PHEW!!

What a week it has been!

Laura found out 2 weeks ago that she has a job with Cingular Wireless and needed to be in Atlanta today to start 6 months of training. I think she is officially being trained as an "Executive Accounts Manager." She also learned that she is to wear official business dress every day to work. This means expensive business suits, shoes, etc. She got those (enough to get started), and we helped her buy a used 2002 Honda Accord for a very good price. She will pay us back ASAP as we totally scraped the barrel to come up with the money for her.

She learned that she did indeed graduate from Grove City and we had a graduation party on Friday night. There were 50-60 people here and it was a very fun time. She left in her silver car loaded to the brim on Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. with Jenni. They drove straight through and got there in about 21 hours. She is living in furnished housing. It sounds like a fantastic place. Jenni will fly home early on Wed. morning- in time for school. Laura is getting the best Blackberry made and a new laptop tomorrow I think. Some of you know what that means! So far her roommate seems very nice- Lisa. I will send announcements out this week as there was no time before she left.

After all of the energy expended with getting Laura ready to go, I was feeling really achy and tired. Yesterday after church I took a nap from 11 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and then also slept all of last night! I am feeling less tired today although still very sore and achy. I think what is happening is that as the side effects of my chemo and radiation wear off, some new medication (Famara) I am on can cause roving achiness in joints and muscles. I think the symptoms might be overlapping. I am supposed to stay on Famara for at least 5 years if not the rest of my life. I just began getting some accupuncture from a Christian friend to help my body heal.

I saw my oncologist last Monday and we talked for a long time. I haven't seen him since October. He ordered some blood tests to make sure I am OK on several things. I have the results but don't know what they mean yet. He will be letting me know. He thought my high liver numbers could be in part due to my jaw surgery and was testing that. I also saw a PT at Kaiser, who is trained in lymphodema, regarding my arm. She agrees that there is some swelling and wants me to get and wear a new theraputic sleeve on my left arm. I need to do that this week. It hasn't gotten worse. She also taught me some new massaging to do to reduce the problem. She was helpful and sweet, and I am allowed to call if anything more starts to happen.

The nerve in my jaw continues to heal. I am so thankful for the healing, but it sure is sore and wierd feeling as it heals.

I am struggling with how I feel about the possibility of having to move for Greg to take a job in another state. His gifting and talent are unique and in the right setting he is a total blessing to those he works with. He also wants to make a contribution to what God is doing in the world. So, is this job that has come up in another state THE ONE? Or is there something that would fit him that well that he could do from here in Denver, and we just haven't heard about it yet? He still gets calls almost every day about other jobs. I have agreed to go visit the out of state possibility if that continues to open up, but with no promises at this point. I am still so physically and emotionally weary. I have never felt this way before. It is humbling to admit that I am so weak right now. I know that God promises that His power is made perfect in our weaknesses. So does that mean I am supposed to trust Him, and we are supposed to move, or is He telling me we should stay put and wait for some other job Greg can do here?

Please continue to pray with us about this. Transition is hard for me. Dying to self and yielding to God is part of the Christian life. But what does that mean for me/us now? I am tired, but I love God and trust Him too. I will see the counselor again tomorrow and she will help me to think this through some more. Thank you for standing with us at this difficult time. We are so grateful! God bless you! Nancy