JsueChat

I'm back. It's been too long and, frankly, I have been lazy. I define "lazy" as not doing what you know you should when you know you should. So, with apologies and humility, I have returned. Update: I am now 11 years into retirement and am feeling pretty good about my use of this flexible time I earned. At least it feels well spent. I'm growing in my skills and dealing with many new challenges every day. It's a great time to be alive even though the society we live in abounds with naysayers, fault-finders and, frankly, a negative stream of complaining and whining like I've never seen before. I believe one of the great gifts God gave to His creation is adaptability. And to prove it to us, He allows challenges and obstacles in our paths so we may grow, learn and improve. There is purpose in our "being". Since retirement I have written and arranged 20+ songs I've discovered I love textile...

The first of many finger pricks and pictures of Mom holding #BenBrave. Gathering facts is tedious. Often it involves discomfort due to fasting, finger-pokes, cuffs that squeeze uncomfortable sterilization swabs that sting, cold gels and even colder scanning tools, and loooooong waits. But after progressing over about 3 months from stomach flu, to pneumonia with dehydration, to anemia, and to possible enlarged spleen we had an answer! It was an 11cm x 8cm x 11cm mass next to #BenBrave's left kidney. Cancer type: Wilms tumor. The doctor was quick to add "this is treatable - operable" and even shared about a 2-1/2-year-old who had this and was now five, healthy and thriving. What a trooper! THOUGHT INTERRUPTION: You know, when you have a say in the care given, it is much easier to receive. The technicians would always ask this little guy which ...