The devil has no place in my life. Honestly, sometimes I feel he continues to try drive me in the ground. I will not allow it. No sir-re! Monday morning found be writhing in pain at 2:15am in my back around my shoulder blade. It hurt so bad I could not lay in the bed. I got up to get an ice pack and the heating pad - all the while thinking I had over done it on Sunday with some menial tasks around the house. I went to the den with the ice and the heat and sat down in my recliner and tried to lean back to use the 'cures' I had gathered. The pain was not having any part of the 'cures'. I got up after about five minutes and hit the medicine cabinet to take two Advil. I tried getting back in bed to get comfortable ... not happening. Finally at 3:00am I called my sister who lives across the street and as you know is a nurse (by the way she was up watching the Olympics - sleep is not of great importance in her life). She came over and I explained my issues and she rubbed the affected muscle (or so we thought) and got it to ease up. Then I told her that I couldn't breath very well so she brought me my inhaler. That opened up my bronchial tubes. She went back home about 4:15am which was now time for me to get up and get ready for work. Now my day is started.
I got ready for work and by the time I got there at 6:15am, the left side of my chest began hurting really bad. OK, now I'm thinking I really strained myself on Sunday. At 8:30am I called The Center and ask to speak directly to my sista, Fred, who is one of the great ladies who takes care of me. She told me to come on in so a co-worker took me (thank you again Mary Beth). They roomed me right away and Helena was in there before long. I gave her all the details from my weekend, especially Sunday and then she listened to my lungs. She thought she was hearing a gurgle in the bottom part of my left lung and told me she needed x-rays to see what was going on.
Fred walked me over to the other corner of the building (she's such a blessing) and they got me right in for the x-rays. The first x-rays were standing up and of course that's painless ... the third one however, was laying on that hard table on my left side (that's where the 'muscle' issue was). After she got me positioned, we had to wait for everything to settle for a minute. The x-ray lady gave me my instruction for the third time - take a deep breath and hold it - I wanted to say lady - you take a deep breath and hold it a long time (not really but remember I was in excruciating pain). She finally took that last x-ray and I was able to get up. Oh and since I had on a blouse with little beads on it, I had to put on a scrub top for these x-rays. Putting it on was not an issue but taking it off was another story. I was hurting so bad, I had the x-ray lady to ... oh you know ... do skin the possum .. you know like you did with your kids, ok, well may be you didn't say that but I do. You hold your arms up over your head and someone pulls the shirt off <smile> She helped me get the scrub top off and I was able to get my blouse with the beads on by myself. She took the x-rays, Mary Beth and I back over to the doctor office, once again Fred roomed me right away.
Helena and Dr. Young were doing a preliminary on the 'films' and determined I had either a touch of pneumonia or pneumonitis (inflammation in the lung tissue which sounds like the same thing as pneumonia to me) in the bottom part of my left lung where the radiation got it. I was given a pack of steroids ... the gradual pack ... take six the first day, five the next, etc until you are down to one. She also gave me a 10 day prescription for Levaquin antibiotic. Praising the Lord this morning the steroids have started working on the inflammation and my pain level went from 49 (that was on a scale of 1 to 10) down to about 1 ... that's when I take a deep breath. I was not able to lay flat yesterday at all due to the pain in my chest so I was sleeping sitting at an angle and I don't sleep real well that way but I took what I could get.
Fred kept telling me that they would 'fix me' and all would be OK. She is one of the sweetest. In the picture below, Fred aka Yvonne, is in the middle.
Dr. Young at The Center. Pam, on the right, also works at The Center in an administrative position.
Thankful this morning that I am no longer having that horrible pain in my left chest and am able to get up more easily. I am home for the remainder of the week, taking it easy and letting this thing clear up.
The devil thinks he can take me down, thinks he can make me not Praise my Lord but he is so wrong. He is trying ... as he tries on all of us ... I am not going to let him. Several people told me yesterday that it seemed I couldn't catch a break but I know it's the devil trying to break me and he will NOT win. 1 Peter 5:8-9 Be alert and of somber mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
I know that I will get over this hurdle and continue moving forward, even when the devil raises the hurdle, I may be short but I can overcome.
Before all this started, I was able to go to the 90th birthday party of a lady I have known for many years. We played softball together back in the day. I was blessed to be part of the celebration.
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| Above: These were the ladies from our softball team years and years ago. Great group of friends and Godly women. The birthday girl is in the middle on the front row. Tootsie pitched for us for many many years. |
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| Above: Friends for many years. Left to right: Susan, me, Mike (wife Karin not pictured but is one of the kindest women I know) and Sherri. |
Praises:
* Knowing and believing more than ever that God is in control. He is always with me, no matter how hard the devil tries to knock me down.
* Wonderful medical people who take such good care of me.
* Family who always comes through for me, no matter what time of the night it is. Thank you all.
* My co-worker/friend, Mary Beth, who took her personal leave to take me to The Center and brought me home. Mary Beth, again, thank you.
* Thankful that when I was hurting so bad and thinking I was having a heart attack that it was merely an inflammed lung and this morning is much better.
* An understanding group of folks I work with who want me to get better. They are always there to pick up the pieces when I have to be out. To all of you ... thank you.
Prayer Requests:
* Continued prayers for my friends and all the people that I do not know personally but who are walking the cancer journey and in the throws of either surgery or chemo or radiation. Keep praying for those.
* My continued healing.
Jeremiah 29:11 ... "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".
Blessed and praying blessings for you today.
gkmorrison12@gmail.com
Gena, Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favourite verses in the entire Bible. What a comfort. Great blog. I love seeing faith in all things. Keep it up :)
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