De-ported means something different here!
After a 2 hour wait for a 20 minute procedure, I had my port removed today. Having the procedure done in the surgeon's office meant I only had a $15 co-pay on an $800 bill! The worst part of the whole thing was getting "stuck" for the local anesthesia. Lesson learned.....don't wear your best white blouse (thinking you'll get a drape) and then have him drip blood on you.
Peroxide to the rescue!
Another March 11th
Thank you , Lord, for giving me another year to spend with my family and friends. May my remaining days on Earth be ones focused on serving them and bringing glory to You. You have given me so very much when I am so undeserving. Let me never forget that each day is a gift, not an entitlement.
Reflections.....
It's been one of those days....thinking about one thing takes you to thinking about another which leads to another rabbit trail, and so on. Today I have been thinking about the passage of time. I haven't been having deep and profound thoughts; I've just been mulling over some things and gaining some insights about life in general.
Years ago, when we began home educating the boys, we attended a conference during which the speaker used the phrase "seasons of life." At that time, we were in the "season" in which we had 2 young boys to school, and we were self-employed. Our "seasons" have changed over the years, as time has passed.
This week, I have been thinking about all of the seasons of life through which I have passed. From my childhood through to now, I've had seasons that I have experienced with my peers. We've started at schools together and graduated from schools together. We've married within years of each other and had babies together. We've shared parenting ideas and schooling revelations. We've all watched our kids grow and seen some of them move on to marriage and careers. Sometimes the peer groups have changed (adding or subtracting a few here and there), but for the most part, we've all been moving along at the same pace. Joys and sorrows, we've shared them all.
There is one "season of life" I don't care very much for right now. It's the
child with aging parent season. Today, I mailed off another sympathy card for another friend who has just lost a beloved parent. This marks the fourth parental loss since the beginning of this year. Today, I read of another parental loss as I read
John Piper's journal entry marking his own father's death this week. Emotions sprang fresh as I read his poignant words. I still miss my father very much, and each time I hear of another friend losing a parent, my heart aches for them. Yes, it's all the natural passage of time. Worse might be hearing of the loss of a spouse or a child. But the pain and loss are still there, no matter how advanced in age the person was.
The reality is that this
is the season of life for us now. Our parents are aging, as are we all. The comfort lies in knowing that the Earth has never been our real home. The comfort lies in knowing that Heaven is waiting for us, and what a glorious reunion that will be! These thoughts take me back to a hymn we would sing often during our trips to Knoxville years ago......
O THAT WILL BE GLORY (Charles H. Gabriel)
When all my labors and trials are o’er,
And I am safe on that beautiful shore,
Just to be near the dear Lord I adore,
Will through the ages be glory for me.
O that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me,
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory,
be glory for me.
When, by the gift of His infinite grace,
I am accorded in Heaven a place,
Just to be there and to look on His face,
Will through the ages be glory for me.
O that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me,
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory,
be glory for me.
Friends will be there I have loved long ago;
Joy like a river around me will flow;
Yet just a smile from my Savior, I know,
Will through the ages be glory for me.
O that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me,
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory,
be glory for me.
Out with the old.....
I had my port inserted on February 6 of last year, so I have been walking around with that thing on the right side of my chest for just over a year. It was through this port that I received all of my chemotherapy injections. While I have been very grateful to have had the port and have had no problems with it functioning correctly over the past year (some people have to have theirs removed and receive their treatments through veins in their arms), I no longer need it.
I am happy to report that I just hung up the phone with my surgeon's office and scheduled an appointment to have the port removed. If I didn't get it removed, I would need to go in every 5-6 weeks to have it flushed. I certainly have no interest in doing that, even though the oncology nurses are very nice and seeing them would be a pleasant diversion.
So, the appointment is scheduled for Monday, March 12 (a little post-birthday festivity, I suppose!). What is even more exciting is that this can be done right in the doctor's office instead of at the Surgery Center at the hospital! No major anesthesia this time - just a local.
One more step on the road called survivorship!
