A New Direction

Good Saturday Morning!  I'm typing this from our home in Kingston, OK where we arrived yesterday afternoon.  Jerry is so happy to be here.  He slept 11 hours last night, and I slept 9.  Just so good to be "home" again.  (OOPS!  My computer got a bad bug somehow.  Jerry spent many hours finding it and killing it!  I'm SO GLAD he knows how to do that!  Anyway, post is a day late.)

My blog started out being all about my Sure-fit Designs sewing odyssey.  Remember these?

Then I took that jewelry class from Craftsy.com, and I started talking about sewing and then making jewelry to match. That was a fun journey.

Remember the very first piece I made?  It looks like I spray-painted spaghetti and glued peas to it!  I still like it though because it was first.

And this silver set I made to match a christmassy pine cone print blouse.  Not a very good picture.  It is sparkly silver.

All of that seems to have come to a screeching halt right now though, although I might finish a knit top to show you later today.  Jerry and I have been blessed to be extremely healthy all of our lives.  We aren't good at being sick, if that makes sense.  The heavy weight on your soul is almost unbearable at times.  I have found, however, that the fear of the unknown is worse than fighting the beast.  If you KNOW what you are fighting, then you can choose your weapons and plan your strategy.

I have already found out that there is one AMAZING side-effect of receiving a life-threatening diagnosis, and that is the kindness and generosity of so many people.  People you may have known for a very long time, but you had no idea they ever gave you a passing thought.  Family members that you seldom get along with and have nothing in common with.  A neighbor that you have talked with a few times, but didn't really think any kind of relationship other than "neighbor" would come of it.  And, in our case, employees.

EVEN Jerry's brothers who don't even believe in God have called with such concern and have offered to pray even though God probably won't hear them (according to them).

After my post about Jerry's PET scan, we received the sweetest, heartfelt, loving texts, emails and phone calls from all of the above people.  One sweet employee offered to come cook for us and clean our house.  Others offered "anything" they could do.  Our managers told us they would take care of our business, and we were not to worry about anything at the 2 stores.

Phylly, of course, is there for us at all times and she knows HOW to pray and believe with us.  How do I know that?  She emails me her prayers!

Jerry received a long text last night from one of our male employees, and it was so precious.  Jerry called him to thank him.  He told Jerry he was the "best boss in the whole world" and suggested we find the best place there is for treatment.  My managers both offered anything they could do.  One said to call even if it was the middle of the night.

Our next-door neighbor here in the woods -- about 5 acres away -- texted me last week after the CAT scan.  She told me I could ask her to do anything.  She said I could cry on her shoulder and she would be my new best friend.  The fact that I don't have ANY friends down here makes that a very comforting offer.  She and her husband watch our home here when we are gone.

Because all of this happened while going through Mom's last days, all of Jerry's relatives know about it.  They, too, have called and asked how they can help.

And there is the phone call that I just received this morning from my sister.  She and I are close but not-close, if that makes sense.  We seem to get along in short spurts of time before the relationship explodes and falls apart for the millionth time.  She was upset that I had not called her about Jerry.  She doesn't have a cell phone or a computer, so she can't read my blog.  AND, since we are currently at odds, I didn't feel comfortable talking to her about it.  She heard from my brother what is going on, so she called to offer her help.  And WHAT she offered is something I never would have thought of asking anyone to do.  She offered to take our two cats, Barney and Boots, and keep them at her house until this ordeal is over for us.  WOW!  What an offer!  My sister is really good with animals of all kinds, and I know she will spoil them rotten.  They may never want to see us again!

BUT, NOT ONLY THAT!  She offered to give Jerry her blood and her bone marrow if he needs it!  She has Type O blood, and I guess it is suppose to be a match for everyone, or something.  I don't know about that stuff, but what an offer!  

And, of course, YOU, my blog friends.  I appreciate all of you so much -- your prayers and your kind words and your advice.  Thank you so much!

What happens NEXT, happens next Friday, October 8th.  We will go BACK to Mercy in Oklahoma City, and Jerry will have a bone marrow biopsy.  They will cut a hole into his pelvis and take out a sample.  THAT will tell us exactly which KIND of Lymphoma -- if it is Lymphoma -- that Jerry has, and it will determine whether or not it is treatable and if the spleen has to come out.

Right now, I'm going to get ready for this beautiful autumn day in the woods.  I want to finish the blouse I started BEFORE all this happened.  I'll show you later.



Hugs, Joy