Suzanne is scheduled for surgery Tuesday, a throat biopsy at Rush in Chicago. Have you looked at the radar lately? There is suppose to be a blizzard there Monday & Tuesday. As if this coming event wasn’t stressful enough, we’ve been hearing about the impending snowstorm for a week now. You can imagine all the ‘What ifs’ that were running through our heads; What if we can’t get there, what if the doctor can’t get there, cancel the surgery, can’t…
A 1977 Mel Books movie by that name describes what I perceive as the phenomenon prevalent in our household these past few weeks. Suzanne and I are both suffering from what I assume is anxiety as we continue to wait and wait for definitive answers and the next steps that will dictate our lives. As I went into ‘Internet Doctor’ mode to see what I could find, I discovered there was no easy explanation of our emotions. In Fact, everything…
Do you know a half-glass-full or a half-glass-empty person? Maybe you fall into one of these two categories yourself. Well, all three members of our physician team fall into one of these, two are half-full, one is half-empty. Our day started at 6 am when we left for Chicago in the dark. Once there, Suzanne’s day consisted of Accessing her port, PET Scan, Interventional services to check her feeding tube, CT Scan, and then appointments with her doctors; Radiation, Chemotherapy,…
On Sunday we were surrounded physically and remotely with our many wonderful friends and family. That day Suzanne & I were at our local church, prayed, sang, and read a little from the bible, all with the hope that God will place his healing hand on her. I shared with those in attendance that praying aloud was not my forte, not in my wheelhouse, just not something I’m comfortable with. I do it all the time; every meal Suzanne &…
This week, our journey in life is at a crossroad that we knew was coming. This week has been in our crosshairs since mid-August when Suzanne’s cancer treatment plan was discussed and implemented. This week, the success of Suzanne’s treatments will be revealed. I would like to share with you how we got to this week and how prayers have been answered. August 1st we met a Dr in Gibson City who told Suzanne that she had a large mass…
We all have one. The shelf in the basement where all the canned goods which were questionably purchased have been banished. A bottle of salad dressing that sounded good in the store but has never made it to a salad; that half a case of green beans you bought when you needed 1 can for a recipe; those Campbell Soup cans that accumulate because you bought 2 more not remembering if you had any; All of which have questionable dates…
It’s almost hard to remember back a year ago when churches were open, hugs were acceptable, travel plans were being made and smiles on faces were visible. Life just seemed so simple. For us, our plans for the new year of 2020 included a trip to see Justin in February, summertime flea markets, and a long-planned visit to Germany in September to spend time with our German Daughter, Carolin. It was on our way home from Justin’s last February that…
It’s hard to explain, waking up Christmas morning the other day should have been filled with joy & excitement. The chance to be with family, opening presents, eating more than I should, and just plain having fun. That’s not what I felt, Christmas was different this year. I woke up with a knot in my stomach that I just couldn’t shake. Not that I didn’t feel well, just one of those uneasy feelings. I continued on with all my morning…
Merry Christmas to all our friends and family. A cold but joyous day to celebrate the birth of Jesus and his humble beginnings. Over the past couple of days, we were blessed to see a number of our children and grandchildren. Some in-person, some remotely, always with joy in our hearts and a smile on our faces. To all of you who have lifted us up in prayer, called, visited, sent cards, brought John meals or silently carred, THANK YOU!…
Who starts all the sayings we are familiar with and how do they become part of our everyday vocabulary. My dad was prolific with these types of sayings and will share that at some point. But, ‘The difference is like night and day’ is the one that is appropriate here. First, let me apologize for not updating you sooner. Sometimes, as my past friend, Lyle would say, “I was up to my waist (not his exact word) in alligators, trying…