Among Friends

[LurkyLoo]

Dear, @Tissyanne (Gail)- 

Just catching up here on your progress. So glad your symptoms are slowly going away. I suspect you have a follow-up appointment soon that will tell you more. May it show much healing. I have known of a few who had to have the surgery on the hiatal hernias to get full relief. They were easily repaired, but I hope you won’t require it. Just the thought of surgery is daunting. 

Glad you had a nice, relaxing 4th! Best for all concerned- my favorite kind. 😊 I enjoyed a peaceful one, too, on my brother's farm with a few other family members attending the cookout. As for me, I had mostly vegetables- I crave them since we so enjoyed them during my youth. I did have one beef patty with no bun- fed one to my cat, Smokey who lives there now. No pets allowed in my retirement community. It's always a special treat to see him- ruling the roost as he thinks he does.

I also read that you recently had an anniversary. Congratulations on your and your husband’s 41st!! 💐 May you two enjoy many more happy and healthy years together. 

So very sorry to learn what your dear son, Brian has been through with septic shock! I know that is a very serious condition and how blessed he is to have your devoted support and such a loving home there with you and your husband. 🙏  I will certainly include him in my prayers, too. Thank God it didn’t take his life and you were able to retire early and care for him personally. There's nothing to match a mother’s love and caregiving. We know our children through and through. 

Yes, losing a child- even an adult child never really leaves us. We have to live with that daily for the rest of our lives. Though many endure this shadow-walk in faith, it's a most unnatural thing when our children precede us to Heaven. I take some comfort in that she had graduated college and taught elementary school, which gave her such joy. Those children adored her and she them! I worked in the school cafeteria and the library reading program, so I got to experience some of that with her. Have to believe Heaven needed her more. 

I know it was equally painful to watch the process of your mother passing from this life onto the next. (That, too, tormented me for years.) How bittersweet that she saw her dear father there waiting for her to join him in Paradise! You'll find in time that you're even stronger having survived all this, and doing so well by your parents at their greatest time of need. I'm proud of you, dear Gail- you set a very good example to the world! Honored to call you my friend. 💗

Sooner than later. 

With Love,

Ruth Ann 

[Puddles]

My friend @Tissyanne. I'm so sorry I forgot to wish you a happy day on your special day. Please forgive me. I hope you enjoyed the day and did something special to celebrate.

P.S. Now I know why I was thinking about you all day on Sunday and even left you a message here. Silly me!

[Q-Anu]

Oops, belatedly... 

@Tissyanne... and many more! 🎉

[Tissyanne]

@LurkyLoo , 

Hello Ruth Ann, 

Your beautiful thoughts here mean so much to me. I do have an appointment with my PCP the 25th of this month. I have not seen her since April, but she has full access to my medical portal. I hope that I won't need surgery. I had my teeth cleaned last week, and the hygentist told me her Mom had trouble with a hiatal hernia that required surgery for her to get full relief. 

Your 4th sounds like a wonderful time. Nothing like fresh vegetables in the summer. I really like tomatoes, okra, and sweet corn. Smokey sounds like he had a good 4th also. We have our son's cat with us. His name is Amore. 

Thank you for the anniversary wishes. I wish we could live it all again. 

I appreciate your kind words, and prayers for my Brian. He has been through a lot, and he very likely will always remain here with us for as long as we live. I am so thankful that I was able to retire early, and take care of him. 

Your Angela sounds like such a lovely person, who enjoyed living very much. We do not understand why things happen the way they do, but one day I believe we will know the purpose. 

My Mom passed from a horrific stage 4 breast cancer last June. When she passed away, I was so sad, yet relieved that her suffering was over. 

I am glad that we have met here, and I am honored to call you my friend, Ruth Ann. 

Love and hugs across the miles, 

Gail

[Tissyanne]

@SelahG , 

I want to thank you for the well wishes on our new eating journey. We are over two weeks into it now, and it is going well. I am cooking almost every meal, but that is okay. I have the time, and it gives me something to plan for. So, it is a good thing. 

I do wonder if hiatal hernias run in families. I believe both my maternal and paternal grandmothers had one. 

I hope your summer is a good one,. It is very hot here, with highs close to 100 most days. 

Enjoy the week, 

[SelahG]

Good morning, @Tissyanne! 😊 I hope this finds you feeling well today. I see you have another appointment coming up soon with your PCP. I have prayed that goes well. I think most things do run in families, so it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that hiatal hernias do, too. They're showing up in younger people also.. Likely always did, it's just that now they're easier to diagnose. Are your symptoms still decreasing? 🙏🏼

You have such an easygoing, positive attitude. That helps so much with life, in general. Happy you're enjoying planning and preparing meals. A new eating program can spark some delicious, original dishes. Then our tastes change and in some time, I don’t find myself craving the “no-no” things as often, if at all. I had to lose some weight prior to back surgery and I try to maintain it.

I do tire of eating my own cooking after a while, though, and go in search of new or old recipes online. Aren’t we blessed to have them right at our fingertips? My grandmothers never would have believed this. We're all lucky that fresh fruits and vegetables are in season now. I love to cook and bake, especially when I have the time to devote to it. Small dinner parties, including cookouts with family and friends. Good times! Soon your brother will be there to enjoy your fresh, new cruisine. Whole family will benefit. 

Do you garden? That takes up much of our time during the growing and harvesting season — in this heat and humidity. Get our exercise and eating healthy, but yesterday my husband, Luke (a native of North Dakota) said, “It's time for a trip home to visit kin and friends.” 😅 This (N.C.) is home to me and mine, but out in that sweltering heat picking pole beans, I didn’t argue with him! It's already heading toward 90° here — thunderstorms most every evening. Still I try to enjoy all 4-seasons. There's unique beauty in each. 

Take care, kind friend, and may the Lord continue to bless you and yours! I'll check back in with you soon. 

-Selah 💜

[hellie jo]

@Tissyanne  Just letting you know that I am thinking of you.I will continue to pray for you and am glad you are getting better.Take care.

[LurkyLoo]

@Tissyanne - dear, Gail: 

What a lovely rose! The sweetest kind- a friendship rose and I thank you so much for it. I am so pleased and grateful to have met you here. I might never had were it not for @butterfly123 starting this lovely, inclusive prayer thread for you. I do pray her own condition is improving, too. 🙏

Though I love meeting new friends, I can no longer get around to keeping up with all the lovely chat threads here in AF. Have to limit my time sitting and staring at the iPad screen, but I know there are many kind and gracious souls here- you among them! 🌹 

Glad to hear your next check-up is soon. Though you feel you are improving, there's nothing like having it verified. The new (to me) health portals make things so much more convenient for both doctors and patients. I like that I can register all the paperwork ahead of my appts on my own device, too. Have a lot of trouble writing and this saves so much time. Best wishes on Thursday. Hope it won't be too unbearably hot. It's terrible here today- can hardly breathe outdoors. 

God bless and keep your Brian. I'm sure he knows how fortunate he is to have such loving and devoted parents. A long, healthy life to you and your DH, too. So good to hear of happily married couples who would rejoice in doing it all over again! ❤️❤️

I am so sorry that your dear mother suffered so unto death from breast cancer. There is no understanding this side of heaven, for sure. It certainly changes us- our perspective forever. Like you, I believe with all my heart that we'll see our loved ones again where there is no more tears and suffering. My mother passed earlier in life from the same things I have. There wasn’t the medications and treatments back then that we have now. It was so very hard to watch her suffering, that as you say.. I was relieved for her sake when that ended. They live on in our hearts and memories until we join them. I'm sure you were the greatest comfort to yours, though all those darkest of hours. You can take solace in that, dear heart. You did all that was humanly possible for her. 

I like to think she has met my mother and daughter.. and so many other loving souls. They are smiling down on us and pleased that we all have each other through trials and glad times, too. Love never ends and they naturally wants us to have joy in our hearts and many who care to share that with us, as well as our burdens. Who knows, but they may just have a hand in it. 😇 

Keep taking care- my prayers are always with (((you))).

With Love,

Ruth Ann

[agnesann]

@Tissyanne - 

I'm praying for you to have a good, productive appointment tomorrow. 🙏 

So happy to hear you continue to feel better and better. ❤️