Nattie Writes!

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May 30, 2007

Moving right along

Got some time with Natalie this evening. She is to be moved from the surgery floor to the oncology wing, probably tonight, and chemotherapy could start as early as tomorrow. It is good to hear from doctors with positive plans.

She is still very weak and uncomfortable. Of course,that is to be expected just three days after major surgery, but we who are demanding miracles would like to see one soon!

Nattie wants to see her children, and they need to see her...well and strong again!

Still, she has not lost her resolve to fight with whatever strength she--with your help and God's--can muster.

We also need to thank everyone who has been such a help to all of us lately. Some of those I can remember are cousins Allen, Jill and Joy; aunts Anne and Marty; Wes and his family, Karla and Elaine; Pastor Mark and Tammy Deimer and their entire praying congregation, and especially her mom who flew out from California the day after she got the news, and is staying as long as she is needed, even though her vacation days are long gone.

And all of you who continue to stop in here and leave your words of encouragement, and pray for Natalie's strength and miraculous healing. Don't stop now!

Thank you so very much!--Nattie and her Daddy

Posted by nattie at 11:21 PM | Comments (12)

May 28, 2007

Mea Culpa!

Yesterday, Natalie was under the influence of drugs, and could not be reached for comment, leaving her helpless Daddy no choice but to listen to her doctors and update you accordingly...silly me!

When they returned this morning and repeated their verdict for the patient, she chased everyone out of the room for a few minutes. Then she laid down the law.

"There will be no crying in my room. I want no one's pity. I am not going to die. I will fight this thing until I beat it."

Just returned from a nice long visit. She is very tired and weak. Regardless of the outcome, she did have major surgery with appropriate painkillers. But she is already promising to shave her head rather than let the hair fall out in clumps, and find some scarves that Jonathan and Anna can't use to pick up dead animals.

This is where the real praying work begins! Thank you! --Nattie's Daddy

Posted by nattie at 10:50 PM | Comments (12)

May 27, 2007

Just the facts...

The surgeons report that NatalieÕs cancer is inoperable. She will be offered chemo as a means of extending her life. No cure is promised.

Please, God...thatÕs all IÕve got! -- Nattie's Daddy

Posted by nattie at 04:32 PM | Comments (26)

Waiting...

Nat went to the operating room at 8:00 oÕclock this morning. The doctors met with her yesterday. They explained all of the risks to such major surgery.

The good news/bad news for today: If they are able to successfully remove all of the cancer, the surgeons anticipate that she can recover fully, without further treatment, chemo or radiation. On the other hand, it will cost her at least part, if not all of her stomach.

I promised myself that I would not make NattieÕs blog mine, so I shall cease my commentary and conjecture there.

We continue to pray that the physicians will be given extraordinary wisdom, skill and strength as they operate.

I thank you, Natalie thanks you, we all thank you! -- NattieÕs Daddy

Posted by nattie at 12:29 PM | Comments (3)

May 25, 2007

An Update from Nattie's Daddy

Just thought you'd want to know that Natalie spent Thursday night in the local hospital for observation and hydration. Although her blood pressure was elevated at the time of her admission, it had retreated to proper levels by Friday afternoon. She had lost another six pounds in the last couple of days, so she also benefitted from intravenous fluids overnight.

This evening she is being transferred to a hospital in Indianapolis. It is hoped that they are better equipped to obtain the scans that the surgeon wants before beginning his work

Please continue to pray for my little girl's healing, and that you will soon be reading her words, here, again.

Thank you, from Natalie, her family and friends!

Posted by nattie at 08:17 PM | Comments (7)

May 24, 2007

thankful thursday

I know people think I'm crazy. I have cancer, but I have oodles of things to be thankful for.

1. My mom is here doing all my laundry. lol
We joke that I got cancer so I wouldn't have to do housework. It is all part of my evil plan. bwahahahaha

2. I've got great friends and family. Really. I can't describe the outpouring of love and help I've gotten from them.

3. I have cute new fuzzy flip flops to wear around the house.

4. I have new pjs to wear post op.

5. I can move my laptop and sit in my comfy chair so I can be online a little longer.

6. My ipod. Last night I couldn't sleep so I listened to an audio book.

7. Even though I can't handle any "hardy" reading right now...I have oodles of "friends" (i.e. old books) that I can reread.

8. I am allowed to eat as much ice cream as I want. Never mind that I can only eat half a cup. I can eat ice cream whenever I want. The only time I was allowed to do that before was when I had my tonsils out.

9. When people come visit and ask what I want I can say, "Ice cream" and not feel guilty.

10. The most important thing of all is that God is by my side through this all. I don't know how people handle tragedy without their Heavenly Father. I know I couldn't and for this I am very thankful.

Posted by nattie at 11:30 AM | Comments (12)

May 23, 2007

Wordless Wednesday

~Pampered~

Posted by nattie at 09:43 AM | Comments (11)

May 22, 2007

what i know part deux

I saw the oncologist today. He was very kind. It turns out he was my mother in laws oncologist when she had breast cancer 8 years ago. I already knew that my kind of cancer is rare or uncommon as he said in a woman this young. He also seconded that the way to treat this is remove it if possible.
So I am to see a surgeon asap for a consult. There is some good news...my blood work is showing that it has not spread to my liver as of yet. More news as soon as I get some.
Thank you for all the prayers and well wishes. I know I wouldn't be so calm right now if it were not for those prayers.

Posted by nattie at 08:22 PM | Comments (12)

May 21, 2007

what i know

I don't know a whole lot more yet about my cancer. But it is cancer. And it is not lymphoma like previously mentioned. It has a name. And I won't put it up here because you'll google it and get all the horrible statistics.
I've never liked statistics. I've never been a conformist (apparently this cancer is commoner in non-american black men over the age of 65). I've always walked to the beat of my own drum. And I will continue to do that now. I know who holds tomorrow. And He holds me in His hand.

Posted by nattie at 05:32 PM | Comments (22)

May 19, 2007

May reading

My list is pitifully small right now, but I haven't felt like reading much lately and what I am reading is rather light fare.

1. Spring Cleaning Murders by Dorothy Cannell
2. For Everything a Season by Philip Gulley
3. The Hanging in the Hotel by Simon Brett
4. Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher (reread)
5. Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery (reread)

Posted by nattie at 12:03 PM | Comments (0)

May 18, 2007

the telling

There is little that is harder than calling your mom who lives 2,000 some miles away and saying, "The doctor thinks it looks like lymphoma." Even harder is calling your dad who is only 20 miles away and can't drive and say the same thing.
The list of calls you have to make seems a mile long and you have to pray for strength even if you are only leaving a message on an answering machine. The telling is not the easiest thing.

Posted by nattie at 12:25 PM | Comments (17)

May 16, 2007

tired of being poked and prodded

I've had blood work done. I've had a gall bladder ultrasound. I've had an Upper GI done. Now I have an endoscopy scheduled tomorrow at some horridly early hour. They must fix this soon because I am at my limit.

Posted by nattie at 06:06 PM | Comments (1)

May 15, 2007

don't forget

The Newberry challenge officially starts today!

Posted by nattie at 11:57 AM | Comments (1)

May 14, 2007

so over it

I am so over being sick.
I've not eaten real food in eons.
I've lost a good 15 lbs (which I needed but would have preferred to do the "normal" way).
I can't exercise because I have no energy so my muskles ala popeye have gotten flabby.
Housework while always a drudge is near impossible to do when you have problems standing for 2 minutes at a time.
I am too tired to read even.
I just watch reality tv reruns.
And that ain't good for ye ol' brain.
I am so over being sick.
Hopefully they figger out what is wrong soon.
I have to chaperone a field trip in a weeks time.
I have a vacation to CA coming up too.
Must. get. better.
If only we knew what was wrong?!

Posted by nattie at 02:33 PM | Comments (5)

May 10, 2007

bummer

I just blogged a fairly decent blog and lost it. I'll try again later when I have more energy.

Posted by nattie at 10:25 AM | Comments (0)

May 05, 2007

Guilty Pleasures

There are things I enjoy that I am almost ashamed of. They are things that might not hold with my outward image I like to project. Then I remember that outward image is just that...outward. Who I am is and inward and outward being. There is more to me than the jeans I wear and the things I own.
Yet there are still some things I only do under the cover of darkness, things I don't shout about on the rooftops. I'm going to whisper them to you right now. Full disclosure.
I love What Not to Wear. I want to be made over by Clinton and Stacey.
I read People magazine and not just for the book reviews.
I dance around my apartment to Don't Ya by the Pussycat Dolls, Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake and My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas.
I love fountain Pepsis from Rickers' and the occasional non Starbucks capp - straight from the convenience store.
I love TGIFridays Chicken Quesadilla Rolls dipped in sour cream. AND I double dip.
I like to go to movies by myself and not just "grown up" movies. I go under the guise of screening for my kids, but I saw Meet the Robinsons by myself and I had a good time.
I would also have gone to the opening of Spidey 3 at midnight if I had a car. Yes, I am that geeky.
I will eat in restaraunts by myself as long as I have a book, I am happy.
As much as I enjoy dancing to Baby Got Back, I also enjoy silence. Silence is golden.
Now that you know all these private things about me will you still respect me? Probably not. But that is okay. You have your guilty pleasures too.

Posted by nattie at 09:44 AM | Comments (4)

For Everything a Season

I. love. Philip. Gulley. When I can manage to read this past week, I've been enjoying his book For Everything a Season - Simple Musings on Living Well. It is a collection of vignettes based on the verses in Ecclesiastes - "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven."
I love his droll sense of humor. Gloria Gaither calls him part Mark Twain, part Garrison Keillor. I agree. Those are two other authors I love with a passion that is holy.
Just to give you a taste of his writing if you've never read him, here is a quote from the chapter "A Time to Hate."
"...ever since then I've been trying to find a way to hate certain people and walk close to Jesus, but without success. If you've found a way to do that, let me know. There are several people I would love tohate if I thought I could get away with it."
His non-fiction essays are simply lovely and his Harmony series is a hoot. Any one who has been a pastor or a pastor's wife should enjoy his witty insight on being a pastor.
I've not read his other non-fiction works (If Grace Is True & If God Is Love) because I don't hold with all his theology. That doesn't mean that his other works aren't fantastic! He lives here in Indiana. I'd love to meet him and pick his brain some time.
Mr. Gulley, can I sit on your stone porch some time and talk about black maple trees?

Posted by nattie at 09:32 AM | Comments (1)

May 04, 2007

under the weather

I've been feeling under the weather for...well, forever. It started innocuously enough. I felt really full and would have intense indigestion after eating just a little more than usual. Then I started throwing up if I ate more than usual. Even if it was just a bite. Then diarrhea. Then more throwing up. Till all I seemed to do was live in the bathroom or hugging a bucket.
I finally went to the doctor. Want to know what finally prompted me to do it? I felt too puny to read!! I knew something serious was wrong then.
The doc still doesn't really know what is wrong. He listed a veritable laundry list of possibilities. I've been poked. Next week I'll be prodded. In the mean time I've lost at least 10 more lbs from it and my jeans keep falling down.
I could still stand to lose 20 more lbs according to the doctors scales, BUT I want to be able to choose what I do and do not eat. Right now I don't have a choice. All food is off limits to me.
So, here's to not feeling puny any more and actually being able to read with out hugging the porcelain god.

Posted by nattie at 07:40 PM | Comments (3)

May 02, 2007

are you a kindred spirit?

Posted by nattie at 05:20 PM | Comments (2)