Candy is out of surgery and the surgeon feels everything went very well. He was able to remove the kidney just fine. He did take a few lymph nodes for further testing, but overall he was very positive.
We will let you know more as information becomes available. Thank you for continuing to pray for Candy’s recovery and for a clean bill of health!
Candy is out of surgery and the surgeon feels everything went very well. He was able to remove the kidney just fine. He did take a few lymph nodes for further testing, but overall he was very positive.
We will let you know more as information becomes available. Thank you for continuing to pray for Candy’s recovery and for a clean bill of health!
Here I sit, facing the day before my surgery. I have to admit that today has been hard; reality is setting in, leaving the unknown looming heavy. But, you know what is really wonderful? So many of you have called to wish me well and encourage me; as hard as my time has been, it has been equally filled with the love and affirmation of so many, for which I am so thankful. Those who may not have called but instead have emailed into my blog – well I honestly can’t keep up with the blessing! I want to respond to each one and I’m running out of time! Do you know what that is? I really believe that is our God working through each and every one of you to encourage me and show me how much He loves me today and forever. As I write this, tears come to my eyes just from thinking about God’s love through you. You will never know how rich I am, how at peace I am, because you determined to be a vessel of God’s love to me today. I leave you with this scripture that He gave me.
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue me from every trap
and protect me from deadly disease.
4 He will cover me with his feathers.
He will shelter me with his wings.
His faithful promises are my armor and protection.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
It is count down time. I asked God this morning to give me my daily “manna from heaven”. I am doing a Beth Moore study about God’s tabernacle and why He had the Israelites build it. It’s amazing how much God wants a personal relationship with us. And it’s astounding how long mankind has been fighting it.
Anyway, through the process I’m learning that God wants us to worry only about today and He’ll take care of it. When I start down the road of “what if’s” that seem to clutter my peace of mind…. I stop and think of Him and His great love for me. I look out at the beautiful sky and trees and know there is no doubt in my mind that He already has everything planned even for little ole me….
October 30, 2007
Here I sit, facing the day before my surgery. I have to admit that today has been hard; reality is setting in, leaving the unknown looming heavy. But, you know what is really wonderful? So many of you have called to wish me well and encourage me; as hard as my time has been, it has been equally filled with the love and affirmation of so many, for which I am so thankful. Those who may not have called but instead have emailed into my blog – well I honestly can’t keep up with the blessing! I want to respond to each one and I’m running out of time! Do you know what that is? I really believe that is our God working through each and every one of you to encourage me and show me how much He loves me today and forever. As I write this, tears come to my eyes just from thinking about God’s love through you. You will never know how rich I am, how at peace I am, because you determined to be a vessel of God’s love to me today. I leave you with this scripture that He gave me.
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue me from every trap
and protect me from deadly disease.
4 He will cover me with his feathers.
He will shelter me with his wings.
His faithful promises are my armor and protection.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Palm Beach Gardens Hospital Today I had a “planned event”. With so much uncertainly and unplanned trips to the doctor and hospital, I am now thankful when I know when things are going to happen. I had a TrapEase permanent Vena Cava Filter put in my left leg artery. This miraculous little piece of medical technology is my insurance policy against a blood clot making its way into my lungs and heart area preventing a pulmonary aneurysm. This was placed in me due to the upcoming surgery when they have to take me off of blood thinners. It was an easy procedure. They didn’t even have to put me out. For the first time I saw the inside of an OR. The nurses asked me if I wanted a sedative. I hemmed and hawed until the other nurse said take it, whenever offered, take it. So I took it. I am not used to sedatives but I am glad to say that it actually took the nervous edge off of the procedure, which only took 15 minutes. It is the following 6 hours of lying in recovery, not being able to move, that was a killer. They wanted to make sure the filter traveled up the vein and lodged correctly into the main aorta. Boy, at least I can say that I’m getting more and more medically savvy because of this journey! I was happy when my friend Faye walked in and ministered to me by reading my favorite scriptures that God has shown me during these last few months. That’s better than any sedative, for sure.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
I am lying around again recouping from yesterday’s procedure. I am not supposed to lift anything more than 10 pounds for a week. How funny since it is now only four days until I have major surgery. I guess I probably won’t be lifting anything for a good while. If any of you know me well, you know what a climber and cleaner I am. Dr. Crandall told me no climbing ladders (just a figure of speech). I was afraid to admit that I had been up on my stepladder cleaning shelves. I have this dread that my friends will come to help me after my surgery only to find a dirty house! Talk about being vain! Shame on me huh?
Monday, October 15, 2007
Jupiter Medical – Here I am again. Nurses and attendants are starting to recognize me, which in some respects is nice but I don’t want to be known as the patient that keeps returning because returning means more sickness. I am being admitted for day surgery. I can’t tell you what peace I had, not necessarily about the results, but about the entire process. I believe that I am starting to feel the prayers of many on my behalf.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Dr. Borland’s office – I got diagnosed today with “Transitional Cell Carcinoma” of the left kidney. Surgery is scheduled for October 31 at 7:30 am at Jupiter Medical Center. But before surgery takes place I must have another procedure done. Now it’s time to check out how Palm Beach Gardens Hospital works!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
I develop a dry cough, literally out of nowhere. I went to Dr. Crandall’s office for my INR visit to rate the Coumadin level. Dr. Crandall is not in so I was seen by his assistant, Joe. I casually mentioned to Joe that I had developed a dry cough. I thought (and hoped) it was just dust or allergies. He told me that he would have to tell Dr. C, so he called him. Dr. C immediately ordered a CT Scan with contrast (that is where they put two different dyes in your veins at a very fast rate so that it can flush through your lungs to see if you have any clots). He made an appointment immediately. So off I went to Mid Town Imaging. I came home and got a call from Dr. C at about 4:30 who proceeded to tell me the good news that there were no clots in the lungs. I breathed a deep sigh of relief. He then proceeded to tell me that the radiologist did, however, see a suspicious mass or tumor in my left kidney that had all the markings of cancer. I suddenly felt as though time had stopped, but I remember thinking that I’m still breathing. He told me that he had made an appointment for the next morning at 11:00 with his good friend urologist Dr. Borland. *Note: The dry cough disappeared the next day. Interesting huh? I believe God used that to get our attention…..
Friday, October 11, 2007
Dr. Borland visit. We spent literally two hours with one of the nicest doctors that you ever want to meet. We immediately felt like he was a friend. After he looked at the test and had his tech give me an ultra sound of the left kidney, he felt that he needed to go up and do a cyscoscopy to look around and perhaps either put in a long term stent or a biopsy depending what he found when he got there.
Monday, October 1, 2007
I had my first visit with Dr. Crandall today. I know him through church and Pastor Tom, but I didn’t personally know him; I would soon learn that would change. Here is truly a man of God. I believe that God intervened and put him into our lives for this season. For the first time in this entire ordeal, I felt safe. I immediately understood that I was with a take-charge person, not only in the physical realm but in the spiritual as well. After going over everything he asked if he could pray over me. “Are you kidding,” I thought? What doctor takes the time to pray? Of course I told him yes. Little did I know that I was about to hear the most powerful prayer of healing that I’ve ever experienced.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
I’m finally in my own bed again but no rest for the weary though…I have to make my way to Lab Core to have my Coumadin levels checked. Leo managed to get me on his old crutches. If you could have seen me with these extra long crutches making my way to the car…what a scene! That appointment is a long painful story; one that I don’t even care to spend time writing about. Suffice it to say that it was one of those best filed away type of stories. There is so much to tell about the day-to-day unknowns and struggles, but I’ve decided to concentrate mainly on the good things that God allowed during that time. Saturday, September 29, 2007Leo and I raced to Jupiter Medical to get my INR (rate of blood thinning from Coumadin) tested. It should be anywhere from 1 to 3. If it goes higher than that it starts to be a concern. After getting lost in the hospital trying to find the little lab, who should appear getting off the elevator but our friend and cardiologist, Dr. Crandall! He offered to take over my case Monday morning.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
I was admitted to Jupiter Medical Center for blood clots of the left leg. They kept me in the hospital for 3 days putting me on Heprin to thin my blood. I was discharged on Tuesday with a prescription of Coumadin (a blood thinner).
Thursday, September 13, 2007
I started moving around feeling a little stronger. That’s when I started noticing pain in my upper legs. Two days later….
I am scheduled for surgery Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Jupiter Medical Center
Jupiter, Florida
We will be using the web-blog as our only form of updates so please check back often! www.GodLovesCandy.com
I continue to be inspired by people who share with me that they have a family member or friend that has successfully come through their own journey of kidney cancer. Please pass these stories on to me so that we can post them here. I believe they will not only be a blessing to me, but to others facing a similar path.
It is my desire to use this category to solicit letters from anyone who I can help from my experiences. If there is anyone out there that may have been directed to my web-blog, please consider it part of God’s plan and let me hear from you.
You can leave your letter or note on the small comment link below.
We have been blessed with so many friends that want to help us during this challenging time. It is through our faith and personal experience that we know and understand the power of prayer. Therefore, we are requesting that you pray and that you pass our request on to anyone that you know who will carry us into the throne room of our most perfect and righteous God. Our God is a mighty God and He understands all languages and all forms of prayer, so we thank you for joining us in making our requests known to Him.
Please let us know that you are praying for us by clicking (the very small) comment link below to leave us a message. If you are passing this prayer request on to others let us know that as well as we would love to thank God for all of our prayer warriors.
We are so encouraged by your partnership in prayer!
I have titled my story “My Unexpected Journey”, because it is just that, a place that I certainly did not or would not choose to go. However, it has been an opportunity for Leo and I to feel the love of family, friends and co-workers. And more importantly we have felt the love of God. We are unconditionally trusting that God is in control and that He will guide our every step.
May, 2007 I started having low pelvic discomfort. Nothing major just a twinge every few weeks. I couldn’t wait until my annual check up June 19 . I even called to see if I could come earlier, but due to a health insurance one year restriction I had to wait.
June 19 I had my physical along with a pap. I explained about my lower pelvic pain. My doctor said, “you complained about that last year; let’s get an ultra sound.” That appointment began, what can only be described as, an unexpected and stormy journey. Soon after testing I sporadically began seeing blood in my urine every few weeks. Then came more tests and a referral to an urologist. More tests.
August 23 The urologist said that she wanted to do a cyscoscopy to my left kidney since the x-rays indeed showed that it was enlarged. At this point there was no real cause for concern; she thought that I might have a kidney stone.
August 25 I had the cyscoscopy done at the Wellington Outpatient Surgery Center . She found no stone and looked in my kidney and said that it looked normal but that I did have a slight fold in the ureter. Accordingly, she inserted a stint and put me on Cipro (antibiotic) to try to straighten out the ureter.
August 28 - I went to her office where the stint was removed. August 29 - The antibiotics were finished a few days later.
August 30 - I started a two-week stint with diarrhea. Trying not to panic and not wanting to go back to another doctor, I just wondered quietly and began getting very sick and tired. In the meantime, my doctor had already left for vacation, so I didn’t know what to do.
September 14 - I finally called my primary doctor. She put me on Flagyl thinking that I needed another antibiotic to combat the damage that the first one caused to my intestine.
September 16 - Two days later my husband rushed me to the emergency room at Jupiter Medical Center with dehydration, weakness and pelvic and flank pain. I was admitted for four days where I was diagnosed with Colitis with Clostridium Difficile (C-Diff) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/c-difficile/DS00736 I was “isolated” from other patients in order to alleviate spreading the infection.
I can’t begin to explain how sick I was. I had absolutely no energy, so zeal, no zip whatsoever. If you know me, you know this is very contrary to my nature. I normally have great love and energy for life! Feeling this way was very difficult for me, but even more challenging was the fact that for the first time in my life, I was truly scared out of my mind. When fatigue and fear set in, the road is dark and lonely. The only strength and solice I found was when I cried out to God, “Help me Lord; please help me.”
After leaving the hospital, I was told to return home, take it easy and begin rebuilding my immune system. My movement was very limited during this time; bed to couch to kitchen and back to bed. After a week or so I was able to move around more and take short walks, but I still didn’t feel well.
September 30 - Two days later I developed burning pain in my thighs that drastically escalated within 24 hours’ time. I was awakened throughout the night, and early in the morning the pain became so unbearable that Leo and I knew something was wrong. I had been anticipating great pain with the passing of an expected kidney stone, but since this pain was in my leg and not in the flank area as before, we knew this was probably something different. My leg began to swell from the top to the bottom so Leo rushed me to the hospital.
I was diagnosed with blood clots. Fortunately after checking a CT scan, they were able to determine that the clots were not in my chest area but were confined to my left leg. My entire leg was full of swollen, painful clots.
The Journey will continue in seperate categories grouped by the weeks in which events take place, because this post, and my journey, is long…
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