Prayer Please

I received a call on Tuesday afternoon from a very good friend of mine. She told me that her Mom (also a friend of mine) had passed away at noon that day. It was a shock. She died of an infection under her heart valve, called Endocarditis. Jean (Cameron) had heart surgery in January and had been recovering slowly. Cathy ( her daughter) has a lot on her plate now. Would you all please pray for Cathy, Graham(her husband), Taylor, Lauren and Robyn (their young daughters) and Cathy's brother, Brian. Jean's husband, Jack, died 5 1/2 years ago just a day or so before Taylor's birth.
I am hoping to fly down to Toronto on Sunday, June 4 as the funeral is on Monday at 1pm. I will spend a few days with Cathy and Graham and then head down to Hamilton to visit with Bob's sister, Kathy, her husband, Mark and their 6 children. It will be nice to see the family again but I wish it was under better circumstances.
My sister-in-law, Kathy, was in Calgary yesterday for the day and then headed down to Medicine Hat to visit with Bob's and her parents. She is flying back to Hamilton on Sunday. We had a wonderful visit with her. Needless to say we don't get much time with Kathy's side of the family. However, Bob and I are hoping to take the girls and Simone to Florida in January to go to Disneyworld and so Bob can run the Disneyworld Marathon. Kathy and Mark are considering bringing all their kids down to Florida as well. It will be a great time!!!
I was in a great deal of pain yesterday. It started out with just a bit of cramping in my lower left side of my abdomen but as the day progressed the pain intensified and spread up my left side and across the top. By the time I went to bed my stomach was so bloated and I could hardly lay down or stand up because the pain was so intense. I thought that I may not be able to fly to Toronto if the pain was still there today. However, I got up this morning and it was gone. There is a bit of pain on my lower left side again tonight but not as severe as yesterday. Please continue to pray for me. I don't see my GI until the 13th of June and some days that feels so far off.
I am taking Courtney to the Mall so that we can pick up Alicia and she want's to look at some things so I had better go.

Thanks for listening,
Charmaine

YC '06!!

YC '06!!

WOW! What an experience! Worshipping our Lord and Savior with 16,000 young people and young at heart.
We had the awesome privilege of taking Alicia and Courtney to YC in Edmonton. It is a youth conference with an attendance of 16,000 people. The worship team was Tree63, and awesome worship band. The keynote speaker was Miles McPherson who is an ex NFL player. He has such a way with the young people. Miles shared with us that he had been smoking marijuana and using cocaine for 1 1/2 years when he realized that his life was a mess. There were 2 guys on the team that were christians and Miles spoke with them. He became a Christian and never did drugs again from that day on. He is pastoring a church called the Rock Church and heads Miles Ahead Ministries. He had everyone's attention.
In the afternoons, there were other bands and famous musicians performing at different venues on the grounds. There were also games like the Velcro Wall, etc.
All in all it was a great time had by all.
Bob and I went to grab some lunch after the Sunday morning session and drove past Edmonton Temple. Church was just getting out so we stopped and I went in to see some of our friends. Bob wouldn't come in 'cause we didn't go to church there, but I was excited to see my friends. It was great to see you all. I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Today I am very tired, but that is not unusual after a weekend away. I did find eating at restaurants all weekend was not the greatest for my gut but I have survived. The next big weekend away for restaurant eating will be forward, but I have learned that it is good to bring some of my own food with me. I am learning that Crohn's is all about learning what works for you.
Are any of you who read this blog going to Forward in Red Deer this June? Courtney is helping with the Wilderness Camp so I am taking her up there and I may as well attend if I'm going to be in Red Deer anyway. I was uncertain due to my health but I'm going to go. I just need to get registered soon.
Well, I've run on for long enough. Take care all my friends and God Bless you.

Charmaine

joyful.one

I bought another new book called Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis today. This is the 4th book I've read. I believe for me that it is very important to be informed. I find the books totally interesting.
Each one tells some of the same things but each also touches on new stuff or words it differently to give another slant on the disease. The more I read the more comfortable I become with my disease.
I am still experiencing quite a bit of pain but am regaining my strength. I try to sit out in the sun each day for a while and that is really nice. I had 2 tests done on Friday on my kidneys and bladder that lasted for 3 hours so I was exhausted after that. We spent Sat. and Sun. afternoons at Fish Creek park with our friends kids (our adopted grandchildren). They are 1, 6, and 8. It was a blast. We had a hot dog and marshmallow roast on Sat then went Creeking (wading in the creek). The kids had so much fun. I didn't go creeking but had fun watching them. On Sunday after church we picked up pizza and chicken for me, ate at Fish Creek and then the kids and Bob, Courtney and Alicia went Creeking again.
Alicia managed to get herself burned a bit. She used sunscreen but still she burned but only on the spots that she had her 2nd degree burns last summer. She now knows that she will still have to be extra careful and keep covered with sunscreen and clothes too.
Courtney got her driver's licence on Friday, so we enter another new chapter in our lives. She is the only one of our kids who has gotten her licence when she was 16. Alicia has to wait until November of this year before she can try to get it due to this new graduated licencing program.
Well, I think I've bored you enough so 'that's all folks'.

Bad Day

Today's been a bit of a rough day. I'm not feeling very well at all. It started yesterday with being very weak and tired. Today I've had a very crampy tummy and have been shaky and tired. On a good note, the HR person from work called and talked to me about going on a Medical leave. This enables me to get medical E.I, so that may help a little.
I also decided that I needed to get out in the sun for a while. Bob and the kids gave me a new lounge chair for the deck so I took advantage of that today for about an hour. I was careful not to lay in one position too long so as not to burn. So that was a nice way to spend some time. It is hard to just do nothing when you are used to working full time and being busy all the time. Maybe I'll get used to it, but I hope not!! I am doing lots of reading about Crohn's disease and learning lots but also becoming confused a little too. It is not an easy illness to understand as it can manifest itself differently for everyone. With all the reading that I am doing I am starting to come up with different questions that I can ask my Dr. when I see him in June.
Well, I think that's it for today.

New Way of Life

Well, I'm new to this blogging thing. My girls are really into it and suggested that Bob and I get into it as well. So here goes!!

I have just been diagnosed with Crohn's disease and am slowly learning how it will effect my life. I will have to be on medication for life and also change my diet. However, the Dr. does not want me to change my diet until I see him in June. He wants to see how this medication works first. I am on Entocort which is a steroid. So far there have been no signifcant changes but I understand that the drug takes approximately 4 weeks to start taking effect. I have lost over 40lbs. since Christmas, which isn't a bad thing. I am finding that I am very weak and unable to do much these days. I have been unable to eat and keep it in so I'm weak and tired. Bob tries to get me out for a little each day which really helps. I would think that a person could get pretty bogged down being in the house 24/7.

Well, that's it for today.