October 29, 2012

     I wanted to send this picture for you all to see how young I look. (lol) I wore my wig to the grocery store today and no one spoke to me. I guess they didn’t recognize me. (ha) It is  beginning to feel very comfortable and natural. I think I would like to wear my hair like the wig when my hair gets healthy again. Let me know what you think about it. There’s a new red head in the neighborhood!

     Saturday night I went to the shower for  Bethany. It was nice and they had so much good food for us. She got nice gifts and a good time was had by all. I got to see David and Hannah’s beautiful house. They are starting out pretty good for young newlyweds. We were not as well equipped as they are. Remember those days?

     Sunday was beautiful! It was a cool and bright sunshiny day. We had a wonderful message and beautiful music the theme of the music was Zion. Carol, our song leader usually tries to have a theme for our music.

     Today was a big day. I got the results of my PET Scan from Dr. Milas. Here are the results: there were two spots that “lit up” on the Scan, my stomach and the knot under my left ear that has been there since the surgery. He had his office make an appointment for me with a Gastroenterologist who is going to send a little camera down my throat into my stomach and see what no one has ever seen before. This may be a good thing, maybe he can see what this glob of phlegm in my throat is and how I can get rid of it. I have to constantly clear my throat all day long. I will be going there on this Friday. To continue, I am going to have to have a   biopsy on the knot but they haven't given me an appointment yet. I guess they will call  tomorrow. Anyway, I was expecting  something like this, God had already prepared me for it. I am not worried about it, He is still the same God that brought me through 2 other cancers and He will take me through this one, if it turns out that either one of these spots are cancer. It seems that this is to be the way I live my life going forward. I can now add Dr. Giday to my ever increasing list of MD’s.

     I almost forgot, we early voted this morning. We went at 10:00 and finally finished at 12:00. There were soooooo many people there. It was very cool, in the mid-fifties. When we were in the sun it was comfortable but when in the shade it was pretty cold. I’m happy to have done my civic duty has been performed. I always get a little rush when I am standing in one of those desks and filling in the little ovals on the ballot. We had 3 pages of ballots, front and back. I pray my ballot will count for the good cause and will be the one that sends us over the top.

     Tomorrow at 7:30 I will be having my first cataract removed. I am getting up at 5:30 so I can be ready to hit the road at 6:30. Poor Deanna is going to have to take me and bring me home. All my girls have been so patient and caring through the things I have put them through with all my problems. Thank God that they are loving and caring and living a victorious  Christian life. Seeing them love the Lord is my greatest joy in life.

     This brings you up to date on the life and times of Mary Margaret.

The big “C” in me is Christ enabling me to deal with the little “c” cancer.”

Remember to E-mail me

angel8mmj@gmail.com

October 25, 2012

     Well, yesterday I started the day very early, 6:30. I don’t think I have been up that early in months. Anyway, I had to go to Florida Eye Clinic to have my eyes measured for the lenses to put in my eyes when I have cataract surgery on Tuesday. It didn’t take long and went well. I will go in on Tuesday but I don’t yet know what time. Someone will call me on Monday to let me know. The rest of the day was spent going to the acupuncturist and being here when Kathy came to give Annie her bath and haircut. Annie loves Kathy but really hates the bath and clipping. She used to run and hide under the desk of my computer but I have learned to close all the doors before Kathy gets here.
     I worked on some wedding cards to have on hand. My supply of backup cards was depleted and now it is well stocked again. I was happy to get to bed and catch up on the sleep I missed that morning.
     Today began at a more reasonable hour. I finished my cards, which look actually look very pretty. I picked on our for my grandson’s wedding November 30th. This will make 3 of Donna’s 4 boys that are married. I didn’t know I would see this day. When they were little it seemed like such a long way off. I am truly thankful that God has allowed me to see this wonderful event.
     Someone from the Eye Clinic called this morning and wanted to get my medical history. This took almost an hour. She said for me to go to where I kept my perscriptions and take them  out one by one and read the name, mgs, and dosage. I had already given them this information on my last visit and the doctor sent them my list also, but I gave it to her anyway. Then she tells me to bring all the bottles with me on Tuesday. I asked her was she kidding and she said no. I have had major cancer surgery and they didn’t check things out that thoroughly. WOW!
     This afternoon was the best fun I’ve had in awhile. My hair has been thinning out pretty fast. Dorean, Amanda, Colton and I went wig shopping. We found a wig place that was    amazing. There were hundreds of wigs of all colors and lengths. The girls picked out a red one for me to try on and they really liked. Dorean said I should get something that looks different. Well, that is what I did. I’m going to try to get a  picture to put on my blog. Dorean sent a picture to everyone in the family and they all say it makes me look so much younger. How about that? It is a light red, short and straight with bangs. Very different from my normal hair. I love it!
     You can see how exciting my life is. Don’t you wish you could follow me around for awhile? Can you take the excitement?
     Good night all. Love you lots.
     Mary Margaret
    The big “C” in me is Christ enabling me to deal with the little “c” cancer.”

Remember to E-mail me

angel8mmj@gmail.com

 

October 23, 2012

     I’m baaaaaaaak! This is gong to be a very busy week. Lots of appointments to meet. I’ll start with Sunday. It was a wonderful day. The weather was beautiful, a little nip in the air which I love. Beautiful services and fellowship with dear people and friends. Tim and Dorean got home at mid-night Saturday night so we went over to see them after Bible Study. It is so good to have them back. They had a great time in Texas and spent a whole day at the Texas State Fair. It is good for them to get away, but we are glad they are back.
     Monday was busy. It started with an appointment for a PET Scan. As usual they had trouble  finding a vein. After 2 tries they finally brought in the chief of the department who was very good. I had requested the best one that could find difficult veins and as usual, the first two thought they were the best. It took a whole hour to get the vein and another hour to wait for the radiation to get through my system and about 45 minutes for the actual test. I will find out the results on Monday. It all depends of God’s will now.
     Today I had a little running around to do. First a haircut. Genny is my beautician and has been for about 3 years I think. She agrees with me that my hair is coming out. I’m going to have to get a hold of my radiation oncology nurse to see what to do about it. I have always had thick hair but it is really thin now. Maybe I will be getting a wig. I think that might be nice, for awhile anyway. I might try something different since I have been wearing my hair basically the same way since high school.
     I got a Francesca Battistelli CD so I can listen to her song “This is the Stuff” in my car. (I wrote the words in my blog of October 11.) It really is easy to get bogged down in our little “stuff” and concentrate on that and not on all the beautiful things God is doing for us. It’s funny how just a few word of a song can reveal such an amazing truth. I’m sure the principle of the “little stuff” and the “big blessings” is in Scripture but the song makes it so simple. I will have to spend some time finding the verses in the Bible.
     I found some DVD’s of the first four seasons of the old Bob Newhart Show at Sam’s and we have been enjoying them and laughing so much. They were such great shows and the humor is so different than what we laugh at now. Those were really the “good ‘ol days” of TV.  Some of the shows are good now, but not many. We seem to be hung up on some of the reality shows, they are better “scripted” than the professional shows. One of our favorites is “Duck Dynasty.” I guess we find it so funny because it is filmed not too far from our home town of  El Dorado, AR., West Monroe, LA. If you can find it I think you will enjoy it too. I can’t stand “Honey, Boo Boo.” I don’t know why it is such a hit.
     Anyway, this is all you will hear from me tonight. I have a busy day tomorrow. At 8:00am I have an appointment in Altamonte Springs which is about 25 miles from my house, to get the measurements done for the lenses for my eyes when I have the cataract surgery on Tuesday. I will also be going to my acupuncturist in the afternoon. I am buying a lot of new cars for a lot of my doctors.
     Love to all,
     Mary Margaret

     The big “C” in me is Christ enabling me to deal with the little “c” cancer.”

Remember to E-mail me

angel8mmj@gmail.com

 

October 20, 2012

     It has been rather uneventful since I last wrote my blog. When Dorean is gone the spice is out of my life. She has a way of keeping things going around here. She and Tim will be home late tonight or sometime tomorrow. I know McKenzie and Colton will be happy to see their “Honey” again. So will we all.
     I will go back to Thursday night when I went to Rebekah’s surprise birthday party. She was very surprised. It was a great party especially for the kids that came. We had pizza, Greek salad, garlic knots and for dessert, a brownie trifle which is Deanna’s specialty. It used to me mine, but I have relinquished the recipe to her and now my specialty is Macaroni and Cheese.
     Friday night we took Amanda, McKenzie and Colton out for dinner. I kept Colton while they went to a “Movie in the Park” that Ocoee has each Friday. They took a blanket, snacks and insect repellent. Our little town of Ocoee has some little things going to try and make it a great place to live. We have a Farmer’s Market every Friday evening. This is a pretty good place to live.
     Today was very slow until Amanda brought McKenzie and Colton over for me to take care of while she worked the concession stand at a ball game. There are benefits when Dorean goes out of town and Michael is working out of town. I get to see more of my great-grandchildren. McKenzie and I made little bracelets out of her new bead kit while Colton took one of his 15 minute naps. He is laughing and smiling so much now. He is just too cute!
     I am looking forward to tomorrow. Sundays are my favorite day of the week. They were even    better when we used to have all our members at the Bible Study on Sunday night. They are greatly loved and missed. We pray their health will allow them to come back someday.
     I will try to write again tomorrow. I will have to be on a no carb diet tomorrow because I have the PET Scan on Monday. It is hard not to eat any carbs but it is for only one day. I’m really not suppose to eat many carbs anyway because they turn into sugar and it sends my blood sugar up. I didn’t realize how many carbs I ate until I had to cut down on them. It seems that carbs were my main source of nourishment before diabetes.
     Have a great night all.
     Mary Margaret

 

The big “C” in me is Christ enabling me to deal with the little “c” cancer.”

Remember to E-mail me

angel8mmj@gmail.com

 

October 16, 2012

     Sunday was another day of blessings. That means spending time with committed Christians and people we love, hearing the word of God, eating some great food, getting a nap and more Bible Study in the evening.
     Tim and Dorean left for Texas this morning. I am going to miss them so much. Dorean is my sounding board and encourager. I’ve always said we share a brain. Some days she has it and some days I have it. Now a days it seems like she has it more that I do. She seems to get more use out of it than I do.
     Monday was errand day. Billy and I had lots of things to take care of so we spent the day running around to different stores. We accomplished a lot and just lulled around for the rest of the day. We are into the old movies and I record them off of TMC and we will watch 1 or 2 each evening. We don’t watch much that isn’t recorded.
     Today has been rather leisurely. The cat the dog and I have had a good time just being together and getting rubs, pats and licks from each other. Our little pets are so loving and sweet.
     The “big blessings” just keep coming every day. God is so good to me. If I don’t do much of anything, it is a blessing and if I am busy and on the go, go, go He still blesses me in the beautiful day, the people that cross my path, the world around me and just being in my beautiful home that God has provided for us. Another blessing is, I  got a call from my doctor’s office where I had the blood work done. They said everything look great, my cholesterol, sugar, A1c count, pancreas, liver, kidneys and anything else they checked. I am now cleared for my cataract surgery and I’m now waiting for a call for the doctor’s office to set that up.
     This is the end of my rambling for tonight. Thanks for being here.
Love to all.    
Mary Margaret

The big “C” in me is Christ enabling me to deal with the little “c” cancer.”

Remember to E-mail me

angel8mmj@gmail.com

 

October 13, 2012

     I’m catching up again. Yesterday was a lovely day. I went to lunch with a good friend. We planned to go to Bone Fish Grill but discovered that they don’t open until 4:00. Too bad because I had my mouth set for some Bang Bang Shrimp and their outstanding Coconut Cream Pie. We went to Mimi’s and had a great lunch and some fine conversation. Karen is a great conversationalist and a wealth of information. We have had some great times with Karen and her husband Dann. How blessed we are to have such good friends.

     Last night Billy and I went to Rebekah’s high school homecoming football game. She is a cheer leader, actually she is what they call a “flyer” which means she is the one that gets thrown into the air occasionally. She is the smallest on the squad, just under 5 feet and probably about 95 pounds. She has long dark brown hair half way down her back and it is very straight. Very beautiful! We left the game after half time and Deanna called me to ask us to pray for one of the football player that had to be taken to the hospital. They thought he might have a broken neck. Today they found out it was a concussion and he is doing much better now. I prayed for him many times during the night.

     Today was pretty dull until about 4:30 when Dorean came by and we went to Deanna’s to see Rebekah. She was getting dressed up for her Homecoming Dance. Alyssa did her hair which looked beautiful. When she got dressed up in her amazing black dress and her red shoes she looked like a star. She is such a beautiful girl anyway.

     The last too days have been so nice. I had some great time with a great friend, got to see my granddaughter tossed into the air, got to see he turned into a beautiful 16 (on Monday) year old for her first dance. I can sit here and think back with pleaser and joy on my days and thank the Lord for blessing me with friends and family. I like to count all of you among my friends too. I am blessed very big. (See song in last post.)

     God bless you all.
     Mary Margaret

The big “C” in me is Christ enabling me to deal with the little “c” cancer.”

Remember to E-mail me

angel8mmj@gmail.com

 

October 11, 2012

     Hello folks. Big news! Yesterday was an anniversary for me. It was one year ago on the 10th of October that I had my first cancer surgery. A lot has happened in that year. Another cancer surgery in April and radiation in June and July. The physical things are so small compared to the things that God has done in my life. There is a song I’ve heard on the Christian radio station called “This is the Stuff” sung by Francesca Battistelli. It is kind of cute and peppy but once you get the words its is very deep and true. Here are the lyrics so you can see for yourself:

I lost my keys in the great unknown

And call me please ‘Cuz I can’t find my phone.

CHORUS: This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff that’s getting to me lately

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I’m blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

But I gotta trust You know exactly what You’re doing

It might not be what I would choose

But this is the stuff You use.

 

45 in a 35

Sirens and fines while I’m running behind

Whoa

Chorus

So break me of impatience

Conquer my frustrations

I’ve got a new appreciation

It’s not the end of the world.

Oh, Oh, Oh

Chorus

     What really caught my ear was the two lines in the middle of the chorus “In the middle of my little mess, I forget how big I’m blessed.” This is why I say the physical things are small compared to the things that God has done for me. I love it when I get to hear someone else has expressed something that I am experiencing.
     This is enough for tonight. Thanks for listening.
     Love to you all,
     Mary Margaret

The big “C” in me is Christ enabling me to deal with the little “c” cancer.”

Remember to E-mail me

angel8mmj@gmail.com

 

October 8, 2012

     It looks like Thursday was the last time I posted something. Sorry about that. Friday and Saturday were pretty slow days except for going to the gym. Sunday was another wonderful day as Sundays usually go. Billy and I had lunch with Donna and Daniel at Olive Garden which is very near where we have church. We had a sweet little server from Bulgaria. We enjoyed talking with her.
     Once again, we had a lovely Bible Study. We were looking at the priest’s garments. The whole tabernacle must have been a beautiful sight. Made to God’s specifications it couldn’t help but be a magnificent sight. Perhaps we will be able to see it on the New Earth.
    Today was Billy’s day off and we didn’t do much. I had recorded “Fiddler On The Roof” which is one of his favorite movies. By the end of the movie I am always depressed. It is sad the way the Jewish people have been treated down through the ages.
     Anyway, we didn’t even leave the house today. Billy needs to get some rest on this one day he has off. Once and a while we need to make a trip to Sam’s but not today. It is really nice to just sit around with him and not to have things that have to be done.
     This is a slow week as far as doctors appointments go. I only have one, acupuncture on Wednesday. Next week Billy and I both have appointments. It seems like that is all we do now. My insurance is going to drop me if I don’t get healthy. I totaled up the bills from this last surgery and radiation treatments. It was over $400,000.00. Fortunately, our part was much less than that. It’s a good thing that it is getting near the end of the year or I might not be covered for the rest of my treatments. I have a PET Scan in 2 weeks and they cost $12,000.00. That is why ObamaCare is rather frightening. At my age and with my health problems, I would be given a   number and get in line for tests. His health care bill is not going to take care of Senior Citizens but give them what is called “Comfort Care.” God is still sovereign and I will trust in Him as I do now.
     Good night to all.
     Mary Margaret

The big “C” in me is Christ enabling me to deal with the little “c” cancer.”

Remember to E-mail me

angel8mmj@gmail.com

 

October 4, 2012

     Not much action during the day today, but this evening I went to Dorean’s to see my little Colton. Billy has Bible Study on Thursday nights at THLE and doesn’t get home till 9:30 so I have to find something to make the long evenings pass. Holding and feeding Colton is the best way I can think of to spend an evening. He is growing and getting heaver and starting to smile and laugh a lot. He has the most beautiful face and is so kissable. We are going to wear the skin off his face with all our kisses.

     On the way home a song came on the radio that I really like, it is “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercyme and almost brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it.

I can only imagine, what it will be like

When I walk by Your side.

I can only imagine what my eyes will see

When Your face is before me.

I can only imagine, I can only imagine.

 

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel?

Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of You be still?

Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine, I can only imagine.

 

I can only imagine when all I will do is forever, forever worship You.

     When it was over I said to myself, “I’m sure we can’t really imagine what it will be like when we are face to face with the Person we were chosen to be with in the place we were    destined to spend eternity in.” It is truly unimaginable! But, Thank You, God for the small picture our tiny human minds can dare to imagine of the place You have been preparing for us for over 2,000 years.

     Good night, sweet dreams of heaven.
      Mary Margaret

     The big “C” in me is Christ enabling me to deal with the little “c” cancer.”

Remember to E-mail me

angel8mmj@gmail.com

 

October 2, 2012

     It has been a couple of slow days. Billy is off on Mondays so we did some things that took both of us to carry off like, taking my car to get some little repairs done and than picking it up and taking it to get 2 new tires. Now my little “Pretty Thing” (stands for PT Cruiser) is in tip top shape. I love my PT.

     We went to Sam’s to get a few things then came home to get ready to take Deanna and Matt out for his birthday dinner. His birthday was last month but I couldn’t taste anything and didn’t want to go to a nice restaurant and not enjoy it. We went to Bonefish Grill. It was fabulous! I introduced Matt to their Coconut Cream Pie and he fell in love with it. Billy and Deanna don’t like coconut so we didn’t give them any. They had a delicious Crème Brule and enjoyed it, but not as much as Matt and I loved ours.

     Today I spend 8 1/2 hours creating a beautiful birthday card for Rebekah who is turning 16 this month. It is so hard to believe she is that old already. Deanna is throwing a big surprise party for her. It’s going to be lots of fun. It won’t be until the 18th which is 3 days after her actual birthday. If I say so myself, it is an awesome card, with lots of colors, sparkles and ribbons.

     See what an exciting life I live when I don’t have to go to radiation or a doctor’s office. I do have some days that are just ordinary events in the life of a cancer survivor. I love those days. They are a precious gift from God.

     Good night from a tired woman who worked on a card all day. It gets me in my neck and    shoulders. One of the prices of getting old.

     Love you all.
     Mary Margaret

 

The big “C” in me is Christ enabling me to deal with the little “c” cancer.”

Remember to E-mail me

angel8mmj@gmail.com