Catching Up with Life
Once again, life gets in the way of blogging. That's one helpful feature of FaceBook...I can whisk up a quick post to share a thought or experience with friends and then quickly move on. For folks with ADD it's a blessing, but for anyone looking for a post with substance, it's not sufficient at all. To those, I apologize. I'm honored to know you'd like to know more of what's happening in my life because on the whole, it's really pretty boring. It shows me you are a dedicated friend. (wink)
Yesterday, I went with Ed to Kalamazoo to his bariatric meeting. His doctor told him he needs to have the surgery if he hopes to live long enough to see his grandchildren and to grow old with me. When I got to see how the surgeon will alter the stomach, I had to cringe. Drastic almost seems like too tame a word, but it's amazing how this surgery saves lives. It sounds like once Ed gets the weight off, orthopedic doctors might be more willing to give him his new hips. By the age of 50, my hubby could be a brand-new person! How thrilled and delighted he would be! Not only would he be moving better, but get this: there are at least six or seven chronic illnesses I can remember that are 80-100% cured, and diabetes is one of them. Even if Ed were 95% cured of his diabetes, what a blessed miracle that would be! He's been through so much! To have new hips and no diabetes would just be incredible!
You know what I found odd while we were there? As big as he is, he was the second smallest person in the room (excluding me.) Everyone else was enormously overweight, we're talking 300 lbs and up. And you know, I'm not sure why I found that odd. Those are the folks the surgery is designed for, but I guess I'd expected to see more people our size, too. In terms of pounds, Ed might have it a little easier than some of the other folks in the room, but he has his hips and his diabetes to contend with. Naturally he seems to be a bit apprehensive about the whole process, and who could blame him? But he knows he's in a crisis with his health, so this is something he just has to do. As I go with him to the meetings, I find I'm more receptive to the idea of doing it myself. I've been stuck at my current weight for over two years, and it won't budge. For now, though, the focus need to be on Ed. I have plenty of time to mull it over.
With the help of his Grandpa Miller, my sweet son, Dave, has finally been able to land a job. He'll be washing dishes at the hospital during the evenings. My father-in-law worked there for a number of years, and he put in a good word for Dave with the head of the dietary department. It was a difficult decision for Dave to take the job simply because he has been preparing to go on a missions trip to Mexico again this summer, and for a while, it was looking like he would have to choose between the two. The Lord saw the desire of Dave's heart to help his family and to serve Him by helping the poor, so He allowed schedules to be arranged so that Dave could meet the service project requirements for the trip and be able to keep his schedule at the hospital. Praise God for that. My boy has grown up so much just in the past few months. He's got a job, has been preparing to learn to drive, has been pulling good grades in college, and he's getting ready to apply at Spring Arbor to get his teaching degree. Plus, some of his pay will go toward helping us until I can get a job I can handle physically. I can't help but remembering how dinky he was in that incubator (like a sausage in a rotisserie), and look at him now. He is a living, breathing, amazing testament to how good God is! He's already been a huge blessing in his brief 19 years, and he has the rest of his life ahead of him to bless folks even more!
Eddie and Jon are fine. Eddie is still working on some graphic art classes at the local college while he tries to figure out where he wants to go for his degree. Jon is pulling good grades in his eighth grade class. He's even taking my favorite language, French, but I don't think he's enjoying it as much as I did. He can say one phrase very well; it's one I taught him: "Je t'aime, Maman!" Translated: "I love you, Mom!" Now tell me that isn't the most important sentences a boy can learn in French! Hee, hee. Even Eddie has it memorized, and he says it once in a while. (big grin)
I'm still plugging away at my college courses as I continue to look for a job. I became very ill at the beginning of this month, and I'm just now starting to kick it, sixteen days later That put me way behind in my college algebra class, but thankfully my mentor, Casey, had a Plan B. I've taken up a basic marketing course that I should be able to complete before the end of the term (the end of this month); that way I get all my credits in for the term. Then at the beginning of next term, March 1st, I can pick up where I left off with the algebra. I was nearly finished with it, so it won't take me long to polish it off. March 1st also brings my first full year of college to completion. My anticipated graduation is August 2018. So far, I'm right on track. :)
That's really about all I have in the way of an update. No tricky subjects like politics or religion, although I treasure my faith and could sing exhortations all day long. I could not function without my faith; it is the core of my being.
Anyway, thanks for stopping by. Hope you all have a good day. :)
Yesterday, I went with Ed to Kalamazoo to his bariatric meeting. His doctor told him he needs to have the surgery if he hopes to live long enough to see his grandchildren and to grow old with me. When I got to see how the surgeon will alter the stomach, I had to cringe. Drastic almost seems like too tame a word, but it's amazing how this surgery saves lives. It sounds like once Ed gets the weight off, orthopedic doctors might be more willing to give him his new hips. By the age of 50, my hubby could be a brand-new person! How thrilled and delighted he would be! Not only would he be moving better, but get this: there are at least six or seven chronic illnesses I can remember that are 80-100% cured, and diabetes is one of them. Even if Ed were 95% cured of his diabetes, what a blessed miracle that would be! He's been through so much! To have new hips and no diabetes would just be incredible!
You know what I found odd while we were there? As big as he is, he was the second smallest person in the room (excluding me.) Everyone else was enormously overweight, we're talking 300 lbs and up. And you know, I'm not sure why I found that odd. Those are the folks the surgery is designed for, but I guess I'd expected to see more people our size, too. In terms of pounds, Ed might have it a little easier than some of the other folks in the room, but he has his hips and his diabetes to contend with. Naturally he seems to be a bit apprehensive about the whole process, and who could blame him? But he knows he's in a crisis with his health, so this is something he just has to do. As I go with him to the meetings, I find I'm more receptive to the idea of doing it myself. I've been stuck at my current weight for over two years, and it won't budge. For now, though, the focus need to be on Ed. I have plenty of time to mull it over.
With the help of his Grandpa Miller, my sweet son, Dave, has finally been able to land a job. He'll be washing dishes at the hospital during the evenings. My father-in-law worked there for a number of years, and he put in a good word for Dave with the head of the dietary department. It was a difficult decision for Dave to take the job simply because he has been preparing to go on a missions trip to Mexico again this summer, and for a while, it was looking like he would have to choose between the two. The Lord saw the desire of Dave's heart to help his family and to serve Him by helping the poor, so He allowed schedules to be arranged so that Dave could meet the service project requirements for the trip and be able to keep his schedule at the hospital. Praise God for that. My boy has grown up so much just in the past few months. He's got a job, has been preparing to learn to drive, has been pulling good grades in college, and he's getting ready to apply at Spring Arbor to get his teaching degree. Plus, some of his pay will go toward helping us until I can get a job I can handle physically. I can't help but remembering how dinky he was in that incubator (like a sausage in a rotisserie), and look at him now. He is a living, breathing, amazing testament to how good God is! He's already been a huge blessing in his brief 19 years, and he has the rest of his life ahead of him to bless folks even more!
Eddie and Jon are fine. Eddie is still working on some graphic art classes at the local college while he tries to figure out where he wants to go for his degree. Jon is pulling good grades in his eighth grade class. He's even taking my favorite language, French, but I don't think he's enjoying it as much as I did. He can say one phrase very well; it's one I taught him: "Je t'aime, Maman!" Translated: "I love you, Mom!" Now tell me that isn't the most important sentences a boy can learn in French! Hee, hee. Even Eddie has it memorized, and he says it once in a while. (big grin)
I'm still plugging away at my college courses as I continue to look for a job. I became very ill at the beginning of this month, and I'm just now starting to kick it, sixteen days later That put me way behind in my college algebra class, but thankfully my mentor, Casey, had a Plan B. I've taken up a basic marketing course that I should be able to complete before the end of the term (the end of this month); that way I get all my credits in for the term. Then at the beginning of next term, March 1st, I can pick up where I left off with the algebra. I was nearly finished with it, so it won't take me long to polish it off. March 1st also brings my first full year of college to completion. My anticipated graduation is August 2018. So far, I'm right on track. :)
That's really about all I have in the way of an update. No tricky subjects like politics or religion, although I treasure my faith and could sing exhortations all day long. I could not function without my faith; it is the core of my being.
Anyway, thanks for stopping by. Hope you all have a good day. :)