I hope you had a happy Easter, my beautiful girls! And thanks for a wonderful Easter, Mama. To say that we very much enjoyed having you here would be a huge understatement.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Happy Easter!
I hope you had a happy Easter, my beautiful girls! And thanks for a wonderful Easter, Mama. To say that we very much enjoyed having you here would be a huge understatement.
Happy Birthday Bryant!
You make all of your girls so happy! We love you so incredibly much. That's why we give you the Slade Man Diet staples. And we had to get a picture of Keith's gift wrapping job. It was awesome! Good times.
Sadie the Photographer
Sadie snapped this picture of her own leg. She's so talented. I just love the way she captured her fat rolls.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Good News
I had my oncologist appointment this morning. I learned that the only "hot spot" on the pet scan was in my intestines, so there must not be cancer in my liver or lymph nodes. Later today I should have an appointment made for a biopsy.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Finally! A tried and true diagnosis!
I had a pet scan done this week and the nurse just called with the results. It looks like the test showed intestinal cancer, which has caused my ectopic Cushing's syndrome. I'm actually very relieved. I now know where all of my pain and symptoms have come from and that I'm not crazy. And I am very much looking forward to sending letters along with my pet scan results to doctors who have told me there's nothing wrong with me over the last three and a half years.
I have an appointment with my oncologist on Monday morning. The nurse said he'll send me to a gastroenterologist for further testing. I have a million questions. I'm glad Nurse Enslen will be there with me. She'll fly out later on Monday. She finally yelled at me today to "Stop reading!". I was telling her that the fact that my cancer is causing an endocrine disorder usually means it has metastasized to the liver and lymphatic system. Also, this kind of cancer is particularly hard on the heart, which is why my heart rate is very high, I have frequent palpitations and chest pain, and sporadic high blood pressure. The pain in my chest and side have been really bad this week. I'm so glad she's been here with me. She got me very organized at home. At least I won't have to worry about that right now.
Thanks again for your friendship, encouragement, comments, and prayers. Keep it up, especially the comments. I need them!
I have an appointment with my oncologist on Monday morning. The nurse said he'll send me to a gastroenterologist for further testing. I have a million questions. I'm glad Nurse Enslen will be there with me. She'll fly out later on Monday. She finally yelled at me today to "Stop reading!". I was telling her that the fact that my cancer is causing an endocrine disorder usually means it has metastasized to the liver and lymphatic system. Also, this kind of cancer is particularly hard on the heart, which is why my heart rate is very high, I have frequent palpitations and chest pain, and sporadic high blood pressure. The pain in my chest and side have been really bad this week. I'm so glad she's been here with me. She got me very organized at home. At least I won't have to worry about that right now.
Thanks again for your friendship, encouragement, comments, and prayers. Keep it up, especially the comments. I need them!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
CB#: 4802270902
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Exciting!
The 17 Miracles preview is out. For those of you who are interested in seeing it, the website is www.17Miracles.com. Bryant and Skyler are two of the bodies in the snow. And my mother and Sibley are standing over them. Also, during one of the handcart scenes, my mother and Skyler are huddleds together in the snow to the right of the handcart.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Happy Easter from Mama Kitty
To celebrate Easter this year, Mama Kitty decided to go out and slay herself an Easter Bunny. Then she drug it's poor, precious, little lifeless body to our sliding glass doorstep. Thanks Mama Kitty.
Dear Sadie,
You're almost thirteen months old. You are walking all over the place.
You call your Grandmama "Ma-Ma-Ma."
You call your pacifier "Bippy."
You love that "da-da." If he's holding you and I reach my arms out to fetch you, you karate chop my arm, very hard I might add. You light up like a Christmas tree when he gets home from work.
Your favorite thing in the world is babies. You can spot a baby a mile away.
You're getting your own room this week. Sibley is moving in to the guest bedroom.
Everywhere I take you, people gush over you and say how beautiful you are. The snowbirds love you!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Another good Mormon Times article by my Daddy...
Four decades ago, when my wife Dianne and I were active Baptists, somehow we ended up with a Baptist hymnal in our home. This same kleptomaniac-like behavior has surfaced on multiple occasions with respect to LDS hymnals. We even have an LDS hymnal embossed with “Joseph Smith Memorial Building.”
Our Baptist hymnal is a part of the 22nd printing of the once widely-used, 1956-copyrighted edition published by Convention Press in Nashville, Tenn.
Dianne and I were married in The First Baptist Church of Hartwell, Ga., by her cousin minister in 1968. Five years and two children later, we became the first two converts in my small hometown of Wetumpka, Ala., to what the world calls “Mormonism.” Through the ensuing years subsequent to our conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we received much enjoyment sitting at the piano and singing some of our favorite hymns from this old Baptist hymnbook — hymns that we learned and loved throughout the 1950s, ’60s, and early ’70s and still love today.
Recently I searched our current 1985 edition of "Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" to determine how many of these hymns are common to our older Baptist hymnal. One might be surprised to learn that of the 341 hymns in the LDS hymnal, 55, or 16 percent, are also found in this particular Baptist hymnal.
The two hymnals share three Easter hymns, eight traditional Christmas hymns, six patriotic hymns, one sacrament hymn (“There Is A Green Hill Far Away”), two hymns with distinct missionary themes, five thanksgiving hymns and four benediction hymns.
In addition, there are 25 traditional Christian hymns contained in both hymnals. These 25 hymns could comfortably be sung in a joint meeting of Baptists and Mormons. Within those 25 traditional Christian hymns are 18 which I remember singing on a regular basis in my hometown Baptist Church: “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” “Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah,” “How Firm A Foundation,” “I Need Thee Every Hour,” “Jesus Lover Of My Soul,” “Jesus Savior Pilot Me,” “Jesus, The Very Thought Of Thee,” “Lead Kindly Light,” “More Holiness Give Me,” “Nearer My God To Thee,” “O God Our Help In Ages Past,” “Praise To The Lord The Almighty,” “Rejoice The Lord Is King,” “Rise Up, O Men Of God,” “Rock Of Ages,” “The Lord Is My Shepherd,” “There Is Sunshine in My Soul” and “Sweet Hour Of Prayer.”
The hymn which commenced almost every Baptist worship service we attended in our youth, “Doxology,” (also known as “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow”) is contained in our LDS hymnal, although very rarely sung in my experience.
I was surprised by some of the things I learned from my comparative study. For instance, the popular Christian hymns “How Great Thou Art” and “God Speed the Right” are in the LDS hymnal, but not in this edition of the Baptist hymnal.
A cursory view of the index reveals that the LDS hymnal contains a large number of hymns on restoration themes like prophets, pioneers, gathering to Zion, mountains, and temples that are not contained in the Baptist hymnal. This situation reflects a similar theme with respect to our respective scriptures. Latter-day Saints and Baptists are commonly blessed with and enjoy reading the Bible, while Latter-day Saints have the added blessing and enjoyment of reading the restoration scriptures.
Based on the commonality of hymns and the identical doctrinal assertions repeatedly contained within them which point to Christ; his divine sonship and virgin birth; his life of perfection; his attributes of love, mercy and compassion; his incomparable suffering in Gethsemane; his crucifixion; and his Resurrection, it is only logical to conclude that if Baptist believers of the 1950s through the 1970s were “Christians,” then also are the LDS or Mormon believers of the mid-1980s to the present.
By the way, “Thou shalt not steal” the hymnbooks is a teaching which is common to both religious traditions.
John Enslen is a courtroom lawyer who reads and writes about Mormon history. He is a consultant for LDS film artist T.C. Christensen and authored a book titled "The Bible and the Book of Mormon — Connecting Links."
Our Baptist hymnal is a part of the 22nd printing of the once widely-used, 1956-copyrighted edition published by Convention Press in Nashville, Tenn.
Dianne and I were married in The First Baptist Church of Hartwell, Ga., by her cousin minister in 1968. Five years and two children later, we became the first two converts in my small hometown of Wetumpka, Ala., to what the world calls “Mormonism.” Through the ensuing years subsequent to our conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we received much enjoyment sitting at the piano and singing some of our favorite hymns from this old Baptist hymnbook — hymns that we learned and loved throughout the 1950s, ’60s, and early ’70s and still love today.
Recently I searched our current 1985 edition of "Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" to determine how many of these hymns are common to our older Baptist hymnal. One might be surprised to learn that of the 341 hymns in the LDS hymnal, 55, or 16 percent, are also found in this particular Baptist hymnal.
The two hymnals share three Easter hymns, eight traditional Christmas hymns, six patriotic hymns, one sacrament hymn (“There Is A Green Hill Far Away”), two hymns with distinct missionary themes, five thanksgiving hymns and four benediction hymns.
In addition, there are 25 traditional Christian hymns contained in both hymnals. These 25 hymns could comfortably be sung in a joint meeting of Baptists and Mormons. Within those 25 traditional Christian hymns are 18 which I remember singing on a regular basis in my hometown Baptist Church: “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” “Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah,” “How Firm A Foundation,” “I Need Thee Every Hour,” “Jesus Lover Of My Soul,” “Jesus Savior Pilot Me,” “Jesus, The Very Thought Of Thee,” “Lead Kindly Light,” “More Holiness Give Me,” “Nearer My God To Thee,” “O God Our Help In Ages Past,” “Praise To The Lord The Almighty,” “Rejoice The Lord Is King,” “Rise Up, O Men Of God,” “Rock Of Ages,” “The Lord Is My Shepherd,” “There Is Sunshine in My Soul” and “Sweet Hour Of Prayer.”
The hymn which commenced almost every Baptist worship service we attended in our youth, “Doxology,” (also known as “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow”) is contained in our LDS hymnal, although very rarely sung in my experience.
I was surprised by some of the things I learned from my comparative study. For instance, the popular Christian hymns “How Great Thou Art” and “God Speed the Right” are in the LDS hymnal, but not in this edition of the Baptist hymnal.
A cursory view of the index reveals that the LDS hymnal contains a large number of hymns on restoration themes like prophets, pioneers, gathering to Zion, mountains, and temples that are not contained in the Baptist hymnal. This situation reflects a similar theme with respect to our respective scriptures. Latter-day Saints and Baptists are commonly blessed with and enjoy reading the Bible, while Latter-day Saints have the added blessing and enjoyment of reading the restoration scriptures.
Based on the commonality of hymns and the identical doctrinal assertions repeatedly contained within them which point to Christ; his divine sonship and virgin birth; his life of perfection; his attributes of love, mercy and compassion; his incomparable suffering in Gethsemane; his crucifixion; and his Resurrection, it is only logical to conclude that if Baptist believers of the 1950s through the 1970s were “Christians,” then also are the LDS or Mormon believers of the mid-1980s to the present.
By the way, “Thou shalt not steal” the hymnbooks is a teaching which is common to both religious traditions.
John Enslen is a courtroom lawyer who reads and writes about Mormon history. He is a consultant for LDS film artist T.C. Christensen and authored a book titled "The Bible and the Book of Mormon — Connecting Links."
Monday, April 4, 2011
Found this today...
I think my endocrinologist thinks this is what I have, what is causing my Cushing's:
Print
Thyroid, Medullary Carcinoma Clinical Presentation
Author: Anastasios K Konstantakos, MD; more...
OverviewPresentationDDxWorkupTreatmentMedicationFollow-upUpdated: Sep 29, 2009
History
Physical
Causes
Show All
History
A specific constellation of symptoms of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is not usually noted; however, one or more of the following symptoms may be observed:
•Patients may describe a lump at the base of the neck, which may interfere with or become more prominent during swallowing.
•Patients with locally advanced disease may present with hoarseness, dysphagia, and respiratory difficulty.
•Although uncommon, patients may present with various paraneoplastic syndromes, including Cushing or carcinoid syndrome.
•Distant metastases (eg, lung, liver, bone) may produce symptoms of weight loss, lethargy, and bone pain.
So, I guess the doctor and I could both be right. It could be thyroid cancer that has spread to my lungs, and is causing the Cushing's. Also, I noticed on my last thyroid ultrasound, my thyroid nodules were described as "hypoechoic" and "calcified", which are more indicative of cancer. I'm hoping all of these tests will show something and I can finally have a DEFINITE diagnosis next week!!!
Thank goodness my mother is flying in tonight! This is an example of my goals for a typical day:
1. Get the girls to and from school.
2. Feed, change, and take care of Sadie. Maybe give her a bath, if my back pain and energy permit. Otherwise, Bryant will have to do it when he gets home.
3. Try and clean the kitchen and get some kind of supper ready.
I have to keep it simple. I never deep clean or do anything beyond the necessities. I can't wait for my Mama to get here and get me organized! Behind every closet door is an avalanche, under every bed a random plethora of items, and in every drawer an overflowing mess!
Thyroid, Medullary Carcinoma Clinical Presentation
Author: Anastasios K Konstantakos, MD; more...
OverviewPresentationDDxWorkupTreatmentMedicationFollow-upUpdated: Sep 29, 2009
History
Physical
Causes
Show All
History
A specific constellation of symptoms of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is not usually noted; however, one or more of the following symptoms may be observed:
•Patients may describe a lump at the base of the neck, which may interfere with or become more prominent during swallowing.
•Patients with locally advanced disease may present with hoarseness, dysphagia, and respiratory difficulty.
•Although uncommon, patients may present with various paraneoplastic syndromes, including Cushing or carcinoid syndrome.
•Distant metastases (eg, lung, liver, bone) may produce symptoms of weight loss, lethargy, and bone pain.
So, I guess the doctor and I could both be right. It could be thyroid cancer that has spread to my lungs, and is causing the Cushing's. Also, I noticed on my last thyroid ultrasound, my thyroid nodules were described as "hypoechoic" and "calcified", which are more indicative of cancer. I'm hoping all of these tests will show something and I can finally have a DEFINITE diagnosis next week!!!
Thank goodness my mother is flying in tonight! This is an example of my goals for a typical day:
1. Get the girls to and from school.
2. Feed, change, and take care of Sadie. Maybe give her a bath, if my back pain and energy permit. Otherwise, Bryant will have to do it when he gets home.
3. Try and clean the kitchen and get some kind of supper ready.
I have to keep it simple. I never deep clean or do anything beyond the necessities. I can't wait for my Mama to get here and get me organized! Behind every closet door is an avalanche, under every bed a random plethora of items, and in every drawer an overflowing mess!
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