Monday, December 04, 2017

This & That

Life has been marching along at a pretty fast clip around here. One day the calendar says September and now here it is December already!


Andy is considered to be fully recovered from his surgeries at the end of August/first of September. It was a long slow road but by the end of October, we could definitely tell he was almost back to normal function. He was cleared to return to work in November and he has really enjoyed that! He had not worked since the tumor was discovered in late February and with surgeries and chemo, did not have the stamina required to do his job. He was also on lifting restriction for almost that whole time.

Now that he is working again, it is such a blessing to receive an extra paycheck! I was able to continue working the whole time Andy was sick which was a blessing. It was an exhausting time of course, but we made it through! My employers were wonderful in allowing me a flexible schedule so that I was able to go with him to almost every appointment and chemo visit. All of our bills were payed and even some money put in savings during this time. We thank God for His provision!

We saw the thoracic surgeon regarding the nodule that is still on Andy's lungs. His oncologist wants it to come out. But due to it's tiny size and difficult-to-get location, the surgeon is less than confident in his ability to find it at this time. Because this particular spot has really not seen any change in size since the cancer diagnosis, the oncologist has agreed to delay surgery and observe this spot closely for a 6 month time frame. After 6 months, we'll see if surgery is still needed. Of course, if it seems that the spot is growing at any time, a decision for surgery will be made. It is in such a  place that a biopsy is not a good option and the only way to really know if the spot is cancerous is to remove it and then biopsy it. So we proceed with caution. With the exception of the lung nodule, Andy is considered cancer-free at this time.

All of Andy's family was here for Thanksgiving. It was a busy time but went great. I think a good time was had by all! Our dog Willie certainly enjoyed the company of cousins and grandparents!



With Andy mostly recovered, I was able to spend some time on a few home projects that I had planned. First was finishing the massive hallway painting project. How long can it take to paint a hallway? Apparently, several months! With the hallway being completely brown paneling and everything we had going on, this took a while with a lot of starts and stops. SO MANY coats of paint and primer. Oh my word.

But now that it is done...I am LOVING it! This was one area of the house that made me feel a bit depressed. It was so dark and ugly. Now it is light and pretty. (I think so!) This isn't the easiest space to photograph but this end of the hallway going into the kitchen makes me happy. I light the candles in the early morning hours and it is just so cozy!



I also painted the front door a lovely red. And redid one of our flowerbeds with hydrangeas! These "small" projects have improved our home and given me great satisfaction.


Does anyone else feel like they need a break in between Thanksgiving and Christmas just to get themselves together? I do. ;-)During the week after Thanksgiving, I cooked and froze the fall pumpkins from our porch, packed up the fall decor, used up Thanksgiving leftovers and a pile of other tasks. I also started a pantry challenge to go through mid-December. Our freezers and pantry are SO full! A good time to use things up and save some cash!

Hopefully, Christmas decor will go up in the next couple of days. I would love to have some time to sit down and sew too. We'll see. :-)


Thanks for reading!

6 comments:

Wendi said...

Painting certainly takes time and patients. The dry time between coats slows me down! It's amazing what a coat of paint can do for a place. The hall looks great and I love the candle light.

I'm glad to hear that Andy is doing well. I will continue to lift you both in prayer as you continue on Andy's health journey.

Rhonda said...

Hi Mary Ann, it’s wonderful to read your husband is doing so well and things are getting back to normal for you all.

Out My window said...

So glad your Husband is doing better. Cancer is no joke. I love the paint over the paneling, I could see why you didn't like it.

meme said...

hi mary ann -- wonderful news your husband is cancer free -- my husband is also cancer free now (stage four) - cancer in his lumph nodes and tonsils...-- the aggressive chemo has left my husband mostly deaf, horrible joint pain, extremely forgetful -- but cancer free. He wont ever be able to work again - but gets SSDI...I continue to work full time from home - and try to work extra when I can to bring in more income. Things are very stressful right now though...my daughters husband has become extremely verbally abusive to her, he is driving by our house - gunning his engine in an attempt to intimidate us...police were here on saturday night - our daughter and two grandchildren live with us - she has not lived with him in more than a year...very stressful as this is her second marriage....I pray that God leads us a way out of this...-- my own house could use some home improvement ! It is hard with my RA to do painting, etc....-- I love the color that you painted your hallway -- it is very bright and cheerful.....

Monica Wilkinson said...

Good morning! I was just wondering how Andy was after surgery, thanks for the update! Good for you for getting some house projects done! I always marvel at what a difference those little and big things make! Happy Christmas!

Mrs. Laura Lane said...

Thank you so much for getting us all caught up Mary Ann. May God continue to bring healing to Andy—full and complete healing by the power of the blood of Jesus and the power of Jesus' name. Here's a link to my YouTube playlist of war songs for fighting my battle with cancer and fear.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtLedrdljoV1MBgddeb42rJDlEIiani_R

You might find you like to praise God with these songs, too.
Happy Christmas! Rejoicing with you for the victories y'all have experienced.
Hugs,
Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage
Carthage, Missouri