A Gift of JOY

Like most of us, writer Mary DeMuth has struggled through hard times. She has a heart for hurting women and recognizes the stresses caused by COVID-19. While struggling through the hurts of a damaged relationship she did what she does best:... putting her thoughts into words.

"Life right now is full of grief, confusion, and angst. In order to process all that, you need to know what the Bible says about difficult times and how to navigate through them."

Mary writes through the labor pains of her hurtful emotions. While we struggle to express these feelings, she finds the right words. The outpouring of these words opens the doors of healing and gives birth to her books. Until we can communicate our pain, we cannot problem-solve... we cannot heal and restore the joy to our lives.

Whether you are struggling with the life changes brought about by the coronavirus, a damaged relationship, or other issues, I recommend this little 25-page ebook. It's available free at:

http://marydemuth.ck.page/e7f47f3755

Doing well now? Copy and save it for another time. Share it with someone who needs to mend and heal a broken spirit.

I have followed Mary since she was writing her first book* as a sexual abuse survivor. As a writer, I understand how difficult it is to re-open the pain allowing the reader to recognize you've truly been in her shoes. No matter how battered her slippers may be, they can become the ruby red shoes that takes her home to the Creator and Lover of her Soul. Mary shows us the way, the how, and Who restores true joy.

* Author of 40 books currently.

A Unique Mother's Day

My family brought Chinese for supper. Because visitors are still restricted at the senior complex where I live, they ate outside by my livingroom window. While I enjoyed their company from inside along with my favorite cashew chicken.
The oldest grandchild was missing. "How long has he been working at Subway," I asked. His mother looked at her watch and answered, "5 hours."
Our time together was shorter than usual, but larger in laughs. Meal over... masks on... we formed a circle with arms outstretched for a group hug. Who says social distancing can't include time together!
Never had a Mother's Day like this one and doubt that it will occur again, but it was SPECIAL.

~ ~ ~ 

My Monday chuckle from my friend in the WV mountains, Joseph J. Mazzella:

 

 It had been raining on and off for days.  The gray, overcast clouds felt more like the gloom of

 Winter than the joy of Spring.  The ground was saturated from the downpours.  The grass in my

 backyard was swampy and large patches of mud had grown in the well trafficked areas where I

 walked my dogs.  But on this morning I suddenly saw a break in the clouds.  The beautiful, rising

 sun was sliding out from behind them and playing a delightful game of peek-a-boo with the

 earth.  I longed to feel its warmth on my face again so I slipped on my shoes and headed outside. 

 

Just as I got there the sun slid behind another cloud.  I frowned when I saw it but noticed that a

few sunbeams were still shining through on the grass down the hill from me.  I started to run

towards them before they disappeared.  That is when it happened.

 

Suddenly, I felt my feet go out from under me as I slipped on a muddy patch.  Down I went

into the brown slop.  My jeans were filthy.  My shirt was stained.  My hands were covered with

the goo. “Ugh!”, I said.  I wiped my hands in the grass and shook my head.  Just at the moment,

however, the sun broke through again.  I lay in the mud and looked up at its light.  I smiled when

I saw it shining on a determined little dandelion growing in the middle of the mud.  Then I

laughed and felt the light coming on within me too.  It was certainly worth another shower and an

extra load of laundry to see this sight.

 

Sometimes we need to slip in the mud in order to see the flowers.  Sometimes we need to be

flat on our backs in order to look up to Heaven.  In this life God gives us both the sunshine and

the rain. It is up to us, though, to bloom through the mud and to shine through the clouds.  May

your love always shine bright and may the flower of your life become a meadow.

From my friend, Joseph

  GROWING YOUNGER

 

   By: Joseph J. Mazzella

 

          I was about to shave this morning when I caught my reflection 

in the mirror.  There was no doubt about it.  My body was growing 

older.  My formerly thick hair which used to be brown with a touch

of gray was now gray with a touch of brown.  It was hard to see on 

top too with little of it left there.  My forehead wrinkles had become 

permanent and when I smiled a hundred more curled up around my 

eyes and mouth.  I thought about letting my beard grow for a second

but didn’t really want to look like Santa Claus.  When I stepped back 

I could see I had gotten chunkier as well because while my 

metabolism had slowed my eating hadn’t.  My muscles also tended to 

be achier and my body creakier.  And the file clerk in my mind seemed 

to be misplacing things a lot more often.  I was even thinking of writing 

stuff down more so I could remember what I came into a room for.  

In spite of it all, though, when I looked in the mirror again I caught a 

sparkle in my eyes. I smiled and felt a joy in my heart. I knew that 

no matter what my reflection looked like, my soul was forever young.

 

       The truth is while I have been steadily growing older on the outside 

I have for a while now been growing younger on the inside.  I can 

remember how serious, stressed, and worried I was in my twenties 

and thirties.  I often felt like the weight of the world was on my 

shoulders. Now at fifty three my heart feels lighter and my days look 

brighter. I feel like a true “Child” of God free to laugh, to sing, to 

dance, to love, and to help others do the same.  I worry less and 

smile more. I have a lot more faith and a lot less fear. I let my love 

lead me and face the pains and problems of this world with the 

loving-kindness of the next.

 

       In the end all of our bodies will wear out and die, but WE won’t. 

Our young souls will go on forever.  Spend your days growing younger 

then. Let the child within you live and love.

How the Virus Stole Easter

HOW THE VIRUS STOLE EASTER
by Kristi Bothur (with a nod to Dr. Seuss)

'Twas late in ‘19 when the virus began
Bringing chaos and fear to all people, each land.

People were sick, hospitals full,
Doctors overwhelmed, no one in school.

As winter gave way to the promise of spring,
The virus raged on, touching peasant and king.

People hid in their homes from the enemy unseen.
They You Tubed and Zoomed, social-distanced, and cleaned.

April approached and churches were closed.
“There won’t be an Easter,” the world supposed.

“There won’t be church services, and egg hunts are out.
No reason for new dresses when we can’t go about.”

Holy Week started, as bleak as the rest.
The world was focused on masks and on tests.

“Easter can’t happen this year,” it proclaimed.
“Online and at home, it just won’t be the same.”

Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the days came and went.
The virus pressed on; it just would not relent.

The world woke Sunday and nothing had changed.
The virus still menaced, the people, estranged.

“Pooh pooh to the saints,” the world was grumbling.
“They’re finding out now that no Easter is coming.

“They’re just waking up! We know just what they’ll do!
Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
And then all the saints will all cry boo-hoo.

“That noise,” said the world, “will be something to hear.”
So it paused and the world put a hand to its ear.

And it did hear a sound coming through all the skies.
It started down low, then it started to rise.

But the sound wasn’t depressed.
Why, this sound was triumphant!
It couldn’t be so!
But it grew with abundance!

The world stared around, popping its eyes.
Then it shook! What it saw was a shocking surprise!

Every saint in every nation, the tall and the small,
Was celebrating Jesus in spite of it all!

It hadn’t stopped Easter from coming! It came!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the world with its life quite stuck in quarantine
Stood puzzling and puzzling.
“Just how can it be?”

“It came without bonnets, it came without bunnies,
It came without egg hunts, cantatas, or money.”

Then the world thought of something it hadn’t before.
“Maybe Easter,” it thought, “doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Easter, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

And what happened then?
Well... the story’s not done.
What will YOU do?
Will you share with that one
Or two or more people needing hope in this night?
Will you share the source of your life in this fight?

The churches are empty – but so is the tomb,
And Jesus is victor over death, doom, and gloom.

So this year at Easter, let this be our prayer,
As the virus still rages all around, everywhere.

May the world see Hope when it looks at God’s people.
May the world see the church is not a building or steeple.
May the world find Faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection,

 May the world find Joy in a time of dejection.

With thanks to my friends for sharing this with me.

Hope

Jesus' final words from the cross, "It is finished;" was not an ending, but a beginning filled with hope for each of us.

As I read an Easter Meditation this week, I was impressed with James Tissot's definition of sin. "Sin isn't pretty or petty. Our world dresses it up as cleverness, as happiness, as fulfillment. But despite its many deceitful faces, sin at its root is about asserting power. It is rebellion against God's authority, an undermining of His Kingdom. Sin is turning up our nose at God and doing what we want in spite of what he says-- and there's nothing pretty about that...

"Our sins demanded that Jesus to break away from his Holy Father, for holiness cannot cohabitate with sin."

We have been so desensitized by the media that bombards our lives daily that it's easy to see the crucifixion and resurrection as just another movie... another news report.

Then we become like Pilate, who spinelessly sacrificed Jesus to the crowd. It was easy to turn his back and avoid his responsibility. Sadly, I'm seeing this happening today as people chose to ignore CDC recommendations. Their assertion of power through their self-centeredness endangers others. People, that is sin. That is separating oneself from the Creator. I cannot focus on the hope without the reality of how much it is needed today, right now. 

Today we focus on the resurrection and can miss the first miracle. The hearing of the curtain at the entrance of the Holy of Holies chamber of the temple, which was reserved for the presence of God and could be entered only by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. It was a barrier between God and man. At the moment Christ died that barrier was torn down, giving us direct access to the Father!

The earth shook...tombs broke open and saints were raised to life. Signs of hope from God that all was as planned. Can you imagine the terror of the Roman soldiers guarding the sealed tomb? To allow Jesus' body to be stolen meant death. So seeing that huge boulder roll away from the burial tomb entrance by a glowing being dressed in white... They couldn't fight or flee as they were probably paralyzed by fear.

Enter, the women, who experienced fear then great joy!

We, too, as followers of the Risen Lord have much to celebrate! 

Jesus died... was buried... rose...

But that's not the end. He was seen! Touched! Ate breakfast with the disciples! 

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." (NLT)

Blessed Easter,

Connie

From the Heart

From my Prayer Journal:

Lord and Lover of My Soul, I am at a loss for words. I am not 

sure how to pray for this COVID-19 situation. But You know my

heart’s desires. I trust in Your promises of comfort, support, 

protection, and strength for myself and those within my world. 

Help us overcome all temptations that will cause harm to ourselves

or others. With deep gratitude, I thank you for blessing us beyond

what we need. And I ask Your blessing upon all those who are 

working to provide our needs and those making the difficult 

decisions. It is in You, we find peace and joy. Thank you

for loving me and mine no matter what! Amen.

The Red Balloon

Last week I felt like setting aside the book I was reading to switch to something more relevant to the current COVID-19 crisis.

Scanning my bookshelves I found several possibilities; then my eyes settled on:

                                                  Study Book

Because I purchase books ahead when I find something I might enjoy, I often find I already have what I'm looking later on. Fight Back With Joy and it accompanied study book is about the author's physical, emotional and spiritual battle with breast cancer.

True joy is not dependent on being happy or feeling good. It is like a rainbow with multiple hues and layers. 

Fight Back With Joy is her journey of discovery "using joy to fight back fear, regret, and pain while learning a new way of living - a life radiant with joy." Her humorous writing style makes you want to join her when she gets into her jammies, laughing and being silly. By the way, the workbook is as good as the book. I did not purchase the DVD, but I'm sure it's an added bonus.                                                                                           

As I was reading the book, which is touching my heart, and doing the pages in the workbook, I had a AHAH moment.

I am going to "fly" a red 🎈 balloon in my front window until this COVID-19 is tamed... to symbolize my fight back with joy. 

I highly recommend all my readers to read this uplifting battle plan! And maybe fly a red balloon? 🎈

A Gift

I want to introduce a favorite writer of mine, Darlene. Her studies always bless my life... I just had to tell you about her newest one.

Darlene studies hard then writes, then shares it online. She posts each lesson on Mondays with a discussion on Fridays. [Although it is best to follow along when she posts it, you can save it, if unable to do the study in real time.]

Did I mention she's also an artist? Her drawings throughout the study are lovely visuals. I color them, which helps them stick in my mind. Her writing challenges me and stimulates my little grey cells to ponder her words and learn at a new level.

However, there's more!

Another reason I love recommending her studies is that she understands not everyone can afford to purchase the study guides. Therefore, Each week she posts the entire lesson... you have access to everything in the printed book. I do purchase her guides, when I can, to have everything in one place vs copying all those pages and putting them a folder or notebook to save.

If you enjoy doing Bible studies or need some encouragement, I hope you'll "meet" Darlene.

Title: The Life of Joseph: A Type of Christ

Start Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Length: 6 Weeks

Where: at TimeWarpWife.com

Selah,

Connie

3/23/2020

Today  Lesson 2 will be posted. I am really enjoying this study including my part- reading and answering questions.

Thought I'd share a word with you about Joseph's special coat given to him as the favorite son by                 Jacob, his father. It is a good example of why translating from one language & culture to another is very complex.

kethneth passim are the Hebrew words for Joseph's coat. 

They may be translated as:

a full-sleeved robe, a coat of many colors, a coat reaching to his feet, an ornamented tunic, a silk robe or a fine woolen cloak. 

Whether it was colorful, ornate, or just pricy, we do know it set him apart and caused his brothers' jealousy to increase. (References available.)

Tomorrow I'll be sharing another book that I'm finding perfect for these crazy times. 'Til then...

Selah- think on this,

Connie

Heart of Wisdom

It's been over a month since my last post and I am approaching another birthday...#76!

My Christmas celebration with my family was very special this year as I am feeling so much better and able to do more. I went to the Christmas Eve candlelight service. [It's been at least five years since I've been inside a church.] I wrapped my own gifts and, with the help of my caregiving elves, I made Christmas dinner and some goodies to share!

Then on New Year's Day, I pondered my 3/4 of century life and once again chose the above verse as my 2020 goal. In keeping with that goal, I would like to recommend the book I am using as a daily devotional: Jonathon Cahn's The Book of Mysteries. 

I am not always consistent with my desires, but so far I've followed through by reading the devotion for the day every day for 31 days. That's how much I am enjoying it. Each one-page mystery challenges me. It stirs up my little gray cells and leads me to think where I haven't been before. It prompts me to look at myself and note my shortfalls and to fix them. Truly, the "heart of wisdom."

To my delight, I have been able to write again. Two short stories have been submitted to the Chicken Soup for the Soul books and more are in process.

Before sending my stories, I have shared them with my caregivers. Their responses have encouraged me and I hope my stories have encouraged them. For 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says "Encourage one another and build each other up." Being home-bound doesn't free me from that command.

I also finished reading Billy Graham's last book, Nearing Home, which he wrote seven years before his death at age 99. I related to much of his writing as I, too, am nearing home. He wrote several bits of wisdom that touched my heart. I'd like to share a few with you.

      "...every day--without exception--is a gift from God, entrusted to us to use for His glory."

      "Old age does not exempt us from fulfilling our purposes in life...for the time He has given you is not without purpose."

      When asked what surprised him the most in the aging process, Billy Graham replied, "The loss of strength to do the simplest things: getting up from a chair, having the endurance to visit with someone longer than an hour, or just going to the doctor's office... the loss of strength, the sheer inability to keep going." Wow, can I relate! This week I had four doctor appointments. The last one I agreed to use a wheelchair. I am exhausted.

      There is no fountain of youth. "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life (Proverbs 14:27)." I love how he explained "the fear of the Lord."

      "It is contrary to being afraid of Him. God would not have sent His Son to earth to communicate with us if He wanted humanity to be fearful of approaching Him. This wonderful phrase throughout Scripture is a reminder to be in reverential awe of God, to love Him with our whole being and commit ourselves joyfully to Him in all things."

I'll let you ponder those thoughts.

'Til next time,

             4Him2u, I am Connie

Pain Is a Microphone, Part 4

Nothing Is Wasted

But be of good cheer. There is a connection between the strength of our pain and the volume of our voices. Jesus said in John 12:32,

And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.

The more we hurt, the louder we become.

This is why, though it is tempting, you must not be selfish with your pain. The things God deposits in your spirit in the midst of suffering are the same things that someday other people will desperately need.

When you’re going through a trial, it’s easy to block out other people who are hurting. You might think, I can’t worry about them. I’m sorry other people have it bad, but I’m just barely coping. I’m hanging on by a thread. I could hardly get out of bed this morning, so I just need to focus on me right now. No one will blame you. But you are wasting the anointing oil your crushing produced. If you would be willing to step out in faith and serve other people when you’re in the fire yourself, you will find a huge boost in volume, because you are plugged into a microphone called pain.

There are two reasons why your volume gets louder as life gets harder. First, when you’re going through a great time of trial, people around you tend to get quieter. Their voices hush out of respect.

Smart people walk on tiptoe around hearts that are on fire.

When you’re a Christian and you’re going through a great time of difficulty, you will notice that those around you who don’t know Jesus Christ — especially those you’ve shared your faith with before — will lean in extra close. Their ears perk up. They want to see if what you have advertised is going to prove true in the product demonstration. You told them that Jesus is the light of your world. Well, now your power has been cut, and they want to see if you can glow in the dark. You’ve told them that Jesus is the anchor for your soul; He is the solid rock you can stand on. Now everything around you is giving way, and they want to find out if you’re going to sink in the sand. If they do see your claims proven true, you’ll find a greater willingness on their part to trust Christ in their own lives.

The second reason your volume gets louder when life gets harder is because in trials, you can hear God better. Why is this? Because He comes closer! That’s what we find in Psalm 34:18:

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart.

1. C.S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”2 And the nearer He is, the better we can hear Him and the more we can do for Him.

You’re actually better fit for ministry in the crucible of pain.

You have a stronger voice to project and to declare, and it’s easier to belt from the diaphragm of your soul when you’re hurting. It’s counterintuitive, but in the middle of my hardest mess, I’ve found ministry to be a great strength waiting to be tapped into. It was welling up within me — a greater desire than ever before to tell the whole world that Jesus Christ can turn off the dark — because I experienced it myself. Right there, at ground zero, in the valley of the shadow of death. As hard as it was to claw our way through on hands and knees in those moments, Jennie and I found that when we poured our pain into ministry, whole new levels of usefulness opened up.

There’s perhaps no time you are as powerful as when you minister in the midst of pain.

Selah ~ think on this
Connie

1. A. W. Tozer, The Root of the Righteous (Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1955), 137.
2. C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (1940; repr. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001), 91.

Excerpted with permission from Through the Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko, copyright Levi Lusko.

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Pain is a Microphone, Part 3

Note: a hospitalization delayed this posting. Series continues with part 3.

Crushed Like an Olive

The Bible calls us kings and priests (Revelation 1:6). An interesting thing that a king and a priest have in common is that, in Old Testament times, both had to be anointed. They went through a symbolic ritual of being smeared with oil to show that they were set apart for the platform, the microphone they were called to.

A king couldn’t take the stage, the mantle of authority of leadership, without being anointed. Priests had to regularly be anointed and consecrated into their service. That’s why it’s striking that before Jesus, who is both King and Priest forever, went to Calvary, he first went to the Garden of Gethsemane.

Gethsemane means “olive press.” Olive oil is made by pressing olives with a giant stone until the oil runs out. Because olive oil was used in the anointing process, olives had to be crushed so that someone could be anointed. There could be no anointing without a crushing.

Beyond the actual ceremonial oil, Scripture says that there in the Garden, Jesus knelt down and was in such agony, under such great pressure, that he began to sweat great drops of blood (Luke 22:44). At Gethsemane we see Jesus being crushed before going to the cross. The cross was His stage, the nails the proof of His love. He was willing to take up that dreadful microphone, to use the influence He had been called to:

For this purpose I have been sent. — Luke 4:43

But getting there meant first being pressed like an olive. There are no shortcuts; you simply cannot get to Calvary without going through Gethsemane. You and I have not been called to die for the sins of the world, but we do have a divine assignment, a mission we’ve been called to fulfill. And to fulfill it we must be crushed; we must be pressed if we are to see it accomplished. We cannot be used in a great way without experiencing pain. A. W. Tozer wrote, “It is doubtful whether God could ever bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.”1

Your calling involves suffering. There’s no way around that.

Selah ~ think on this
Connie

Pain Is a Microphone, Part 2

When the apostle Paul was saved, a prophecy was given to Ananias, who had the unique challenge of discipling this recently converted terrorist. God told him that Paul would stand before kings, gentiles, and the nation of Israel and that he would suffer many things for Jesus’ sake (Acts 9:15–16). There are two elements there that we must not miss: (1) Paul would be used powerfully, and (2) Paul would suffer greatly. But I believe those are actually two sides of the same coin that exists within every calling. It would be while he was suffering for Jesus that he would do the great things (speaking to the Jews, speaking to the children of Israel, and speaking to kings).

Here’s where this concept comes to your front door. Just as Ananias was to tell Paul that he was a chosen vessel, so you are part of a chosen generation. No ordinary child. You are royalty, remember? A unique part of God’s forever family. But there’s a catch: just like Paul, you will suffer many things on the way to your destiny being fulfilled.

Pain is guaranteed. The Bible says that the rain falls on the evil and the good alike (Matthew 5:45). Part of living on this fallen planet cursed by sin is that trials are inherent. That’s just the way it is.

What about for the child of God? What happens when you give your life to Jesus Christ? The difficulties ramp up to a whole other level.

Jesus said that He wants us to shine brightly. He didn’t just say,

I am the light of the world. — John 8:12;

He also said,

You are the light of the world. — Matthew 5:14, emphasis added

Daniel said that those who turn many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:3). Guess what? God wants to make a star out of you. That’s wonderful — but as the great theologian Spider-Man said, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

The enemy is not going to let you capture his flag without some serious flak. When you stand up as a Christian, attempt to share your faith, and live to see lost people won, you’ll invite suffering, persecution, and opposition your way. This is why Paul told Timothy,

All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. — 2 Timothy 3:12

Adversity is going to happen. In fact, it’s part of your calling. We’re told in 1 Thessalonians 3:3,

No one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. (emphasis added).

Jesus warned His followers that the world hates Him, and if you’re trying to follow Him, the world’s going to hate you too.

Selah, think on this

Connie

Part 3 Crushed Like an Olive next post.

Or go to https://www.faithgateway.com/pain-is-a-microphone

Pain is a Microphone: Part 1

  I am pleased to share this excerpt from Through the Eyes of a Lion by Pastor Levi Lusko 

There Will Be Blood 

Pain is a microphone. And the more it hurts, the louder you get. 

Suffering isn’t an obstacle to being used by God. It is an opportunity to be used like never before. 

This truth leaps off the pages of Scripture again and again and again. Joseph suffered for years as a prisoner for crimes he didn’t commit, but it only made him louder. In the end he was raised to the right hand of Pharaoh and put in a position to save the lives of his brothers, who had tried to kill him (Genesis 45:5).

Esther went through the unspeakably difficult trial of becoming an orphan when both her parents died (Esther 2:7). Yet her adoption by Mordecai set into motion the events by which she would become queen of Persia and prevent a holocaust.

David was forced to go on the run, like Harrison Ford in The Fugitive, while he was hunted by his lunatic of a father-in-law, Saul. David was homeless, living in and out of caves in the wilderness of Israel, and yet it was in those caves he poured out his heart to God in worship (1 Samuel 23–24, 1 Samuel 26). His greatest praise came from his darkest days.

To be continued...

Selah, think on this,

Connie

Original source:
https://www.faithgateway.com/pain-is-a-microphone

Rust and More Rust

 

Plus:

• History of hypertension - w/ diastolic dysfunction 
• Gout with urate nephropathy - improved on Uloric 
• RLS 
• OSA on CPAP 
• arthritis multiple sites
• Depression     
• History of diabetes mellitus - 20+ yrs 
• osteopenia ~s/p bilateral TKR for OA ~s/p shoulder repair (left) 
• hypoventilation syndrome, ~mild restrictive lung disease (based on low FVC), reduced DLCO 
• PTCA Sept. 2015- dual antiplatelet regimen for 1 yr, complicated by aspiration pneumonia 
• HFpEF ~bilateral pulmonary embolisms - 10/2017 
• severe c spine DISH - s/p fusion C3-6, now severe disc space narrowing C2-3, C6-7 1/18 c spine MRI- 
• mental status change related to narcotics per Dr. P
• SIRS due to cellulitis 11/2018  ~persistent erysipelas 2019 - BMC ID- on Keflex 500 mg bid on-going

These are how my doctor sees me. I am showing you what I deal with daily, and my medication list is even longer.

• These diagnoses are my rust ... rust that has been accumulating for years. Although I am a retired nurse, the interactions of my rust and my medications are complex. Therefore, I have a nurse case manager to assist me, including advocating for me, as needed; and in-home caregivers four hours each day. 
• 
• Sorry, Maxine is having a crotchety moment ... as usual. 
• Until next time, when I continue on the subject of rust. Take care.
•                  Connie
• 
  

I've not posted in 18 months due to health issues. For over a year, I've had a skin infection similar to cellulitis complicated by edema (swelling due to excess fluid) of both lower legs. I remain on antibiotics for the remainder of my life. 

Over the months ahead I will share how I have dealt with chronic pain and chronic illnesses, learned to ask and to accept help, managed my caregivers, adjusted and focused on altered goals, found new ways to avoid depression and more.

I desire to help other seniors cope with their "golden years" including those she cares about. A very old Dutch granmama once told me, "Hoi, they forgot to mention the rust in the golden years."

Join me as we identify and control "the rust."