changes

Hi Everyone:

I hope you had a wonderful Easter and are having a great spring.

STAMINA:

Jim is doing well. I remember telling him that when his stamina comes back, "you may just be able to push through the pain." Well, some of the stamina is back, and he's pushing. It's wonderful, too. Now, he certainly isn't his old self in regards to stamina. Not even half. That could take another whole year. Or it may not even happen. We don't stop praying that it does though. But he has more, and that is exciting. Getting up early is very hard for him, and by the time he gets up, takes meds and can bend a bit, it's close to noon, but it sure beats NOT getting out of bed. But, like yesterday he needed to go to the doc, so he had to be up and out by 8:30 a.m., and he did it. Not without a lot of grumbling, but he CAN do it.

PAIN

Jim is doing better. He went up on pain meds, and it taking them 3 times a day instead of 2 times a day. We debated about this for some time. I think Jim is less afraid now and realizes without a complete healing, strong pain meds will be a part of the rest of his life. Now, he's still in pain, but when he started going off the pain, it was unbearable and he couldn't even think. At least now, he can get his mind off of it.

stamina/pain

We think many many MANY nerve enhancing supplements that he is taking and this foot vibrating machine that his bro got him is helping as well. The supplements can take years to help, according to the neuropathy group he's a member of. But the vibrating foot machine has enble him to walk more, which haas allowed him to strengthen his muscles that are still very atrophied in his legs. BUT they are much better. This has been a major blessing for us. We searched for something, but bro found it, and it's helping TREMENDOUSLY.

So much so that we have to bring it on the plane with us. Where are we going, you ask? Well, to walk where Jesus walked. Yup. Israel. Don't ask me!!! I hate flying and I'm all for staying home. I don't even want to go to the cottage anymore. But Bill says it will change my life and Jim wants to go, so we're going. We are trusting God, the vibration, and pure adrenaline to get us through 10 days. I have said "NO WAY" since day one, but Bill kept saying, just wait till you get closer. Who knows what God can do. And I will say that in the last month, I have seen Jim get better in that month faster than any month prior, sooooo, I'm staying on Bill's (Jim's brother) track.

Funny thing tho is that when we went to dinner at Bill and Jeannie's to meet with all the other travellers, the discussion was downstairs and they have a bedroom off of the living room where the meeting was. My toothache had me in the bedroom on bed, participating from there, and Jim came in an hour later, the chair just causing him too much pain to sit there any longer. LOL. And we're going to Israel. ARE WE NUTS? Well, my tooth is better.

So, keep praying for us. We are still very needy. I spent what seemed like a gazillion dollars on shoes for Jim, and he hasn't even got to a good foot doctor yet. We will do that when we get home, and then we have to get him to a pain clinic and a good neurologist when we get home. The NIH said they will pay our mortgage one month so that we could take that money and get Jim some physical therapy. Isn't that awesome. I think that will help him so much.

Jim's cardio appt went well. I know some of you don't even know this, but he has a murmer and a valve sticking, (probably from all the chemo) but the doc said not to worry about it. So, praise the Lord there. I think it must be me. He sees me, and his heart just goes loopy tee loop. LOL.

COTTAGE......SIGH......
Well, it's hard to entice anyone to go to the cottage, (oh, and while you're there, would you mind cutting the grass) when everyone has a cottage. But I know Bonnie loves it there, and Josh has allergies, so they can't go to Pymatuning. Well, I know everyone loves it up there, but you have your own places, but attention NIECES, NEPHEWS, FRIENDS. Go to our cottage and enjoy yourself. And while you're there, cut the grass. Oh, but wait. Do you have a truck? You will have to bring our tractor up there. We have to bring the home tractor up to the cottage because the cottage tractor is broke, and... It could take years to sell the cottage, and the grass will be up to our ears by then , soooo...Did I say sell the cottage????Yep. Shhhhhhh. Don't tell Jim. He tastes that for a second, and then spits it out. We said we would give it a year, and well, it's a year. And he can't keep up with this place. Okay, so if he wants another year, yeah, sure. The economy is bad and it's hard to sell up there anyway sometimes, so we'll give it another year possibly. SO, if the idea of us selling shocks you and makes you say, "No no no no no no." Then go spend the weekend and enjoy it. Oh, and while you're up there, cut the grass. :)

Oh, and one more thing. Jim still wants to get some darn helgies this year and go fishing. Pray the waters of the pool of Saloam (sp) stir while in Israel.

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