Gratitudinally Speaking

[DaBee]

Originally posted by Jeannie Jones:
Note from Nafalia:I could go into a long post with all the details, but there's really no need, because the end result would still be the end result.Nafalia Nafalia...I'm not sure if you personally don't want to go into details or you think that us out here wouldn't be interested. I, for one, am very interested in what it is you are having to go through AND how the "system" has let you down. What is it that you are requiring in which your needs won't be met? When will the chemo and radiation commence? Or...is it that you have decided to forego those treatments? Where are you in the diagnosis process, or is that in place and is why the cancer therapies are in order? If not these therapies, then what?
That's enough questions for now. As always, I am sending warm, comforting light towards you; to envelope you and hold you in its embrace. Thoughts of ease and sweet dreams are focused. The message is carried on the breathing wind.
love and light
deborah

[Jeannie Jones]

DaBee, she was very tired and fed up with being led to believe one thing by one doctor, only to have it taken away from her by another doctor. That's why she didn't want to go into it in her previous post. She will not be able to be admitted to the hospital for the required 3 days prior to 5 weeks of nursing home care, because the cancer doc doesn't have a reason to hospitalize her.

Oncology office cancelled her appt to have the shunt put in Monday because there is no one to stay at home with her for that 5-week period. So she is not being allowed treatment!!!

I'm torn because I'd like to care for her during that time, though it might be tough in my physical condition, but Mom has been displaying some pre-stroke signs, and as she's already had several TIA's, if I left her alone, I couldn't live with myself if something happened while I was gone.

It is not my way to tell other people's business, and I hope Nafalia will forgive me for doing just that.

Becky, my thoughts and prayers go out to you and Jeremy and his family still, but I'm glad he's doing a little better. Glad that everyone else is doing better as well.

Loving you all,

Jeannie

[DaBee]

Thank you, Jeannie.
Jeannie, it is difficult to be in the position that you face now with Nafalia and your Mom. I know that that inner voice is guiding you and that you are listening. Sometimes our Journeys can be heart wrenching. I know what it is like to be close to the edge with our Mothers. Seems like sometimes we're at the edge and aren't even aware of it. When I faced a time like you are now, everything was left behind to be with her. I followed my inner voice and it was the right thing for me to do. At the moment that I made the decision to be there, I had no idea it would be our last visit. Thought I'd just help get her through some medical things and then get back to Eureka to resume my life. It didn't work out that way and she ended up in a hospice situation. Those times were most exhausting, yet led me to a deeper spiritual walk. Mom and I mended lots of fences and had some amazing experiences together.
I'm sure that Nafalia wouldn't have it any other way. I remember meeting your Mom at the clinic in Fayetteville. She was such a beautiful person with an amazing sweetness and light. You both are.
Thanks for sharing, Jeannie. I too would like to be closer to Springfield and not have my own physical limitations. I would be there with Nafalia every chance I had. Right now my medical challenges seem to be getting more complicated and need to be addressed in a very focused way. Realize now that I have to focus on my wellness first before I attempt to try to help anyone else. I wouldn't be doing them any favors if I was less than adequate.
Lots of sunshine and cool days visioned for you.
love and light
deb

[Jeannie Jones]

From Nafalia to Deb:

Deb Kay, was just wondering if you don't mind sharing what in your medical condition has become more complicated?

Jeannie read me what she had written about my situation, and I think she covered it all pretty well.

As above, so below,

Nafalia

[Jeannie Jones]

My 85-y/o mom was just trying to think of a way that we could BOTH go to N. in Springfield. smile.gif

[DaBee]

Did y'all figure out a way for both of you to go to Springfield, Jeannie? What a sweetheart your Mom is.
Nafalia, I feel sad for the quandry you find yourself in. Sometimes it really is trying to let go and let everything work out the way it is suppose to. I find that when in a frustrating situation, it is my true test to let fear drop by the wayside.
My personal situation is one of probably what a lot of women my age go through. I'm taking more meds now for high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Because of not having dental insurance and not keeping up with good preventive dentistry, my teeth are struggling to stay intact. One of the harsh chemo drugs that I was on for over a year caused a lot of my teeth to practically crumble. I ended up having to have what teeth were left on top, pulled and I'm wearing dentures. Now the bottom teeth are falling apart and it looks like these are heading the same way. I'm on an antibiotic for an abcess down under a molar root and I'll probably end up losing the tooth because I can't afford everything required to save it. From the looks of my x-rays, there will be quite a few more to follow. My immune system is compromised due to the Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus. I'm going back to UALR next week and the rheumy doc will be putting me on Plaquenil. I always dread new therapies because of the side effects, but am trying to be positive. I've heard good things about this drug. It's just that I've always been an anti-drug (rx, otc, illegal....any of them) person, but it looks like I'm eating my words with all of this.
I still am saying that when I get back in shape I'll be able to walk away from all of these drugs. I need to hurry about getting more fit because the RA is progressing to the point that a lot of my days are ones of moving very slow and careful; because of the pain and just limited mobility. This morning I got my feet tangled in some garden hose and fell hard, catching my weight on my right hand. My hands are the most effected by the RA, so I'm really feeling it tonight and all of the joints are swollen.
See, I am whining and complaining. I'm eating those words that I always said about keeping a stiff upper lip and never going on about my aches and pains. I never had much tolerance for people doing that when I was younger. Karma? Hmmmm....maybe just life.
love and light
deb-o-pitypartypooper ;)

[DaBee]

Update....I'm having 3 molars pulled on Wednesday. Was told that they have some bad infections going on under them, which will account for the fevers on and off for a few months now. Looks like I'll be able to get by and save some bottom teeth with deep cleanings and proper care. Then can get a partial later on down the road. I'm looking forward to getting well again....it's been playing real havoc with my immune system. I'm compromised anyway, so this sure hasn't helped. Finally......a light at the end of the tunnel!
love and lighted tunnel vision
deb

[Jeannie Jones]

Deb, my gosh, over a year on chemo?! Whew! Did the Lupus and RA follow that? Yes, I expect that healing your tooth problems will help your overall health a lot. Falling on your hand?! Mama mia!

Thanks for letting down your hair, sweetie. For me, Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol's greatest message was to get out among people, with love, (face to face, by phone, or e-mail) and talk and tell your story and hear the stories of others. Heart to heart, lightening their load if possible, and receiving compassion from them, as well. We can find out more and more about the "human condition" if we speak of it and hear of it, since we're only walking one path in our 3-D experience. Learning about others' paths can truly bring enrichment and depth to our lives. Some of us become quite adept at walking around as if there's not a thing wrong with us, in public, while in private we moan and grown with every movement, or even just sitting in a chair, even though we can still find some small joy in each step, in each moment. This doesn't allow others to know that they can help, at least with empathy and fuller understanding, because they don't perceive our need.

No, Deb, we won't be going to Springfield. We only live 10 minutes outside of Rogers, but sometimes on the trip to town and back, Mom will have several fingers lock up on her, quite painfully, and I'll have to try and bend them back where they belong while she's driving, or take the wheel from the passenger's side while she tries to fix them. She's had more than a few TIA's, once while playing the organ in church, to her chagrin, and this past week she's felt like a wave went through her whole body several times. There are other health conditions, as well, but no reason to go into them right now. I have a tendency to fall over sometimes, and my cervical dystonia would not physically allow me to give the kind of care Nafalia would need. She was quite touched that Mom offered, but she felt that we would not be up to it, and that Mom should stay close to her medical support community.

Nafalia's had a rough couple of days, and is feeling a lot of pain, so "keep those cards and letters comin', folks", cause it sure can lift her spirit(s).

Well, it's QUITE late, and I hope my words hang together right enough to make sense. I'd best skedaddle.

Love and light and all things bright,

Jeannie

[DaBee]

I've been dabbling in the Open Forum a bit, putting my 2 cents worth in here and there. Every time the topics start getting heavy with politics, I start getting a heavy, sinking, out of balance feeling, too. Am so glad that we have the Gratitude Journal to go back to for some ease. Becsflowers started a "Fools Only.." thread, it seems, for the same reason.......an escape.
I'm just starting to become unnumbed after having the 3 bottom molars pulled this afternoon. Ugh..that's about all I can say.
Hope all is well enough for everyone. Glad to see that you made it back home safe and sound, Patt. Did you find the magical kind of place you were looking for?
love and light
deb

[Jeannie Jones]

NOTES FROM NAFALIA:

Jeannie and I just had a good belly laugh about something --- I don't recall what --- but Jeannie said to me, "Gosh, I hope we didn't break anything loose (meaning inside of me)".

I couldn't help but just roll on the floor laughing at her for saying that, when we're getting ready to take nuclear medicine and treatments to blast this thing out of me, and she was thinking that we might just break it loose from a belly laugh? Excuse me? :D

Perhaps Jeannie's confused state of mind is from the fall on her head she took last week, trapped in a spot where she could not move, nor holler for help. It just so happens that when she rolled out of her fall, she realized she had landed in a big bag of the plastic water bottles for recycling. [JJ - oops! :D ]

It's hard to believe that we've come to this. I, Nafalia, who used to dance hours upon hours alone in a most alluring, graceful way, holding the crowd's attention and Jeannie, the dancer/entertainer, is now falling on her head in plastic bottles! My oh my! When did all this happen?! Jeannie should never have given up her sequined clothing, nor I my fringe. smile.gif

After 4 months of alternative care, the cancer mass has SLIGHTLY enlarged, so I have been pretty silent until I had everything arranged. This is how it goes now. Thursday morning, August 18, at 5:30 AM, I will be admitted to the hospital to have the port put in, and I will spend 23 hrs. in the hospital at that time. During that day I will have my first chemo treatment.

After several months of being in such a quandary (as Steve and Jeannie have had to listen to it), I have come to terms with the fact that I will do traditional medicine.

Here is the silver lining in all of this: I only have to have 2 light chemo treatments, and 29 light radiation treatments. This cancer has a very high "cure rate", like 95%.

The last 4 months I felt my doubts came from the fact that I could not feel which way Spirit was guiding me to go.

Long story short, everything began to fall into place 2 days ago, and it's been boom, boom, boom, and so now I know which way I am to go.

As Jeannie said, and I quote her on this, "You had to let it go". And as Jeannie knows, I must knock on every door, hit every brick wall, throw all the rocks I can throw at people in the system, before I can feel in my heart, mind and soul that I have done my part, and I can then let it go.

So to all of you out there, in here, I just want to tell you, "keep those cards & letters comin' in, folks". I mean this figuratively, not literally. What I'm really saying is "keep those prayers and positive thoughts coming my way, and put a candle in the window, for I'm comin' home". ;)

I love and cherish you all, and always look forward to your words and your humor.

As we will it, Spirit shall grant it,

Nafalia

[Becky Davis]

You betcha Nafalia.

[PMilam]

Whaaaahhh... I wrote a really long post.. and I guess I did not hit reply.. I've done that a few times, with this new version... I guess it was not meant to be..

I'll have to try again, later.. must sleep now.

good night, and may a gentle rain fall as you sleep.
love,
Patt

[DaBee]

Looking forward to it, Patt. I know what you mean about not hitting reply. Find that if I'm in "Full Reply Form" mode, I forget less. Oh, I love the quote at the bottom of your posts.
Nafalia...I will certainly be focusing on you on the 18th. I see you were able to work around government restrictions. Smart! I'm sure you're feeling much relief in just making the decision to go with traditional medicine. That's hard for me too, but sometimes I also have to just let go. That's what I'll be doing tomorrow at UALR because they're most likely going to be putting me on Plaquenil. Was suppose to start it over 6 months ago, but I just kinda turned my back on it. There's a lot of reasons why, but mainly because I thought that I'd get better without the harsh drugs. I didn't, but have pretty well held my own....almost.
Please keep us posted on how Nafalia is doing, Jeannie. Thanks for all that you do. I'm always smiling when Nafalia writes because you are right there, also, helping and supporting. It's so loving and thoughtful.
I'm trying to picture just what happened when JJ fell into a big bag of plastic water bottles. When I read that JJ couldn't move or holler for help, I had this feeling of terror run through me. I'm glad y'all are laughing now. What was that all about, JJ, if you don't mind telling on yourself?
I certainly remember the sequined clothing, Jeannie. In fact, I'm sure I've mentioned it before (but I'm never sure about that or what I'm repeating), but I have one of the flyers from Razz-A-Ma-Tazz (don't think I ever get that right) when y'all were at the Top-O-The-Crescent.....back in the late 80's or early 90's.
Yep, y'all do seem like fringe and sequin gals. Makes me think of the song, "Those Were the Days, My Friend".....we thought they'd never end, we'd sing and dance forever and a day. Always loved that song.....from what...........late 60's?
I'm getting too nostalgic and besides, gotta go get packing and jolted back to the present.
take care everybody......
love and light and reminiscing all night
deb-o-justadreamyolthing
p.s....just like Nafalia always says, "keep them cards and letters coming".....keep them posts coming 'cause we've almost made 800!

[Jeannie Jones]

Notes from Nafalia:

Oh, gee, Patt, don't you just hate when that happens?! You work so hard on a post and then send it to Cyberspace Heaven! :eek:

Well, at this point, for the last couple of weeks the intake of solid food has been a very difficult process, so I've been doing mostly liquids, and soft food occasionally. It seems like any time I put solid food in my system, I immediately begin the bloating and discomfort process.

I was told by the radiologist that this would be the case for the duration of my healing process. He informed me that during the radiation treatment, no fruits or vegetables or fiber. I have so many other restrictions because of the migraines, that I felt it was in my best interest to meet with the dietician and try and figure out just what am I going to be able to eat for the next several weeks.

When the radiologist told me I would have to change my diet and eliminate a lot of foods, I looked at him and smiled, and said, "Well, there's not much left to eliminate, with what you've just told me, because that's about all I've been able to eat for a very long time".

He looked at me and said, "I think you need to see a nutritionist AND a dietician". He had already told me that I would be losing weight during the treatment. So come Thursday morning at 5:30, I will take a cab to St. John's Hospital, have the port put in, have my first chemo treatment in the hospital, and spend 23 hours there. After 23 hrs., if all goes well and I respond well to the chemo, I will be dismissed to come home.

Shortly after that, I will return to the radiologist to be marked and to begin my 29 radiation treatments. I only have to take 2 chemo treatments, and the 2nd one will be the last week of the 5-week treatment period.

Of course, this 5-week treatment may vary, depending on how my body responds, and for all of you who've had chemo and/or radiation, you already know that depends on the red or white blood counts, and how the body holds up during this time.

At this point, you know as much as I know, except (here's the good part) the chemo will be a light form of treatment, and the radiation will also.

The doctors have been very honest and straightforward with me. This cancer has a high cure rate, and, as they say, even with light treatment it's still unpleasant.

I feel very fortunate that my circumstances are a lot better than so many others. So I'm not whining, complaining, or dreading any of this, for I remember very clearly being told all my life "I cried because I had no shoes, 'til I saw a man with no feet".

So you all know the rest, "keep those cards and letters comin' in, folks". :D

I will be speaking with Jeannie every day, and she will keep you updated, I'm sure, as she always has.

This is my special thanks to Jeannie.

By the way, make the cards and letters funny, and there is a reason for this. A lady who works with my sister was undergoing chemo and radiation, and her blood count kept dropping, and her doctor told her to go get a bunch of movies that were very funny, and watch them and laugh a lot, because laughter raises the red blood count.

As we will it, Spirit will grant it,

Nafalia

[Jeannie Jones]

Well now, Deb, I didn't get rid of ALL my sequins. And I still have a short black fringed bolero jacket and 3 feather boas, too. (Sold 3 at my moving-out porch sale, but kept my 3 back-ups.)

I remember running into Vernon Tucker somewhere years ago, and he said, "Ah, the ever over-dressed Jeannie Jones!". I laughed. Years later, I recounted that incident to him, and he hadn't remembered it, but apologized for it, thinking he'd been insensitive or unkind. I told him there was no reason to apologize, because it was true. I took no offense. That incident reminds me of a card my dear friend Steve Boring sent me, but I just can't find it now. When I find it, I'll post it here, 'cause it really fits.

Thanks for reminding us of that wonderful song, "Those Were the Days". I'm going to have to find the lyrics for that one. Great song, and I do identify with what I remember of it.

Well, again it's late, and the bed beckons. Okay, Deb, when you return, I will most probably have posted the story of my strange fall.

Drive safely, dear heart,

Jeannie

P.S. Love and Light to ALL who wander through here in butterfly boots. smile.gif

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Let's ALL remember Nafalia in our thoughts and prayers, as today she begins radiation treatments for colon cancer. We collectively send out PURE WHITE LIGHT ENERGY TO GIVE HER STRENGTH AND PROMOTE HEALING. May the Goddess/Gods GUIDE AND PROTECT HER.
As Above, So Below
We Will It, So Shall It Be.
Blessed Be.
:cool:

[PMilam]

I thought about spoons today.. and thought that I would bring it back up, for the new comers, that don't want to read all 32 pages..

http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/spoons.htm

[DaBee]

I'm there with you, Nafalia.
love and light
deb-o'kay

[b lake lady]

Ok.......I'm here. Feel kinda like if I was at an AA meeting! Don't know what to say. I've always been very independent and prided myself on being self-sufficient. I've reached the point that I have had to admit the physical limitations to some extent and I'm very angry. I tried to take comfort in knowing I had a REAL physical disease as opposed to a psychosomatic condition. Small comfort. I hate not being able to do everything I want to do. And I guess that's where I am.

[PMilam]

Have you read all of this? Been reading all along? Did you read about spoons? That was from page 2.

Uh.. welcome to a place of comfort and sharing. I've actually come to grips with one "affliction".. my sleep habits. Actually, I think you helped me a lot, on the o.f.
I've stopped taking anything but a little otc sleep aid. I'm up til 1 and up 9ish.. and I feel much better. I had been trying to program myself to others rhythms.

I'm still aggravated about losing that long post. They don't always just flow..

Not being able to do what I want to do is the hardest part of this. My minds eye sees these bountiful gardens all around, neat as a pin.. I have to be ok with keeping the beds I have.

In the migraine thread, I spoke of seeing them as a prison.
Even when I have energy, enthusiasm and a plan, it can change, literally, in the blink of one eye.

And, yes, knowing that it's not all in your head is HUGE. The guilt feelings when I cannot control the headaches, the pain and other related junk from fibromyalgia. I've not even wanted to tell people.. it was so long poo-pooed as a psychosomatic condition. I saw women that seemed totally debilitated by it. I just can't stop everything! Many times, it's just too important to me to get to a meeting, or take the grandkids. I can't let the pain stop me... except for the migraines.. they stop every-&)%(#%@-thing.

Ok.. I'll stop now.. I'm taking up the whole meeting!

xo
Patt

[PMilam]

AND... then I met a woman undergoing chemo and radiation...

Hard to stay on the pity pot, when many of you are dealing with awful circumstances right now.

Blessings to you.

Love, peace and MIRACLES!

[b lake lady]

PITY POT? I think not.

I remember the insomnia discussion.............If I really helped you, I'm grateful.

I've never had a Migraine .........the most horrendous mother of all headaches I ever had was after a night of drinking tequila. Thank God it was only temporary.

"not being able to do what I want to do." This makes me so angry. Now I have the time but I don't have the energy/stamina ...................

[Becky Davis]

I know exactly what you mean B lake Lady. If you'll notice from some of the post, we all have trouble sleeping. Wouldn't know what a really great night of sleep feels like, it has been so long. I am usually at the computer til my meds kick in than most of the time, my energy is in the morning. Then I sort of fizzle.
How long have you known about your lupus?

[Jeannie Jones]

Hi! My name's Jeannie and I !@#$%&*() hurt!

Well, gee, y'know, that DID feel good to actually say it out loud! ;)

It may have been Shimaka who said that even though others are feeling pain ... maybe more pain than you have (according to your perception), you're still in pain. It's real, it hurts you, and it's valid. It's the pain that YOU live with and deal with, to the best of your ability.

So here's the only way that I can see it: instead of placing our focus on what we CAN'T do, we must focus day by day on what we CAN do that day, and recognize when enough's enough. It may sound simple-minded, but that's the only way I can approach it. It also relates to the Spoons Theory, which Patt linked us to on the previous page.

I don't think I went through a period of anger, but sometimes I have felt some sadness, particularly about not driving anymore, and its companion, not living in a town where I could just walk around on sidewalks and visit with friends. Either of those situations can give us such a feeling of independence.

Mom's going through a tough time right now, (85-y/o). I get really goofy sometimes to lift her spirits and it gets both of us laughing, which is such good medicine. Somewhere I've heard that laughter is the angels' favorite music. smile.gif

Y'know, Patt, I truly understand your feeling about the "lost post", because I've read some beautifully-crafted, flowing pieces you've written. And of course, I've lost posts, too. As someone has said, one way to avoid the lost post is to get in the habit of hitting "save" before sending. If you do it every time, you won't ever lose one, but just need to clean out your "documents" occasionally.

I've been astonished to find some posts by hitting the "forward" button, after I've accidently hit some odd key on my keyboard and it looked like everything was gone. In fact, that happened to this one.

Oh, Patt, feeling guilty about your headaches and pain? Guilty of what?!

Well, all I know is that even in pain, each moment holds some potential joy as well. Sometimes we have to look at it as if from a distance to find it, though.

Well, I'm running out of steam, and I need to give news of Nafalia, so I'll close out mine, and begin hers. Sure have enjoyed the meeting, ladies. smile.gif

Wishing you rose petals and sweet dreams,

Jeannie

[Jeannie Jones]

Nafalia Update:

She awoke at 3:30 this ... er ... yesterday morning, was at the hospital at 5:00. Her surgeon put the port in her chest. She was quite sore later from that. They WERE going to do the first chemo treatment today, but changed their minds. She may have been too week for that.

They ARE going to keep her for 3 days, it looks like, and then she'll be able to stay in an extended care facility through the duration of the treatments, which is a great relief.

Tomorrow she'll have an ultra sound endoscopy on the colon. (Hope that terminology is correct.) She says that it will be quite painful. I believe that she said that the radiologist "marked" her today in a temporary way.

In about a week, she'll have her first of 2 chemo treatments AND the first of 29 radiation go-rounds. Same day.

They gave her a Percocette (sp?) for the pain, but she had them cut it in half, because she's quite sensitive to chemicals.

I'm sure she'd appreciate a phone call from anyone who wishes to do so, whether you know her or not. St. John's Hospital # is 1-417-820-2000, and her room # is 7251.

Hope I got all this right, and as Nafalia would say, keep those cards & letters (Love and Light) comin', folks.

Love to all,

Jeannie

[PMilam]

Well, I as I hit reply, I realized that I had not said a word to or about Nafalia's current task at hand.

I am thinking about you, sending you cards and letters.. hope you are getting them!! I'm speaking of prayer and light... you knew that. I guess I still have a bit of survivor's guilt (sorry.. it's a Catholic thing, I guess). It was actually recommended that I have 4 rounds of chemo... improved "my statistics" by 3%. I said no. It was such a long recovery, I cannot imagine how it would have been to add chemo.
On the breastcancer.org forum, which was my touch stone for a long time, most of the women were undergoing extensive chemo and radiation. I felt like the lucky one.

Also, 3 mo. before I was diagnosed, one of my sons in law was diagnosed with tonsil cancer. He went through 7-8 weeks of radiation. It was so hard on him. He is one of those rabbit people.. (and I don't know the in joke about rabbit women on the open forum).. the kind that is in constant motion.. always on the go. It finally got a strangle hold on him.

I've gotten through the guilt part of headaches.. but it was there for so many years. I would think.. I am in control of my life.. I shoulda woulda coulda stopped the headache! I know now that is bull s h i t!

I digress...

Nafalia, I do pray that your time in this moves swiftly, and is filled with loving, caring and tender people, to ease your way.

b l lady.. sorry you have the need to come here.. but, I'm glad you found us.. and yes.. your words rang in my ears.. and I really quit trying to change me to suit the rest of the world.. thank you.

[Lupie]

Nafalia, Good luck. You will be in my thoughts.. sparky

[DaBee]

It IS a great relief to know that you will be able to stay in an extended care facility, Nafalia. It was the having to stay home without someone with you 24/7 that concerned all of us. I don't know how all of this change evolved, but it doesn't matter because I'm just so happy for your care and nurturing.
b lake lady, it is such an honor to have you join us "over here". When you talk about being angry about losing some physical capabilities, that hits home with me most. I used to always talk about how I was once able to do this or that or about my physical prowess and strength. Then, I realized that besides being caught up in a disease or 2 that's debilitating, I'm just plain ol' getting older. I don't have any problem talking with others that are going through or already went through this process, but do realize that younger, energized people have no concept of what I'm talking about. I now look at what I can do and am grateful. I do have flashbacks of those days, but let them just float on by and don't grab them and simmer over 'em.
I'm willing to bet that 100% of the people posting on this journal thread would be able to say the same thing that I just spoke of. That's why it helps to communicate this....it's a relief to know it's not psychosomatic. Guess though, if it was psychosomatic, I'd have to deal with that all the while attempting to not subject myself to guilt and judgement.
What catches me right now is just how much to push. Because I tend to overdo, it finally stings me in the butt and I have to retreat for a day or 2 and sometimes even longer. I'm in Texas right now and with 3 straight days of travel and dealing with this depleating heat, I have to really be careful. This will be my day of rest. It's having been rested and having a bit of fear of doing something maybe a little physically challenging that I hesitate about. I'm actually finding that if I just go ahead and jump in and give it a try, I usually can complete what I started. I also have the option of stopping when the warning signs are flashing (pain, mainly).
I understand about the gardens, Patt. This year I've only been able to maintain a small area of tomatoes, chard, mint, strawberries and another area of just herbs. I did plant some perennial beds that was worth all of the work. I do it all myself, so I have to be really real here. I become really saddened if a plant of any sort is put in a stressful situation because of my lack of tending properly. I really try to not bite off more than I can chew.
I'll talk more about the actual progression of the diseases that have crossed my path as of recent. It's possible that I may even have some good news! I'm just waiting to hear from UALR with the results of tests.
Looking forward to hearing from everyone. Thanks for keeping us posted, NN and JJ. I come here quite often to see if there is any word on how it's going, Nafalia.
love and light and sunshinegalore
deb-o-bright :cool:

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Peace, ya'll. Most of you never knew me when before my injury when I was viril, strong and yes, a lot younger. I must shout with GLEE as I actually have had my best week in 15 months. My acupuncture treatment last Friday was a super, duper, poke-fest.
I did absolutely nothing this past week that would cause me any discomfort. No bending, lifting, no standing or sitting for long periods, nothing. Hard for me to do, when I used to be one of the most active, energetic, non-stop people you've ever met. No More!! I have finally quit feeling guilty for not being "able to do" the things I once did. I have made friends with "Cane" and it accompanys me every where I go and stabilizes me and keeps me from falling.
After all the Dr. visits to Little Rock and all the many painful injections and inspections I can once a week make a short drive to Leslie Ar. from Mtn. View and get enough pain relief from my very wonderful acupuncturist Dr. Janice Vigh to last a whole week,if I obey the rules.The "magick" She works on my poor injured back and leg will always amaze me.
This fine group of "Kindred Spirits" has taught me much and I really am learning to ration my "spoons" and also to realize when they're "all used up."
Blessing of Twisted-Healing LIGHT to ALL
So Mote It Be.
:cool:

[b lake lady]

Nafalia, I'm wishing the best for you. Hoping you'll be able to return home soon.
Hi Jeannie! I effin hurt too! But it's not so bad today.
About 10 years ago, I got pneumonia and nearly died. One of the doctors noticed something in my lab results and ran more tests. I didn't really know much about Lupus til then. Now we're intimately aquainted. Some days it's all I can do to get out of bed........other days I feel almost normal. Hope you all are having a good day! Blessings!

[Jeannie Jones]

And Furthermore from Nafalia:

For those of us who experience anger, frustration, or just confused emotions about our physical conditions, let me say this. I can totally relate to what you feel on all levels, concerning how the dis-eases come and steal away your energy, and you can no longer be or do the things that you once did or were.

Not too many years ago, I was like a little tornado all the time. Now, most of the time, I do well to be a puff of wind.

After experiencing the anger and frustration, I found it in my best interest to take that energy and turn it within, and transform it into a positive energy, in order that I might be able to have a better quality of life, even though the quality was different than before.

As for what is now taking place with me, there have been so many changes in plans, and ways to get things implemented, that it would take too long to tell you, so I'll give you the short version.

I was in the hospital all day Thursday, Thursday night, and Friday morning. What occurred during this time was (I stayed drugged up most of the time, so this is as well as I can remember it). I arrived at the hospital at 5:30, was in surgery by 6:15. The port was put in. I was then taken to my room on a gurney.

Then a social worker came in and spoke with me, and told me she didn't know how they were going to get me into a home, because I didn't look sick (as many have said, I look the picture of health). Then her 5-minute visit was over. A few hours later, the chemo nurse came by, had me watch 2 videos on chemotherapy, and then she and I talked about all these things that could possibly happen to the body during the chemotherapy. (And not one of them is pleasant!) :rolleyes:

Then at another point, the dental hygienist came in to inform me of the care that the mouth would have to have during the chemotherapy treatments.

Shortly after that, at some point, I was awakened from a nap to be taken to the radiologist to have a simulation done. After returning to my room, trying to eat a little food (as the chemo nurse told me, I have to eat much more than I'm eating now). I'm not sure how I'm gonna do that one! After eating some chicken salad, I threw up. :rolleyes:

All of this was taking place as I was dealing with a horrendous migraine headache.

Some time after that, I think I passed out for a while.

Then I was awakened by the night-time nurse, to give me my final 2 1/2 milligrams of Valium for the night. She informed me at that time that I would be awakened at 6:00 this morning, and be given 2 enemas (like that was important to me then). Being true to her word, the nurse was there at 6:00.

By 7:00 I was en route to have the colonoscopy, and the endoscopic ultra-sound. By 8:30, I was back in my room, drugged again. By 9:00 my doctors had come in and told me I could go home.

While the nurse was doing my dismissal, she informed me I was to be at the hospital Monday morning by 7:00 at the Admitting office, and they would call Dr. Hoos, and I would be admitted to the hospital again on Monday. Chemo would begin on Monday, and I would be kept in the hospital for a few days.

Radiation will begin next week at some point as well, and I believe that it is being done this way so that they CAN get me into a home for the duration of my treatment.

This is all I know, because it appears I'm on a "need to know" basis. So that's all I know, friends. You know the rest.

During this day, at some point, all of my doctors stopped by to see me.

I just want to thank everyone for asking about me and sending all the love and energy they sent my way, because I definitely did feel it. To DebKay, Patt Milam, Becky Davis, Steve, B Lake Lady, Sparky, Jeannie, all of you surrounding me with light, love and energy, as we talk the walk, it's what will make it possible for each and every one of us to survive and make it through these times in our lives that we now experience.

As above, so below,

Love, Love, Love,

Nafalia

P.S. If I left anybody out, it was not intentional. It's just in this drugged state, it's hard to remember. smile.gif

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
DebKay, Patt Milam, Becky Davis, Beaver Lake Lady, Sparky, Jeannie,and Nafalia, others;
So en-LiGHTening to have this group in this special place. May you all be blessed with the best health possible and may I thank you ALL for the many blessings I've received from you.
MAY WE as individuls make a difference in the lives of each other and in the WORLD OF LIGHT.
:cool:

[Becky Davis]

Good morning to yall. This appears to be one of those that days the week has caught up with me. I am still so so sleepy, but in spite of my best efforts, my body refuses to quit aching so I am up.
Nafalia dear, you are certainly maintaining a good attidtude through all of this. I do so admire you. In fact, I admire all of this group. It seems we all have a self determination to make lemonade on a daily basis.
I hope all of the ladies with lupus will write from time to time. Especially if you hear of any new treatments.
We have a lupus foundation here. Once a month they have a support group that meets and they have different speakers. I have encouraged Jeremy to go. He did go once and came away with a special feeling that all was not lost.
I am wondering if any of you have taken glyco nutrients? My son will not take them (although I think he should) because he was told when first diagnosed with lupus nephritis that he should not take any herbs or medicines that are not prescribed. I feel like he could take the glyco nutrients, but when I asked his kidney doctor about them, he had never heard of them.
I wish our medicine men were also taught about holistic values while they are in med school. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they could combine with modern day medicine?
I am interested in your daily routines. Are mornings best for you? I find that it generally takes me a couple of hours to get going. I do not have lupus, but fibromyalgia, and I feel better in the mornings. That wait time is usually the time I am on the computer.
By most afternoons, I am pretty spent and not very productive.

[Lupie]

Hi Becky, My friend Annie in KY also has Lupus as does her sister and mother. Annie takes a supplement called MDR Vital Factors every day and she says she feels great. She does not take any other medication. In fact, she sent me some, it is like an alka seltzer, just throw it in a glass of water and drink up. I have yet to try it as I am on some many other drugs right now. I have a lot of it. I could share. Oh, and they have a website which I have yet to check out www.mdr.com. (http://www.mdr.com.) And Pat Boone endorses this product. But my doctor asked that I not take anything else right now that he hasn't prescribed until I get back to my normal self, whatever that means. So meanwhile, I will wait to try it.

Dear Nafalia, hang in there. I know some days can seem so long but, good days are coming soon(easy to say, I know). But, ya know that has been my attitude this spring - summer. When I finally found a doctor I could trust here in AR/MO, I counted the days to my next appointment with him. Couple of months ago I was miserable. But, I feel so much better now and can't wait til I finally get back on my feet. I think the clue to getting better is 1) finding the right medical treatment and 2) being able to share your feelings and aches and pains with others that care and understand.

Well take care. Need to go to OK for a couple of days to visit mom. later, glenna aka sparky

[Lupie]

I just wanted to add that bedside manner is important too. I went to several rheumatoligists here, one in Bentonville and one in Fayetteville, and both of them were not nice to me. I just felt like their attitude was "It's your fault your sick again" and "Don't bother me with your silly questions". I thought perhaps I was kind of imagining things but, my hubby went with me to both doctors and first thing out of his mouth was I don't like them. When we met my present doctor Mike was immediately taken with him. So, I just think the doctor's attitude rubs off on the patient too. Well, hope I haven't rattled on too much. Gotta run.

[Jeannie Jones]

Response from Nafalia:

Thanks, Becky and Sparky. We can never have too many words of encouragement, too much love, or too much money. ;)

I always try to remind myself that tomorrow will be better. Sometimes finding the "better" might appear a little difficult, but it's always there somewhere.

Today I've just been resting and sleeping and reading (talking books). I did water the plants this morning, and that took quite a bit of my energy.

Had a grilled chicken sandwich, plain, and it seems to be doing okay so far. Have not had much solid food in the last 2 or 3 weeks, so that was a real nice treat.

Here's wishing everyone unicorns and rainbows. Be sure to watch out for them. They're everywhere this time of year. ;)

As above, so below,

Nafalia

P.S. Keep those cards and letters coming in, folks. :D

[DaBee]

Sounds almost like a normal day, Nafalia. Though I really don't know what a normal day is, I'm glad to hear that it was a fairly pleasant one for you. I did see an awesome rainbow on my way to the Geekfest party this past Monday. It was a beaut! My G'daughter is the keeper of the unicorns. I have an aversion to horns, so will always keep my eyes out for them! G'daughter says that they are very sweet and special. I'm sure. What's with the horn, anyway? By the way, me, unicorns and Barbies aren't exactly "buddies".
Forgive me please, for my forked tongue. I am open for penance ideas. ;)
Sparky, I just wanted to say that I too have had some "bedside manner" problems lately. I was even going to stop going to UALR because my Rheumatologist was very condescending. She was withholding lab tests because they were expensive. I am on a discount program because of my income and felt descriminated against because of it. When I called to change doctors I wasn't able to. Then........I got a letter from UALR saying that that doctor was no longer in the system and I was being assigned a new RheumyDoc. Hmmmmmm.....guess the universe is listening! So, I did go back and he did run needed tests. I feel much better about my medical care now. How is the Lupus effecting you? Do you also have RA? Where do you go for medical treatment?
I did go to the MDR site. I've always felt that a lot of my problems is because of a missing amino acid or minerals. I'll give it another look, but it was hard to make a choice with all of the supplements listed. It's also very expensive (to me). Do you have any other personal information about specifically what is used? Is it just the MDR multi vit/min?
How ya' doing Jeannie? Taken any other dumpster dives lately? :D
StEvE :cool: sure was good to hear from you. Your words are always encouraging and uplifting. How old is the grandbaby now? I've forgotten where they live.......Memphis?
Patt....I've never heard of tonsil cancer. I hope the treatments are effective for your son in law. Ease and light for your daughter and all of your family.
b lake lady, how have you been feeling lately? I can't remember what it is that is effecting you physically. Maybe it was on another thread or I'm just not reading thoroughly. Sorry.....my brain just doesn't retain like it used to. Woops...there's another comparative analysis slip! I'll add it to the list of things to do penance about. ;)
As always, I have lots of questions. I find that to be a good sign though....still alive enough to be curious about most things. I do find, that when I'm in a physical crisis, the curiosity fades.
love and light and unfading sunsight and twinkle toes and sequins and fringe and purple hair and neon halo and bright fingernails and tap shoes and feather boas and laughter and blue eyeshadow and baked alaskas!!!!!!!!!!!!!
deb-o-rayban :cool:

[b lake lady]

I've always wondered about accupuncture Steve, but I have this irrational fear of needles. I don't even have pierced ears. And I'm a nurse.
I've taken a lot of different drugs that just made me puke. Now I take Alleve, my BP pill, a multi-vitamin, sublingual B6-B12, and Benedryl sometimes to sleep.
Are any of ya'll taking Glucosamine, or tried it? Are all these dietary supplements really beneficial? I'm just full of questions!
I've kinda had a problem with denial and anger. Big time. I nearly died with pneumonia because I wouldn't admit I was sick. I hear this is innate with nurses and doctors. We are the caregivers and we don't get sick!(LOL)
I am learning that I have to "keep track of my spoons." And, by being here, I am trying to open up and talk about what I'm experiencing. I'm not used to it, so please be patient. Blessings

[Jeannie Jones]

Oops! Just noticed how late it is, and I have to get up at 10:30 for our usual brunch at the Number 1 Chinese restaurant buffet. Oy. I just don't have much of a sense of time. Hopefully I'll get back here earlier tomorrow ... er ... earlier later today (?) ... and catch up, including the nose dive into the plastic bottles.

Glad to see you all here.

Love, Peace, Joy,

Jeannie

[Becky Davis]

I haven't tried the biofeedback acupuncture, but I do know people who have gotten on that machine and swear they feel better. I think there is one at the Crescent?. Anyway, the ports? are opened with radio waves.

[DaBee]

That's right, Becky, I've been wondering what the "ports" are, also. Maybe something to do with transporting (like the radio waves you mentioned) or maybe like drainage tubes? Or maybe it carries medication inward. Hmmmmmmm, ok, NN, what is a port? Oh!!!!!Another thought...maybe that's the tube that you're transPORTed in when you do astral travel :rolleyes: OK, I'll stop and let you answer.
BTW, Becky......send me your address and I'll send you these pics. How's the baby feeling?
Have a grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeat day allbodies.
love and light and questions to the moon!
deb-o-i'vegotasecret&what'syourline

[Jeannie Jones]

PACKED AND READY TO GO, from Nafalia:

I arose early this morning, to begin my preparation for my upcoming sojourn. Made sure all the bills were paid through September, and all the little details filled in.

After finishing this chore, I then rested for a little while, then decided it was time to gather up and pack the bag.

All that is left for me to do is take my bath and wash my hair this evening, call and leave a wake-up call with the cab company, and make arrangements for my cab to pick me up at 6:20 in the morning. I'll be at the admitting office by 7:00. After all of that is done, I will be taken back to the cancer floor.

Except this time I will be in a room which is different than the room I had before. The new room will be kept closed at all times, and there is a window in the door so the nurses can observe me during the chemo treatment. Of course, if I need anything, there will be, always and forever, the nurse's call button.

Due to the fact that I will be "radioactive", and my immune system will be gone because of the chemo, I won't be allowed many visitors, and the visitors will be screened before they come in. They must "garb up" before they enter the room. These are steps taken to protect me as well as the visitors. (I just hope I glow a beautiful purple color.) ;)

I believe this is all I have to tell you at this moment, about the hospital stay.

Oh, Deb, BTW, my port is about the size of a quarter in diameter, and just about twice as thick as a quarter. It has a 2" stem on it, which goes into the large blood vein, which goes to the aorta. It's all under the skin, cannot be seen.

My port will be used for the chemo to be injected into, and any shots or I.V.'s will also go through the port. How this all works is like this: everything hits the heart, and is immediately sent throughout the body, and that is what my port is for.

As I was speaking with Jeannie on the phone, Claudia, my daughter-in-law (whose father, the love of my life, is dead and still looks after me from the spirit world) called me from Panama City, Florida, to check on me, and to tell me that as soon as I was recovered enough, that I am expected in Panama City, Fla.

She told me my room was ready, with a TV, and a computer system in it there for me, and her husband, Bob, is a computer programmer, so I can take my specialized programming software and he can install it on that computer, so while I'm in Florida, I can still have access to communication with my friends.

Of course, I'll have my cell phone, and Jeannie and I can communicate by phone daily, as we do now.

So my complete recovery will be done in Florida, with people who love me very much, and laugh a lot.

Claudia and Bob have a beautiful home on the beach, and their pier goes out over the water. Just one block from their house, by walking the white, sandy beaches, is a park full of old magnolias and live oaks. Of course, Panama City is full of magnolias and live oaks everywhere. So, it doesn't get any better than this, folks.

It would appear that I have been truly blessed. So keep those cards and letters comin' in, folks. ;)

As we will it, Spirit shall grant it,

Nafalia

P.S. This will be my last post for some time, but you can be assured, as always, that my beloved friend Jeannie will be calling me every day, and I know she will keep you updated as the news comes in.

There's no way I can thank Jeannie enough for what she does for me.

[PMilam]

Oh, Nafalia, I am so happy to hear that you have a wonderful place to land! It will make this much easier to bear.. knowing that you will float to that place.
I've been to Panama City.. that should be perfect.

Blessings, light.. everything possible to your direction!

love,
Patt

[Becky Davis]

Godspeed Nafalia..stay blest.

[DaBee]

Magnolias and oaks and white sandy beaches.....what a wonderful place to recuperate.
You're in my thoughts, Nafalia.
Be in ease.
love and light
deb

[Jeannie Jones]

"Heaven on the 7th Floor" from Nafalia:

The reason I said "Heaven on the 7th Floor" is because my bed is by a large picture window on the 7th floor, and what I see when I look out my window is, directly across from me, the chapel. All that I can see of the chapel is the rooftop and the steeple with the cross on it!

Arrived at the hospital a little before 7:00, the lady in admitting called up to the 7th floor, and confirmed that, yes, they knew I was coming, and they had a room for me. After the paperwork, off I came to the cancer wing.

First I was given an anti-nausea drug which took about 30 minutes through the port --- it's called a "30-minute push". After that, somewhere around 10:00, the mytomycin C began, and that took about 45 minutes to run in. Chemo was officially underway.

As soon as that was finished, the 5FU bag was hung, and it will run 24 hrs. a day for the 5 days I'm here.

Had my first radiation treatment, and it went well. The radiation is "proton energy". While in radiation, I was also tattooed, so that I could continue to bathe frequently, and not worry about the marks coming off.

I'm beginning to get tired now, although things are going very well. It's been a very busy day, so I'm going to say good night to one and all, and keep those cards and letters coming in, folks. ;)

As we will it, so shall it be,

Nafalia

[DaBee]

I feel like writing a song......

AAAAAAaahhhhhhhhhhh doremifasolatedo!!!!!(tuning up)

There it was
in plain view
my eyes beheld
the sight so new

Heaven on the 7th floor
I see the cross :eek:
Heaven on the 7th floor
I see no moss :eek:
Heaven on the 7th floor
I see a stone :eek:
Heaven on the 7th floor
I see it prone :eek:
Heaven on the 7th floor...............


2nd verse not the same as the 1st!!!! (your cue)

[Becky Davis]

oh my...is the name of your song Seventh Heaven?

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Nafalia,
So glad to hear things are going well, and you are still able to see and feel "SPIRIT" in and out the window of the 7th floor. Sounds as if all the "alternative" preparations you did before hand are paying off.
Just relax as the Goddess/Gods continue to hold your hand and walk the path in this HEALING time. Apollo and Aphrodite are there watching over you.
Best wishes of:
PEACE*LOVE*TwIsTeD-hEaLiNgLiGhT/sTeVe
:cool:

[Jeannie Jones]

When that song was popular (nearly 30 years ago), I spent a little time in the psych. ward, on the 7th floor of Ravenswood Hospital in Chicago, so we thought that was pretty funny! Also, watching TV in the day room one evening, some comic said that one out of every 4 people is mentally unbalanced. Look at the people you're with. We looked at each other and just cracked up! MUUUah-ah-ah-ah-ah, MUUUah-ah-ah-ah-ah! :D

I must say, though, Deb, that I like your lyrics a lot better than the actual ones, which I just looked up:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HEAVEN ON THE 7TH FLOOR
Paul Nicholas

"Goin' up" she said uh huh
Just as we were startin' to climb together
Ooh ooh lookin' up I said uh huh
"Maybe I could see you tonight?"
She said "never!"
ooh ooh I was out of luck
But ten seconds later somehow we got stuck in that elevator

Heaven on the 7th floor
(Hey baby)
Heaven on the 7th floor
(I ain't complainin)
But I've never been so high before
So please don't rescue me
Never set me free
Hey, hey, hey

"We're alone" I said uh huh
Looks like we could be here all night
Together ooh ooh
"There's a phone" she said uh huh
Gonna have us out in five minutes' time whatever
"Please could you make it ten" I told the operator
I'm havin' so much fun in this elevator
(repeat chorus)

And as the Musak played sooner or later I knew
We'd fall in love in that elevator."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Becky, if it were a windy day maybe it could be called "My Blew Heaven". :D

Steve, I guess it's the laughter of relief. You kind of got squoze in the middle of it. Sweet words, brother.

Love to all,

Jeannie

[Becky Davis]

Good one Jeannie.

[DaBee]

How crazy! Pun intended ;) I've never even heard of that song before.....or at least don't remember it. I was just taking what NN said and going to Funky Town with it.
Was hoping that y'all would continue the song cause I ran outta lyrics and it's probably a good thing :D
Niteynite everybody. Sweet dreams, NancyNafalia.
Oh, the beat I started the song with sounds kinda like Hit Me With Your Best Shot. Sounds apprapo kinda medical sorta alittlebit....uh huh.
love and light and funkycolemadina
deb-o-cooljerk :cool:

[Lupie]

Jeanie, You were in Ravenswood Hospital?? I used to work there! Early 70's in the "bill collector's" office. I was his assistant. We were down by the morgue..... I lived on Winchester up the street from the hospital... glenna

[Lupie]

dabee, I go to the Ferrell-Duncan Clinic in Springfield, MO. It is exactly 99 miles from my house and takes me about 2 hrs and 15 minutes to get there. I go thru Golden, MO and then thru Aurora and then take Rt. 60 into Springfield. It is a beautiful drive to me up thru Shell Knob having spent the last 45 yrs in Chicago traffic going to doctors. Rheumatoligist is Dr. Howard Schwartz, he is great, and his nurse Pam is very nice to me. I am lucky that I have decent insurance with my retirement, although the drug plan is lousy. I have spent a lot of money on drugs that I can not take. I just hope my next round of lab tests reveal that I am getting better. Felt a little funky over weekend and my skin began to itch and turn red again. I started getting frantic on Sunday at my mom's in OK and decided not to spend nite and come home. I met a "nice" Oklahoma State Trooper...... Not on purpose.....

Anyway, I do not have RA but, it is thought that I have Raenayd's (?) Syndrome. That is numbness in your extremities. I need to research that. I also have some nerve damage to right side. Just found that out. Mostly in foot. So, I am just taking what the doc has prescribed, Cellcept (immune suppressant), Medrol (steroids - 16mgs daily), Axid (stomach), and Diovan (blood pressure) oh and a valium once in a while. Well I am rattling on again. take care dabee.

Dear Nafalia, Panama City is a great place to recuperate. I have been there several times when I could go in the sun. No more though, allergic. Hope today is better that yesterday and tomorrow even better for you. Are you glowing yet? :) I love purple too! Hang in there. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

[b lake lady]

Via con dios Nafalia.

[Jeannie Jones]

Nafalia and her IV Pole smile.gif :

Since starting the chemo, this IV pole follows me everywhere I go, 24/7, because the 5FU is constantly going into my body at the rate of 40 drops per minute.

So, at around 2:00 PM tomorrow, when this 5FU bag runs out, that will be the 2nd of 4 finished, with 2 bags to go, and I'll be half-way through with this round of chemo, and will not have any more chemo until the last week, the 5th week of the 5-week treatment. The 5th week will be just like the first week.

The 5FU bag is a small bag, maybe half a liter.

My day today started out with me getting up and sitting in the chair for breakfast, having a sponge bath (because they won't let me away from this IV pole long enough to take a shower).

The aide started changing and making my bed, and got called away to do something else, so I finished it.

Right after I had completed making up my bed, I was doing the first of my daily mouth care (which must be done 4 times daily), when the Director of Nursing on this floor came in and said "Good morning". She chatted with me for a moment, and I told her I was getting my mouth care completed so I could take a walk around the floor, and she said, "Yes, I saw you walking yesterday. I was very glad to see you out walking. That's very encouraging".

So far today, I've had 2 strolls around the 7th floor, a visit from my sister, M.J., and a visit from my niece, and the chaplain.

The chaplain really enjoyed the story about "Heaven on the 7th Floor", and mentioned what a wonderful attitude I had toward all of this.

I confessed to him I didn't start out with a good attitude about it, but he said, "But you've come to embrace it", and I told him that, yes, rather than fight it, embrace it. So my visit with the chaplain was very pleasant.

Still working on that food intake situation. That seems to be my difficult issue. But I am taking in a tremendous amount of fluids, and my urine shows that the chemo is already being flushed through my body, and that is a desirable thing.

My oncologist, Dr. Hoos, and I have talked about the appetite situation, and he says to just eat a few bites every so often and we'll keep a close eye on it.

I do have a large intake of water, and I drink several "Boosts" a day, organic carrot juice, organic apricot and pear nectar, and St. Paul the Pole and I make many journeys to the bathroom quite often. (After all, we are in 7th Heaven, so there has to be a saint somewhere, right? So it must be St. Paul the Pole. ;) )

So that's been my day up to this point. I am looking forward to a restful night, and if you hear a very loud "HIP, HIP, HOORAY" tomorrow, around 2:00 or so, you'll know it's me howling "We're half-way there!!!"

Thanks everybody for holding your breath with me for so long, but doesn't it feel good to exhale now?!

Before I go I want to mention this. The room has just been full of spirits everywhere, and at night before I drift off to sleep, there are just a multitude of colors of spirits around me.

So til the next time, and the best time, remember to keep those cards and letters coming in, folks. It's working!

As we will it, Spirit has granted it,

Nafalia

[Jeannie Jones]

Originally posted by DaBee:
... unicorns. I have an aversion to horns, so will always keep my eyes out for them! ... What's with the horn, anyway? ...

"Love and light and unfading sunsight and twinkle toes and sequins and fringe and purple hair and neon halo and bright fingernails and tap shoes and feather boas and laughter and blue eyeshadow and baked alaskas!!!!!!!!!!!!!
deb-o-rayban :cool: Re: Unicorns

Maybe they have the horn to scratch their backs when the horseflies bite. :D

I was looking at it from a different angle just now, though, and a flash of clarity struck me. (Or maybe this is a well-known thing that I've just remembered) The unicorn seems like a pretty obvious balance of the masculine and feminine. These rather "spiritually hermaphroditic" creatures don't reproduce, do they? (OUCH :eek: ) At least not in the traditional way. They just exist in their perfected state.

DaBee, you have GOT to be the funniest person I have ever known!!!

Have comments/questions for others, but right now need to rest my arms and neck. Hope to get back here tonight.

Love to all,

Jeannie

[Becky Davis]

I am sorry Ladies, I do not have the address or I would post it. This is an email. It is long but beneficial.


From Caroline Myss


AUGUST SALON: A TIME TO HEAL


Once a year Caroline dedicates a Salon to the entire Myss.com community, please enjoy!

The more I explore the field of healing, the more intriguing it becomes. And it certainly becomes more complex in terms of the reasons why people do heal, or don’t, or can’t, or won’t heal. For years, I sat on the sidelines as an observer in this field, in spite of the fact that I actively practiced the science of medical intuition for twenty-years. I never considered myself a healer during those years as I never stepped over the line the divided my work as a medical intuitive to a practitioner of any healing art. Still, my observations of the activity in the field led me to write, “Why People Don’t Heal” because ultimately I was as baffled as were the many people I continued to meet through the years as to why all their efforts toward their own healing were not resulting in the full recovery of their health.

So many questions emerge in the study of healing and as I sit here organizing all my notes and thoughts on what I want to write in this Salon – and what I could write if I let myself go – I am realizing that this could end up being one of the more controversial Salon’s that I have ever written. Controversial because I have developed a rather critical eye toward much in this “new-age” field (that is not, by the way, “new” any more. It’s middle-aged now and needs to mature a great deal, but we’ll leave that for another Salon.) A Time to Heal is the topic I’ve chosen for this Salon because I have crossed over the line and the practice of healing has become a part of my life. And I am once again reviewing why people do and don’t heal, but as a practitioner, and not as an observer. To that, then, I have these points to offer that I would invite you to think about:

The first one is just theory: How responsible are we for the breakdown of our health? Obviously, bad health habits affect health. The absence of exercise affects one’s health – period. A defect in one’s DNA is a fact of one’s life. These are physical agents that contribute to the quality of one’s health, some of which can be remedied, and some cannot. What can be remedied should be remedied – period. So that takes care of that. Now why someone would not remedy what can be improved is sub-question here. To that, I have several – countless, in fact – examples of how people I know personally have approached their healing. They fall into two categories that can be essentially divided like this: the people who tend to maximize their healing respond with, “Is that all I have to do to recover my health?” after they are given the list of “must and should-do’s”, such as changing nutritional programs, clearing out emotional debris, losing weight, exercise, giving up bad health habits, and everything else that’s required. Nothing is too much for these people who see the recovery of their health as a goal worthy of every ounce of their time and effort.

The other category is the, “I’ve got to do all that?” one, in which the folks complain about how much effort their healing program requires of them. Everything is difficult and they approach their healthier lifestyle as if it were a burden, cheating endlessly on their diets, negotiating their exercise programs, and slipping back into bad habits as if they are outsmarting grade school teachers who gave them extra home work. So there you have it – the “Is that all?” group versus the “All that?” group – an obvious division of the wise use of psychic power and energy.

Next observation gets a bit more complicated because we now turn from external habits and behaviors to internal ones, to the territory of the psyche, heart, archives of belief patterns and attitudes, and archetypal patterns. This is mission control, the power battery of the body. And now, for my first bit of critical feedback on commonly held beliefs in this health culture of ours, namely that negativity is responsible for illness. As a blatant belief that covers every single health challenge that a person can develop, to that I say that attitude is nonsense and high risk. Negativity is not the sole cause of any illness and to believe that only adds to a person’s grief. (And let me say that if negativity were the sole cause of illness, I know a number of people who – given that simplistic formula - should be seriously ill, especially when you factor in honesty and integrity (personally or in positions of public leadership) among the qualities of the spirit that need to be kept healthy…I won’t mention names.) Negativity does influence a person’s health; there is no doubt about that. And certainly, negative attitudes interfere with a person’s capacity to heal, how can it be otherwise? That is just spiritual common sense. But you cannot credit being negative – a category that includes personal acts of dishonesty, lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, rape, jealousy, envy, abuse of any type including abuse toward others in the form of actions, words, deeds, thoughts, and gossip, and all acts of betrayal toward others – and I think that about sums it up, leaving out the biggies like murder. Do you realize how many people would be ill if we listed a category of “crises of the spirit” that included a breakdown of these personal acts? And why should we not do that? How can we set about the task of “spiritual healing” and continue to avoid actually naming the illnesses of the spirit? Why do we avoid examining the role our “conscience” plays in terms of recovering the health of our spirit, much less adding to it’s illness? And we do avoid it – relentlessly. We prefer the term “consciousness” and very carefully avoid, “conscience” and we certainly sidestep listing the illnesses of the conscience – and yet, there they are, gang. But “consciousness” sounds better….it has that certain “spiritual” something quality, like music…it’s lofty and nice and harmonious and implies peacefulness and green pastures and ashrams and retreats and Whole Foods, where health is but an organic vegetable away and the prices are way out of line – organic or not. And most important of all, the word, “consciousness” directs one’s attention to the world “above” and not “below”, where you actually live, scrape your knees, hurt your neighbor, neglect yourself, your family and God knows what else. In short, the world you really live in. Consciousness is theory; conscience is fact. Healing requires serious work at the level of conscience. That’s where the hands-on work of forgiving takes place, not to mention confession and the release of personal guilt and grief.

And let me be very clear that the point of self-examination of one’s conscience is not personal humiliation but the discovery of the power of humbleness, a quality that the mystic strives for with great determination. Humbleness breaks through the spiritual sound barrier – literally – because it opens a person’s receptivity to a quality of interior life and guidance that hubris would otherwise block. This healing work is not about a public display of “bad behavior”, but an interior release of Humbleness breaks through the spiritual sound barrier – literally – because it opens a person’s receptivity to a quality of interior life and guidance that hubris would otherwise block. This healing work is not about a public display of “bad behavior”, but an interior release of psychic and emotional lead that is of no use to the quality of one’s health, much less one’s life.

Healing is tough work; it’s not pretty and it’s not gentle – not if you really want to heal. And there comes a time when you have to decide whether you really want to heal…and if so, you have got to head into the trenches of your conscience and do some heavy duty work. (But then you can wrap yourself up in oils and massages and all those goodies, with aroma therapies, etc…..only THIS time, their capacity to cleanse your cell tissue actually works. Opening your Pandora’s box – the doorway of your conscience, not your consciousness, but your conscience – is what cracks open the energy canals to your cell tissue. THEN the high quality of grace that comes through this powerful energy healing techniques can genuinely penetrate into the body, maximizing their effective healing potential.)

There is, of course, much more that I can say on this topic, which is the reason why I decided to begin a series of workshops and seminars on healing with an emphasis on the material that I am now writing about in my next book, entitled, ENTERING THE CASTLE. This work is an exploration into your soul, step-by-step. I believe so deeply that many of you are “mystics without monasteries”, individuals who are longing to engage in a more intimate relationship with the Sacred, including learning how to channel grace toward acts of healing, as well as learning the prayerful ways of the classic mystics, only made appropriate to our contemporary spiritual lives. I believe that the time is right, at least in my life, to enter into the sacred territory of mysticism and healing and to make that world available to people whom, in turn, can bring the sacred into their world.

So now let’s continue with yet another perspective about healing and this one is the more impersonal perspective and by far the one that requires the most discernment. I am referring to a question of consciousness as a whole and has this new age really helped us to become more conscious and if so, more conscious of what, exactly? In the early 60’s when this new age exploded on the scene, the emphasis in the social atmosphere was one of social change and making a difference in the world. That’s why and how so many social, spiritual, sexual, anti-war, political, and environmental got launched. People were pro-active because they saw themselves as a part of making a difference in the world. They wanted to become more conscious so that they could make the world a more conscious planet.

Then, something happened...we turned inward.
The new age awakened the world of the psyche and psychic activity and an interest in intuition and archetypes and past lives and soul mates and “speaking one’s truth” emerged. Healing was an umbrella interest that included variations of all of these categories. Included in this awakening of the collective psyche was the forceful presence of the Wounded Child archetype, along with the Abandoned Child and the Orphaned Child, all of which revealed the powerful voice these archetypes had on forming the childhood of every individual. Eventually we had to realize that as a society, we were largely comprised of wounded child-adults en route to healing, but wounded nonetheless.

The okay part of that equation is recognizing the depth and texture of one’s interior psychic life; the not-so-okay part of that equation – and the one that specifically affects the ability of a person to heal – is that all too often, once a person turns inward for reasons related to being wounded, he or she stays there. The Wounded Child finds comfort in the Victim and together these patterns unconsciously – or consciously – allow a person to retreat from the world, maybe not socially, but definitely in terms of becoming an empowered force of action in the world. Healing becomes not just a temporary focus due to a health crisis, but a lifestyle that includes support groups, health spas, counseling, organic food, acupuncture, massage, yoga, meditation, studying intuition, becoming a shaman, etc.

Now, introducing all of these alternative health and lifestyle enhancers are wonderful; however, here’s my point – they are all about “you”. They all focus on the individual…”me-me-me”. They are not about becoming empowered and healthy enough to re-enter the world. They are all about staying within the self and closing down….learning more about personal boundaries and keeping people “out” unless you tell them to come in. Few if any of these practices are about building a personal soul with stamina or about evaluating this world to see where you could make a difference. And I’m not talking about opening another healing center, God knows…I’m talking about becoming a strong enough person to renovate your own life just as it is. When I listen to people say things like, “I don’t watch TV. The news is just so negative,” I could scream. I think to myself, “I you, who consider yourself to be ‘conscious’, can’t take looking at this world, than what are you doing calling yourself someone of spiritual service? Who exactly are you serving??? One might prefer to serve only the people in the tranquility of the green mountains of the lovely beaches of Hawaii, but is that service or self-service??????? After all the energy you pour into working on your spirit, you should be the first to say, ‘I’m heading into this world, not away from it.’”

What is THAT about???????? Healing is NOT just for the SELF!!!!! Healing is NOT meant to be a selfish act, although you certainly can make it one. People ask for the healing assistance of others, and yet if they hold in their hearts the attitude, “But this world is a negative place and I don’t want to look at it, much less help it out. I only want to help myself because I’m so spiritually sensitive now that I’m so conscious,” well, I think we have a problem here. And I’m not even talking about turning the world up-side-down. I’m talking about redefining what it means to be “conscious” as including an awareness of the world around you and living according to the principle that your ability to channel grace to this world is a genuine pipeline of Divine authority. But you have to be willing to look at the world to do that. This is “mystical activism” at it’s best; this is you as a healer in the silence of your own life, no matter who you are, no matter where you are – this is you knowing how to use the ability to channel grace through your soul and into this world.

After all of that, this is what I’ve come to realize:

There comes a time in every one’s life when they must make a choice as to whether they have the courage to heal – and then they have to get on with that task. To really understand healing requires that you understand the nature of the soul and not the body. There are many ways to do that. There are many spiritual teachers. My way is to teach you to “enter your Castle”, to enter into a state of consciousness in which you can dialog with your soul, which is in an alignment with the Divine. I believe that at the end of the day, the most natural choice in the life is the choice to allow healing to occur within you and to be of service to the healing of others. Getting to the place where you understand the power of that simple truth is where the journey comes in. But I believe that the time has come for many people to take that journey, which is why I have chosen to teach this now, at this point in my life. I am hoping that many of you will be a part of this new area of my work.

A SALON HEALING NETWORK

Now then, to bring healing more immediately into our lives, I am initiating a healing network via the family of Salon members. I decided to do this because I have come to believe that healing is possible and that every time people gather to pray for each other and for personal healing, that grace is given. I would like us to, therefore, participate in the sharing of this ability to serve one another and the human community as the world is in need of prayers as well. So, in addition to a Salon article on a different topic each month, beginning next month, I will also include a section on healing with specific instructions on how to work as a group to heal at a distance. The topic of the September Salon is, The Practice of Healing At a Distance. I mentioned this in an earlier piece announcing in which I announced a workshop on ENTERING THE CASTLE that will be held in Austin, TX, in which I encourage(d) people to attend who are serious about personal healing.

The intention of the healing work through the Salon network is to share the ability to channel grace through a group of committed individuals who agree to dedicate ten minutes of their day to the practice of channeling grace to the people whose names are on the list. I will include prayers that are shared by all of us as the core of our healing practice, although individuals are certainly welcomed to add their own prayers.

Please send your healing requests to: Amy@myss.com and list whether they are private or if you are comfortable with your name placed on the Salon prayer list. Also, please briefly state your prayer intentions, as your entire letter cannot be transferred to the Salon newsletter. You may also wish to add your email address and note that you are open to having people contact you regarding any information they may have to offer in terms of your own healing journey, or you helping them.

I hope you will consider joining the Salon newsletter and now Salon Healing network. I consider both a part of my own area of service and it keeps me in touch with you. Let me close with these thoughts of Thomas Merton’s:

“We do not pray for the sake of praying, but for the sake of being heard. We do not pray in order to listen to ourselves praying but in order that God may hear us and answer us. Also, we do not pray in order to receive just any answer: it must be God’s answer.”
- from Thoughts in Solitude by Thomas Merton

And as an aside, can summer really be almost over?
Love,
Caroline

[PMilam]

I don't have time to read Caroline just now, but, I feel like I just had a massage..
Thanks, Debee... zzzz... can't sleep just yet.. ahhh... Was that as good for ya'll as it was for me?

I think that would be a nice recording.. blending into some nice Enya-ish music.. or Nakai.. or Coyote Old Man.. ahhhh.. ooooo... aaaa

[DaBee]

The room is pale blue and only the soft massage table sits in the middle, just a bit off square to the left. A light fragrance of jasmine and vanilla linger in the cool air. The sheets on the down filled duvet are crisp and white as they have just been put on the table from the clothes line.
You are laying face down, but your head is turned fully to the right to rest with complete ease. You are draped with the clean sheet and it covers you with comfort. There is the sound of a light breeze that seems to be whispering a soft song.
You see a figure enter the room that is draped in a white cotton robe. The figure seems to be a woman, but the long dark hair that is lightly blowing in a slight breeze and a gossamered golden glow all around the figure eases you from questioning anything.
You close your eyes and without even the slightest touch, your whole body is massaged and enters into a full state of relaxation. You have never experienced the serenity and total feeling of floating like this before. You are in a deep, meditative state with thoughts being out of touch.
You wake, being alone in the room, wanting nothing, feeling no pain and knowing that you are totally balanced in all that is.

Sweet dreams, Jeannie.
Sweet dreams, everyone.

[Jeannie Jones]

Good night from Nafalia:

This will be a quick note tonight. I've had a very busy day, and a new roommate who's very ill, with much in-and-out traffic working with her.

My day was a good day, and the news that I was given today from my doctor, I will share with you tomorrow evening (it's not bad news, it's just more news).

So as I float away on the moonbeams, to sleep among the stars, and be held in the Universal energy of healing, I shall remind you once again, keep those cards and letters comin'! :D

So mote it be,

Nafalia

[DaBee]

motionless
i raised my eyes to see
her floating
away on the moonbeams
while sleeping among the stars
all the while being held
in the universal energy of healing
with one
hand she tossed me a beam
i caught it with two
hands that were warm
with energy and light
of healing complete

[Jeannie Jones]

Well, DaBee, your guided visualization is so very beautiful. I see you "tweaked" it a bit. Better and better. It MUST go in the book. Or shall we do a CD? And yet another example of your waxing poetic, just above.

Want to talk to everyone. Memorial service, then a finger food get together at the Elks Club, for a neighbor. She liked sequins. I stood up and said that, among other things.

Then Wal Mart, looking at potting soil for too long in the heat. Getting other heavy stuff, too. Hurt my shoulders and arms.

Got a project goin' on that I'll tell y'all about Sunday or Monday, after it's done. It's a Saturday night thing.

Again, want to talk to everyone, again, just don't have the steam. Out of spoons, and I still have to get ready for bed.

Love, Peace, Joy,

Jeannie

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Missed ya'll past couple of days, had a false alarm gall bladder attack that rendered me helpless. After countless test Dr. has decided one of my back medications "Naproxen" has severly irritated my stomach. Irritated is mild for doubling me over in pain. Glad it was no worse, 3 days missed work, but healing slowly. Hope everyone is well and tell, Nafalia, Jeannie, DaBee. BL lady, Becky Davis an P Milam "hello."

[Jeannie Jones]

Mighty fine, mighty fine, from Nafalia.

As of about 2:00 AM, my last sack of chemo will be completed for this round, and I can go home tomorrow.

Would have gotten to go home today, but due to a leakage in the port 2 days ago, had to discontinue the chemo for a night and a half/day, so had to delay my departure from here.

So far the only side effects have been slight fatigue, and diarrhea last night and this morning.

Dr. Hoos chose not to give me any medications for the diarrhea as of right now, 'cause he felt my body would make its own adjustments, which up to now, it has done that.

Dr. Hoos tells me that the worst part is yet to come, as far as the weakness and fatigue are concerned. The first 2 to 3 weeks after chemo is stopped, that's when it hits you.

Here's the plans for the completion of my chemo/radiation treatments: I will start as an outpatient on Monday with radiation every day for 3 weeks. On that 4th week, I will return to the hospital for the final 5 days of CHEMO AND radiation.

It must be all those cards and letters you've all been sending. ;)

STEVE, hope you are doing better, and not eating so many fried foods, and combining all those pharmaceuticals and all those herbs together any more.

Funny how clear liquids and soft foods can feel like gourmet meals at times.

All joking aside, Steve, my thoughts are with you, and I'm so sorry you had to go through this. Just hope that your recovery is very very quick.

Will send a special message to Aphrodite and Apollo to hasten your recovery. ;)

To Deb K., P. Milam, Becky D., B. Lake Lady, Sparky, Steve and Jeannie, I sure look forward to hearing from you each day as I'm going through this. I know that it's not necessary for me to say it, but I'm going to anyway. Keep those cards and letters comin' in, folks. :D

To everyone, please listen to what I have to say now. DO NOT TAKE ANY MEDICATIONS PRESCRIBED OR OVER THE COUNTER ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. The best way to take all medications is sandwiched between food. Eat a little bit, take your medications, then eat a little more. Please heed this, as it is of the utmost importance to the body.

As we will it, so shall it be,

Nafalia

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Nafalia, I will heed your advice and none too soon either. Guess I've been guilty of "all the above". I just thought I had pain with my back, until I was doubled-over by my stomach and then affecting my back too. Missed my acupuncture treatment "again" this week. Oh well, feeling some better and "watching" what I eat.
So glad to hear you are doing well, missed checking in on the board and through the "spiritual" airways. So glad you will be coming home tomorrow. Keep taking good care of yourself and I look forward to hearing more from you later.
Peace*Love* Twisted-Healing LIGHT
:cool:

[Jeannie Jones]

Well, folks, the synchronicity was just flyin' in the upper part of this page! I just can't get over your having worked at Ravenswood, SPARKY. That's amazing. I lived on Menomenee in Old Town, in New Town on Briar Place 2 different times/buildings, and Belle Plaine near Broadway. Seems there was another one in there somewhere, and oh yes, that wonderful curvy building on Lake Shore Drive on the 14th floor in a 2-room efficiency, near Irving Park Rd. That was a long time ago, and I know that those neighborhoods have changed considerably since then.

I almost always situated myself near the Broadway bus line. My last job there was about 5 yrs at Combined Insurance, 5050 N. Broadway, just above Irving Pk. Before that, most of the time I worked as a temp. statistical typist (now there's a job that is no more!) through Stivers, which allowed me to travel, and have an instant job, which paid a little more than straight typing. Bebopped around between Chicago and San Francisco for some years, couple of years here, couple of years there, and so on.

Another job I had that is now extinct, was switchboard operator with a plug board at UPS headquarters downtown in Chgo., with 3 other women. I went there initially as a temp, to transcribe a meeting from a cassette tape. Oh, gosh, that must have been 40 years ago! Ordinarily transcription was done by listening to a dictaphone, with a foot control, but this was a tape recorder that I had to start and stop by hand, then go back and forth to the typewriter. Not very clear sound on the meeting tape, either, with a strong hum from the A.C. Met my first ex-husband there.

ANYway, the folks there liked me a lot and wanted to keep me, so they bought out my contract w/ Stivers, and the only job they had open at the time was switchboard, so I'd spend the day saying "United Parcel Service", and "I'll connect you with the Tracing Department." It was wild, with plugs a-flyin' during our busy times, trying not to sound rushed with each call.

Well, gotta move on. "The Project" needs attention. STEVE, so good to hear from you. Was wondering whattup with you in your absence.

PMILAM, it WAS as good for me as it was for you. It was SUPER! DEB, you tweaked it and really nailed it. Beautiful.

B.LAKE LADY, I hope you will feel comfortable enough to open up a little at a time from time to time.

BECKY D., thanks for the Carolyn Myss piece. It was most interesting to me, particularly the idea of yea, those many a year ago, we felt like we could change the world, and many still feel that way now, in a new way, but some have given up on that idea, by going inward and not coming out, etc. We don't all fulfill the same function for Spirit right now, but the idea of channeling "grace" would be at the heart of each function. (My belief ~~~ hope that doesn't offend anyone.) She was covering SO much ground in that piece, but it was quite interesting.

Gosh, I hope I haven't forgotten anyone. Forgive me please if I have. Of course, I don't address Nafalia here, since we talk on the phone every day.

Yesterday overdid it, and was feeling some sort of rotator cuff action, probably impingement rather than a tear, but I guess I still need to see an orthopedist and have it looked at.

Well, buckets of love to all,

Jeannie

[b lake lady]

Well, here it is 4AM, and I can't sleep. My Benedryl is not working. I've cut my caffeine intake to a cup of tea in the morning, but the other night I fell off the wagon and drank a Pepsi with dinner. (?) Haven't really slept since. Oh well.....had lab work done last week. My SED rate is really high, WBC is really low and my BITCH level is really high. (LOL)

On the brighter side, we just had a birthday party for my oldest grandaughter............22. :eek: :eek:
Nafalia: Gods be with you.
Jeannie: I'm trying. Just being me is really hard.
Becky: "START ME UP!" you go girl....ask all those questions, you keep it all going.
Pat: sleep whenever.........sweet dreams
Steve: accupuncture, huh? Mild discomfort in doctor speak = excruciating pain. Give me good old fashioned narcotics. Will I become addicted? Who knows? Who cares? Peace baby.

[DaBee]

To go back a bit and pick up a post from Sparky....I've read from people with RA or/and Lupus that many have Raynaud's Disease also. Guess that's not necessarily true, though. About all I know about it is that when you are exposed to the cold, your extremities turn blue from lack of circulation. Sounds like your case is pretty severe if you experience numbness all of the time.
It's a good thing that you've found a good doc at the end of a beautiful drive. Peace and comfort to you.
I've been pretty distracted here and have lots to do, so haven't been posting as much. Sure was relieved to read that it wasn't gall bladder, Steve. So glad to hear that you're feeling better.
Am going to a funeral today for an aunt that was/is one of the always bubbly, positive kinda people. She was 92 and lived life fully. We'll miss Aunt Bobo, but bet she's looking forward to observing this gathering to poke fun at all of us "survivors". She had given me a recipe for a cake that was the yummiest. About 30 years ago I entered it into a recipe contest and won. I called it The Bobo Cake. When I find the recipe I'll post it. It's decadent.
Gotta get going....a bit of a road trip in about an hour.
Y'all stay cool, unlike me. It was up to 105 here yesterday. The kind of heat that takes your breath away.
Gooday and take it ease-y today, especially you, NN.
love and light and sugar high
deb-o-sweettooth

[Uncle Ogre]

We read every word you write here. What a wonderfully careing area we live in.
We all fear illness, we all have lost fiends and relatives. That brings us closer. Positive thoughts can be hard sometime but they do work. Amazing how many of us are here from Chicago,too.The world gets smaller each day..
All our positive thoughts will go out to you and prayers,too.

[Jeannie Jones]

NAFALIA has a delay :rolleyes:

First let me say how nice it is to see new people coming in and posting, and, of course, to hear from all the others who have been here for a while.

DebK, I guess you're in the land of Texas heat 'n skeeters. Girl, I don't know how you do what you do. You are an amazing woman! And you're really making the rest of us look bad! (Jeannie has a deep-throated chortle.) ;)

As for me, I'm still in 7255 at the hospital, and we've had a slight delay from my leaving today. There was some reaction to the chemo, and the doc decided to keep me an extra day.

My 5FU (chemo) was completed at somewhere around 1:00 this morning. Was just sure at that time that I would be leaving here at 9:00 OR 10:00. So drifted back off to sleep with that thought in mind, of being back in my wonderful apartment today.

WELL, that's not quite how it took place. I woke this morning with a rash on my lower back, had been having diarrhea all day yesterday and last night, and the headache from hell.

So, Dr. Hoos, when he came in, decided to keep me for another day. Got medication for the diarrhea, and a different type of medication for the headache. And I'm still waiting for the cream or ointment to come up from the pharmacy.

Dr. Hoos just felt that it would be better to keep me for another day, and get these symptoms cleared up. So that is why I'm still here.

Other than this little set-back (the slight reaction to the chemo), I'm doing well, working on maintaining my intake of food, which I've been told that most of the time you just have to force it.

Other than that, just wanted to say hello to everyone, and hope everyone's having a wonderful weekend. I'm not going to even say it this time, 'cause you already know it, ktc&lcif. :D

As above, so below,

Nafalia

[DaBee]

Originally posted by Becky Davis:
I am sorry Ladies, I do not have the address or I would post it. This is an email. It is long but beneficial.Becky, I just now had some time to really read this from Carolyn Myss. If you find out what this "Salon" is she's talking about, I'd be interested in reading about it.
She brings up some good points, to me. My personal feelings around what she said was that I agree that helping others is greatly beneficial to all involved. I've also been curious as to what step the New Age movement would be taking. From what Carolyn says, it seems to be getting more practical and real, Seems like a positive step because more people may be able to accept the tenants. It's probably the natural evolution.
There's soooo many questions unanswered about all that she spoke of and of life upon this Dream of the Planet. I'll probably always question, but I tend to have more patience about receiving an answer. I believe that that's where faith comes in.
I could go on, but it's waaay past my bedtime and I'm just genning on fumes at this point.
That reminds me.....here in East Texas, at this particular household, the well has run dry because of the lack of rain. Life style changes dramatically when that happens. It was ok to have no running water when I lived on top of a mountain in a cabin in GreenForest many years ago. It had the outhouse type architectural design, but it was a modern versios because we DID have electricity. This place here in Canton is a neat old (20's) bungalow type house with real plumbing and no dirt floors. It's set up with modern conveniences, including a toilet actually IN the house. That makes for a different set of circumstances being modern. About 5 miles away is an artesian spring that gushes forth continually. There's usually cars and trucks lined up with all sorts of and many jugs to catch water. Back in GF I had to go to Dripping Springs and catch water from drips from the rocks. So this situation is not all bad. Flushing the comode isn't my favorite thing to do though, but at least I have help. Neither is doing dishes, but I really think that that's why God invented paper plates. ;)
Good to hear from everyone. I'm there with you, NN. Take care and have a gentle ride back to your apartment. Sounds like you're really handling the treatments well. Keep up the good work!
love and light and modernconveniences,
deb-o-portapotty

[Jeannie Jones]

Hello, everyone,

Special hello to first-posting Ogres from Chicago. Wow! Y'know, often when I've posted here I've included folks who read but don't care to post, but I didn't do that on the last couple of msgs., and in retrospect I felt kinda bad about it. Glad you spoke up & reminded me/us that you're out there.

Nafalia felt well this morning when we spoke, and so very happy to be back in her own environment. This evening she sounded quite weak and tired, and was going to read (Talking Books) for a while, then turn in early. I read her page 35, and she was glad to hear from "new" people, and interested in what Deb's been up to, but didn't have the energy to post.

For anyone reading who knows Lew Routh, he and Marlin and Lew's mother, Lee, have been living in New Orleans for some time. I'm sure positive thoughts and energy/prayer of seeing them safe on higher ground couldn't hurt.

Gosh, Deb, with Katrina getting ready to blow all that water into New Orleans, and your hot and arid spell, the South is facing/enduring such extremes! My, it appears that you've led what many would call a hard life, dear heart. There is a lot to be said for the close-to-the-earth way of living, though. All that wonderful earth energy coming up your feet and through your body. Very grounding.

Well, that project I had alluded to, that was supposed to happen last night, happened, but without me. I was to sing some songs with a band, the "Homewreckers", at a surprise anniversary party at the Clarion in Fay'ville, for our friends/neighbors, Elmer and Felice. I had really enjoyed talking and e-mailing with the band guy, Joe, talking music, downloading lyrics, picturing myself all dolled up and having a great time making music. Mom was really ill, following a hard Friday. I couldn't leave her alone, so I wasn't able to go. Happily, she is feeling better today.

Joe said that he had played at Center Stage with the Homewreckers when K.J. and Clary had it, and with his former band, the Hardtops, when Manny and Vernon had it. Synchronicity: Joe knows what it's like to care for a parent, as his mom broke her hip and is living with him.

I haven't seen a band in the 8 years I've lived out here, and really miss hearing live music and dancing. (Okay, girl, stay centered in the moment! ;) ) But, it was not to be. 'Tis but a trifle in the planetary scheme of things.

Well, too tired to proofread -- hope this makes sense.

Love to all, posters or non-posters, :D

Jeannie

[DaBee]

JJ, didn't you feel "centered" at Center Stage & Center Street itsself? I always had fun at either place, but especially enjoyed chalupa night (chalupas, right?), think it was on a Tuesday at Center Street Bar & Grill. All from Clarie's (I called her Claudie)home cooking recipes with a flair. Yummmmm. Good eats and greets!
I understand what you are going through staying home with your Mom because I went through the same thing with my Mom. She always came 1st in my life, too, especially when she was so sick. I've never regretted making the choice to stay close by her side whenever she needed me or even when she said to "go on, I'll be ok", but I didn't mind her. Kinda like when I was an onery kid. That onery streak runs deep :D
Haven't seen a band in 8 years??!!! Somewhere down the line we're just gonna have to do something about that, JJ girl. How about when NN gets to feeling bunches better, I'll go pick you up, we'll run up to Springfield and nab Nafalia, then head down to Eureka to catch a favorite band. We can stay at my house or maybe somewhere in Eureka and then head back to y'all's homes the next day. What'cha think?
Still outta water and looks like we will be for a while. Got a system set up, including one of those big bags you hang up while camping and take a shower under it. Looks like at humongous douche bag (is the word "douche" allowed? I've always thought it was a pretty nasty sounding word) redface.gif . That reminds me, remember the song Blinded By The Light? In one of the lines, it always sounds like they're saying "blinded by the light, dressed up like a douche, you know, a roller in the night" Maybe they are, but how do you dress up like a douche? Think I probably need some correction here. Anyway, boy, do I get off subject easily! So we're all set up here for non-running water existence. I've always loved a challenge and I'll not let this little inconvenience dampen my spirits.
Know what, I've not led a "hard" life at all. I grew up pretty much in princess style, never needing anything cause I had it all. Probably typical upper middle class (I say that because back then I was programmed to believe in "classes" of people. I've since broken through that "dream"). Anything that I've dealt with since even before being out on my own was of my own doing.......it's all about choices. Always seem to land on my feet, so it doesn't take me long to regroup and jump back out there. That's how it goes when one has a gypsy soul. Mmmmmmmm.......reminds me of a Van Morrison song.
I was going to say earlier, but forgot, that it was really good to see you post, Uncle Ogre. I've been having my doubts as to whether you're really an ogre or not. Especially from your posts on Open Forum, as of late, you're not living up to your name. It's been a pleasure reading your posts.
Yea NN!!!!!! So good to hear you're back home for now. Maybe you can get some good, healing sleep in the comfort of your own place.
Like Jeannie said, it's always really neat to hear from everybody and also good to know that people are reading and are with us "in spirit". I believe in hanging out and becoming comfortable with the environment before jumping in. But come on in at any time, the water's just fine.
love and light and gypsyinflight
deb-o-putonyourdancingshoes,girls,we'recominginforalandi ng! :D

[Lupie]

Jeanie, Sounds like Nafalia is doing so much better. That is truly remarkable considering what she has been. These last couple of days I have decided to quit having my own little "pity party" mainly because I think of what Nafalia is going thru and her excellant attitude about all of it.. Please tell her hello and that she is in my thoughts. And that I will definitely take her advice about gulping down my pills on an empty stomach, although the directions say to do it.

Now Chicago... I lived in numerous places since my folks moved there from WVA when I was 6 yrs old. Uptown was our first stop (2 apts), then Wrightwood, Lincoln and Sheffield til my Dad got killed in car crash, then mom, brother, sister and I moved up by Foster & Lincoln on Carmen and then over by Ravenswood Hospital. By that time I was on my own and lived everywhere thinkable on the north side, mostly near the lake. Since being married, me and hubby lived at 441 W. Oakdale (that was considered New Town, but now it is kind of considered Wrigleyville, I think) and then Palatine (northwest suburb of Chgo), Il(our condo and then house).. So we were practically neighbors! You a Cubs fan??

I always enoyed going to Old Town back in 60's and 70's. Yes everything has changed drastically. Can't touch the real estate now. My brother bought a 2 flat in Wrigleyville back in mid 70's for about 28K. He sold it in 80 for about 80K. Now that property is probably going for 350K easy.. So expensive to live there.

So, I understand you are having rotator cuff problems. Mike has a great orthopeadic (sp)doctor at Jones Clinic next to hospital in Springdale. His name is Dr. Robert Tomlinson and he is super great. Not one doctor could diagnose Mike's problem in Chicago - Mike has had 2 surgeries on rotator cuff. Mike got hurt at work yr ago April. Went to 8 doctors in Chicago and finally they all gave up on him. We move here, found Dr. Tomlinson, he finds the problem in a week. A torn muscle in his shoulder of all things. Mike had surgery this February and he is doing good. Just some info in case you need a recommendation. Well I am rattling on again.

Dabee, I am going to doctor next week. This tingling in legs just started recently and I really wasn't aware too much that my toes were kind of numb til I went to the foot doctor couple of weeks ago. My doctor will know what to do. Thanks for that post. Don't know much about Rayneud's.. Still need to research that. So take care everyone. Nice talkin' at ya. glenna

[Lupie]

Peace and comfort to you Dabee as you go thru your ordeal.

Uncle Ogre what part of Chicago you from?

[MotherMoon12]

Seems like lots of people hear those lyrics differently, DaBee. :D

http://www.amiright.com/misheard/song/blindedbythelight.shtml

[Jeannie Jones]

Oh, Mother Moon 12, what a great site! Yes, as you read down farther and farther, there are sooo many people who mis-heard that particular passage that Deb was talking about. In reading down, this particular one just makes me LOL every time I read it:

"Misheard Lyrics:
Blinded by the light
Held up like a loofah by
the foreman of the night

Original Lyrics:
Blinded by the light
Wrapped up like a deuce
another runner in the night"

Y'know, Deb, the funny thing is that the word for "shower" in Russian is "douche"! So that IS a big douche bag you have there to shower with -- at least in Russian. :D

I love your idea about scooping us up and taking us to Eureka for a band night, but I believe that's just not in the cards for Nafalia for QUITE a while.

Trying to make this brief, 'cause I just heard from Nafalia, who is NOT doing well. I'll call her back as soon as I finish my sandwich, which I'm eating as I write.

Glenna, Uptown, yes, that was the area I lived in on Belle Plaine near Irving, when I worked at 5050 Broadway. Couldn't think of it. Then there was the 1st apt. in Rogers Park. Can't think of the street name, but then it was a Jewish neighborhood, and had lots of delis and such. I guess now it's East Indian. My New Town and yours may be different. Mine was just south of Uptown, and it sounds like yours was by Wrigley Field. Old Town! Did you ever go to Mother Blue's, or the Earl of Old Town?

Mmm...gotta go finish the sandwich and call Nafalia.

Love to all,

JJ

[Jeannie Jones]

Well, dear hearts, Nafalia REALLY needs an infusion of positive energy. The chemo/rad. has her so far under that she had the worst vertigo attack she has undergone so far, and that's after 8 yrs. of vertigo, sometimes 7-8 attacks a day. This affects both sides, before it was considered migrainous POSITIONAL vertigo, but last night in the middle of the night she experienced it full-blown, both sides. She's been taking 2 1/2 mg. valium at night, so the ER doc shot her w/ 5 mg., that didn't touch it, so he then gave her 5 mg. more. That allowed her to get in a cab and go home. Alone.

There's no one there to bring her a glass of water, get her a can of soup to heat up, (she has frozen dinners, but doesn't feel that she can eat things that solid right now) and has no soup. She gets an attendant 3 hrs. a day now, but today she had a really slow (but nice) one, who fixed her some Cream of Wheat this AM, then watered the plants, brought her the mail so she could pay bills, and that's about it, for 2 hrs. She has her again for an hour today, but doesn't feel that this gal is even capable of dashing into a store to pick up some soup and get it to her in an hour.

She's not been able to even think of going in for rad. treatments, today or yesterday, has a throat infection starting, and has about decided to just not take anything anymore and just slip away. So, let's please send her as much love and energy as possible. She's not only my friend, but your friend as well, so I can't really say "thanks", because she's "ours".

"As we will it, so mote it be",

Jeannie

[PMilam]

Dear Nafalia, hang on. I don't know if I could do that many treatments so close together, and I don't know if they are effective, if spread out.

Much of my energy has been towards the coast.. I send you love... and a prayer for peace in this night.

love,
Patt

[Becky Davis]

Nafalia,
Please feel better today. Nights are so long and hard when you are alone and sick.
May be that being at home in your own bed is just the medicine you need right now.
Lots of good thoughts coming your way. Just rest dear.

[DaBee]

I'm gonna jump in here with both feet as I feel that this is a type 5 emergency for Nafalia. I had mentioned before and almost regretted saying it, but I'm gonna say it again because of the gravity of this situation. To be able to have more home health that is really needed RIGHT NOW...could Nafalia ask her doc to be put under hospice care? I know it's a last case solution, but it's so important that more help be sent her way. If not that, then what about getting in touch with DHS or the Dept. of Health in Mo. to provide more help even in if in a temporary situation.
Wish I was at home cause I'd get up there to Springfield to at least find more help and help her myself.
Right now I'm off to Buffalo, Texas. That's heading the wrong way, but just asking for positive thoughts with the journey today. Know I'll be in good company for the trip!

Sparky.....I woke up several times in the night and kept thinking about your saying...."And that I will definitely take her advice about gulping down my pills on an empty stomach, although the directions say to do it."
Please check with your doc or pharmacist before doing something different than the rx directions say. Some meds are intended to dissolve in the stomach on an empty stomach because if they are mixed with food and carried to the intestines, they loose their effectiveness. Some meds are intended to dissolve fully in your intestines for different reasons, but one being because they would be hard on your stomach. Just call your pharmacist as this is their field of expertise and you can usually talk to them right then.
I understand what Nafalia is saying about sandwiching medications with food because I have to do this with Ibuprofen or I'm in agony. There are other meds that will tell you to take with food. If your directions actually say to take on an empty stomach......just check it out for your benefit.
Hope to hear some good news from Nafalia later on, Jeannie. How are you doing? I'm with you too as I can feel your angst in the situation. May you also have ease and comfort.
love and light
deb

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Nafalia,
**Blessings of Love, Comfort and HEALING are wrapped in PURE WHITE LIGHT and sent to you to give you STRENGTH to do whatever your body and SPIRIT tells you should be done.
We as your LIGHTBODY family support you and give you PEACE, in the Above & Below.
As We Will It, So Shall It Be.
sTeVeTwIsTeDlIgHtMaNiAc
:cool:

[Becky Davis]

Just got back from Little Rock where Leslie and I had our mother/daughter mammeograms. I'm fine...Leslie will have to have an MRI. We're not scared yet, but please keep her in your prayers.

[DaBee]

Thanks, StEvE. I just got back from my round robin half way to Houston and back. All's well. My mind was on NN during the whole drive. Had a plan to get right on the computer and say pretty much what you did, sTeVe. The angst is my own and after having several hours to meditate about it, realize that I have no right putting my feeling onto someone. Sometimes I have to be reminded that all is right in the universe and is unfolding in a perfect way. I'm a "fixer" and only have the best intentions, but do realize that I go overboard sometimes.
Yes, the pure white light is dawning continually. It belongs to All There Is and yet has no master. Excuse me for being selfish, Nafalia. Thank you for the lesson. You also, sTeVe.
love and light
deb

[Uncle Ogre]

Sparky, I was born on the South side of Chi. Moved South several times.
Lived on Fox River for a while.
Hung out in the 60's in Old Town and Rush street.
At least the part I remember.Came to Eureka in 1982 first time.

We, too have had a couple of health scares.
Becky, don't be scared, we are all with you.

Mammeogram showed a shadow on my wife one year.Scared us all. Went to Fayetteville to get scan.All clear. Then they tell us, the shadow could have been someones finger smear on the film.Pizza anyone? We were too relieved to be angry..
Can Nafalia take meclazine? Its available over the counter and really helps for dizziness and car sickness. Comes in chewable form, too.It is in Bonine but that costs far more and has other stuff in it.
We pray for Nafalia and Becky's daughter.

[Becky Davis]

Thank you Uncle Ogre.

[DaBee]

Hope Leslie is feeling ok, Becky. I, too, had a scare a couple of years ago after a mammogram. Luckily, they got me right over to the hospital for an ultrasound. There was something there, but it was scar tissue on my chest wall from an injury while playing tennis from many years before. I still have a mammo done every year because I'm in that age bracket.
Is the MRI scheduled yet? Keep us informed, please, Becky.
deb

[Becky Davis]

Not yet..she had the ultra sound today. Could well be scar tissue, remember she had that nasty fall, but we went because she found a lump that came up rather suddenly.

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Becky,
The Universal LIGHTBODY send Pure WHITE LIGHT of protection and comfort to reassure Leslie ~~ALL IS WELL.

[Becky Davis]

Thank you all...

[PMilam]

XOXOXO
love to you, each and every one.

I'm watching the news, in tears. There is so much suffering. There and all around.

Love, peace and MIRACLES!
Patt

[Jeannie Jones]

Hello, dear hearts,

Becky, prayers for Leslie. It must pull on your heart. I'll be holding a perfect image of wellness for her, and remember her in my prayers.

Patt, please don't get lost in your grief, but pull up and away and see that what's going on in our planet is in perfect order. (IMHO)

"Fellow Chicagonian ex-pats", do you remember any music places you went to in Old Town or on Rush St.? Did you ever get to see Lenny Bruce?

Yes, Deb, it's your angst, not mine. Hope your time there gets easier and easier, and bless you for your wonderful heart and your fierce determination to make things better for the folks in your world. Hey, what's hubby's name?

Steve, you're beautiful, man. Any more accupuncture? How's the leg? The stomach? And how is Maletha faring?

Ms. Nafalia had a wonderful experience last evening, which shed a whole new light on her health conditions. If she's feeling stronger tomorrow, maybe she'll choose to share it with you. I hope so, but it's hers to tell, not mine. She IS feeling a whole lot better, though.

Please forgive me if I've left anyone out. If so, it's non-intentional.

Love to those who post and those who do not,

Jeannie

[Uncle Ogre]

Jeannie, my group went to the Yellow Unicorn in Old Town and Figaros and Punchinellos on Rush. We went to a place called the Witches Haven on the North side. Former church. Oh, and Chances R in Harper Square. We were a very diversified bunch.

Now we are all more alike. Our health is now a topic everyday. Thankfully, I don't wear black socks and shoes with shorts yet.

[DaBee]

Thank you for the positive news, Jeannie. Looking forward to hearing from Nafalia.
Hubby? I don't have one of those.

[Jeannie Jones]

MORE FROM NAFALIA:

Jeannie just read me all of the posting that's been going on. It's wonderful to see so many participating, and there is so much need for Love and Light in the world right now. Not only from our own little group, but on a worldwide scale.

Becky D., I can fully understand how it must feel to you and your daughter at this moment. As I've so often said in the past recent months, we never know what news the next doctor's visit is going to hold for us.

Deb K., Thank you for holding me in your thoughts, in your heart, and in your mind. And all of your suggestions you made for added help, I had already researched many times over (and over and over). It is just not in the system any more. What is difficult for most people to understand, is that doctors are now held in a position where there are only so many rules they can bend so far, because to do any more with Medicare or Medicaid, would be illegal, and could cost them astronomical amounts of money in fines.

Believe me, I feel my medical team has done as much as they can possibly do, without having like $50,000 fines levied against them. The same goes for home health care. Laws have now been passed by the Congress, which make stepping beyond the Medicare rules and regulations illegal.

To you, Steve, who has talked the walk with me on this journey, for the last several months, and most likely burned all the candles you have during this cancer thing, I can only say that I appreciate the fact that you are with us here tonight.

P. Milam, I know that you've been through chemo and/or radiation, and you mentioned you didn't know if you could take that many treatments so close together. In reality, I don't know that I can either, but I have a feeling that the warrior woman in both of us would pull us through.

To the new people coming in now, who are posting, who are just now learning about all of us, and we about you, I'm so happy that you're with us, and I hope you remain. All the others that are reading but not posting, your energy is needed and welcomed.

I suddenly felt very strongly that there's someone out there who's not posting, who is holding me very close to them. My brother or my sister, whoever you are, and wherever you may be, I wanted you to know that I felt your presence very strongly.

Now, as far as my uplifting experience last night, someone very special sent a lady named Linda Eastburn to me. Linda is a very very good health intuitive reader, plus many other things that she does.

Linda and I came to my chamber (my bedroom). Within minutes she had connected to my soul's energy, so we spoke with my soul about my soul's purpose, and I was given much information.

I will share parts of it with you, for I feel like parts of it were meant for me only. I can and will tell you that I am living and fulfilling my soul's purpose.

As far as the health issue, the cancer, goes, I asked my soul if I was to continue the chemo/radiation, and my soul said "yes".

My soul tells me at this point in time, there is a very thin veil between my physical and the other side, and as I continue the treatments, I have the option, at any time, if I feel that it's too much for me, to use my free will to remove the veil and cross over.

As we spoke of this with my soul, Linda said she saw kind of like a halo, an arc, of souls on the other side, awaiting me with their hands held out, that if I decide to cross over, they will be there to guide me across safely, peacefully, and gracefully. I knew and Linda knew, as we spoke of it, that this would not be a long, drawn-out decision. It would be a decision I would make in an instant (knowing I had given it much thought before-hand).

The gift of speaking with my soul, on this level, has uplifted me to continue on with the treatment at this time. As I told Linda, and I had previously told Jeannie in the recent past, (I believe right after I decided to do the chemo/rad) that I had found that center of peace within myself, and that is where I have remained. Linda said that was visible. She had already seen that.

In speaking with my soul, I asked about why the vertigo has been such a part of my life for so long. The soul's response was this: at some point, I so strongly connected with the earth's energy, and tuned in to the frequency of the planet, that it had become a part of me and I had become a part of it. I am feeling the earth changes within my body, expressed as vertigo. It is especially connected to the water and the moon.

Since the vertigo manifests on the left side, which is incoming energy, that is why at times it gets so powerful. It's like I am being communicated with in such a manner that it is sometimes overwhelming, that my mind can absorb it, but it cannot assimilate it when it comes in with so much power. Thus, we have a severe vertigo attack.

At these times, it's literally like so much Light enters my head, that it's almost like being in the dark for a split second. With this comes total disorientation.

This is when I have to say, "Stop communicating with me in this manner, for you are overwhelming me, and I cannot take it." As I was describing the sensation to Linda, she said she could see it as it has happened. Of course, it takes days to recover from that.

She started out by saying that this is one who has always chosen the different paths, sometimes the most difficult ones, knowing that my experiences and the knowledge and wisdom I would gain would be worth it, never taking the expected path, but always taking my own, and following my own heart. By choosing the most difficult path, it allowed me to grow at an accelerated rate, and that I had probably done it in past lives as well. That all of this I knew on the soul's level as I came in.

Linda used a scenario which may help clarify some of this, because it did for me. It was like I was a snake going down the path, and clearing all the debris, so the path would be clear for others.

One of the things that has always been so important to me is that when I speak with a person of things connected to spirituality, that I always be speaking from the spirit level, and not ego. So I asked Linda to please ask my soul when I am sharing knowledge, information, and wisdom with another, am I doing this from the soul level and not the ego? So we went to the soul and asked.

The answer was this: as far as my everyday life is concerned, making decisions about this, that, or the other on my everyday, that is the only place I operate from the ego. The rest of what I have to say to people comes from my own inner wisdom, life experiences, past and present, and from the soul itself.

This was a great relief to me, for there are people who I come in contact with at different times, whom I speak to about spirituality. At these times, I would always hesitate for a moment, and say, "Spirit, I will open my mouth and you speak", for speaking to someone on spirituality can guide them in such a direction that our intent must always be pure. I always believed that my intent was pure, but now I feel comfortable in knowing it's an absolute. That is very important to me.

As she spoke from the soul level, she told me that if I decided to stay, that it would get easier. It might not ever be ALL easy, but it would be easier, and that she sees a 2-3 year recovery period.

I told her that I could perceive all the spirits who surround me in the physical, that when I awaken in the night, all of those that are holding me in their heart and their hands, I can see them and feel them with me. That's the ones in the physical. I can also see and perceive those on the other side who are with me.

I told her I wanted to ask my soul the question that I knew the answer to, but I wanted my soul's confirmation on this quetion, and that is, is my beloved Bruce still with me. Linda said, well, let's go ask the soul. The reply was he's never been gone from me for one second. Our souls merged in the physical, are still merged in the spiritual, and we will be together in the spiritual for many lifetimes to come. (So my beloved knight awaits me.)

I feel I have shared with you the high points and the things I feel I SHOULD share with you. I only have this one thing left. All of this was made possible by a very special person who holds me in her heart, her hand, and her mind at all times, and that is Jeannie.

Seldom is one gifted with a friend such as Jeannie, so I'm not going to say "Thank you" to her, for for me to do so would be an insult to her, 'cause Jeannie does what Jeannie does with no thanks expected. Instead I prefer to say to you, my beloved friend, you shall live in my heart forever.

As we will it, Spirit shall grant it,

Nafalia

P.S. This is very important, so always remember and don't ever forget .................... keep those cards & letters comin' in folks. :D

[MotherMoon12]

Nafalia, is there any way you can physically connect with the Mother Earth? If you could sit outside maybe under a tree and feel the pure Earth, I believe it would help you.

[DaBee]

Nafalia
Thank you for explaining the limitations that the docs and health agencies are under. It sucks, but that's how it is.
The words that you spoke and Jeannie transcribed are very soothing, warm and lightful. I am feeling so blessed that you shared.
May ease and comfort be with you.
love and light
deb

[DaBee]

Read this article this morning and it feels like a synchronicity with this message is in the works. I'm very open to sounds and their meaning or reason. Vibratory elements manifests in so many ways. It's all about choices......and vibrations.

Sounds Of Health
Sounding
It is known that sound has the power to change us. It is used in meditation, ritual, prayer, and as a natural healing technique. Sound itself encompasses most auditory phenomenon and sound healers may practice their craft with recorded classical music, drumming, chanting, instruments, or electronically synthesized sounds. Sounding, however, is unique in that the practitioner uses only his or her voice projected onto the body through loosely cupped hands or a cone of wood. The resonance of the voice permeates tissue and bone, positively impacting physical and spiritual health by causing unbalanced areas to begin once again resonating at their natural frequencies.

The human voice has the natural ability to affect both the body and mind. Just as a beautiful melody or powerful drum beat can inspire and energize you, a sound healer's voice stimulates your systems' natural integrity, helping you to achieve deep relaxation and well-being. A sounding session most often starts with the healer directing sounds toward various parts of the body to determine what areas require stabilization and strengthening. This technique is called 'overtoning.' He or she may sigh, sing, or vocalize in various frequencies while listening for a change in the tone that indicates the sound interfacing with the body's energy field. As each area of the body vibrates at its own unique frequency, this helps the healer identify the precise systems where the sounding needs to be directed. The healer will then cup his or her hands over the area in need of treatment and vocalizes in specific frequencies. The pure harmonic vibrations emitted by the healer ripple and echo !
through the body, correcting the out-of-sync rhythms and resonance, relieving tension, and creating energy impulses that help the body heal itself without medication.

In sounding, the healer's voice becomes a winding river upon which healing energy is conveyed into the body. Plato called music the "essence of order," and when, through the miraculous abilities of the human voice, the body, spirit, and emotions are vibrating at their intended frequencies and in perfect harmony with one another, the result is perfect health.

[PMilam]

Hello all. It is better now, knowing that my friends mother and brother are alive. I just could not let go of thinking of them.
I don't know what they went through, but, there will be a mother and child reunion soon.

No, Nafalia, I had neither. They recommended that I do 4 "rounds" of chemo. It would have upped my survival (for 5 yrs.) rate by 3%. I felt that it would take at least 3% of my life from me. And radiation was never mentioned. I had lobular cancer. Only about 4% of breast cancers are lobular.
It was difficult to find information on it. Because there are so few cases of it, they don't do much research on it, opting to research ductal, which is the most common.

I'm so glad to hear that you are feeling better. I guess the anti-nausea meds and others that help with the side effects are getting better. Feeling at peace with yourself.. your soul, cannot help but be healing.

Becky, when will you know more about Leslie? I would be happy to talk or email with her. It sure helps to have people available that have walked in your path.
I had a "bosom buddy", that I barely knew, in TX, that was my life line to sanity. If they tell her to get another mamo in 6 months, demand to have it done in 3. If I had gone back in 3 mo. instead of 6, I probably could have gotten by with a lumpectomy.

All.. I pray that your loved ones are safe and well, and that the peace that surpasses understanding is yours.
Patt

[DaBee]

Patt, I just love that phrase...."the peace that surpasses understanding". I remember it from the sunday school song that I learned as a kid:
I have joy joy joy joy down in my heart.....I have the peace that passes understanding down in my heart, down in my heart to stay. But back then I had no idea what the words meant. I don't know much more 50+ years later, but the words are at least soothing and consoling.
How is every little everything out there for everyone? I have y'all in my heart and am grateful for being able to communicate. May you have ease and a lightful day.
love and light
deb

[Jeannie Jones]

Glad you're back, Deb. I haven't been over here since Katrina hit. I've been reading a lot from the Open Forum, and Liz Houck & her friend Bob's website, www.bobrallms.com (http://www.bobrallms.com) which they've devoted solely to Katrina. It changes from moment to moment, but there's an article by Anne Rice the novelist, whose work exudes the sultry, steamy backgrounds of New Orleans, about WHY many of those who chose not to leave, made that choice. And, of course, there were many, many who did not have a choice. Also a great article by Maureen Dowd. I saved the page, because their site changes quickly.

Regarding sound: I think we may have discussed tuning forks before and the effect the vibration has on the body. Did we? Healing w/ sound is fascinating to me. Anyway, here's a link to hear Satthya Sai Baba intoning the oldest mantra in the world, the Gayatri Mantra. It's 2 or 3 paragraphs down on the page. The letters are faint, but you'll see it. There must be a way to "loop" it, so that it plays continuously.

http://www.saionline.org/mp3/mp3.htm

Love to all,

Jeannie

[DaBee]

Twins - A Parable

Once upon a time, twin boys were conceived.

Weeks passed and the twins developed. As their awareness grew, they laughed for joy: "Isn't it great that we were conceived? Isn't it great to be alive? "

Together the twins explored their worlds. When they found their mother's cord that gave them life, they sang for joy! "How great our mother's love is, that she shares her own life with us!"

As weeks stretched into months, the twins noticed how much each was changing.

"What does it mean?" one asked.

"It means our stay in this world is drawing to an end." said the other.

"But I don't want to go," said one. "I want to stay here always."

"We have no choice," said the other. "But maybe there is life after birth."

"But how can there be?" responded one. "We will shed our life cord and how can life be pos sible without it? Besides, we have seen evidence that others were here before us, and none of them has returned to tell us there is life after birth. No, this is the end. Maybe there is no mother after all."

"But there has to be," protested the other. "How else did we get here? How do we remain alive?"

"Have you ever seen our mother?" said one.

"Maybe she only lives in our minds. Maybe we made her up because the idea made us feel good."

So the last days in the womb were filled with deep questioning and fear.

Finally, the moment of birth arrived. When the twins had passed from their world, they opened their eyes and cried for joy - for what they saw exceeded their fondest dreams.

That is birth ... and that is death.


Unknown author

[Becky Davis]

That is beautiful.

[Jeannie Jones]

Beautiful indeed. Thanks, Deb.

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Very :cool: DaBee, Welcome back to the Ozarks. Have enjoyed reading 'bout your journey and glad the LIGHT is with you.
:cool:
steVeTwIsTeDlIgHtMaNic
"Accupuncture is a PokeFeSt"

[PMilam]

Wow, that is wonderful.
Already put it in my random documents file.

I'm engrossed in all of this. Just cannot turn off the tv.. and I'm listening to Mississippi public radio.

I pray that all of you are doing as well as is possible. I know that many of us have our ongoing personal situations, and somehow.. I feel SO blessed.

love to you all
Patt

[Jeannie Jones]

Originally posted by PMilam:
...I'm engrossed in all of this. Just cannot turn off the tv.. and I'm listening to Mississippi public radio... I know, Patt. Me, too. I guess it's because from "that" moment on, our world will never be the same. We've heard about it and even seen TV coverage about this type of thing happening elsewhere in the world, including the devastation in Iraq, Indonesia, and other places, but it's OUR shores now, OUR people lost, OUR government's leaving our citizens out there to die due to slow and inadequate response. OUR world will never be the same.

We felt it on 9/11/01. We knew it then. Our world would never be the same. Mr. Giuliani and the emergency forces were there in an instant, to perform heroically. We rose to our highest, best selves. All of a sudden our TV shows changed. Bill Maher and others were at their finest at that time. Then little by little, it slipped away. We forgot about it, or adjusted to it, and went back to even more and MORE violent and scuzzy and cheap, with cleavage in your face "Girls Gone Wild" TV programming, proving our decadence, AND more importantly, attitudes of "we are we and they are they".

We have a reminder here now, big time, in capital letters that we must not ignore. We have a God-given opportunity here to rise to our very best and STAY THERE. Then from that high point, the next time something huge that's perceived as "disastrous" happens in our country, we can take a TREMENDOUS bump up and perhaps rise into another dimension of beingness.

"Why didn't they leave?" This has been incomprehensible to many. "Well, they could have left and didn't, so I guess they deserve what they got. I sure don't want them coming to MY town!" Have y'all heard this from friends, family or neighbors? Anne Rice, acclaimed New Orleans novelist, who painted such rich, sultry, humid, sensual New Orleans backdrops for her stories, answers that question on the www.bobrallms.com (http://www.bobrallms.com) website home page. Look left and scroll down. It's a very interesting piece re: the history of New Orleans and present-day attitudes of people who live(d) there.

Well, enough ranting.

One lamp in the Light that is Humanity (let's turn that sucker up!) smile.gif ,

Jeannie

[DaBee]

I have been looking for some kind of light spot in all of the confusion and suffering that we see happening with the hurricane aftermath. It feels that no matter how much we "help", it's just never enough. I get the feeling that it's my ego talking here. All of this is not ours to question, but it does force you to let go of expectations of yourself. To employ a balance of emotions, possibly the following can help assuage the unnecessary angst (angst is my word of the month) so that the confusion can dissipate, allowing us to think clearly. Actually, the "us" is me, but these words may possibly help others. Just food for thought, I guess. Here is what I found, or what found me this morning:

Life Lessons

While we may not recognize it at the time, every challenge we face is ultimately an opportunity to bring more love and higher consciousness into our lives. The obstacles we encounter every day - whether great trials or minor bumps in the road - provide us an opportunity to learn and to grow. By placing obstacles in our path, the universe focuses our attention on life lessons that, on a deeper level, we wish to comprehend more fully. If we choose to, we can view any disharmony in our daily lives as an invitation to shed an old belief or behavior pattern in favor of a more enlightened one.

The challenge is to recognize the lesson being offered by a given situation. Often we learn about a positive quality by experiencing its opposite. An impulse toward anger may teach us about love or acceptance. A sense of constraint may teach us about freedom. A situation that appears beyond our control may prompt us to discover our own role in its creation. The lessons presented to us may encourage us to develop soul qualities such as humility, patience, or forgiveness.

Sometimes we are too involved in our present difficulty to find that higher perspective is more easily recognized in hindsight. Yet this doesn't mean we are without the tools to deal with it. Regardless of the size and nature of your difficulty, an attitude of love and gratitude will move you through it more easily and bring resolution more quickly. When difficulties arise, hold a loving thought for yourself and for whoever else is involved. Challenge yourself to find something in the situation to be grateful for, no matter how small, and thank the universe for it. This shift in attitude will shift the situation and your perspective, and it will bring you closer to that deeper understanding your soul is seeking on your behalf. Life lessons don't always come packaged the way we expect them to, and it is sometimes these lessons that ultimately bring us the greatest joy.

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
"When difficulties arise, hold a loving thought for yourself and for whoever else is involved"
(DaBee's Post)

Please remember Nafalia and Shine your LIGHT on HER.

[Becky Davis]

Still thinking of you Nafalia.

[DaBee]

Am always remembering Nafalia....and Jeannie. When I think of one, I think of the other.....and when I think of them I think of sTeVe, then I think of Becky and Patt and MM12........and on and on.....
Much ease and light to all
thoughts of love and happy trails
deb

[PMilam]

<What she said!
xoxo

[Jeannie Jones]

"DO WHAT?" :eek: from Nafalia:

Hi, everybody, just a quick little note here. Just got home from 2 doctors' visits today.

Had the "Epley Maneuver" performed to get the vertigo calmed down, which means I'll be wearing a neck brace for 48 hours, which means sleeping in a not quite sitting up straight position.

Since last I posted, I have come to the decision after much inward searching, and a lot of other things, that I will not return for any more chemo. The chemo-radiation deal is done by my choice.

Now I begin the process of undoing the damage the chemo and radiation did. Don't feel much like posting a very long post, as it's been a very long, difficult day. Actually this is the 3rd long, difficult day.

So I just wanted to tell everyone "hi", and thank you. Keep those cards and letters comin' in, folks. smile.gif

As above, so below,

Nafalia

[Jeannie Jones]

Hi there, dear ones,

Over the past few days now, Nafalia has been to the emergency room twice. (Not today.) It seems that the vertigo has appeared again. The first time, the er doc shot her with Valium. She usually takes 2 1/2 mg. at night. He shot her w/ 5 mg, and when that didn't touch it, 5 more mg.

Also, she had walked with assistance to a grassy knoll near her apt., (thanks, Mother Moon). She reconnected w/ the earth, and it was wonderful, but on the way back, got an insect bite on a toe that just got very large and red and angry. ER doc said it wasn't a sting, but was definitely a bite.

The next day, the migraine headache piled on top of the vertigo, and she again ended up in the ER. They gave her dilaudid (she's pretty sure that's what it was). They CT scanned her, did some blood tests, and wanted to take a spinal tap, to see if there was bleeding in the brain. She put her foot down and nixed the spinal tap. They released her after the pain had subsided some, around midnight. They would have admitted her if she'd accepted the spinal tap, but had to release her because she didn't.

She doesn't remember much after the injection, but she does remember the cabbie helping her to her apartment. The next day she sounded very faint, energy-wise as well as vocally.

Most days she's had some Cream of Wheat in the morning, then half a chicken sandwich later. But she also has "Sustecal", because she REALLY needs for her body to be built back up, after all that's been done to it. Today she's going to try something that Schwann's delivered. She's never tried their foods before, but has to be very careful about MSG.

The first time I called today, she didn't answer, but had recorded a new message in a voice that sounded much stronger. Later, she called me, and I told her there was a string of brief messages to her all in a little clump and asked if I might read them to her. It was after that that she posted the above. She said I could fill you in on the preceding days if I wanted to, so "now we're to here".

Oh, one more thing - from what her cancerdoc said, she figures she has about 1 1/2 more wks. before all the chemo will be released from her system. He said that until it's all gone, she'll feel ill and in pain. But at least she sounded better today.

Sending bouquets of flowers to all (close your eyes -- can you smell them? Can you feel them?),

Jeannie

P.S. Oh yeah, what Deb said, too. :D

[k.hanin]

Hello everyone!! My name is Kris hanin--I live in Wisconsin. I am a friend of Shuggie Tuckers. She has told me there are alot of people with fibromyalgia/and other related ailments!!! She has told me most of you aren't getting what you need to make your lives bearable. I am 54yrs. young and was diagnosed 3yrs. ago(I also am a RN) I have a wonderful MD now!! I know alot about the disease and the meds you need!!! If anyone would like more info. just get in touch with me!!! Love to you all, Kris--k26hanin@hurleycomputers.com

[DaBee]

You are so welcome here, Kris! Thanks for jumping in and offering your knowledge. I don't know Shuggie Tucker, but maybe she posts under a different name. I appreciate her being aware of some special needs of people on the Gratitude Journal.
I'm going to the doc today, but not my RheumyDoc. My RheumyDoc gave me an rx for Mobic and some samples a few weeks ago. The Mobic really takes down the inflammation (RA), but when the samples ran out and I went to fill the rx, I could only get half filled because it is so expensive ($101.00 for a 30 day supply) I'm going to ask this other GP doc if there's something else (can't take Ibuprofen) that isn't so expensive.
If there was a natural way to deal with the inflammation and pain, I'm all for it. Haven't found anything yet, though.
If you don't mind, Kris, I like to post on here because I'm so sure that others are reading and just too shy to introduce themselves. What we talk about in the open might help them. But...if it's of a really personal nature, I'm all for emailing.
Once again, Welcome!
love and light
deb

[Becky Davis]

She doesn't post often Deb, but she posts under Shuggie.

[Jeannie Jones]

Hi, folks,

This will be a quickie, getting ready to go to Wally World. Hi, Kris, is that the Shuggie who's lived in Eureka for so long? I don't seem to remember last names very well. Glad you have a doc you're happy with, and thanks for your offer of help.

Deb, the Mobic makers have a program for people who need but can't afford their products. Am sending you an app. by private e.

Love to all,

Jeannie

[DaBee]

Wow! 899....so this'll take it to 900!!!
Thanks, Jeannie. When I went to the doc (free clinic) today, she told me that there wasn't a program for the mobic. Sure am glad to see that there is.
Long day today....seems like going to Fayetteville for the doc, a bit of big shopping like at Aldi and then the drive back sure whoops me. Almost as bad as the drive from Texass.
TGIMIHAIOP!
love and light and WashingtonCountyinmyrearviewmirror
deb-o-givemeahollaranyoldday

[Jeannie Jones]

Hi, Deb,

Yes, I'd consider the drive to Fay'ville and back AND a big shopping to be a full and tiring day. I understand that it's helpful to take naps with the RA. At least that's how one friend controls hers, though it may not be as severe as yours. Still, though, it couldn't hurt. (No pun intended.)

Mom and I did Wal-Mart today, and stopped at, let's see, 4 other places. Started at the Cat Clinic for special diet food for 21-lb. Li'l Debbie, then the cig. store, then Mom's prescription place, USA Drugs, then Wal-Mart. That pretty much did us in, after hauling our bags in and putting everything away.

Re: the Mobic, Boehringer Ingelheim, the maker of Mobic, is partners with Glaxo-Wellcome and Pfizer, and it may be through one of those that the aid comes. You might give them a call at the 800# at the top of the page to make sure the program is still active. Things are changing so quickly now, and I guess the BIG change in Medicare regarding prescriptions will be coming in October. You might want to do the form as quickly as you can, to get in under the wire on the free meds. Don't know what the changes will be.

So happy you're home, but didn't understand your shorthand preceding your sign'off. :confused:

BECKY, how is your son doing? And his family? They're still in our prayers. And you?

UNCLE OGRE and SPARKY, I wrote a big msg. about Old Town and Rush St. a while back, and lost the whole thing! Will put it together again soon.

Kris, how did they diagnose you? (If you don't mind my asking.) I'm glad you have a doctor you like. That REALLY helps!

Want to say "hi" and "I love ya" to everybody else.

Signing off,

JJ

[Jeannie Jones]

AHA! :D

I think I figured it out, DaBee. Was your abbreviation:

"Thank God I made it home all in one piece!"...?

Haha, luvvit! :D

Neat that you got to post #900. Hope you get to post #1,000.

Nitey-nite,

JJ

[DaBee]

We, Jeannie, it's a WE thing.

Exacto Mundo, JJ.........you get the prize! Uh, uh, it's a.........brand new batch of moonbeams that have been collected and put into a clear mason jar so that anytime you need things to look a little brighter, all you have to do is look at the jar!
That's almost like a cryptoquote, huh? I love those....even though it does make my brain hurt....kind like eating ice cream too fast. It's all worth it though.
Big day today....the concert at the Aud for the new and up and coming radio station with 75% of the proceeds going to the relief effort. I'll be the curly haired ticket seller (i think) if anyone wants to come say hi.
It's a beautiful weekend that dawned a few hours ago. Y'all have a great one. Coming with me to the Aud, Nafalia? I'll tuck you into my pocket, ok? Wanna go too, Jeannie? Jump in!
love and light and jammin', baby
deb-o-theworldisastage

[DaBee]

Nafalia....yoo hoo, where are you?
I need my every couple of days update from you/Jeannie.
This is a good read (IMHO) that maybe someone out there will enjoy, also. Makes some of those draggy, not so upbeat times seem purposeful, huh?


Ascending Upwards
Life's Stepping Stones

All of nature is in a continual state of growth and evolution. We are no different. Each stage in our personal evolution paves the way for the next. Each stage prepares us for the next challenge, the next opportunity, the next expression of our being. Whether or not you are enjoying your current situation, know that you are just passing through on your way to the next level - the next stepping stone - on the journey of your life.

Stepping stones are found in all areas of endeavor - our careers, our relationships, our emotional and spiritual development. It's often difficult to see our direction in the midst of the journey, but if we could look back on our lives and watch them unfold from a higher vantage point, the direction of our growth and the connection between one experience and the next would be clear.

Perhaps you had a relationship or series of relationships in your twenties that gave you the wisdom to recognize the right person when he or she came along a decade later. Perhaps you acquired a skill at a casual job or through a hobby that later allowed you pursue a meaningful career. Perhaps a difficult event such as a serious illness or the death of a loved one propelled you to search for deeper meaning and understanding. These are examples of life's stepping stones.

As we follow our path, we often revisit the same issues, but from a higher, wiser place each time. We can track growth by identifying situations we've faced more than once and noting that each time we handled them a bit better. Whether or not you can see how your present situation is serving you or where it may lead, know that you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Trust that your soul knows where you're headed even if you don't. And trust that your stepping stones are leading you exactly where you need to go.

[Jeannie Jones]

Exactly.

News from Nafalia later.

smile.gif

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool: NEWS FLASH~~~~~~
Spirit tells me Nafalia is going ahead and finishing the radiation & chemo treatments and should be cancer free and back "ON THE PATH" in no time.
BLESSED BE~~~~~~
:cool:

[Jeannie Jones]

OKAY, so the doctor's RIGHT!!! (from Nafalia)

For those of you who have known me for quite a long time, the one thing that each of you will say about me is that I am a very determined person. Now, that can be a positive OR a negative.

It can even be said that at times I can get a mind-set that is not always in my best interest. :rolleyes: Hey, but at least I'm willing to admit it.

What all of this is leading to is, I said I would not do the second round of chemo, well, as DaBee would say, "it's all about choices", and choices sometimes have to be changed.

Saw my oncologist, Dr. Hoos, today. Had my feet firmly planted and my mind totally set that NO, there would be no more chemo.

Wellllllll, being fortunate enough to have a very agressive and progressive oncologist, who very patiently listened to me when I was telling him that I was not going to do the second round of chemo, much less continue with the radiation, because of my vertigo and migraines and all else that took place since my dismissal from the hospital.

Telling Dr. Hoos about this, he simply said, "Well, Nancy, you should really do the second round because it's different than the first. The first round was the hard part, and you've already done that one."

So, listening to the doctor and my own inner self, I came to realize and understand, no need in being a jerk now. :D

Long story short, I will return to the hospital on September 26 for 5 days of the 5FU chemo, which, my doctor told me was the benign part of it, the end of the chemo. The radiation will start up again next week, and finish up the beginning of October. By doing this, I'll be cancer-free, without an ileostomy.

Since last Saturday, when I was feeling very, very bad, I decided it was time to get up and get moving, so I started my walking. On Saturday I walked 1/4 of a mile, Sunday 1/2 a mile, Monday, 3/4 of a mile.

Last Wednesday, saw Dr. Estrium, the ENT doctor, had the Epley Maneuver performed, vertigo is settling down nicely, headaches are diminishing, and I think I'm eating everything in sight.

Can't forget to tell everyone that Friday I had my hair buzzed off because it was falling out, but lo and behold, about 1/2" wide, at the top of my scalp, there are silver wisps on each side which frame my face down to the chin. Have been told by several people that it's really a cute haircut on me, and I really like it. It's kind of fun. Sort of reminiscent of that Roaring 20's kind of thing going on, with turbans and beaded headdresses, and that sort of thing. But I kind of like it just without anything on.

So I guess this brings everyone up to date, oh, except for the fact that I've made a new friend, named Nicole, who is from Lithuania, and was an attorney in her country. I just love her, she's so wonderful, and so interesting.

No need to tell y'all what to do, (but I'm gonna do it anyway) "keep those cards and letters comin' in, folks". It must be working! ;)

Love you well,

Nafalia

[Jeannie Jones]

NAFALIA HERE AGAIN

Originally posted by mtnviewsteve:
:cool: NEWS FLASH~~~~~~
Spirit tells me Nafalia is going ahead and finishing the radiation & chemo treatments and should be cancer free and back "ON THE PATH" in no time.
BLESSED BE~~~~~~
:cool: Steve-o, did I get off the path and not know it? I have to admit, chemo does make you loopy. Thanks for finding me. ;)

Love you well,

Nafalia

[Jeannie Jones]

Originally posted by DaBee:

"...As we follow our path, we often revisit the same issues, but from a higher, wiser place each time. We can track growth by identifying situations we've faced more than once and noting that each time we handled them a bit better. Whether or not you can see how your present situation is serving you or where it may lead, know that you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Trust that your soul knows where you're headed even if you don't. And trust that your stepping stones are leading you exactly where you need to go.

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Jeannie, thanks for the update~~WONDERFUL NEWS!! Tee-Hee, only meant the "path to the cure", not "THE PATH". May SPIRIT continue to GUIDE & BLESS YOU.
We Will It, So Shall It Be.
:cool:

[Jeannie Jones]

Whoops! :D

[Jeannie Jones]

Whew.........from Nafalia

Sure glad you cleared that up for me, Steve, because when you're on chemo you can definitely get off on some paths!

Sidetrips like the following: I'm not gonna do it, they don't know what they're talking about, and I'm a hell of a lot smarter than those doctors, just to name a few. :rolleyes:

So I wasn't sure if I had gotten lost on a path that I didn't know I was on, because clarity is sure hard to come by, at times. ;)

Smile, giggle, and laugh out loud,

As above, so below,

Nafalia

[DaBee]

One of those "Ahhhhhhhh" moments, kids.
Thank you for relaying it all to us, JJ.
I am sending bunches of "Got Well" cards
and "Keep Walking" letters, NN.
The path is our step alone, my twisted sTeVe bro, but is sure is a way cool thing to be able to share just how we stepped the steps, leaped the leaps, walked the walk, talked the talk.....and laughed the laugh.
love and light and everything bright
deb-o-twinkiewinkle

[Becky Davis]

I love to get reports from you like this. Very nice to know you are feeling better.

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:

"If you see your path laid out in front of you - Step One, Step Two, Step Three - you only know one thing ... it is not your path. Your path is created in the moment of action. If you see it laid out in front of you, you can be sure it is someone else's path. That is why you see it so clearly." --Joseph Campbell

[Jeannie Jones]

Good one, sTeVe,

Ya just gotta love Joseph Campbell. This very moment is all of reality. Past, present, future, all of it, are contained in this one now moment. At the moment that we realize that we are a part of all that is, and vice versa, including the Divine, and are in perfect love, peace, and joy in this one present moment, we also perfect the past and the future, (in the simultaneity of time) and attain our enlightened state...IMO.

[Jeannie Jones]

Getting the Show on the Road, from Nafalia:

Shortly after my last post of yesterday, I received a call from Dr. Albritten to let me know that Dr. Hoos had called him and spoken with him on the phone.

The conclusion of the 2 doctors (both are oncologists, but Dr. Albritten is a specialist in radiation oncology) and they decided that tomorrow at 11:00 I would resume radiation therapy.

We are only a week behind with the radiation, so it will all be pretty much finished at the same time. After I leave the hospital on Oct. 1, I'll still have 5 radiation treatments left.

And that is the news that is the news from Nafalia. ;)

As above, so below,

Nafalia

[MotherMoon12]

I'm proud of you, Nafalia. You got guts gal.

[PMilam]

Just a little note to say that I'm holding you in my light prayers, Nafalia. May you have peaceful, sweet dreams.

[DaBee]

I have my right hand on your left shoulder, Nafalia. I want to share a twinkle with you.
Tonight when I stepped outside to say g'night to everything, I received more than I was expecting. I love it when that happens. 1st, I saw a lone fire fly. He twinkled for me. Then, 2 owls were holding a conversation and let me listen in. It was magic.
Several years ago I read a few of the Conversations With God books. I really enjoyed them This is an excerpt that I got today in my Spiritual Stories:
The Little Soul and the Sun - Part 1

There once was a soul who knew itself to be the light. This was a new soul and so, anxious for experience.

"I am the light" it said. "I am the light"

Yet all the knowing of it and all the saying of it, could not substitute for the experience of it. And in the realm from which this soul emerged, there was nothing but the light. Every soul was grand and every soul was magnificent and every soul shone with the brilliance of God's awesome light. So the little soul was as a candle in the sun. In the midst of the grandest light, of which it was part, it could not see itself, nor experience itself as Who and What it really is.

Now it came to pass that this soul yearned and yearned to know itself. So great was it's yearning that God one day said, "Do you know little one, what you must do to satisfy this yearning of yours?"

"Oh, what, God? What? I'll do anything!" the little soul said.

You must separate yourself from the rest of us" God answered, "and then you must call upon yourself the darkness"

"What is the darkness, o Holy One?" the little soul asked.

"That which you are not" God replied and the soul understood.

And so this the soul did, removing itself from the ' All ' going even unto another realm. And in this realm the soul had the power to call into it's experience all sorts of darkness. And this it did.

Yet in the midst of all the darkness did it cry out, "Father, Father, why hast thou forsaken me?"

God replied: "Even has have you, in your blackest times. Yet I have never forsaken you, but stand by you always, ready to remind you of Who You Really Are; ready always ready, to call you home.

Therefore be a light unto the darkness and curse it not. And forget not who you are in the moment of your encirclement by that which you are not. But do praise to the creation even as you seek to change it.

And know that what you do in the time of your greatest trial can be your greatest triumph.

For the experience you create is a statement of Who You Are - and Who You Want to Be.


From the book Conversations with God

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
May WE each be BLESSED and May SPIRIT's LIGHTshine and guide you on your PATH:

Janist prayer for peace and oneness

Note: "Dharma" translates as "essential quality or character"


Peace and Universal Love is the essence of the Gospel preached by all the

Enlightened Ones.SPIRIT has preached that equanimity is the Dharma.

Forgive do I creatures all, and let all creatures forgive me. Unto all have I

amity, and unto none enmity. Know that violence is the root cause of all

miseries in the world. Violence, in fact, is the knot of bondage. "Do not

injure any living being". This is the eternal, perennial, and unalterable way

of spiritual life. A weapon, howsoever powerful it may be, can always be

superseded by a superior one; but no weapon can, however, be superior to

non-violence and love.

:cool:

[Becky Davis]

Nafalia, Where could you possibly find more support than this? We people love you.

[Jeannie Jones]

So Blessed Am I, from Nafalia:

Mother Moon, often my sisters have said to me that I got all the courage in the family, and that's why they are the way they are.

I do not see anything that I do as courageous, or as different than anyone else would do if they were in my shoes. And believe me, there are times that I often wonder ~~ is it courage, or just plain determination?

My life has been colorful and exciting, and, upon reflection, I can see a swirling of the combination of courage and hard-headedness. :rolleyes: I thank you for your messages of caring and love. They mean much to me.

It is a real ride, I can tell you that! ;)

DaBee, I read all of the Conversations With God books. They were not only a wonderful read, but put a lot of things in perspective for me at the time. The quote you took out of the CWG was a wonderful choice.

PMilam, Becky D. and sTeVe:

Patt, I can feel you are holding me in the Light, as so many others are doing, and have for so long now. I just want you to know that it's all been so very much appreciated and absorbed.

Becky D., I know you are so right, and that without the love and support of this group, things would not be going as well as they are.

sTeVe, Jeannie was reading me your post. Very apropos for everything which is happening on all levels, in the Now.

As above, so below,

Nafalia

[Jeannie Jones]

"Remarkable, You Say?", from Nafalia

"Wow, this IS remarkable!" Words from my doctor's mouth to my ears today.

Let me go back just one day. Yesterday I resumed radiation therapy. By the time I got home, I was in so much pain! My entire body felt like it was coming down with a severe case of the flu. I could not even stand for my clothes to touch my skin. :eek: I did not even want to talk on the phone with anyone. (That's SERIOUS, people! ;) ) That's how yesterday felt, after my treatment.

So this morning at 8:00, I called Dr. Albritten's nurse Cathy, and told her how yesterday was for me. Cathy replied, "We'd better have the doctor see you today, before treatment".

So I arrived at the doctor's office, and was prepared for an examination (still feeling pretty punky). Was put on the exam table and Cathy told me, "Just lie back and relax, and the doctor will be in in a few minutes".

Dr. Albritten came in, asked me what had happened, and I repeated my story from yesterday. So he said, "Well, we'd better examine the bladder, as the area that the radiation treatments are being given can definitely affect the bladder". It can burn a hole in the bladder.

After his examination of the bladder, he found all was well there. Then he said, "Well, we're going to do a rectal exam". After he examined me for a few minutes, he said, "Wow! This is remarkable, as to how small this tumor has shrunk. The tumor has shrunk much more than I expected at this point. It still needs treatment, but this is wonderful!"

He said, "I think we should go ahead with radiation today, because everything appears OK, and I don't know what happened yesterday. Must have been a bad day for you".

I agreed, and told him I think we should go ahead with treatments, because I want to get this over with.

As I was preparing to leave his office to go over to the radiation therapy dept. Cathy told me, "The doctor was truly surprised at how much the tumor had shrunk".

Went for treatment, waited for my ride to bring me home, and had a whole sandwich AND a slice of key lime pie smile.gif when I got home.

Still more ... I was sitting on my patio, among my plants, when a lady walked by and commented at how beautiful my plants were.

I told her they were tropical and very easy to care for. She asked me if this particular one was called a "Wandering Jew", and I told her "Yes".

She said, "Well, since I had to get rid of my cats (to live here), and my kids are grown, I'm now getting into plants", and she said she was going to buy her a Wandering Jew this weekend.

I have so many pots of Wandering Jew and Swedish Ivy that I started from cuttings off of the ones I have, that I just picked up a big pot of it and said, "Here, here, have this one. I have more than enough". She was hesitant at first, she said "Oh, I didn't mean THAT", and I told her, "No, no, take it. Please take it. Plants are for sharing". And she said, "You have just made my day".

We chatted for a few moments, and she took off. I came into the house and rested for a few minutes, then decided to return to the patio.

As I was headed to the front of the apt., I hear a voice calling "Nice plant, lady!", and it was the lady I had given the plant to.

She was at my patio door, and lo and behold, she works with balloons. She had gone home and made me a very colorful rainbow, wrapped in a cloud, and 2 doves, out of balloons. smile.gif

Now, would you not call that also a remarkable thing? Isn't it wonderful how the Universe sends us messages all the time?

That's been my yesterday and my now. Just wanted to share it with you all. Can't think of a nicer group of people to share it with.

Sooooooo, as you all know, keep those cards and letters comin' in, folks. It's really working! ;)

As we will it, Spirit will guide us,

Love,

Nafalia

[DaBee]

The Little Soul and the Sun - Part 2

God said to the little soul, "You may choose to be any Part of God you wish to be. You are absolute divinity experiencing itself. What aspect of divinity do you now wish to experience as You?"

"You mean I have a choice", asked the little soul.

God answered, "Yes. You may choose to experience any aspect of divinity in, as and through you."

"Okay," said the little soul, "then I choose forgivness. I want to experience myself as that aspect of God called complete forgivness."

Well this created a little challenge, as you can imagine. There was no one to forgive. All God had created was perfection and love.

"No one to forgive?" asked the little soul, somewhat incredulously.

"No one," God repeated. "Look around you. Do you see any souls less than perfect, less wonderful than you?"

At this the little soul twirled around and was sur prised to see himself surrounded by all the souls in heaven. They had come from far and wide throughout the kingdom, because they heard that the little soul was having an extraordinary conversation with God.

"I see none less perfect than I!" the little soul exclaimed. "Who, then, shall I have to forgive?"

Just then another soul stepped forward from the crowd.

"You may forgive me" said this friendly soul

"For what?" the little soul asked.

" I will come into your next physical lifetime and do something for you to forgive," replied the friendly soul.

"But what? What could you, a being of such perfect light do to make me wnat to forgive you?" the little soul wanted to know.

"Oh," smiled the friendly soul, "I'm sure we can think of something."

"But why would you want to do this?" The little soul could not figure out wh y a being of such perfection would want to slow down it's vibration so much that it could do something 'bad'.

"Simple," the friendly soul explained, "I would do it because I love you. You want to experience yourself as forgiving, don't you? Besides you've done the same for me."

"I have?" asked the little soul.

"Of course, don't you remember? We've been All Of it, you and I. We've been the Up and the Down of it, and the Left and the Right of it. We've been the Here and the There of it, and the Now and the Then of it. We've been the Big and the Small of it, the Male and the Female of it and the Good and the Bad of it. We've been the All of it."

"And we've done it by agreement, so that each of us might experience ourselves as the grandest part of God. For we have understood that...

'In the absence of that which You Are Not, that which you Are, is Not'.

'In the absence of cold you cannot be warm, in the absence of sad you cannot be happy. Without a thing called evil, the experience you call good cannot exist'.

'If you choose to be a thing, something or someone opposite to that has to show up somewhere in your universe to make that possible.' "

The friendly soul then explained that those people are God's Special Angels and these conditions God's Gifts.

"I ask only one thing in return," the friendly soul declared.

"Anything, Anything," the little soul cried. He was excited now to know that he could experience every divine aspect of God. He understood now, The Plan.

"In the moment that I strike you and smite you," said the friendly soul, "in the moment that I do the worst to you that you could ever imagine - in that self same moment...remember Who I Really Am."

"Oh, I wont forget!" promised the little soul. "I will see you in the perfection w ith which I hold you now, and I will remember Who You Are, always."


From the book Conversations With God

[Jeannie Jones]

Beautiful, DaBee, thanks. It resonates with a big "right on" in my belief system. Really enjoyed these 2. Is there a 3rd?

I've noticed a change in Nafalia since her reading with Linda. There are numerous types of readings that Linda can do, depending on what her clients want. Her info. is pure and clean, and she's highly principled. She charges $60. for an hour session, gives a lot of info. quickly, can work by phone also, and sends a tape of the session.

What we did for Nafalia, was that I initiated a 3-way call, and said that I'd be happy to bow out at that point, but Nafalia preferred that I stay on through the whole reading.

So anyway, Linda's NOT a "phone psychic", but can work quite well by phone. I had told her just a little of Nafalia's condition, and that, to me, she has taken SUCH good care of her body, that I just didn't see her leaving it anytime soon, nor did I get that "inner nudge" on that. So I didn't know what type of reading to ask for, health or what, and Linda suggested a "soul's purpose" reading, which was just perfect.

If anyone is interested in a reading, please send me a note, and I can either call you, or respond to your e-mail. Oh, and I met her when she lived in Eureka some years ago. Oh, and she's also been doing some radio call-in shows.

Love to all, posters and non-posters,

Jeannie

[DaBee]

Linda arrived at just the right time. Perfect, I'd say! How grateful I am for Nafalia. It is amazing to see how all of this experience is progressing for you, NN. Please continute to keep up apprised of your progress.
Can't exactly put my finger on it, but it feel like I have had the stuffing knocked out of me. Am feeling vulnerable and want to retreat. I'm usualy pretty "out there", so I'm not quite sure how to handle it. Am reading a book about keeping life simple and maybe I'm reflecting off of that. Was thinking about having dish satellite turned off as well as the web connection and just stay still whenever possible and save my energy for my children, grandchildren, kitties, garden and home. While I seem to be going into a possible remission on the RA and Lupus, there is still constant pain and bouts of lethargy. I've been averaging about 10 hours of sleep and if I get less, the next day is really a drag. I've found myself overindulging in repartee on the Open Forum and realize that I am somehow slipping back into some old habits. I have to shake that quick. Have my 2 grandchildren with me over night tonight and in my 7 yr old grandaughter's nighttime reading, she chose a book called "Be A Light Unto Yourself" which is about discovering and accepting who you are from the words of the Buddha. This one excerpt that she read made me reflect on this old habit and where I was heading on the Open Forum. I have decided to stay away, lest I be tempted. Kinda like the relationship that me and ice cream have. Tastes good at the time, but ohhhh, the consequences from indulging. Anyway, this is some of what she read and I want to share it with you: "....The faults of others are easily perceived, and those of oneself easily avoided. While we carefully study the faults of our neighbor, we hide from our own. If you find your are interested in others' faults, be assured that your own are growing." That reminds of a Native American saying about if you can find nothing positive in something, rest assured that the fault lies within yourself. So, out of the mouth of babes, as "they" say. I usually try to share my high moments, but to maintain balance, I must also share the lower ones. Guess that's all about getting honest, too.
I see many changes going on in people's lives, including my own. It's a feeling of transition from my perspective. Believe that I have transitioned enough to know that it's all a part of my path. Mine is usually not one of least resistance, but maybe maybe maybe that's one that I should step into.
This is a little story that I got today that kinda reflects my bi-line, or signature. It also makes me think of Nafalia. I enjoyed reading it, maybe y'all will too:

Attitude

Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business...h e left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."

Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'BULLETS!'

Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'." Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything

[Jeannie Jones]

Well, Deb, I hope you don't choose to cut off your internet service, 'cause I sure would miss you. I know that's a selfish look at it, but that's the first thing that hit me when I read that. Y'all are my lifeline, here in GJ.

Open Forum is tough. I've been over there lately, too. It just takes soooooo long to read all the pages of things to catch up, and it's sometimes hard to read through the posts of people who choose to tear people down, rather than build them up. Don't know why they make those CHOICES, but it takes the fun out of it for me. Deb, of course, you have to make your decisions as you feel them, but if you could just post here and forget the Open Forum, maybe your vulnerability will heal some.

It feels so hard to be lethargic and in pain and still try to keep your positive attitude, I KNOW. Dear heart, it seems quite extreme, though, to cut off all your touch with the outside world. I don't know. Maybe it's the stars or the moon or something, but I've been feeling kind of "pushed down", too.

Of course, the piece about Jerry would bring Nafalia to mind. I identify with it too, when I'm back in my usual flow. If asked if the glass is half full or half empty, I'd say, "Hey, we've got WATER!"

Ms. Nafalia will probably be back on the board tomorrow (Sunday). She was feeling ... well, here we go again ... in pain and lethargic. I tell ya, kid, it's goin' around.

Well, sweetie, I'm quite low on spoons, and it's very late. Just wanted to get something in here to you under my own name, but I hope I haven't done more harm than good, in my tiredness! :rolleyes: Well, you and the others will be happy to read from Nafalia tomorrow.

Love to all,

Jeannie

[DaBee]

Just a quick note...still have the kiddos around me. Jeannie, I'm always so happy to hear from you. Your response to what I wrote last night did help a lot. Maybe cutting off the internet service would be a bit severe. I do love Geekfest and all of the contacts that I make through it. Guess I'm still feeling a bit bruised from being on the "other side", but it's probably the part of the contrasting environment that I needed. I'll balance out shortly and be glad that I didn't get too hasty in my pudding of life :D
JJ, I have some links that I want to PM you about which, after writing on here last night I just seem to be led to. I actually feel that it answers a lot of my questions or maybe just current states of being. If anyone else is curious about this, let me know and I'll send you the links, also.
Gotta go gotta go gotta go go go...the doggie confused his toileting area and I'm the adult here (dang!) to clean things up.
That's why I have kitties. They don't seem to have problems with confusion about these type of things.
love and light and doggie doodoo
deb-o-putaclothespinonmynoseeeeaaaauuuuuuuuuwwwww

[Jeannie Jones]

"Pretty Strange Stuff" from Nafalia:

Yesterday was a pretty punky day, not real bad, but not real good. Today seem to be having some back and leg pains, can't figure that one out.

Speaking of feeling vulnerable, I can relate to that one for the last several weeks. I believe that the natural reaction when we feel this way is to make like a turtle and go inward, merely for safety's sake.

I believe that when we have a chronic dis-ease, and pain on a daily basis, that it does not only weaken our immune system, it also weakens the "I'm okay, you're okay" system, making us less able to feel our own power.

As I've been going through this cancer thing, I've not said anything about this up til now, but now I'm going to tell you all some of the things I've been observing about my behavior as well as others' behavior.

When I was in the hospital, for several days I had the room to myself. Then they brought a roomie for me, whose name was Nora, and her husband's name was Virgil. They had been married 57 years. Nora had been sick for 4 months and had been through a lot. She had lost 30 lbs., she had had radiation treatments, and now here she was, back in the hospital with her pancreas acting up, her kidneys not functioning right, and abscesses on her liver. Needless to say, Nora was VERY tired.

I'm a quiet person, living alone and spending so much time alone, but I could feel Nora's need for someone to be there for her when Virgil would have to go home. So without saying words or anything else, I would just continually send love her way. When Virgil was gone, she told me 2 or 3 times, "I don't want to live any more, but Virgil's taking this so hard, that I'm still here".

I did not try to comfort her with words, for all that she'd been through, words were totally ineffective. When Virgil was not there, she was constantly asking for pain medication, which they were giving her morphine. At one point I did ask her, "Nora, are you in a lot of pain?" She said "No, I just don't want to 'feel' any more".

When Virgil would come, he was very attentive to her, and he would question her how the night was, and had she slept, and he would feed her the broth or the Jell-o, always encouraging her in every way.

Nora came in with this handmade quilt that the ladies in her church had made for her, and she wanted it over her at all times. One day one of the aides asked if she would like to have her quilt taken off, as it was pretty warm, and Nora replied, "No".

Virgil then made the statement, "Somehow I think that quilt is helping her to heal". At no time would Nora ever relinquish her quilt.

There were very few words ever spoken between Nora and I, except one night, in the middle of the night, she kept waking me up to have me ask the nurse to bring her pain medication, which I gladly did. Nora had her nurse's light, and she knew how to use it, but I realized why she kept waking me up that particular night, was because she was afraid she was going to die, and Virgil was not there.

The next morning, Virgil comes in, and he asked her "How was your night, and did you sleep, and are you hungry?" Nora told him, "No, I did not sleep, and Nancy helped me all night long". From the first or 2nd day after Nora had been in the room with me, Virgil was always telling everybody what a good roommate I was, and since I was going to be dismissed before Nora, Nora was a bit sad that I was leaving.

So the day that I was to be dismissed, Nora told me, she said, "Virgil, Nancy has been a really good roommate to me", and Virgil said, "We're really going to miss you, Nancy, when you leave". Before I left, Nora was beginning to feel better, and they were draining the abscesses off her liver, she was eating better, sitting up in a chair once in a while, and getting some color back in her face.

The reason I'm telling you this story about Nora and Virgil, and my being there with her without words, is because I was very vulnerable, but in comparison to Nora, I was very strong. So to share that love and strength with one who is on the verge of death, was a wonderful experience that I had, and to know that even though I was not my normal self, I still had something to give. And I believe with all my heart that what I shared with Nora and Virgil is why I'm healing so quickly.

So when we are feeling vulnerable, perhaps that is just an opportunity to share with another, without words, our inner strength that Spirit gives to all of us. So to be a turtle sometimes is okay, because while we're in there, we're gathering strength.

I hope you've all enjoyed my story of Nora and her wonderful Virgil, and that is the story from "Heaven on the Seventh Floor". smile.gif

As we will it, Spirit shall grant it,

I love you well,

Nafalia

P.S. You all already know this one, ktcalcif. :rolleyes: And don't forget about Virgil and Nora and her quilt.

[DaBee]

That's a wonderful snippet of your life that you've shared with us, NN. I'm sure that Nora and Virgil are feeling blessed that you brought that light into their lives, even if they don't know how the synergy happened. They do know it on a soul level.
You make a difference in my life, too, Nafalia. Thank you for sharing your light with me, also.
p.s.....will do and I won't.
love and light
deb

[DaBee]

The Ascension Leap Of Mid-August
Greetings from Karen Bishop
www.whatsuponplanetearth.com (http://www.whatsuponplanetearth.com)

During the week-end of August 13-14, we made a great ascension leap. Many were given the opportunity to exit the Old World and begin a new residence in the higher realms. But first, let me lay the foundation with a brief explanation of how we got to this point, before I elaborate more fully on what is now occurring.

Very generally speaking, on December 12, 2004, a portal opened giving us access to "Heaven". Then on March 5, 2005, the original blueprint for the planet Earth was unveiled. In this way, Heaven and Earth were most certainly ready to "meet". From March 2005, then, there has existed a "sandwiching" effect where anything not in alignment with the higher realms that were now surrounding us above and below, was most certainly felt and noticed, as it was on its way to another reality and a very different residence.

In past messages I have indicated that 2005 would be the "year of destruction". As the New World was now ready to arrive at the physical levels, anything not in alignment with these higher vibrations of the higher realms had no choice but to be dismantled, fall apart and loose any and all energy for its support and maintenance. Although this pattern has been occurring for several years now, it is being felt to a much greater degree as it is now time for these changes to occur at physical levels and in addition, the shifts are arriving like labor pains, much more frequently and with much more intensity.

So then, in March and April of 2005, a second wave was given the opportunity to prepare for their ascension process. While the first wave had been poised and waiting since the end of 2004 (and the forerunners even before this time), the second wave was now being prepared for their evolutionary shift into the higher realms and into new (or "forgotten") ways of being.

During this time we experienced "internal tsunamis", as we were aligning and releasing much. And most recently, in the months of July and August, we felt internal earth changes", as much was shaking and shuddering within us, knocking us out of our old and outdated grooves.

As always, there exist pivotal times and opportunities for severe Earth changes to occur on the planet. Many lightworkers found themselves visiting or residing in geographical areas that were the most at risk for these changes, and with the powerful and amazing gift of their presence alone, much of these Earth changes were averted. The majority of the time, this has been the outcome. Even if only at subconscious and higher soul levels of knowing and awareness, we found ourselves in places where we needed to be, and in this alone we have done a most powerful service. But our souls ALWAYS know what they are doing, and as always, all is always in divine and perfect order.

So this is why we are feeling these great and monumental changes most severely within us, as many times we have averted the need to experience them on the outside.

How have all these intense and powerful changes and shifts manifested for us? As we are continually vibrating higher and higher, we are being rewired for living in the higher realms. This can result in many strange feelings and certainly, as always, many physical maladies. But once you get to the higher realms, most of these symptoms cease to exist. As the ascension process involves "dying while we are alive", there comes a point where we let go and release much of everything, just as one would do in the 3D death process, only this time we remain in our bodies.
For the first phase of ascension, our bodies are twisting and turning and experiencing many strange sensations and symptoms, all relating to the fact that they are now much too dense to exist in the higher realms. Even though we may have adjusted and arrived at a much more higher way of thinking with a new awareness, our bodies in physical form are the last to be affected and this is the same with the world in physical form.

I won't go into the details of some of the most common physical symptoms of the first phase of ascension, but know that they are simply a part of the process and all is in order here.

As we begin completing the first phase of ascension, we now find ourselves in a totally new space, and at times it can be challenging and confusing. Even though the ascension process involves many layers and experiences of that feeling of "no sense of place, when you finally reach the higher realms within your own personal vibration, you can really feel like a fish out of water. With the old manifestations of the previous world in relation to personal relationships, career, living situations and pretty much everything that involves the old 3D ways of being. These last few months have created the most intense and powerful shifts and changes I have yet seen with ascension. And this was purposely designed to fit this particular time. All is perfectly moving forward for this amazing and incredible shift of the ages. In order for creation and manifestation to occur all energies involved with this process must culminate at a perfect time and in a perfect way, with all parties or energies at a point of readiness and summoning.

In order to be "ready", much had to be let go and absolutely sure we were no longer willing to reside and tolerate the ways of the Old World. This has been an on-going process for quite some time, manifesting an acute desire to no longer jump through "hoops" required by society. An intolerance for "red tape", bureaucracy, and energies controlling and inhibiting our natural and true state as creators.

Until now, we had known this intellectually. We had always known the
world was upside down and inside out, but now we’re"feeling" it. As we begin to evolve in our human state lower and more densely vibrating energies are a mismatch to how we were now vibrating. Not to how we were thinking, but to how we were vibrating. For sensitives, this mismatch can be challenging. Mismatched vibrations leave one short-circuited. Usually, with knots and gagging in your stomach, a tenseness and tightness in your body, which does not support the natural flow of energy. And an acute feeling that you do not belong anywhere. The old lower vibrating energies can really make one feel ill. Knowing this, it can be difficult to say "YES!" to anything, as it seems that all presented to you and in your environment requires a sharp, quick, "NO!".

But at the higher levels all energy always goes in the same direction.
We are always being supported at soul levels to achieve the grand plan for our best interests and everyone and everything is in on it with us. This is why George W. Bush was re-elected as president of the United States once again. This beautiful soul is in it with us as he has agreed at a soul level to provide a very severe contrast so that as many as possible will choose to summon something different. The more individuals that agree to summon something different, the better. This summoning then creates an energy of desire that co-mingles with the planetary alignments and integrates with the new higher vibrating human, and results in the change necessary and the initiation of the creation of the New World. Yes, there is always much support here to fulfill this divine plan of ours, as we needed to be assured of success. All is in alignment in every arena.

In the higher realms there is no polarity. It is accepted and widely known that at lower levels of reality, polarity (or what appears to be darkness) only exists to support us in summoning something different. A common scenario representing this concept is when one partner in a relationship has an affair or abruptly leaves another. Many times this occurs so that the "abandoned" partner will be forced to move forward and into the new territory that they were meant to inhabit. All souls deeply love each other, and always support each other if even in a world where conscious awareness is thwarted by a lower vibrating existence behind the veil.

So now, here we are in a state of "intolerance" with the old. As our day to day activities begin to become more and more difficult to fulfill with so many regulations, hoops to jump through, and steps to take, it beautifully places us in a state of being that greatly supports a need for change through a gross "mismatch" of energies. And it is not that we don't want to continue on in a world this way, it is that we absolutely CANNOT.

Staying in these lower ways of an old 3D reality can make us ill and will eventually shut us down. But they also bring us to a point where we are very willing to let it all go, and this is exactly what we need to do in order to make our ascension leap.

These mismatches and different vibratory levels of energy are now becoming more pronounced than ever before. With the advent of the portal that opened on July 7, 2005 (7:7:7), we were bumped up to even higher levels of reality and this, then, created even more desire for change. This event literally bumped many into an entirely different space. What we may have only just very recently desired and began creating suddenly felt totally wrong and we were then left in a new state of confusion about where we actually belonged.

When we "bump up" in vibration, we go to the next highest level for each of us individually. For some it is a higher level in one reality and for others it can literally push us over into the higher dimensions in one fell swoop. This is what recently occurred around the time of August 14, 2005. With the culmination of all factors (the desire and summoning for change, the planetary alignments, and the support of now many more ready for an ascension leap), the temperature was ripe and many were then given the opportunity to make this leap.

And let me add a note here about the equinoxes and solstices. The solstices always bring about a deep cleansing and deep removal of anything left of the denser and lower vibrating energies within us. The equinoxes always bring in a move forward with much support in creating the new after we have. As our personal and planetary vibration increases more and more, these effects are felt much more as they increase exponentially. But we have expanded greatly and are embodying much more of source energy than ever before, and now we are able to accommodate much more of these shift creating energies than we ever could even months before.

So then, we really went through some intense deep cleaning resulting from the June solstice, as it was designed to prepare us for moving forward when September arrived. And September will bring in some incredible energies for manifesting! We frequently experience confusion around the solstice times as we are knee deep "in" our denser energies, and we experience great clarity during the equinox times as we are then more in alignment with the higher realms.

So what about this big ascension leap around the week-end of August
13-14? How does it all fit together?

Things had to get so bad and feel so uncomfortable that enough individuals were willing to let go of it all. When we reach a certain internal vibratory level, we become activated for a different reality, and this is where we must reside.

You may have felt like you did not want to talk to anyone. You may have turned off your phone, your TV, and not answered any e-mails. You may have not been able to go to work. In this way, you were "leaving". You may have felt that there was nowhere left to go that felt remotely good. No person, no place, no reality, no existence....nothing. Things had finally reached a point of no return, and in this way, we are then finally ready to leave it all behind.

You may have been having many strange and intense dreams. We release much in the dream state. When I was in the throes of my ascension process, I would lay my head down on the pillow, and the minute I began to drift off, I would begin a process of rapid releasing with image after image flying past, spinning off layer after layer of old experiences and energy infusions.

We are gaining closure and finishing up old business in the dream state just as
we do in a life review or other process when we cross over through a 3D experience of death, only this time we a! re remaining in our bodies. Our dreams also serve to give us messages and clarity as to where we are in our process and what is
going on.

And then there are the "boundary experiences". These have been going on or awhile and will continue as we learn how to reside in the higher realms. As the veil is lifted and the old dense boundaries are basically not there in the higher realms, we find ourselves declaring our space and wanting more secure boundaries like never before. We must learn to navigate in the higher realms. As we realize that we can be anywhere and connect with anyone in an instant in these realms, we now must learn to respect the space of others, as it is so easy to be in another's space now, if even with a mere thought or intent.

You may also be feeling very vulnerable these days. With the disappearance of the old dense boundaries and especially with so much of our old ego selves having left, one can feel very vulnerable at times. In the old 3D reality, we developed parts of ourselves that came from ego and served to protect us in a harsh and challenging environment. Just as in the death process in the 3D world, as we begin ascending to the higher realms, we begin losing these ego aspects of ourselves as we gradually begin to embody more and more Source energy and this also results in a return to our childlike innocence as well.

So as we begin connecting more and more to Source and remembering our true power, we can feel a different power along with a new and different state of fragility as well. Looking in that mirror and not knowing who in the world you are looking at is perhaps one of the most prevalent aspects of the ascension process!

One sure-fire way to know that you are beginning the journey from one dimension to another is an inability to stay awake with periods of deep sleeping. As we travel in between the dimensions, we are knocked out of one reality and into another and we frequently space out and tend to fall asleep very easily.

If you made your choice to leave this reality this mid-August weekend, you may very well have spent much time asleep.

Another sure sign that you are embodying this New energy is a craving for the New.......new furniture, new experiences, new material possessions that make you feel great and give you that sense of "I deserve the best and I am out of that old drudgery and dense energy!".

So then, a group of lightworkers recently made a collective decision to leave the Old World behind and begin their residency in the higher realms. Many have done this on an individual level, but this time, it was done as a much larger group. These individuals have basically been given permission (and know that the permission is granted by a group consensus of our own souls, as we are very powerful beings and at a soul levels know exactly what we are doing) to leave their Old World lightworker duties and roles behind.

They are now free to move forward into the higher realms and create the world and reality of their dreams. Basically, what has happened is that a critical mass has been reached. The Old jobs of "holding the space" of the higher vibrations on planet Earth are now complete. And with the advent of this shift, we will see many of the spiritual leaders leaving the planet as well. Their energy and great gifts are no longer needed. Many have already had this experience on a personal level, but this time, it occurred as a critical mass.

So what will this "look" like? It will appear that some have simply disappeared from the Earth. They will appear to be gone. Within realities there are specific and structured hierarchies. We can always go to the lower realms by lowering our vibratory rates, but we can never go higher than are vibrating or higher than what we are "being".

We must first match the vibration of a higher realm before we can go there. And if we have been there once, we can always go back. And know that there also exists that "pull back" energy that tries with great fervor to suck one back into the Old World. Whew!

Those now residing consciously in the higher realms will absolutely love it here, as this is a completely different reality. To make oneself visible and connect to the Old World and lower reality, one needs to drop their vibration, and this can only be done for short periods of time. You may have had experiences of this already as you may feel as though you are "acting" and pretending when you interact with others and with the Old World.

While in the Old World it also feels very draining and dense. Many will be going back and forth to make brief appearances as teachers and guides and healers, and many will stay exclusively in the higher realms in order to create the higher ways of living in the new communities.

You may now be saying to yourself, "Gee, Karen. First you say that the
Old World is changing and we are assisting in raising its vibration, and then you say that we are creating a brand New World in the higher
realms. Which is it?".

As always, it is both. The " Old World ", so to speak, will serve as a stepping stone to the "other side". In the Old World, people will need healing, they will crave new information, they will be in spaces of a stepping stone nature where they will be readying themselves in a more gentle and progressive way to reach the higher realms. So in this way, there will be lightworkers who will remain "in the trenches as this is their calling and mission.

If you do not feel as though you have made a big ascension leap, it is because you are not supposed to. You will have most likely felt a leap but in regard to your next step as a leader, teacher, or healer for the Old World or stepping stone reality. There are no healers, teachers or leaders in the New World as these roles no longer serve a purpose.

If you have chosen to reside in the Old World and evolving reality, you will be connected to and hooked into experiences of crashing economies, angry, fearful and fighting human beings, and be guided to ready yourself for great upheavals. Those in the higher realms will have none of these experiences. They will be in another reality altogether with all of their needs met, as they are experiencing total freedom and a lightness of being as they have decided to let everything go.

Both roles are vitally important and these decisions were made prior to infusing our energies into our physical forms. There is no judgment here, or spiritual competition, but simply a matter of who you are and what you came to contribute and be these beautiful souls who will remain in the trenches will have opportunities to have "meetings" and gatherings in the New World higher realms at any time, as we will all need to connect and support our teams.

So here, then, is the latest news, and I suspect that it is not news to any of
you, but only a validation of what you were already experiencing and knowing
deep within.

Wishing you Heaven in your heart, starlight in your soul, and miracles in your life in these miraculous times. Until next time,
Karen

[Jeannie Jones]

Thanks, Deb. I'm glad you chose to post the link to this site. This page you posted above provided much appreciated and validative info. and I found the page of "symptoms" also particularly interesting. Just read the "Tools..." segment, and found that great, too. It's so wonderful to get all these reminders, as one forgets from time to time. Though this info. may sound "out there" to some, there are others in need of it, who will be helped or reassured by reading this.

Read the above page to Nafalia a couple of hours ago, and we had more than a few laughs on the side of validation. She's doing pretty well today, sounded strong. Just as I finished reading it to her and we talked a wee bit, Mom came in and needed me to go out and battle the ants, :rolleyes: so had to close our phone call. Maybe Nafalia will post a bit later.

Loving All,

Jeannie

(PS from Ms. Nafalia, Spirit's message from ants is "patience", and Mom just HATES ants!) :D

[Jeannie Jones]

"Giggles" from Nafalia:

DaBee, oh starlight and moonlight and rainbows, thank you so much for posting that wonderful "Ascension" piece. It helped to clarify and bring much into perspective for me.

As usual, being your thoughtful, kind, caring, loving self, and willing to share what you find with others, is what makes you starlight and moonbeams and rainbows.

As for me, treatment is going very well, I'm doing very well, and expect at any moment to start laughing, giggling, and dancing with joy, for I know that very soon I shall be cancer-free. smile.gif

Glad you enjoyed the Nora and Virgil story as much as I enjoyed the experience.

Love you well,

Nafalia

(ktcalcif!) :D

[Becky Davis]

My son, once again needs your prayers. He has been sick for several days. Is in ICU..but have been told they will move him to a another floor. he is stable now.
I don't know what I think of this. It really is testing my faith. All of my life, I have not really prayed for much..nothing fancy anyway. Just for my kids and a way to care for them. My prayers have always been answered. It really is disturbing me that God seems to be ignoring me now. I feel so helpless. Keep pushing it to the back of my mind and trying to endure.
I have the baby and he keeps me busy and takes off some of the edge. But it also hinders me from being at the hospital.

[DaBee]

You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers, Becky. You taking care of the baby now so that his wife can be there with him, and also to work is a very loving thing that you are doing. I'm sure your son appreciates that and knows the love that you have always focused towards your children and now grandchild, also.
Peace and rest be with you, Becky. If I was closer I'd take care of that little boy for you so that you could be at the hospital with your son. Since I'm not, I will hold you and yours in love and light.
deb

[Jeannie Jones]

"Black or White" from Nafalia:

Always when I hear of someone's child who is ill, no matter what the age, a mother is always a mother. I think there is no black or white for this issue. This is a very gray area. As humans, we desire for things to be one way or the other.

Becky, from the deepest part of my heart and soul, I cannot say that I know how you feel at this moment, but in my mind, I can imagine, and in my imagining, I can understand how you must be questioning all the things that you have believed in.

As the experience of our dramas continually unfold before our eyes, there have been, and always will be, those things which make us doubt what we know from our higher self. This is where chaos comes in.

Chaos' purpose is to take us deeper into ourself, so that we might question, for when we do not question our beliefs at times, we have no way of knowing whether it is our belief or someone else's.

I, along with many others, will light a candle, hold your son in our hearts, wrap him in the golden light of love, and be there for you at your beck and call. For, Becky, if there's one thing I've learned from this cancer experience, no matter how dark the dark is, we are not alone.

As we will it, so shall it be,

Love you well,

Nafalia

[Becky Davis]

Deb and Nafalia, Thank you from the bottom of my heart....now I am going to crash for awhile and hope the phone doesn't ring. Love to you.

[Jeannie Jones]

Becky, I hope you're feeling refreshed from a good night of uninterrupted sleep, with the knowledge that your precious son's condition has improved. I hold you, your son and his family in my heart, and pray to the Divine Source, Father/Mother God, the Great Spirit, for a full and complete healing for your son. Please do not be in fear, as we do not know God's plan for your son, but we know that the Divine is with him always.

I hope you will be able to do something nice for yourself tomorrow, like having a good long soak in a tub, either meditative, or mindless (just being in the water, not thinking about anything), feeling the tension release from your body, falling back into the arms of God.

Sending you my love and prayers, and the idea of closing your eyes for a moment every time you experience tension today, and feeling the arms of God holding you in soothing embrace,

Loving you and your family,

Jeannie

[Becky Davis]

Dear Jeannie...did not get that sleep. But I will tonight, I think.

Jeremy was released straight from ICU. He is at home resting and he looked good.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I believe DiL is picking up Torc and I am gonna give that bath a shot.

[PMilam]

Just now catching up.
You all give me a light in the day or night.
Everyone has so much to deal with, the worst, I imagine is knowing your child is in pain. Becky, I'm so glad he is doing better.. and therefore, you will too.

There is so much strength and grace on these pages.

Thanks to each of you that has left a bit of yourselves here, for the rest of us to lean on.

xo
Patt

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Best wishes of WELLNESS~~Becky,& ALL.

Buddhist Wisdom about being ourselves

Let us dig our gardens and not be elsewhere:
Let us take long walks in the open air...
Let us bathe in the rivers and lakes...
Let us indulge in games...
Let us be more simple: simple and true in our minds above all. Let us be ourselves.


Robert Linssen
:cool:

[Becky Davis]

Oh Steve..my eyes are stinging again.

[Jeannie Jones]

Loving hello to all smile.gif

Well, Nafalia went to the hospital this morning for her last round of chemo., and will be there for about a week. She'll continue with the radiation also. She was knocked down a little, but the oncologist said that this round of chemo. won't be as difficult as the first. She didn't feel up to posting, but maybe later.

My next-door neighbor and friend, Avalee, was hospitalized recently with pneumonia and cranial meningitis. Thank God it was the bacterial and not viral meningitis. Neighbors across the street from her, noticed that her door had been open all night, found her to be comatose, and called 911. We saw her later that evening (20th of this month) and she was still in a coma.

Two days ago she was moved out of ICU, and will perhaps come home today. Her son came down from Chicago to be with her for a week, so that's a real "love infusion" for her. She has been such a good friend to us, and many others.

I know that we're all doing our own intensive thing here and now, but just wanted to mention Nafalia's hospitalization, and Ave's meningitis.

Love ya, but gotta split,

Jeannia

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Sending "PURE WHITE HEALING LIGHT" to Nafalia and Avalee. May SPIRIT wrap them and heal them as WE WILL IT.
So Mote It Be.
:cool:

[DaBee]

For anyone tuning in and wondering just WHAT in the WORLD some of these people are talking about ;) , thought this might just pave a little bit of the path to help get you started. I always enjoy reading things like this for a reminder of a bit of what it's all about:
(love and light to all/deb)

Walking Your Path
Living A Spiritual Life

Throughout the journey from birth to death, many people choose to question life, strive for improvement, seek out knowledge, and search for the divine. Simply put, this is the essence of spirituality. One's spiritual practice can take on many forms, because embracing the spiritual is a very personal pursuit. While many people do relate their spirituality to a God or Goddess, this quest for the divine, or oneness with the universe, always springs from within. It doesn't matter where you find your spiritual path. We are all fundamentally spiritual beings and the essence of that lies in knowing one's true self and finding a peace that comes from within rather than the outside world. It is in remembering this that we awaken to our personal path.

The spiritual path springs forth from a daily routine that reaffirms our personal connection with a purpose or a way of life. Practicing compassion, gratitude, appreciation, forgiveness, generosity, meditation, and taking care of one's wellbeing can all be a part of one's spiritual life. If you are new to exploring your personal spirituality, remember that this is a process. You may want to spend a few moments each day giving yourself a spiritual gift. Try a new form of meditation, visit a sanctuary, or explore a specific deity.

Accepting the importance of spirituality can be a healthy decision, because a spiritual practice tends to include habits that promote healthy living. Take the time to carefully determine the action, thought, and ritual that most speaks to your soul. Remember that your most profound spiritual experiences may also come from the simple intricacies that make up your life. See the interconnectedness of all things. As you explore your "inner work," you will be walking your spiritual path and feeling your oneness with the universe.

[DaBee]

Feel the need to interject here that the 9/26 11:26 posting is my opinion. I have no right to speak for anyone else. Please accept my apology.
love and light to all
deb-o-booboo

[MotherMoon12]

Deb, you also speak for me.

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Me too!!!! Love & LIGHT to ALL.
:cool:

[Becky Davis]

Me three.

[Jeannie Jones]

"So You Say" from Nafalia:

As Jeannie said, I'm back at the hospital on my 2nd 5-day round of chemo. So I'm beginning to feel the fatigue and the tiredness that goes along with it.

If all goes according to plan, I'll go home Saturday afternoon, and the doctor said, "That's when the hard part begins", at least for the next 2-3 weeks.

The reason I started with the byline I started with, is this: because of lying here in the hospital, I have much time to think, so I've been giving a lot of thought to the statement that we've all made, including myself.

The statement is this: "I love them, but I can't stand to be around them". Now, I ask you, is that even possible to do?

After giving this statement much thought, I've come to realize, if that is love, then we don't know what love is, because that is actually a dichotomy.

So just wanted to put this out there for you all to think about, and hopefully we'll get some feedback on it, as to how you all perceive it.

You can be assured, after thinking about that statement as in depth as I have the last few days, it is one that I will give much thought to before I ever allow it to pass through my lips again.

Because for me, after much thought, I have found, it's really just a statement to placate yourself, and do away with whatever inner emotions you're dealing with, connected to the person that you've made it about.

BUT IT'S NOT LOVE!

As I've come to understand, while searching within myself about this question, and being bluntly honest with myself about myself, that if I can't stand to be around someone, I really don't care what happens to them, much less feel love towards them.

So I would like for everyone to go inward and be honest with themselves as they can be, and look at that statement.

As DaBee says, "It's all about choices", but even more than that, it's all about recognizing conscious programming.

As above, so below,

Nafalia (ktcalcif) smile.gif

P.S. Some may think me cold-hearted because I've come to understand that that statement is a lie (at least for me). Those who know me, know I'm not cold-hearted, merely very honest and blunt, especially when it comes to myself.

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
[AS ABOVE,SO BELOW]

This phrase comes from the beginning of The Emerald Tablet and embraces the entire system of traditional and modern magic which was inscribed upon the tablet in cryptic wording by Hermes Trismegistus. The significance of this phrase is that it is believed to hold the key to all mysteries. All systems of magic are claimed to function by this formula. "'That which is above is the same as that which is below'...Macrocosmos is the same as microcosmos. The universe is the same as Spirit, Spirit is the same as man, man is the same as the cell, the cell is the same as the atom, the atom is the same as...and so on, ad infinitum."
:cool:

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Let us be One

May all humanity be one, and we be one with them. And may we feel our kinship now with all living things, as well: with the creatures of the land and sea and sky, and feel our common bond with our Mother, the Earth we share together.

O Creative Spirit of Life, whom the people of the world call by many true names, we give thanks this day for the wonder that is all around us: for the human quest for meaning; for the poetry and myth of the human imagination; for the bright stars in the night; for the joyful sound of voices uplifted in song; for the company of friends; for the bonds of those we love.

We would be mindful, especially now, of the great pain still within our world: the loneliness, the poverty, the hunger, the disease, the injustice that yet remain. Just as in the solstice season, our globe swung back toward the light of longer days, so, too, we pray, may human history once again swing out of darkness and toward the light-- toward the li ght of peace and justice, reason and compassion.

We join now in the hope that in the midst of all that besets us and our world, we can yet be faithful to Life, and faithful to one another. The spirit of all the celebrations we have commemorated this season-- and other celebrations the world's people observe-- is the spirit of faith in the amazing possibilities that Life always offers unto us: possibilities of new light, new life, new freedom, new hope. May we plant the seeds of this hope deep within our souls this day. And through the winter yet before us, may we tend to these seeds, and nurture them, and care for them-- so that they, too, may come to flower like the spring that already beckons-- come to flower in those blessings we offer back to Life.
Amen.


Rev.Jeffrey Symynkywicz
:cool;

[DaBee]

Nafalia, first things first.....may your next days in the hospital be restful and with much ease. My thoughts are that you will tolerate the procedures without side effects and reactions. May you bask in the warm sunshine of healing light.
One question.....are you on the 7th floor?

I've been thinking about the statement and wondering where I might have said it and why. Maybe I should take a little more time before I respond. You're right, that statement is surely two different thoughts and reactions. Do you have a specific recollection about it? Are you talking about being around some people or maybe some chocolate eclairs or maybe even some miniature chihuahuas. Whatever it is, I can't imagine loving something that I can't stand to be around. I'll let y'all get going on it and then I'll jump in when the water's fine ;)
gotta go.....i'm off to see the wizard!
love and light
deb-o-andtototoo

[Jeannie Jones]

ME FOUR!

Well, Nafalia my dear friend, let me just jump right in here with both feet. I must say that I don't believe that I've said the statement in question. I've said that I love a person, but choose not to live with them, like the guy that beat me up. Once. I have no problem with forgiveness, and do not feel uncomfortable around him, can be his friend, care a lot about his well-being, but choose never again to live with him. I do love him, though, and want the best for him.

Do you really believe that you can speak for all of us on this one, dear heart? Because it doesn't work for me, although my intention is not to be argumentative. I care about what happens to EVERYbody.

Recognizing conscious programming? I don't know if I quite follow that part...

The "I can't stand him", (but not coupled with "I love him") is something I HAVE said before I started to be very carefully watchful of my wording of everything, many years ago, as my heart became more and more healed and open. Certain words disappeared from my vocabulary eventually, as my heart opened more and more, gradually, over a period of years. I do want to express my love for all of humanity, therefore my words and sentiments must reflect that. I know I'm not in denial, or lying to myself about this issue. I don't know, maybe forgiveness is what it all comes down to.

A friend who was taking care of her mother a while back told me quite frankly that sometimes she wished her mother would die. Theirs was a hard relationship. I told her that even if she killed her mother, I'd still be her friend (though I hoped she wouldn't do it!).

Ordinarily, my dear friend, I'm with you on the items you post, but I must say that I'm not there with you on this one. I'm there FOR you, though.

Surrounding you with love,

Jeannie

PS Steve, loved that last posting on oneness.

[DaBee]

AHA! Now I know who my "secret" pal is! ;)

[DaBee]

NancyNafalia
NancyNafalia.....it's me, lookie, I've got my right hand waving high in the air!
I'm gonna give this one a shot 'cause I'ma thinkin' I might know the answer! But, then again, I might not even be close. Here's my 3 1/2 cents worth (inflation) anyway:
but even more than that, it's all about recognizing conscious programming.
Does this mean that we humans have been wide awake from our time of conception and have openly accepted everything that we have been told from that point on? Without questioning, we are told the proper way to live in a family unit and that if we don't fit into a certain limit of acceptability, then we are disfunctional, or we believe the proper role of a father and a mother is such and such way, or we believe that our teeth must be polished to a pearly white to be acceptable or the fact that we must not walk down the sidewalk in town with no clothes on (nekkid) or go to a certain church because that's what your family has always done, or don't go to church and you will go to hell, or that we should put our hand on a hot stove because that's just what our family does....we all put our hands on a hot stove (sound familiar?). Then when you don't put your hand on the hot stove and get burned, you wonder why you would deserve to not put your hand on a hot stove, even though it is sweet relief.
Programming.
Are we ever a free spirit? Is everything we think and do because of conscious programming?

love and light and pass the oven mitt
deb-o-homehomeontherange

[Jeannie Jones]

Originally posted by DaBee:

Is everything we think and do because of conscious programming?Dear Deb-o-hot-stove-lover-gloveless-one-der,

Not if we follow our inner guidance (our higher self, our heart). ;)

Some say that each one of us enters this physical life with a unique set of genetic imprinting, and it's kind of like a pinball game to see what we do with it.

Some say that we co-create with God, the life we will lead in each incarnation. One can choose to experience many dire obstacles, seemingly tragedy after tragedy, in order that that soul may grow more rapidly.

On the question of free will, psychic Sylvia Brown answered that we DO have free will, on the other side, when we write our script for this life. Then while we're here living this life, we are playing out the parts we wrote for ourselves. Say what you will about her, this does resonate within me as truth.

Hmmm...conscious programming...I would think that those who accept that, would be those who have created this "consensus reality", which is already beginning to erode, so that we may enter the "Golden Age".

So that's where I am tonight. How does that strike you?

Wishing you armloads of roses,

Jeannie

[Jeannie Jones]

Well, Nafalia was "feelin' kinda punky" today, as the first half of the chemo has been accumulating within her. It will continue until Friday, then the doctors tell her that she'll feel worse after that, for about 2-3 weeks. A little better after 3 months, and a long period of recuperation.

I was thinking of deleting my post in response to hers, and ran it by her, and she said that that was what she had wanted, to stimulate thought and the sharing of it. So feel free...

Well, I'll tell you, it was a real thrill to go back to the Open Forum the other night, and read all you folks jumping to my defense. Becky was about to come up here and whup someone, and it was just all such great support to read that. Really did my heart a lot of good. I'd go back to back with y'all and Gaylord any time. :D

Love to all, seen and unseen,

Jeannie d'Ark. ;)

[DaBee]

Yepper, StEvE-O-rAmAdAmAdInGdOnG, got the message in my email, too! Gracias, bro.
love and light
deb-o-outtasiteeverythingsalright

[PMilam]

Well.. I do hope that you are feeling less punk, dear Nafalia.
That you feel NO punk!

And.. I have to disagree, also. I have a love/hate biggie in my life.. my father. If he were not my father, I would have avoided him "like the plague". Actually, I did for the first 1/2 of my life.. more than that.. but.. I do love the man. I have some loving memories, holidays, vacations.. a few bright spots in a world of disfunction. He beat me with a belt. I hated him for that. He was a rage a holic.. I hated him for that.. then.. as the years went by, I began to feel more pity for him. He had a miserable life.. granted, he created most of it for himself. And.. living in the time that he did, he saw no way out. He did not go to AA sessions to help him deal with the alcoholism in his family, or any other place to deal with what we now know as bi-polar disorder.

I did not like being around him, but I loved him, and wished that he could find some peace in this lifetime. I think it only came when he lost most of his mind. He was still mean. After moving him into a number of rooms, because he did not get along with his roomies.. the last one, he tried to move the man, in his bed, out of the room. He was finally placed in a room alone. He died at the hospital, alone.

That was very sad.. we had all been at his side.. taking turns, but, alone, in the middle of the night, he departed this life.. Rest in peace, Dad.

So.. that's my story.. and I'm sticking to it!

What a wonderful, cool day!!

Peace, love and miracles,
Patt

[Jeannie Jones]

"NICE REPLIES", from Nafalia:

Deb-o-moonbeamstarshinestarlight,

You got it! It's that gray area between the black and the white.

Conscious programming is something we all live with and deal with all day, every day, every moment of our lives. Recognition of it is the key to unlocking our abilities to reach our higher selves, to where there is no programming.

Of course, we're all programmed from the very moment we're conceived, as it's been proven medically, that the fetus can hear when it's in the mother's womb.

I'm so glad that those that responded responded, because it sure wouldn't be any fun if everyone agreed with everybody all the time. :D So it's been interesting getting everybody's feedback on this one.

It's sort of like this one, folks, I have a friend who is a psychologist. We've all heard the statement, I'm sure, "Oh, we've been married for 40 years and never had an argument".

As my friend would say, that tells her that one person has been very passive, and not ever spoken their mind, because it's impossible for 2 people who use their minds, to always be in total agreement. ;) (And as my friend would say, "You're lyin' out your a$$" -- that's psychology talk. ;) )

Love you much, you know the rest,

As above, so below,

Nafalia

[DaBee]

Just wanted to add something more to this discussion, NN.
The "Dream of the Planet"....you know, the one that we're all involved with because of this programming like you talked about above....that's what I want to talk about.
Don't know if it was gradual or instantaneous when I gained clarity about what this meant. It caused a kind of shift in my reality because the whole perspective is different now. Thing is....what seemed like clarity yesterday, seems foggy today, comparatively. Maybe when light shines brighter and brighter, the affect becomes sharper. Never having experienced this much sharpness in my human walk, every degree of the light being lighter is a many splendiferous thing!
I can tell when I slide back farther into the dream because things happen and I react too much like my old programming. An example would be a week or so ago when I was getting slammed on the Open Forum and I just wanted to take my toys and go home because the other kids weren't playing fair. I was very disappointed in some attitudes towards me. Thanks, my friends, for turning up the reostat for me and spotlighting my silliness.

Patt, as I was reading your post, it was as if I was reading my own "story", except I put my mom in the spot where your dad is. That's a tough one, huh? I remember, even as a kid, being so disappointed in my mom when she would get mad and cuss and scream and then, out of her 4 kids, she'd head toward me with the belt or flyswatter or her hand. There seemed to be such a fine line between hate and love and I'd jump back and forth across the dividing line. I too think that my mom had a mental illness back then. She would tell us about how her mom had to be institutionalized because she would see things that weren't there. My grandma would also beat my mom. I made a conscious decision that the abuse would stop with me. It did. It has been 5 years since my mom died and I honestly hold no grudges. We actually became quite close during her last several years of this life. Just like with other high hurdles in my life, I embrace them because they are what I decided to walk through even before I set foot on this wonderful earth.
JJ....I'm glad you didn't delete your post above.
I so love this contrasting environment!
love and light
deb

[Jeannie Jones]

"YES, MY BOTTOM IS SORE!", from Nafalia:

Yes, my bottom is very sore, as if I were a baby with a very bad diaper rash. In the adult world, this is known as "radiation burn". :eek:

I have to cleanse myself with Baby Wipes, and then I have a prescription called "Aqua 4 Salve", and I do this procedure about 3 times a day.

I am home from the hospital as of Friday. If you want to know how I feel, let me put it like this: I feel like hell. :(

Considering that I've had a 5-day consecutive run of chemo and radiation, I think all-in-all I'm doing okay.

Ever since I began this cancer cure, everybody's been asking me, "Do you need something for pain?", and I would reply "No, thank you", and they would reply, "Are you sure?", and I kept wondering "Why do they keep asking me that?".

Welllllll, on Wednesday my question was answered, and the pain began, and I said, "Bring me something for pain NOW!".

Dr. Hoos had been telling me all along, "When you need something for pain, it's ordered, just ask for it". What he had ordered was Dilaudid, and Phenaphen, plus my Valium (no cheap narcotics here!). So finally I took him up on his offer, because it became absolutely necessary. :eek: These guys don't fool around with pain.

So from Wednesday 'til today, I've been pretty drugged-up and chemoed-up. I'm at home alone, so I cut back on the dosage some, as to what I was getting in the hospital, because I have to be able to take care of myself.

Now, my diet is really really one of the better ones. ;) Dr. Hoos told me, "I don't care what you eat, just eat", and the only thing I've wanted that tasted good is Cream o' Wheat, and cinnamon rolls with a Sprite, but I'm eating. :D

Having some absolutely WONDERFUL, colorful dreams, most likely drug-induced, but wonderful anyway.

Well, I guess that is where it stands at this point. Here I lie in my chamber, on the road to recovery.

I love you all well, and much,

Nafalia

PS Deb, Jeannie read me your reply to the "conscious programming" issue, and when I can find my mind again, I will reply to that, but I've got to find my mind first. ;)

PPS Keep those cards and letters coming in, folks!!!

[DaBee]

Originally posted by Jeannie Jones:
"YES, MY BOTTOM IS SORE!", from Nafalia:
When I read this, it reminded me of one of the sayings of my dear departed step-father: "I want to thank you from my bottom, and that's a very big thank you". Anyway, hope that your little bottom is feeling less angry.
love and light
deb

[Jeannie Jones]

Well, dear hearts, Ms. Nafalia has succumbed to the strong drugs prescribed for her, though in lower dosages. She said that this is the hardest and most painful thing she's ever gone through. As I recall, her oncologist said that she wouldn't feel very well for 2-3 weeks, but let's see her pain subside much earlier than that. Every time we remember, throughout the day(could be at the top of every hour, that would be easy to remember), if we just say a little prayer specifically about lifting her pain from her, we may be able to accomplish more than would seem possible. It's worth a try. smile.gif

[Jeannie Jones]

Nafalia update:

She is in such pain from the radiation burns that they're going to wait a week before resuming radiation therapy. Today, she's not even been able to focus on a book, so when she's not sleeping, she's just lying there on the bed.

I ask, for her, ktcalcif. Love, JJ

PS Hope to get back here later today to discuss several points, e.g., consciousness programming/consensus reality.

[DaBee]

Quick note here...leaving for Texass in the a.m. Can't go into detail, but please sent healing love and light this way to my family.
I'm with ya' NN....may the linear time line between this point and the moment that your pain is eased be as in an instant.
love y'all
love and light
deb

[Becky Davis]

Thinking and praying for you Nafalia..Deb--take water or do you need it now?

[PMilam]

Cards and letters .. Incoming!

Bless you Nafalia, bless you.

Dabbing your face and neck with a cool washcloth.
Leaving your hiney alone.

Bless you.

[Jeannie Jones]

I'm sure that Nafalia will be happy to receive your sweet replies. Prayin' for you and your family, Deb. Hope everything works out well, and I echo Becky's post suggesting you go down there w/ plenty of water.

Via ccn Dios, muchacha,

Jeannie

[DaBee]

water?

[mtnviewsteve]

Originally posted by DaBee:
water? :cool:
~~~~~~~~~~~~Fire, Air, Earth~~~
:cool:

[Jeannie Jones]

I expect you've already left by now, Deb, but remember "la douche" ?

(Cute, sTeVe :D )

[Becky Davis]

Remember your well was dry?

[Jeannie Jones]

"FIVE DAYS" from Nafalia:

I've been home 5 days. Seems like I've been here forever. I think this last round of chemo, the docs opened up a can of whupa$$ on me. :eek: At least it sure feels that way from here.

Other than that, just a lot of abdominal cramping, nothing tastes very good except Gatorade. I know that these cramps will stop soon, but I didn't have them as bad yesterday as I did today.

I have to admit, I sort of brought them on myself today, not realizing that bringing my plants inside from outside would cause my abdominal area to cramp like this. Carrying the ladder out and in, as well as carrying the large plants in one by one really aggravated the situation. (I guess you could say that, "Duh, Nafalia", or "Nafalia, duh"?) :rolleyes:

So I'm lying in the bed waiting for my attendant to return at 6:00, and this is the last time she will come in the evening, because I called them and told them to put her on the regular schedule, 3 hours in the morning, as she was not getting anything done the other way.

I'm running a little low on patience with her, and told her this morning she's going to have to start cooking some meals from scratch, 'cause I can't live on Cream o' Wheat and a chicken sandwich. She said she hadn't cooked in 10 years, and I snapped at her, "I don't really care to hear about that, I'm just telling you you're going to have to start cooking wholesome, nutritional foods, so that I can get my strength back, so however long it's been since you've cooked is not my problem". :mad:

It's the first time I've ever really snapped at her, so it kind of set her back, for at first she said she didn't know how to cook, and after I snapped at her, she remembered she could probably do it again.

You could say I'm getting a bit testy here, but only because it's necessary to get anything done.

The radiation burn is less painful today, and I found that my mixture of oils that I use on my skin all the time is more soothing and healing faster than this $100. jar of prescription salve. Radiation burn really is exactly what it says. It burns constantly. :eek:

So, you know the rest, folks, keep those cards and letters coming in. ;)

As we will it, so shall it be,

Nafalia

[Becky Davis]

Once you can start eating some good nourishing food and that freaking pain leaves, you won't feel as grumpy. I am surprised you are as sweet as you are. I get the old dog's syndrome when I am sick.

[PMilam]

Blessings, healing and peace of mind, dear one.

gotta run..

love to you,
Patt

[Jeannie Jones]

MESSAGE FROM NAFALIA:

I'm in too much pain to really post anything. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

So mote it be,

Nafalia

[PMilam]

Yesterday was the second anniversary of my mastectomy surgery.
It seems like a dream to me now. May it seem that way to you soon, dear Nafalia.

So mote it be.

[Jeannie Jones]

"HOSPITAL AGAIN", from Nafalia:

Thanks, Patt, for the words of encouragement. I re-entered the hospital yesterday, on a PDQ basis, from my doctor's office.

Noticed that it was interesting that it was your 2-year anniversary, and I came back into the hospital. Just thought that interesting.

Had been having abdominal cramps, and just a lotta lotta pain since leaving the hospital a week ago yesterday. Unable to eat or drink anything, but I just thought it was all a part of what I was going through.

Called the doctor's office yesterday when I couldn't take it anymore. Dr. Hoos, my oncologist, said, "How soon can you get to the office?". I was there in 30 minutes, in my pajamas. His Physician's Assistant took some general information, and listened to my abdominal area.

Then Dr. Hoos came in and told me to let him have a look at my bottom, which has severe radiation burns, :eek: and I've not been back to radiation treatment since leaving the hospital.

Dr. Hoos said, "This is very disconcerting, as I lowered your 5FU dosage, and we're still having these problems".

He immediately sent me straight to Admitting, and they immediately sent me back to my old private room, as Dr. Hoos wants me kept away from other patients, 'cause I'm running a fever and dehydrated, and fighting some sort of bacterial infection.

All routine bloodwork came back ok, blood cultures won't be back 'til sometime next week, so we won't know what kind of bacterial infection we're fighting until next week.

I've been on D-5&W, with chloride, potassium, and sodium, piggy-backed by 500 mg Levaquin, which is an antibiotic, since I got into the hospital.

It took about 2 hours for the lab tech to get a few drops of blood out of my veins for the cultures, because, as we all know, chemo plays hell with the veins, even though I have a port, it's still so hard on the body. :rolleyes: Bloodwork cultures have to come from the veins directly.

So, I know I'll be here for a few days, because I'm running a temp., my blood pressure is low, and we're working to get that back up, and we have to wait for the results of the cultures, plus treat the bacterial infection after they've discovered just which one it is.

I'm at least able to take in liquids orally now, but still have no desire for food. Dr. Faulkner, who's on call for Dr. Hoos this weekend, said for me not to try to force food, just not to worry about it for right now.

So now everyone knows as much as I know, and I guess we're just playing the old waiting game.

As above, so below,

Nafalia

PS: In just a few days, I will have been fighting this cancer issue for 7 months, and since September 6, I've been in the hospital 4 times. So here's what I need you all to do: tell everyone you know, even those you don't know, stop strangers on the street, and tell them to keep those cards and letters comin' in, folks, 'cause I'm running out of pizazz!!! :D

[rollinandtumblin]

Nafalia,
I'm one of the "strangers on the street" sending cards and letters hoping to help bring back your pizazz. Although I don't know you I have come to care about you from reading this thread. I wish you the best and hope your pain goes away soon.
Teresa

[Becky Davis]

Jeannie can you email me Nafalias address? What hospital is she in?

[Jeannie Jones]

"BRIEF UPDATE" from Nafalia:

First of all, let me just thank Happygolucky for the information on the kukui nut oil, but I'm really not in any position at this point in time, to do any researching anything, as I'm in the hospital quite often, and when I am at home, I'm just there.

Teresa, thank you so very much for your post to me. It touched my heart. It made me feel good to know that a "stranger on the street" has a very special card for me.

Becky, I'll just post it here for those that are interested, I'm in St. John's Hospital. The phone number is 417-820-7000, and I'm at extension (room) 7252. You can call into the hospital up until 10:30 at night. Hospital address:

St. John's Hospital
1235 E. Cherokee,
Springfield, MO, 65804

I have a strong feeling I will be here at least a week or more, because the antibiotic is a once-a-day injection into the IV, and the prescription is for a 7-day cycle. And since this radiation burn is so severe, and we're fighting some sort of bacterial infection, I believe that I'll be here for a week or more.

They just brought in an air mattress and put it on my bed, so it's sort of like having the body massaged, and that feels pretty nice. That's not something they ever put on most beds, because most people are not in the beds for that long.

I have come to the conclusion that from this day forth, this nasty radiation burn on my bottom area, and other sensitive areas, will be known as
"THE BOTTOM PROBLEM" ;)

As above, so below,

Nafalia

[Becky Davis]

Jeannie what name should I use?

[Jeannie Jones]

Oops! Nancy Garcia. Thanks, Becky.

[DaBee]

hellooooooooooooo
just got in from that big ol' flat place to the south. glad to be home....always miss the mountains.
love and light to all y'all.
thoughts of ease and cool aloe on the sore spots, NN.
deb-o-roadwearytraveler

[Becky Davis]

That was a quick trip! Glad you are home safe and sound.

[DaBee]

The well is still dry and thanks for reminding me to take water. I only stayed there one night (thank goodness). My sister is here from Oregon and we went to her high school (Irving High)band reunion (under the direction of Eldon Janzen who was director of U of A, Fayetteville for 27 years). I also graduated from Irving High School, but instead of playing the bass clarinet like she did, I played tennis. It was fun for me to just wander the halls and visit some old memories and houses that we lived in growing up. So we stayed in Los Colinas for 2 nights and in Denton (where the actual party was) on Saturday night.
I really enjoyed spending the time with my sis and she'll be heading NW on Thursday. Think it'll take me 2 weeks to recuperate, though. Back when I was playing tennis, my doubles partner was also my best friend. She came over to Irving and we spent all day Friday together. That was really cool, but she sure has changed and gotten old . :D ;) . I'm sure she's thinking the same thing about me. She said that I'm still crazy....even after all these years. I was relieved to know that I haven't lost my edge!
Thanks for the healing light focused on my family right now. Like NN always says...."keep them cards and letters comin', folks". It's a private issue, but just please trust me that I appreciate all of your cyber friendships, even the people floating around reading and never posting. I visualize y'all being like little fairy angels kinda hugging all of us obvious folks.
love and light and butterfly kisses (my g'babes favorite)
deb

[Jeannie Jones]

Though I've been absent in words from the G. J., my heart is here. Well, that sounds a little strange, but you know what I mean. ;)

Just wanted to stop by and give hugs.

Deb, so glad you're home, and great that you've been having all this fun with your sister.

Recently found some old writings I'd like to share, but that will be when the time is right, I guess.

Ms. Nafalia is still not eating much in the way of solid food, and the results of the bloodwork isn't in yet. "The bottom problem" is getting better, though, that's something to be very grateful for.

I go.

Love to all,

Jeannie

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Super BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT,Healing energy to all my friends and associates. May those needing Blessings find them bountiful and quickly.
:cool:
My computer is and has been on the blink, though seems to be working for the time being.
"As Above, So Below"
"So Mote It Be"
:cool:
Native American wisdom about circles in life

"The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves."
Black Elk
Join our Circle of LIGHT to bring HEALING and comfort to ALL. :cool:

[DaBee]

Nafalia & all......
Been thinking 'bout ya'. Sure hope the aloe vera is helping the hot spots. Is the having no appetite because you are nauseous? Can you eat any dairy products, like yogurt?
Am taking my sis to the airport in a little while. I'm gonna miss her, but we had such a good time while she was here and didn't fight at all like when we were kids! Our Mom would be (is) proud of us smile.gif
Ease and light and love to all
deb
p.s......oh bro sTeVe :cool: , you twisted light emissary you, sure was good to hear from you.

[Jeannie Jones]

Glad you were able to get a post through, sTeVe. It was a good one. Hope you and Maletha are well, and at the least, okay. smile.gif

Deb, Nafalia can't do dairy, and has that horrible taste of the chemo with her always. Nothing tastes good...it all tastes like the chemicals that will take quite a while to leave her body. It's kind of like she drank Draino or oven cleaner. It's also very painful everywhere. Yesterday was not a good one for her. She said that she wouldn't go through the hospital experience again, just go home and savor every day left to her. Hope she feels even just a tiny bit better today.

Well, just talked to her, and her bloodwork came back looking really good. Her oncologist is really befuddled as to why this second round of chemo hit her so hard. It should have been easier than the first. She's off IV, and is taking the antibiotics orally now. She MAY be able to go home tomorrow.

Well, dear hearts, gotta run.

Love to all, posters or non-posters,

Jeannie

P.S. Ktcalcif! :D

[Becky Davis]

Ou oh...if she goes tomorrow, she won't get her card...guess I better write the house. Alls I said was get well soon...Love ya

[DaBee]

I read this and it spoke to me with a calm, gentle voice. Just thought I'd share.
love and light and peace
deb
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer for Peace and Oneness


Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS for they shall be known as the Children of God.

But I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

To those who strike you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from those who take away your cloak, do not withhold your coat as well.

Give to everyone who begs from you, and of those who take away your goods, do not ask them again.

And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

[Uncle Ogre]

I have not read every post so this may be a duplicate.
There is a wonderful book called "CANCER S.O.S.",Strategies of Survival, Written by Rose Welsh and Shirley Grandahl. It is a Guidebook for Women with Cancer.Published by ALBA Publishing. We heard about this book from some friends. Said they got it at a health food store.

[Jeannie Jones]

Thanks, Uncle Ogre, for the book referral. Nafalia can check and see if it's among the "Talking Books for the Blind" collection.

Apparently her radiation burn is still not doing well. For a while there, she thought it was better, but just now had me Google "radiation burns", and almost every site just wanted sell something.

Nafalia was released Thursday afternoon, so Becky, your card will be forwarded to her home. She will get it, but not as soon as you had intended.

She's supposed to have, I think, 19 more radiation treatments, but is definitely not going to continue them. She has also decided not to go back to the hospital, but to live out her days in the comfort of her own place.

Sorry it's just a quickie, maybe more later.

Love to all,

Jeannie

[DaBee]

I'm glad that you're home now, Nafalia. Do you have enough support staff to make sure that you have tasty things to eat, get your meds ok, change your sheets, help you with personal tasks, etc.?
My sister just sent me a joke about somebody in a hospital, and though it may not be zakly appropriate, I'll do anything for a laugh, so here goes:

A big shot attorney had to spend a couple of days in the hospital. He was a royal pain to the nurses because he bossed them around just like he did his staff. None of the hospital staff wanted to have anything to do with him.

The head nurse was the only one who could stand up to him. She came into his room and announced, "I have to take your temperature."

After complaining for several minutes, he finally settled down, crossed his arms and opened his mouth.

"No, I'm sorry, the nurse stated, "but for this reading, I can't use an oral thermometer."

This started another round of complaining, but eventually he rolled over and bared his behind. After feeling the nurse insert the thermometer, he heard her announce, "I have to get something. Now you stay JUST LIKE THAT until I get back!"

She leaves the door to his room open on her way out! .

He curses under his breath as he hears people walking past his door, laughing. After a half hour, the man's doctor comes into the room.

"What's going on here?" asked the doctor.

Angrily, the man answers, "What's the matter, Doc? Haven't you ever seen someone having their temperature taken?"

After a pause, the doctor confesses, "Not with a carnation."

__________________________________________________ _______________________
Guess it's never any fun being the butt of a joke though, huh? ;)
With that, think I'll exit...............stage left.
I'm sending those cards and letters; you gettin' 'em?
love and light
deb

this is post #999 on Gratitudinally Speaking, so let's hear a drum roll for #1000......long may we "ktkalc"! smile.gif

[Jeannie Jones]

"THE BLACK AND WHITE OF IT" from Nafalia:

Well, I guess it's been a while since I posted anything, so I'll be #1000.

As Jeannie told you, I have decided to forego any more treatment or hospital stays. I'm just going to enjoy these pretty days.

Really don't want to talk about cancer tonight, :eek: or being sick, or any of that jazz.

I want to talk about life, beauty, happiness, caring, and being concerned for each other. smile.gif For I think that these are the things that keep us all going and hold us together in the worst of times.

The last 2 days have been absolutely beautiful here in Springfield. smile.gif I have stayed up most of the day, sitting on my patio, puttering and doing little things around my home, and taking care of my plants, which I thoroughly enjoy.

My plants are humongous, healthy, they're just a luscious green, and every time I pass one of them, I can't help but touch them. ;)

My plants are mostly hanging in my computer room, which is a virtual jungle, so I spent sunset in my computer chair, looking out my window, and as I watched the daytime fade into night, I knew I had been given a gift, and that gift was today, my present.

I find for the last several weeks, there is a center of peace within me, and when I look into the mirror I do not see any of the old Nancy that used to be. What I perceive are the eyes of many souls looking back at me, holding me close, guiding me with gentleness and love, and reminding me that I am always safe, for I am wrapped in the arms of Spirit.

On this note, I will say "Good night".

As we will it, Spirit shall grant it,

Nafalia

P.S. Keep those cards and letters comin' in, folks! :D

[DaBee]

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon.

On that day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force the body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck.

Then the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened!

In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was the way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.

If we were to go through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been.

Give every opportunity a chance.

[DaBee]

Q: Why did it take the Buddha forever to vacuum his sofa?

A: Because he didn't have any attachments.

[Becky Davis]

Jeannie would you please email me Nafalias home address again. I accidentally deleted it.

[topsy turvey]

Hope it's okay to post here. I had two separate test s for two separate cancers and passed both. God blessed me twice.

Last year I had surgery and cancer was discovered. It was found to be self-contained and I didn't even have to have chemo. These near brushes are harrowing and take a toll on those around you. I've certainly found how loved I am. Who knew?!!!

[Jeannie Jones]

How wonderful for you, Topsy! Happy that you didn't have to undergo chemo, and discovered your love, which can be so healing. smile.gif

Just talked to Nafalia and she had a HUGE vertigo attack today. She can't eat much, and doesn't get good results after she has eaten. She feels that her body is atrophying, and is too frail to last much longer. But she feels at peace with it. Prayers and Light for her.

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
May the LIGHT of "SPIRIT" appear bright, once again and allow the HEALING to continue and give strength to this WARRIOR as she battles.
So Mote It Be.
:cool:

[DaBee]

topsyturvy...by all means, it's wonderful that you posted here! This isn't a private club, you know....the more the merrier!
I think it's so cool that you shared with the rest of us what you have gone through. I imagine that if you went to the beginning post and read through, you could put together what most of the people that you see posting here have gone through; usually of a medical matter (eeeegads, that would take a while!). Of course, so much more goes on with physical health that just the physical. It's a comfort to be able to share with others the big stuff and also the day to day thoughts and experiences.
Please come back often and post when the spirit moves you.
NancyNafalia, one breath at a time has gotten all of us this far. May the gentle breath of healing hold you close and at ease. May the light of ALL THAT IS be focused and soothing to you. May the cool water quench your thirst and sustain you until you can eat food with no difficulty.
You are in my heart and my thoughts.
love and light
deb

[DaBee]

topsyturvy...by all means, it's wonderful that you posted here! This isn't a private club, you know....the more the merrier!
I think it's so cool that you shared with the rest of us what you have gone through. I imagine that if you went to the beginning post and read through, you could put together what most of the people that you see posting here have gone through; usually of a medical matter ( :eek: eeeegads, that would take a while!). Of course, so much more goes on with physical health that just the physical. It's a comfort to be able to share with others the big stuff and also the day to day thoughts and experiences.
Please come back often and post when the spirit moves you.
NancyNafalia, one breath at a time has gotten all of us this far. May the gentle breath of healing hold you close and at ease. May the light of ALL THAT IS be focused and soothing to you. May the cool water quench your thirst and sustain you until you can eat food with no difficulty.
You are in my heart and my thoughts.
love and light
deb

[Becky Davis]

Hopefully, Nafalia will get her letter soon. The first one I addressed and put on the mail box got all wet. Silly me. I turned the sprinkler on and didn't realize it was hitting the post to be mailed. So...started over, cause the ink was all runny.
Nafalia..My biorythms have been all down this week too. I've really been thinking a lot about you and I sure hope you get to feeling better.

[DaBee]

I'm kinda at a loss for words tonight, so I'll borrow someone elses. I've used the "shielding" talked about here for years....just wrap myself up in white light when I know that I'll be encountering something or someone of a negative nature. Don't always remember to, but when I'm driving somewhere, wrap the whole vehicle with me in it in the protective coccoon. Something like Reiki can be used to wrap another person in protective arms. Also, the clearing is important to me. I use the California white sage, or the primordial sounds of the didjeridoo to cleanse a room or house. I have a friend that sages any clothing that she buys second hand. Guess we all have ways to make us feel more positive about any situation. Just thought I'd share some of mine with you.
love and light and have a good night

Avoiding Negative Vibrations
Taking On The Energy Of Others

There are times when you may find that being around certain individuals or groups of people leaves you with feelings of discomfort. It may be that spending time with a particular friend feels draining or that dealing with a specific coworker exhausts you. Being around toxic or angry people is also draining. And you may even find that being surrounded by a crowd of people lowers your energy levels rather than perks you up. This is not that unusual. Each of us radiates energy and is capable of being influenced by the energy of other people. It is important to learn how to shield yourself, so you don't unknowingly take on someone else's energy. While some people know how to instinctively protect themselves from being adversely affected by energy, most of us need to discover and practice the technique that works best.

There are a number of ways to avoid being affected by people's energy. Shielding is one preventative technique you can use. Center yourself and envision being enveloped in a cocoon of loving and protective light. This protective layer should allow you to consciously regulate the energy around you. The intent to shield oneself is all you need for this technique to work. You can even create a trigger word to assist you in quickly creating a shield. Say this word each time you create a new shield, until the word and the shield become automatically associated in your mind. If you run into a person whose energy you find draining, you may want to cleanse your own energy field after your encounter. Sage, cold showers, singing, mineral water baths, spending time in nature, and a simple break to recharge are all ways to accomplish this.

While it is important to know how to shield yourself from energy, there are those energies that you may not want to shut out. The energy of laughter from a newborn baby, the feeling of joy radiating from someone in love, and the frequency of calm emanating from an enlightened teacher are just some of the energies coming from others that you may want to have around you.

[DaBee]

It's been several days since you spoke to us, Nafalia. Hope that your pain and discomfort has eased, thus allowing you to be comfortable. Listen to any good books on tape lately?
And how are you Jeannie J? Does this coldish weather coming in effect any of your problem areas?
I can feel the beginning of cold in me 'ol bones. Getting my winter clothes out and ready to get into. Tonight might not be a bad night to start. Down into the 30's in a day or 2. Brrrrr.
You're welcome, Happygolucky. So good to hear from you. Are you in China or Australia or maybe Berryville? Are you sure you're from Planet Earth? Sometimes I doubt that about myself. Been peeking from time to time? Glad you joined us. Right now seems to be a sleepy time in this room. Don't worry, we'll all perk up pretty soon.
Warm thoughts and sweet dreams to all.
love and light
deb

[Jeannie Jones]

"Breaking the Silence", from Nafalia:

Yes, it has been a while since I've posted anything. Don't really know why, just been in a really quiet state of mind.

Been working with a lot of new insights, emotions, and coming to terms with a number of emotional issues, so I guess that's why I've been so quiet.

Just wanted to jump in and let you all know that I'm still here ;) and working on growing stronger every day. I will fill you in on more details soon, once I have a full understanding of all of it.

Becky D., I received your card and lovely letter, and I just want you to know it meant the world to me.

I will return in a few days with more to say.

As we will it, so shall it be,

Loving you all from above and below and all around,

Nafalia

P.S. You know the rest ;)

[PMilam]

Almost everyone I have talked to got a headache when that storm blew in.. I still am not completely rid of it.

It has been wonderful to put on the long sleeves.. even a jacket. I hate it that so many things are still producing in my garden, and it looks like the weather will end it all soon.

Lots of eggplant, watermelons, green beans and peppers.
Add to anything for a great meal.

Nafalia, I send you what energy I have left over. Our "landlady" in Seattle, Siena, also suffers from vertigo. Tho I did not ever meet her, we shared emails and notes slipped under the door, while we were there. I sure would have enjoyed sitting down face to face with her.

I would not wish radiation on .. even the most vile of humans.. well, maybe one or two.. but, I know from watching my son in law, that has got to be one of the hardest treatments to undergo.

I can certainly understand your wish to quit.. your decision to quit. I pray that you will recover some energy, and be able to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

With love and prayers,
Patt

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Got this in my e-mails today, for those that don't already get it, hope you enjoy.

Your daily Native American Wisdom
Native American Wisdom about fear of death

Live your life so that the fear of death can never enter your heart. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light. Give thanks for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. And if perchance you see no reason for giving thanks, rest assured the fault is in yourself.


Chief Tecumseh, Shawnee Indian Chief
:cool:

[Jeannie Jones]

"PATHS I HAVE TRAVELLED", from Nafalia:

Happygolucky, I travelled the chiropractor's path for 3 years, with the vertigo and other things. There's not many things I have not tried with the vertigo. I've just come to accept it as a part of my life. Really don't give it much thought anymore, except when it forces me to.

Had a spiritual reading from Linda Eastburn, and we spoke with my soul, and my soul replied that the vertigo is a planetary vibration which I tuned into many years ago, and it serves a purpose in my life.

There is a saying "What you resist, persists". So, with some understanding of why the vertigo exists, I just stopped resisting it, and embrace it for what it is.

As above, so below,

Nafalia

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Got my acupuncture down to once a month, from once each week. Dr. Janice Vigh really has worked her magic on me. It really is a great day, I hung upside down 1st thing this morning for a couple of minutes, went to work for 8 hrs. and came back home only to hang upside down again for 3 minutes. Back is feeling good enough to hobble around another day. Thank you MOTHER/EARTH and inversion tables, and of course acupuncture!
:cool:

[Becky Davis]

Bless you Steve.

[DaBee]

sTeVe, you MaNiAc light dude, you.....this inversion table sounds very interesting. I'll google about it, but tell me, if you will, about it. Does it separate your vertebrae? Does it rush all of the blood to your brain? How do you get right side up again? Are you dizzy when you're standing on your feet afterwards? Do you think backwards when you're upsidedown? :rolleyes: .OK, I'll stop with the questions. Have a wonderful, beautiful, crisp and cool day in the Ozarks!
love and light and casa magnetica,
deb-o-backwardsthinkingevenwhenrightsideup

[mtnviewsteve]

http://www.sitincomfort.com/inprod.html?wcw=googlel
:cool:
Deb,~~when the I.T. is balanced properly, you go back slowly by raising your hands above you head, and to come back up by lowering your hands to your waist. If all is done too quickly, you could get dizzy because the blood has been in your head. Taken gradually and a little at a time , no problem. I do this 3-4 times a dayfor 4-5 minutes at a time. Seems the longer I am able to be upside down, the longer the relief.
:cool:

[DaBee]

Buddhist prayer for peace and Oneness

May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of body and mind quickly be freed from their illnesses.
May those frightened cease to be afraid and may those bound be free.
May the powerless find power, and may people think of befriending one another.
May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wildernesses - the children, the aged, the unprotected - be guarded by beneficent celestials, and may they quickly attain Buddhahood.

[DaBee]

Nafalia and Jeannie....you both are in my thoughts and heart.
love and light
deb

[Jeannie Jones]

"RED LETTER DAY", from NAFALIA:

Went to my radiation oncologist (one half of my cancer team) today, and he did a pelvic and a rectal exam, and checked my bladder for the radiation burn, to make sure it had not been damaged.

He explained to me that the radiation burn was healing fine on the outside, and it would take longer for it to heal on the inside.

Now here's the "Red Letter Day" news. He could feel no tumor, said everything looked good, and not to come back for 3 months. smile.gif at last!

Came home, called my oncologist, the other half of the cancer team, talked with his nurse, and she said, "Oh, that is VERY good news!". Will see Dr. Hoos on Thursday, Nov. 3, at that time I know he will schedule me for still another colonoscopy, and endoscopic scope, and, as we already know, he will find a nice, pink, healthy colon. After the tests are done, he will declare me "cancer free".

Now, see what those cards and letters can do, folks? :D

As above, so below,

Nafalia

P.S. Keep those cards and letters comin' in, folks!!! ;)

[rollinandtumblin]

Great news! I'm so glad you're so much better. (just another card from a stranger on the street).
Teresa

[Becky Davis]

Tnak you for the beautiful card Nafalia..the above good news card and one you mailed me. I intend to frame her, she is so pretty.

[DaBee]

The journey is the reward.


Taoist Saying

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:

"Obsience to Her
Who is Pure Being, Consciousness, Bliss.
As Power,
Who Exists in the Forms of Time and Space,
And All That is Therein,
Who is the Divine Illuminatrix in All Beings."
- A Tantric Prayer

:cool:

[DaBee]

Jeannie and Nafalia....I'm so enjoying reading about your early years in Eureka on the Open Forum. What a blast y'all had!

[Jeannie Jones]

Yeah, we're havin' fun with it, too, but it sure takes a lot of time!

[Jeannie Jones]

"OUT AND ABOUT" with Nafalia today:

Rollinandtumblin, how thoughtful and kind of you, not even knowing me, to "send me a card". That makes the card very special.

Thank you,

Nafalia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Becky D., I'm so glad you liked the card, and yes, she is a very beautiful lady. I believe if you look down at the back of the card, you would find that it is by John Williams Waterhouse. I have several of his prints. He is such a wonderful artist!

I know when you frame her and hang her, she will bring beautiful, beautiful thoughts to you every time you look at her. I looked at several cards, and picked her up 2 or 3 times. Just seemed to be drawn to her, for you.

I've never seen you, have no idea what you look like, but the card is the physical manifestation of the energy that I feel from you. ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY!!!

Thriving, more than surviving,

Nafalia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
sTeVe, what a beautiful prayer you posted. Some of us have known you a long time on this board, and you always seem to find something special to post at the appropriate time.

As above, so below,

Nafalia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deb-o-Deb-o-Deb,

You are so absolutely 100% correct. It is all about the journey, but also, as you say, it's all about choices.

Yes, Deb, we did have some absolutely fabulous times in Eureka, as we were there as Eureka was coming out of a deep sleep of many years. And it certainly was exciting to be a part of the wake-up call.

I don't think there's been a place or time like Eureka as the wake-up began. There was just magic everywhere. It was a very special event, and I doubt that it ever occurs again, as it did then. And that's the way it was, folks. ;

I believe that all of us that were a part of that, knew as well then, as we know now, that we were a part of a very special happening. :D

Loving you well,

Nafalia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today was an absolutely perfect day of living. I was out and about for about 5 hours with my sister, doing some shopping, and had just a beautiful day. So today's journey was perfect.

As we will it, so shall it be,

Nafalia

[Becky Davis]

So glad to hear you were out in the sunshine Nafalia...and delighted you were with your sister. What a sweet thing to say about the card lady...I can only dream I look like that. Maybe in another life.
Deb and Steve, I enjoy the nostalgic memories too. I think we all have a magic time in our lives and it is fun to hear of the happening in the Eureka we all knew and loved.

[DaBee]

I probably shouldn't have been, but I was just knocked over when I read that you were out and about and with your sister yesterday. Guess I just didn't realize how fast you are healing. It's actually amazing! Thank you for sharing that and thank you for all of the kind words you always have for everyone. I'm so happy for you that I have tears welling up. That's a good thing 'cause I usually cry when I'm overjoyed smile.gif .
love and light and got any kleenex?
deb-o-snuffaluffigus