.: August 2011

Monday, August 29, 2011

He gives us beauty for ashes.

"It is said that in some countries trees will grow,
but will bear no fruit because there is no winter there."

John Bunyan

"Humility is a strange flower; it grows best in winter weather,
and under storms of affliction."

Samuel Rutherford

"After winter comes the summer. After night comes the dawn.
After every storm, there comes clear, open skies."

Samuel Rutherford

(Thank you to Stefanie at Stefanie's Pleasant Places for these quotes.)

Some quotes from respected men of God of the past.
When we experience these hard trials and periods of
affliction, a winter in our soul, it is good for us to
remember that our fellow believers have and still do
endure the same,
if they are being sanctified by the Lord.

May you know the joy which comes in the morning,
in the Spring and let us praise and magnify the Lord.

"For whom the Lord lovest He chasteneth"
Hebrews 12:6

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life:

weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Psalm 30:5

Friday, August 26, 2011

Wardrobe Malfunction!

If I were a supermodel, or a rich and famous celebrity I'm sure I would be on the 6 o'clock news this evening.

It's 8.30 in the morning and I have pulled on the most convenient clothing to go with my daughter to the doctor with the four little kidlets, three of whom have miserable, chesty coughs and runny noses.

The large surgery is packed already, folks must get their appointments early to get to work I guess. There is a great little children's play area with brightly coloured activity boards and the two older grandchildren race in to play with them.

GS one calls me to come over and make a phone call (on the board) but I am chatting to mummy so he comes over and grabs my hand to follow him. As I stand up and our hands drop, he grasps my skirt... the very convenient, elastic topped one I have pulled on this morning! SHAME!

I tell you, that waiting room was crowded!

This same mortifying thing happened to my sister years ago. They were isolated from town on their outback property during a flood and clean, dry clothes were in short supply. By two-way radio they organised to meet neighbours for a food drop at the river and several families rendezvoused there.

When her toddler pulled the skirt down to her ankles she revealed a pair of
her husbands undies.

Oh Shame!

Some rather interesting pics came up when searching under
"wardrobe malfunction"!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Renal "Rehab"

and learning to live with chronic illness

One of the long term "side effects" of Type 1 diabetes is kidney impairment.

My own kidneys have been shonky for a long time which is fairly standard

for someone who has had Type 1 for close to forty years.

In my recent health crisis which was actually a bleed in the liver,

my kidney function plummeted.

On my return home I was invited to join the next session of the Renal Group.

Apart from the fact that most of the attendees were at least 20 years older than me,

which is daunting, it has been a very informative exercise for me.

Knowledge is good and it can be motivating.

Sometimes, the knowledge can be a bit overwhelming, making one feel hopeless,

but it is definitely the aim of the very devoted Chronic Kidney Disease

team to encourage us.All of us were folk with Chronic Kidney Disease

at some level above the need for dialysis.

Scarily, my GFR (renal function) dropped into the level four category
which is just one step above dialysis, at the time of all the trauma.
It is s-l-o-w-l-y rising and I praise God for this reprieve.

What have I gotten out of this time spent in education?
All the usual things are stressed - diet, exercise, take you meds.
But it has been good for me to learn more of what our
"fearfully and wonderfully" made kidneys do in the body,
to refocus on keeping them for as long as
possible on the level they are - no matter how shonky.
It was interesting today to get a better picture of what each
medication does and why it is so important to take them.
I also found it helpful throughout the program to discuss not only
the effects of our actual illness but also of these medications
and their side effects _
some of which I have had, not realising they are related.

So, if I seem tired and flakey at time -
well I probably am :-)

I am planning to begin a Cardiac Rehab session soon but since it is a
much bigger time commitment and I have done parts of it before.
I am putting it off until the long holidays in the hope
of not eating up too much school time.

I have always tried to accept my chronic health problems and carry on
life regardless but I realise that I also need to learn
to accept my limitations.
Like most people in this situation I tend to have big ideas
and I overdo things when I am feeling well -
Only to crash there after!

This is not my usual type of post but I wanted to share with you
friends what it is that keeps from blogging etc these days.
Have a great week.

"My flesh and my heart faileth,
but God is the strength of my life and my portion forever."