Sarah has been adjusting to school in Michigan very well.  We hope to see her at the end of the month.  The week end was uneventful but very pleasant!  Spent some time Saturday night taking in a bluegrass gospel concert with Bruce.  I did not have as much pain this weekend and very thankful!
I hope your week is a good one!

Bruce is continuing to do well, thank the Lord!  Sarah seems to be enjoying Spring Vale and the teachers seem to be enjoying her, thankfully!  Samuel has been working at stripping some dining room chairs for me, I hope to restore them to a nice mahogany finish.  Hannah is doing well, she is losing a lot of her pregnancy weight and is looking beautiful!
Oh where do I start to tell you about this past week, though.  I sit here trying to cope with all the information I was given in the last few days.  So it is hard to convey all of it to you.
I went to the physical therapist Monday.  He said the MRI reports show a lot of arthritis in the neck. After examining me he said that I will never be pain free, the neck has deteriorated to much.  He did think it was wise to get a second opinion about surgery.  So I did today.  I really thought this doctor would say I did not need the fusion surgery.  But instead he said that the problem is worse then the MRI report states it is and that he was leaning towards doing three disc removals and fusion.  However he was a little worried the fusion of so many discs may make the neck weak.  He explained that the more discs that are fused the more chance there is of it not working. .  He also agreed with the surgeon at Hershey, saying that the surgery will help the radiating pain in the arms  but he can not get rid of the neck pain.
The other bit of disturbing information was that they strongly feel I have an auto immune disease that is attacking the joints. They said they are very concerned it is rheumatoid arthritis. I have many symptoms but the disease seems to not be effecting my toes and fingers which makes me think they may be wrong, lets hope!  I am to have some blood work done this coming week to help identify the problem.
I will continue with therapy and I just ask for prayer, for wisdom to make the best choice in treatment and surgery.
Hope your weekend is a blessed one full of God's love and compassion!
 

Bruce is still doing quite well and has only a week left of treatments! Yay!  Anna goes to first grade on Monday. She seems very excited and ready.  Sam enters 12th grade. Sarah is in 9th at spring Vale Academy in Michigan and Daniel and Kelsi leave for Texas tomorrow,  a lot of change all at once!
I visited the spine surgeon today, he plans to take two discs out and fuse them with bone graft and plate.  It appears to be a common procedure and they expect you to have a short recovery.  I must admit I am a little worried and am considering a second opinion. I show cyst on the nerves and bone spurs.  Also a thickening ligament shows on the MRI.. The large 12-14mm  tumour is another concern, at least it is not compressing the spinal cord but can be pinching nerve root sheaths. This type of tumor con make the vertebrate weak and vulnerable to fractures.
My lower back has greatly increased in pain.  Often this happens to the spine if there is a problem at one end it tries to correct it at the other end causing an s shaped spine.  But instead it is causing me more trouble. I have become so stiff at times I find it hard to get up from a sitting or lying position.  Walking is somewhat painful as is sittling or standing from any length of time.
Holding Josiah is such a joy but he is 17 lbs.  and I get painful muscle spasms and cramps when I hold the little bundle of joy for only short periods of time.  I have also gained about 10lbs. since the last cortisone shot and that has also caused more trouble.
I must admit I really need God's healing hand there is just to much of life to really live and much more work to be done for the kingdom, so sitting around just won't do.

It was a strange sort of day.  We started it by helping an elderly man find his wife and home.  He wondered up to the church this morning looking very lost and having a vacant sort of stare.  His face was gaunt and he looked like the grim reaper in jeans and plaid.  But as we tried to converse he began to look more human to me and it soon dawned on us that he must have Alzheimers and wondered from home, where ever home was!???
We tried to pull bits of information from him but not much made sense.  We asked him if he lived with anyone and he said yes, a lady. " Is she your friend', we asked?   He replied,"She's my wife"!
Well finally Bob was able to decode some of his ramblings, enough to get his name and, with the help of Dave Noll, looked  up the name in the phone book and called his home.  His worried wife answered and said she had the police searching for him for quite a while.  In minutes, almost seconds, there were 3 police cars and a very concerned wife in our parking lot!
The man looked a little worried that so many police cars pulled in, but they reassured him that he was okay and the reunited couple went home.
The rest of the day was pleasant, enjoying lots of good fellowship both in Harrisburg and in the Poconos.
I hope your week is a pleasant one full of the Lord's will for you!

Came home at 6:30AM from sleep study.  Had a terrible night sleep, although I was plenty exhausted. But considering all the wires and then they gauzed my entire head and neck, what do they expect.  I fell asleep okay but awoke at 2AM with head and neck pain and couldn't get back to sleep. Finally the tech came in a about 3:30 and asked if I would take a sleeping pill.  I did but they awaken me, as is their policy, at 5:30AM to shower and become unglued from wires.
So I drove home from Lancaster(approx. 45min drive) in a fog to say the least, don't remember much.  I climbed back in bed with my dear snuggly husband and then I slept.  I could not get up to do the children's class   I felt froze to the bed, nothing would move.  So dear Hannah took the class impromptu, and with a cheerful spirit too!  I zonked out for another hour and a half. Then forced my body to respond, I felt drunk, couldn't walk straight or speak quite clear.  It had really done a number on me! But the power point presentation needed to be finished and run sooo..... I drank some coffee and some how managed to get through a great worship service and then potluck too,  The ladies are so kind, they help out so well, I feel loved by them all so very much!

Learned that Bob Sumner passed away after a long bout with cancer,  he really suffered a lot at the end but Becky and her Mom and sons were there for support through it all and he  is now out of pain and agony.

Went to visit Bill Moser, what a joy it was to see him chipper and up and walking.  His son David was there and so we enjoyed some great conversation, mixed with quite a bit of good humor!

Headed back to the ranch and found the house was full of kids/young adults, Bruce and I just headed back for a much needed nap.  Later the youth from COG CPA came over to practice music, we had a nice visit.  Then Bruce and I  ran out and got some wings and snacks and drinks and at Anna's insistence we had a family game night.
We played "Would you rather" .  It was quite funny!  But it is well past midnight and Bruce and I need to crash.  Need energy to tear out the basement carpet, remove furniture and such.  Real fun! Bonding
  *Maybe for dogs who love to rip and tear some stinky wet carpet!
Hope your week is eventful because beautiful things were experienced and genuine love was shown to you.

Great news, Sarah's bones in her right hand are not broken. She should make it to Spring Vale almost on time, but not for a visit with Joanna.

Today was a real trial.   .After going to sleep a little after midnight  I awoke at 3AM probably from being troubled in my soul.  Went back to bed at 5:30AM to be awoke at 6 by an angry Bruce.  He said the basement was flooded and he thought it had to do with the kiddie pool, although we had storms yesterday with heavy down pours and through the night the rain continued.  The cause will never be clear.
Samuel said he came down to his room in the night and saw the water running down his wall, onto his bed, from the window.  But he said he just came upstairs to sleep then. He said he was too tired to say anything to us.  ????????
 So I got up and started clearing the flooded rooms.  As I was moving the things from one room to the next I dropped a heavy piece of counter top on my foot, causing ..... well you know..Pain!

Sarah hadn't returned home from a concert last night so in the midst of the mayhem I finally tracked her down at a friends home and picked her up and returned her to her...bed.
Continued through the afternoon to shop vac the water out, still we seem to be no drier.

Later the doctor's office called asking that I do the sleep study tonight. So with little time, I will say ado and finish my work before the Sabbath begins.

Hope everyones Sabbath is a blessed and peaceful one!

Sarah was hoping to go to Joanna's house before classes started at Spring Vale.  But I am not sure that will happen now.  She hit her door in anger, thankfully it wasn't me, with her fist.  Took her to the ER and had an X-ray of it.  they found no fracture but still splinted it and ask us to see an orthopedic.  We were to leave Friday, but this appointment is Friday afternoon.  So we have hopes of sending her with Darlene Wiedenheft on Thursday.
Abby made it safely to the Keys and is staying on a house boat.  She has plans for a snorkeling trip, glass bottom boat and a day of scuba as well.  I think they are planning some kayaking also. And some good R&R will fit in there I am sure!
Kelsi went to TX to interview for a college/work program.  She may be able to get her tuition paid for her masters degree in speech therapy.  The sad part would be that it would require her and Daniel to move to TX for at least 2 yrs. But it is a super cool opportunity for them.
Bruce is coming to the end of this larger job and he is concerned about needing to lay some of his men off.  We really hoped more contracts would be excepted but it just is not happening.
I am to get a bone density test today,  MRI next Wed. , a sleep study next Sat. and see the surgeon again the following Wed.
Please pray for my Indian friends they are suffering from many things, including health issues.  I am finding it harder then ever to help.
Please be encouraged for the one who started this good work in you will also complete it! AMEN!

Bruce is continuing to do well, although I need  to help him with diet as he must stay away from things that cause acid or digestive trouble.  He is already a little hard to cook for so this is an extra challenge.  He doesn't complain much, I just need to read his face.  ( :
Sarah is still hoping for more  sponsorship for SVA.  She still owes 3500.00 for this year.  I am not supposed to to drive that far, so I am not going to be able to help drive her.
I have some encouraging news.  The tumor on my spine does not appear to be malignant although they are not sure, but I am confident and encouraged! It is supposedly a tumor which is hard to operate on and if they do remove them they usually use radiation treatments to ensure it does not grow back, because they often do.  The tumor could be the cause of my symptoms but apparently the surgeon wants to try the fusion first.   The surgeon consultation was today, he wants to do an anterior cervical fusion, meaning they enter from the front of the neck.  Another MRI was ordered to determine if the spine became worse since April.  If it is the procedure may be more complicated.
We need to remember that trials are apart of growing and that if life had no complications there would be no refining of the soul.

Bruce is past his half way mark for radiation treatments and is doing remarkably well, thank you for your prayers on his behalf.
Sarah is planning to attend Spring Vale and we are very thankful for those who have offered to help her attend!
Had a great day! Finished a lot of yard work early in the morning and then headed for Pine Grove Lake for a swim.  Saw lots of fish and snorkeled with Anna, she is such a fish herself!  Dove deep into the deep green water, 30 feet is the depth, we never make it to the bottom, but the sight is awesome as the sunshines down through the water in dispersed rays.  You feel as though you are flying in the sky and the coolness grows the deeper you go as you get closer to the opening of the springs. The fish seem to be as curious about us as we are of them. I teased Sarah that her florescent polish would attract the fish and sure enough it did. They would just stare at her toes and wiggling them made them even more intrigued. I also love laying on my back out past the crowds in the very deep cool water, looking upwards into the sky, pretending I am flying.
However the days activities did a number on my neck and hip so tonight I pay, feeling exhausted , but unable to sleep due to severe pain. The radiating pain in my left shoulder and arm are the worse and the left hip also is radiating pain down the leg. I found out yesterday that I have a large tumor on the spine just below the neck.  It may be the reason for the spinal compression and the arm pain. The Lord must want me to be very excited about the world to come where there is no more tears or pain! ( :

I really would rather tell you more about the beautiful time we spent in the mountains and at the lake but I promised to give you an up date, so here it is.
I went to the pain specialist at Hershey Medical Center today and they have referred me to an orthopedic surgeon.  I asked if an out patient procedure could be done.  After looking at my MRI report she said that my neck problem is to complicated for that and will require more invasive surgery.  I thought that perhaps even radio frequency ablation would help, but she explained that it works for arthritis but not for herniations or compressed spinal cords. She said this orthopedic doctor is very conservative and will not do surgery if he feels it will not help or may be to complicated.  Cervical stenosis is serious enough, if left go, it can cause serious problems, such as loss of bowl or bladder control and motor weakness and gait disturbance or paralysis.  So, as you can imagine, I am a little concerned.  She said that the physical therapy was good for the muscles, strengthening and stretching, but it did not change the compression problem.
Martha had a bit of an emergency yesterday as she fell into her stream and cut her big toe badly.  She waited to long to get stitches and was given a tetanus shot and antibiotics.  She is upset because it will ruin her summertime swimming.  But I bet it won't keep her down to long, knowing her love for aqua!

Life here has been revolving around Josiah, for the most part.  He is growing in leaps and bounds both in physical size and in his skill and ability.  He will be 4 months old Aug 6th.  He is already scooting around our kitchen in his walker, although he goes backwards.
Bruce is doing well, work is slowing and that is probably a blessing, although I worry that he is a little discouraged about it.  He just hired a man from Chicago with a family of 10 children.  He and his wife are in the church and he was in need of work.  I have grown to really enjoy their children, they are very respectful and attentive in class at church.  Bruce's worry is that he will not have enough work to keep his hired men working through the next months.  This is an added burden we don't need.  We ask for your prayers in this matter.
Sarah hopes to start at Spring Vale Academy in Michigan in two weeks.  She is hoping to get enough people to sponsor her.  The tuition is now more then $9000.00 a year.
I graduated from physical therapy for my neck, but notice nerve problems coming back, that is a little discouraging. I am to see the doctor tomorrow.
We hope for cooler temps, but may have to wait a few more weeks till it cools, although this weekend was a nice break from the hot humid weather we have been enduring.
I hope all of you are healthy and able to enjoy this summer! God's blessings too you all.