Tuesday

Not quite as busy today, thank goodness. No flats. Everyone had gas in their vehicles.

We did go by the hospital and pick up Danny's medical records, although some of his discharge records still hadn't been transcribed, so we couldn't get those. Went by radiology, too, and they'll have prints of Danny's X-rays, etc. for us tomorrow afternoon. Dr. Tsuda's office (chemo dr.) had called over and told them we need them Friday. I said, No, we need them by Thursday morning - really Wednesday would be best so we can get them in time to make all our appointments Thursday.

We'll go by Human Services armed with everything we can gather up tomorrow before Danny's radiation treatment. We'd thought about going earlier, but it was pointless until we had enough "proof" to show them.

We went to a small local town and got a small bottle of butane for the stove (can't get it from a bulk tank where we were today), then over to the landlord's office to talk to him. He is willing to work with us on the rent due to Danny's condition and us waiting to see if he can get SSI and disability, etc.

Thursday will be real busy. First, radiation in the morning around 8:30. Then, to the SS office for that appointment at 9. (Radiation only takes about 10 minutes, so that leaves us enough time to get there.) Then, after a bit, to Little Rock to ACRC (Arkansas Cancer Research Center) to either talk about chemo there or actually have it. They didn't say which, but the appointment is for nearly 3 PM. It'll be lovely coming back in the worst traffic of the day. We are praying that our van holds up to make all these trips. It already has 187,000 miles on it.

ACRC had called with one appointment for Sept. 6, then called back with this one for Thursday. Danny had the radiation place shuffle his appointment to another time, which they were happy to do.

We are not looking forward to the LR appointment. Neither of us likes going to LR, and especially for something like this. We're hoping that if we have to continue going down there, they'll put the appointments at another time of day.

Nephew's wife called a little while ago and they're coming on Saturday morning. She made me cry. Well, she didn't mean to. I'm just getting a bit raw from all that's going on now and they offered groceries and money both, so I wound up crying. She apologized for upsetting me, but I assured her I really wasn't upset - just touched.

Former daughter-in-law also called. She's coming Saturday as well to bring us a few basic items like shampoo, etc. and to let the grandsons visit for awhile.

If the gas does as we're hearing about, I don't know how we'll make all Danny's appointments. There have been rumors of much higher prices (already going that way around here) and possible gas rationing. I am going to check the resource person at CARTI tomorrow and see about a gas voucher or something. Also, pick her brain for any other things she might know about. She's only there on Wednesdays so I need to get all the info I can while I can.

We had great northern beans, fried rice, poke salad, sliced tomatoes, and bread & butter for supper. It was good and we are very full now.

The doctor said today that Danny has lost 5 pounds since he started radiation last Thursday. He gets weighed every week. He eats really well, so I was very surprised that he's losing weight.

Also, Danny was wheezing again today. The dr. said if he was still wheezing tomorrow they'd do an X-ray. He thinks it could be a collapsed lung or a lung trying to collapse that's causing it. But he needs an X-ray to know for sure.

Well, maybe it was pretty busy after all.

God knows just what I need to read and when. Spurgeon's evening devotion for today:

"Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed." --Jeremiah 17:14 "I have seen His ways, and will heal him." --Isaiah 57:18

It is the sole prerogative of God to remove spiritual disease. Natural disease may be instrumentally healed by men, but even then the honour is to be given to God who giveth virtue unto medicine, and bestoweth power unto the human frame to cast off disease. As for spiritual sicknesses, these remain with the great Physician alone; He claims it as His prerogative, "I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal"; and one of the Lord's choice titles is Jehovah-Rophi, the Lord that healeth thee. "I will heal thee of thy wounds," is a promise which could not come from the lip of man, but only from the mouth of the eternal God. On this account the psalmist cried unto the Lord, "O Lord, heal me, for my bones are sore vexed," and again, "Heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee." For this, also, the godly praise the name of the Lord, saying, "He healeth all our diseases." He who made man can restore man; He who was at first the creator of our nature can new create it. What a transcendent comfort it is that in the person of Jesus "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily!" My soul, whatever thy disease may be, this great Physician can heal thee. If He be God, there can be no limit to His power. Come then with the blind eye of darkened understanding, come with the limping foot of wasted energy, come with the maimed hand of weak faith, the fever of an angry temper, or the ague of shivering despondency, come just as thou art, for He who is God can certainly restore thee of thy plague. None shall restrain the healing virtue which proceeds from Jesus our Lord. Legions of devils have been made to own the power of the beloved Physician, and never once has He been baffled. All His patients have been cured in the past and shall be in the future, and thou shalt be one among them, my friend, if thou wilt but rest thyself in Him this night.