we copied a few of those today ... and even spelled out the word:

I sure LOVE you, Kaity! I'm glad we had this special time together today since it might be a few weeks until I can be with you again.

October 15 Another swim lesson

Thursday:  Kaity has remained very enthusiastic about her swim lessons! Yay! Every week, she is in Lane 3.

Her teacher, Miss Allie, is very good with the children.

Kaity is learning to go under water without holding her nose! Good job, Kaity!

Excellent work, Kaitlynn! You will be a star swimmer one day!

October 15 The joy of leaves!

Thursday:  Last week, Kaity and I talked about how my yard would finally be full of leaves, ready to rake into a huge pile for her to jump in ...

I LOVE these pictures of Kaity!

For some reason, these photos did not load in the order that I thought they would ... oh well, at least you can see what fun Kaity had in the leaves.

 After Kaity was finished in the leaves, we went inside and played school with our students: Paco, Lily, and Liam ... and then we ate dinner and drove over to Gold Fish swim school for Kaity's lesson.

But here are more leaf pictures from prior to our school time ...

Kaity asked me to bury her in the leaves, which I did!

There she is!

We buried Kaity several times ...

This was Liam and Lily's first leaf experience--Kaity was overjoyed to share the leaves with her kids.

THIS (below) is my favorite picture of the day!

October 14 A surprise visit with Kaity

Wednesday:  Today is my day OFF, but I wanted to drive by and check the progress on Jesse's house and show Kaity my Walking Stick, Stickie, before I let him go! When I arrived at Jesse's new place, Kaity was with her friends, Kenzie and Harper (who live right next door!). The girls found "Stickie" to be very interesting, but agreed that we must set him FREE.

I told Kaity she could pick the place where Stickie would be let go. She walked to the back of their lot and we very carefully set him free. Do you see him there on the leaves?

 I should have known better, but I let the girls talk me into a walk in the DEEP DARK WOODS behind their lots. Look what treasure we found? A completely intact turkey feather!

It is very beautiful back in here--but then, I LOVE woods.

The girls ran ahead and I zoomed in on my phone to get this picture (below). I did not have my camera with me and had to rely on my phone instead.

There is a tiny stream running back here--isn't it lovely? I think it is an offshoot from Mill Creek.

I love these pictures of you, Kaity!

It was so nice to have a surprise visit with you today!

I also got to see Jesse for a few minutes and take Emma to work. AND, I got to look inside and see how the renovations are going for the house ... progress is being made!!  

PS  While we were down near this little stream, the girls and I got a bit muddy ... well, actually VERY muddy ... and the little girls were wearing their school shoes! Oh no! It was totally MY fault. I should have known better than to go down in the gorge without knowing what was underneath all of these leaves. I am so sorry, girls!