Coffee Thoughts ... and prayers ...

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers concerning Rick's dad. He is doing much better after his heart surgery. He had the heart valve replacement on October 23. He came home 5 days later. And he is getting ready for his follow up visits Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week. Will have more blood work done. Will get the staples removed. Following that he will begin cardiac-rehab.
He is getting a little stronger every day. Still having moments of frustrations and weariness. Still struggling with some discouragement and depression. The ups and downs that are completely normal (but not easy or fun) following most major surgeries.
Please continue to pray for him.

Rick is having struggles with just breathing. We aren't sure if this is fluid overload? But his UF numbers are doing really good every night - from the 400's to the 1,000's. ? Or, is this a low blood count? Granted, his blood count was a little low last month, but he has been taking his EPO shots twice a week now for 4 weeks. ? (Do EPO shots lose their effectiveness?) Or, is this just that twice a year chest congestion/allergies that he gets? He is almost finished with a round of antibiotics. Using his inhaler 2-4 times a day. We can't tell that it has helped. ?
He struggles with breathing so much! He worries me, and scares me at times. I so wish that I could help! But in this, all I can do is Pray. And PRAY I do! Sigh.
Any activity at all - even just walking from the bed to the bathroom, or the bathroom to the kitchen, causes him discomfort and the feeling of being suffocated.
He told me yesterday that it just feels like he is only able to breathe from about 1/2 his lungs - and that the oxygen is just not getting out to his muscles. He is tired, weak, and sleepy - ALL the time!
Please pray for him. He goes Wednesday afternoon to the dialysis unit and we see Dr. Greenwell. Pray for wisdom to the nurses, and to the doctor. Pray for HELP.

Rick has been getting an accidental occupational insurance payment thru Ballard (his last job, where he was injured) now for the last couple of years. It was supposed to be for 116 weeks - which would figure from the first payment. IF that were so, he would continue to get this insurance payment thru the end of this year. But ... not so.
Thru paperwork pencil-whipping those insurance payments ended the 15th of October.
The payments were supposed to be 70% of his original salary, but again, due to the pencil-whipping ... not so. He was only getting about 50% of his original salary. It helped. But now, that is over.
We are now facing only his disability check each month. Not enough to cover the bills, the medications, fuel in the car, and groceries.
God has promised to meet all our needs according to His riches in glory thru Christ Jesus. We are praying, trusting in the Lord God. I told Rick once, several years ago, and it still stands true (perhaps more so now than then!) -- it would be so much easier to have FAITH if the money was in the bank! His argument to me, then and now, is that that would not be faith - it would be sight! "HUMPH!" Little does he know! LOL
Please do pray for us. That God will meet all our needs according to His riches in glory thru Christ Jesus. And that we will be the best stewards of all that God provides for us. That we will trust Him - standing firm in the FAITH.
As humans, it is so easy to panic - but panic never accomplishes anything ... but more panic and chaos.
We also pray to be attentive to the Lord's direction - as to what we can do, or who we need to talk to, and when we just need to be still and trust Him...waiting on His provision.

How am I doing? I'm not sure. Sigh.
I have not been able to go to the doctor all year now. I have missed 3 appointments with MD Anderson and my oncologist - because of the changes due to Obamacare. I have also missed my 3 appointments with my general doctor - again, because of the changes due to Obamacare. I had coverage with both - until January of this year. Obamacare kicked in and changed their rules and regulations. I was taken off their care programs. And we have not had the money for me to see a doctor. So, with no insurance, no medical coverage = no medical care.
I have aches and pains. Arthritis - but what kind and how severe? Times too much to walk, to sit, to lay down.
I have had to do some things this year that I was not supposed to do - because of the cancer surgery - and after doing those things, I have bled some. Not that I have an "woman parts" left to bleed with! So, I am assuming it is when a stitch tears loose. Dr. Frumovitz (my oncologist) told us that it would take at least 3 years to be completely healed inside - IF I took really good care of myself. The cancer surgery was just too extensive to be healed quickly. He did warn us that I might never be completely healed, and that there might be ongoing problems. ???
My blood pressure seems to be on a wild pendulum ride - 153/125 one afternoon ... and 93/45 the next morning. Headaches abound! Sometimes all I can do is sit on the couch, with a pillow behind my neck, eyes closed, tears rolling down the cheeks, and not even think! Sigh.
My legs are still swollen. Some days worse than others. Some nights they are just too swollen and too painful to even touch the bed, or allow the covers to touch them.
I know that my prescriptions have reached the end of refills. One left. December. So, I will HAVE to find a way to see a doctor before the end of the year.
Please pray for me. That God will show me the way to see a doctor.

We are still here at Coffee Creek RV park. Still work camping. We have more work campers now - Randy & Londie, Jim & Kate, Tommy & Kathy. So thankful! At least none of us are stretched the very limits now. We cover for one another, help one another. We laugh a lot :).
Bill and Edna have gone to their next assignment. I sure miss them - A LOT!
Rick, the new manager, wanted to transition me into the office. I tried it. It was supposed to be 4 hours a day, 4 days a week. It wasn't. I was supposed to be set up on the computer system so that I can do the work - I wasn't. Working in the office just didn't fit with us. So - as of yesterday, we are back on the cleaning crew! I can do the office work - I have worked in offices, and helped to run companies, for 30 years now. But ... this just did not fit us well.
The work we do for work camping is not physically demanding. Just cleaning the bathrooms, or a cabin. Perhaps taking the trash off. And with several of us on duty each day, it goes better. I do little more cleaning for the park than the cleaning I do here at the house. :)

Not sure how long we will stay here at Coffee Creek. We love the "core" people here. There are many more people here now than before - some are staying longer than others. But those that are "full-timers" here ... FAMILY, friends. Some people just have a way of getting into your heart!

Rick and I talked about moving back to Sulphur Springs to help out with his dad and mom. But - they are still independent, and stubborn! LOL
So, do we think they need help? YES. But do they think they need help? Not so much.
What do we do? We shut up. We pray. We ask God for wisdom for direction.
We only want to be wherever it is that God wants us. He says that He knows the plans He has made for us - Jeremiah 29:11. So, we pray ... and we wait.  

I am going to be working on my websites and blogs a little more. God has given me some thoughts and ideas - and I want to explore those.
Also, God is burning a desire and passion within me to write. Still praying about that.

We pray for each one of you ... and we thank God for you.
Thank you for the time you give to read these words ...