Quote for October

A Prayer for the Ephesians Eph. 3:14-21

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.


Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!


Thursday, August 9, 2012

The Summer of 2012

In southern California this has been a pleasant summer. We live in a hot area where temperatures usually reach 105-110 F for several days each year. The rest of the summer always has many weeks with highs 95-104. This year we have had a mild summer so far with many days of only 92-94 F. It has been pleasant enough in the evening for us to open doors and windows to let the cool breeze in after 7:00 pm. I have prayed for the states in the middle of the USA where they have been experiencing many weeks over 105 F.

This week we have entered our really hot time with highs from 105-107 F.  It is good that I have become a nightowl in retirement; I do one load of laundry in the morning and the rest is done after 9:00 pm. This is just to conserve energy during the hottest hours. We are allowed to use power when we need it and, unlike Los Angeles County, we can water our plants any day of the week. My personal opinion is that our summers are shifting to later in the year; I think we will be hot August to October. 

Therefore, since the weather has been mild, I have been doing well. One of my most anoying symptoms of carcinoid is the heat and sweating on my head and back. If I can keep the house cool, I not as uncomfortable or as dehydrated. However, I have started a few new symptoms in the last two months. I believe they are from both Sjogren's Syndrome and carcinoid.

     1. My feet are tingling from exposure to cool temperatures. I have worn socks to bed for years so I can sleep without waking up due to cold feet. For five years I have worn socks all over the house day and night. Last month I finally realized my feet have an unusual sensitivity to cold; they feel irritated by cool temps around them. My rheumatologist called it tingling and had the nerves in my feet tested just two days ago. My feet and toes responded well to the stimuli, so I think it is the neuropathy due to Sjogren's. I  have already gone through the sensation of burning feet about 10 years ago.

     2. My hair is falling out in a new way. Since surgery and going on Octreotide, I have had thinning hair so that when I parted my hair the parts were 1/2 inch wide. For six months I have been losing hair in larger amounts. I can't see what is going on with my scalp except on the sides. Yesterday I saw a round bald spot about 5/8 inch wide. I think that is probably an autoimmune problem, so I will ask the rheumatologist about it when I find out about the nerve test.

     3. The amount of my body that gets too hot increased. I can now get hot on the top of my arm, just as if I was wearing cap-sleeved blouse made of heat. That's gotta be from carcinoid.

The amount of medication I am presently getting is a 20mL shot of Octreotide every 14 days at the medical center and a 100 microgram shot of Octreotide Acetate aqueous twice a day at home.

So this is how I am 5 years after my first tumor began to develop. Thank God for the slow prgression of my disease. My energy level is much the same as my last blog stated. I have to pick my battles, as they say. I can do some things and not others, but that is OK.

Love,
Sharon