Tuesday, September 11, 2012

A Much Needed Rest

This is Diane again today.  Just wanted to give you a quick update and why I am posting for Rachel.  She is extremely tired and has gotten about 4 hours of sleep in the last 3 nights.  Today we were able to get some help for her and she is now resting peacefully and will hopefully get more than a full nights rest.  The other news is that her tumor symptoms seem to be stable or even a little less as we continue to wean her from the steroid  We are very pleased with this and her doctors are more than pleased as well.  It is always darkest before the dawn and I feel and pray we are getting a little closer to the dawn.  In Rachel's exhausted state she is easily overwhelmed as you could tell from her last couple of posts.  I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for your prayers (WE FEEL THEM), patience and encouraging comments, she reads them over and over. Again, many thanks.

38 comments:

  1. Thanks for keeping us informed of her progress. She is always in my thoughts and prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's good to hear. I hope you're getting some rest as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love and prayers to you and your family Rachel. So very generous to share so much with us all.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am praying do hard that you both get much needed sleep. I have been on high doses of steroids on and off for years and understand the issues that come with it. Rachel's posts have touched me deeply.
    Jennifer

    ReplyDelete
  5. Prayers to Rachel, you, and your entire family and loved ones. I check back often because you all are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope you both get much needed rest!
    Brandi

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for the update. We love and pray for you both. The Dixons

    ReplyDelete
  7. That's good news. It's amazing what a little sleep will do for one's spirit, if only that sleep will finally come. And if sounds like it has. And SO glad her symptoms are declining a bit. She definitely needs some sunshine in her soul! You are a great mom. Keep your head held high and know you aren't alone.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yay for sleep! Our prayers continue.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have been following your blog from the beginning. I found out about it from Cute Girls Hairstyles, another blog I follow. This last June, while my 4 kids and I were visiting family on vacation. My husband who was at home had a seizure and was diagnosed with a rare tumor the size of a golf ball on this right front temporal lobe. The seizure happened on a Wednesday and that Friday they performed brain surgery to remove the tumor. I flew back home Thursday night to be with him. It was the scariest and most nerve racking thing I have ever experienced, yet I felt the arms of my savior around me throughout this whole process. And we felt the tender mercies of the Lord through this experience. Almost two weeks later we were told that he was the 46th documented case for this type of tumor and that it was benign. We were so grateful for this blessing! My husband is recovering very well, with some minor side effects from the surgery and side effects from the seizure medication. We still worry that it could grow back, there's always that possibility. But through this experice it really opened our eyes. I think too often we go around and take everything for granted. We take life for granted. This experience has brought us so much closer together and closer to our Heavenly Father and our Savior. I am grateful for this trial in our lives. Without trials and hard things we cannot grow. I believe that we are given trials and hard things not as punishment but because our Father in Heaven loves us. My prayers go out to you and your family, I pray that you are given the strength to make it through each day, strength that through the atonement we would not be able have or bare on our own. You are so loved and yes with help from our Savior and our Heavenly Father we can all do hard things!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sister Elaine S. DaltonSeptember 12, 2012 at 9:47 AM

    Rachel:

    Someone who loves you very very much told me about your blog and as I have followed your posts I have been so impressed by your strength, courage and faith. You are truly a remarkable daughter of our Heavenly Father. You are changing the world, and changing the lives of others through your testimony of Jesus Christ. Rachel, I know that this can't be easy for you but please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers, and that Heavenly Father is so mindful of you and your situation. I have felt his love for you. Thank you for letting your light shine. I am so proud of you! Don't give up!

    Sister Elaine S. Dalton

    "I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." D&C 84:88

    "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13























    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Diane- I'm grateful Rachel has her miracle of sleep now. I'm grateful she has the miracle of you being her mom. I remember all of us counting miracles together at Martin's Cove a little over a year ago.
    Hi Rachel- You are a Light and a Strength to me. Thank you for your strong testimony of Jesus Christ, and of His Gospel. Thank you for all you taught me at girls camp about "You matter to Him, "Forget Me Nots," and "This is the Time to Arise and Shine." Thank you for my blue bracelets, homemade essential oil lip balm, and letting me skip out on the hike and hang out with you. Thank you for sharing your honesty and insights on your blog. My thoughts and prayers are continuously ascending to Heaven for you and your awesome family. Lots and lots of love, Lorel

    ReplyDelete
  12. First of all, you are famous. How many people get comments from the Young Women's General President?

    Second, I keep feeding your virtual fish and they aren't getting any bigger. Something must be broken. I overfed a goldfish once and it got huge.

    Third, you totally rock! And your mom does too!

    Fourth, one of these jokes is bound to make you at least chuckle a bit. Perhaps even chortle. Just make sure you aren't drinking milk when you read them because that would hurt.

    a. How much does a pirate pay for corn? A buccaneer.
    b. What do you call the wife of a 60's love child? Mississippi.
    c. Did you hear about the two peanuts walking down the street in a scary part of town? One of them was a salted.
    d. What did the cannibal's wife say when her husband came home late again? Nothing--she just gave him the cold shoulder.
    e. Why don't cannibals eat clowns? Because they taste funny.
    f. Did you hear about the cannibal that threw up his arms?
    g. Why did Beethoven get rid of his chickens? They kept saying, "Bach! Bach! Bach!"
    h. What's E.T. short for? Because he's got little legs!
    i. What is brown and sticky? A stick.
    j. What's blue and smells like red paint? Blue paint.
    k. What game would you play with a wombat? Wom.
    l. What does a vegan zombie eat? Graaaaaains.
    m. Have you heard about the new corduroy pillow? It's making headlines.
    n. What do you get from a pampered cow? Spoiled milk.
    o. What do you call a boomerang that doesn't work? A stick.
    p. What type of computer sings? A dell.
    q. Where might you find out how much your pie weighs? Over the rainbow. (Way up high)
    r. What clothing does a house wear? A dress.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sleep is the best!!! I had a crazy night the other night, 2 of my kids woke up at different times, I was having WEIRD dreams that kept waking me up and when I finally fell back asleep I woke up to my husband saying "num num num num num num num" in his sleep (like he was eating something!) hahaha Luckily i finally went back to sleep a little before morning. Hope you got some good sleep with NO interruptions :). Thanks for sharing and keeping us updated, it's appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Do you still like circus peanuts (the orange spongy ones)? McKell and I want to send you a package. ;)

    Brande

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sleep is a beautiful thing. Diane - you inspire me every day to be a kinder, more attentive, and more loving mother. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Good morning Rachel, I pray for you to have a good day and rest comfortably. If for some chance meeting you see a little girl there that is 5 and her name is Kaitlyn she has the same dipg that you are fighting. She and her family just arrived on Sunday and she is from the same eastern corner of Iowa that my family is from. All my love is being sent to you and her for Gods blessings and comfort from Iowa and this grandma of Dominic. May Jesus hear our prayers and answers your healing.... Dominic's grandma Marla

    ReplyDelete
  17. Keeping u in my prayers Angel! Ur strength is amazing spiritually and physically. I think about u daily and pray for ur journey to end and for u to be healed. I AM SO INSPIRED BY U. I have been a mommy for the past 14 years and didnt finish school and always wanted to be a nurse. Its what I would tell my Daddy when he battled cancer when I was 5and lost his battle when I was 10 to leukemia. Reading your Journey has really motivated me to get my Ged so I can become a nurse and have that passion to help people again. Thank you for reminding me y I want to do this again u are my inspiration lots of love and prayers...Rebecca : )

    ReplyDelete
  18. Diane and Rach, we are all praying hard for you and so excited to see some improvement. Hope you're both resting mentally and physically. We love you and send all our best good healthy wishes to you. Take care. The Oakmans

    ReplyDelete
  19. great to hear that! I hope you guys get plenty of rest! Thanks for updating :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Praying she will get some much needed rest!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I love you both and pray for you daily! Let me know if you need help with anything here. We're hoping to have everyone over for dinner soon.

    Love you.

    Suzanne

    ReplyDelete
  22. Rachel, - This is Marci, Mindy's sister - I just want you to know my heart and thoughts are with you every day. I think about you whenever I think something is a little rough (like my dumb MATH!) and think, I bet you Rachel would give anything to be sitting here doing my math - and then, I think, if she can do hard things, then, dangit - so can I and I dig in and do the math. You are such a great girl. I'm sorry you're going through this, and I'm so proud of your positive energy and attitude - it shines through even in the dark times. You hang in there, okay? Keep writing - good or bad - it's therapeutic. Plus, I love keeping tabs on you - I'm cheering for you.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Okay, I really like Pale Bear's jokes. I and J especially made me giggle. Can't wait to tell those to my kids. Can I add some more?

    s. why did the frog cross the road? he was stapled to the chicken.
    t. what did the farmer say when he lost his tractor? "where's my tractor?"
    u. how do you shoot a blue elephant? with a blue elephant gun.
    v. how do you shoot a pink elephant? hold its nose until it turns blue, then shoot it with a blue elephant gun.

    Here's hoping you have a great and relaxing weekend~

    Love and hugs and prayers!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love you Rachel. And I just HAD to finish the jokes:

    w. What do you call a cow that just gave birth? De-calfinated.
    x. What do you call a cow jumping over a barbed wire fence? Udder destruction.
    y. What do you call a cow with no legs? Ground beef.
    z. What do you call a man with no arms and no legs in a pool? Bob.

    Anyhow, you're awesome and I'm thinking about you and praying for you.

    ReplyDelete
  25. We are always thinking of you and are always wishing there was something WE COULD DO!! So we find ourselves petioning our Father in heaven again and again and again. From our own personal struggles we've learned that the mightiest force ever IS prayer. ( and to add to that, love and hope and gratitude ). We love you and we're ever battling for you and all your loved ones, endurance is quite the word of the day! We are so proud of you in this fight,, you are strong, beautiful, brave and courageous, ( a Saturday's Warrior! ) love always from us.

    ReplyDelete
  26. anyone have an update as to how rachel is doing? our prayers are with rachel and diane.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I too was looking for an update. I hope our girl is getting stronger by the day. Prayers with you all.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Rachel, you have made such a huge impact on me in such a short time. I miss reading your updates but I am so glad that you have been able to rest. Keep on keeping on. I will continue to and have been praying for you and your entire family.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I hope you're doing well Rachel. I think of you often and I pray that you have the strength you need at right this moment to smile. There are lots of people praying for you and thinking about you. Rest in His promises. <3

    Nicole

    ReplyDelete
  30. Rachel, I found out about you through Team Sadie, and have been following your blog faithfully. Every day, many times during each day, I stop and send up a little prayer for you. I am not a formally religious person, but I am inspired by you and your strength, and even when you are feeling weak. You have so very much to live for and I know you will fight this ugly cancer with everything you have. God does have a plan for you. I know this with certainty. Please know that you have many people who are praying for you and are thinking of you every day.
    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  31. We are all wondering how things are going and look forward to your next post. We are hoping and praying that you get the rest that you need. I have found myself telling my kids "you can do hard things", as well as repeating it in my own head.....It's going to be written in Vinyl before we know it! (and I might even stitch it on a pillow!) I have been thinking a lot about the Young Women theme...."We are Daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love him"... The power of that first sentence is amazing to me, because it allows the next part..."We will stand as witnesses of God, at all times, and in all places" to become part of who we are. Knowing and Believing that our Heavenly Father loves us, and knows who we are individually, and is aware of all of our struggles....gives each one of us the strength and the courage to take the next step on our journey called LIFE. You are "standing as a witness" leading the way and stopping to point so many souls in the right direction. Rachel, you are so much like your mom, so wise beyond your years, willing to share the things that you have learned, and are learning through your experiences. Love is an incredible gift, it just keeps growing and giving....when you have LOVE and you share it, it ripples just like a rock being thrown into a pond...it just gets bigger and bigger. Thank you for allowing so many of us to love you, even though we may not know you as well as we would like. I have so much love and respect for your mom and dad, they are amazing people....so the fact that you are amazing doesn't surprise me at all!... Finding Nemo is one of my favorites...."just keep swimming, just keep swimming...." If you see someone without a smile...give them yours!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Just want you to know, we think of you often. You're in our prayers. Love The Boettcher

    ReplyDelete
  33. Cap lease check this out, it could save her. Cancer: step outside the box by Ty m. Bollinger

    ReplyDelete
  34. Dear Rachel,

    Thank you very much for being an inspiration. You give people the envy to live intensely, to be as strong as you are.

    I want to send you a little package to make you happy and smile ! As you may have notice from my IP address, I'm French so if there's anything you would have from France, please let me know ! :)

    <3

    ReplyDelete
  35. This is so inspiring. I heard about you from your cousin from Cute Girls Hairstyles. I wish you the best of luck and love <3

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hi Rachel.
    My name is Ania and i'm from Poland.
    I just Hear about you and i wanna let you know that i'm gonna prey about you.
    Somebody says that miracles is happend and i belive it!
    Stay strong girl!

    ReplyDelete
  37. I'm sending you love and happy thoughts (and lots of prayers!) from California. You can SO do hard things!

    ReplyDelete