Deep Water Days
A Blog by Tina Litster
Distractions
We all have them, but some people are better at managing distractions, instead of letting distractions manage them. It’s good weather in Missouri now, and all I want to do with my energy and time is to work in my garden. A note about the picture: I said this when I...
Anything mentionable is manageable
How do you tell someone that you’re having a bad day? And who do you choose to be honest with about why it’s so bad? I have thought often and long about this topic as I’ve passed through this past 4 months. You know how it goes; on any day, good or bad, a stranger or...
Skele-Gro
March 29, 2024 It’s been twelve days since I updated my blog. I’ve been so up and down since then. It was a great 5 days, followed by a really rough four and pretty good the last three. I wrote a whole bunch of paragraphs last week that just...
It’s actually been a better week this week than last. The side effects of the treatment seem to be following a pattern: Thursday (treatment day) comes with body aches and all over rash and night sweats. Friday my head and neck (and even tongue and eyeballs are on fire...
Life is Boring, but I’m Not Bored
I didn’t have a very inspiring week. Actually, it was pretty uneventful, but a tough one. I learned-again- that even though the doctors know everything about my cancer, I know my actual body better than they do, and I should trust my own instincts when their advice...
All You Need is Glove…
Update March 10, 2024 My treatment days are an interesting mix of doctor appointments and waiting rooms. I met with a palliative doctor Thursday morning, which was the best doctor visit I’ve ever had! His specialty is to deal with side effects and symptoms and help me...
You’re Going to Suffer, But You’re Going to Be Happy About It…
I talked to someone yesterday that was really angry that God gave me cancer and is making me go through all this. There are quite a few things I would have loved to teach at that moment, but my opportunity was limited, so I kept it pretty short....
Happy Leap Day!
It's Leap Day, and while I wouldn’t say I’m jumping for joy, today’s events will be a springboard for the next phase of this journey. My treatments to kill the cancer cells began today, and, as one of the many people attending to me today said, “it is kind of...
Got Bling?
I got some new bangles yesterday at my oncologist appointment. Aren’t they nice?! Here’s a detailed update from the visit: First of all, my cancer is stage 2 (out of 3), which I expected. But the doctor doesn’t really worry so much about the stage. His greatest focus,...
Still Swimming
My arm is healing nicely. I go to PT and am getting better movement, but I still have very little control or strength. But hey, I can put lotion on my face again! Believe me, that’s a big deal. When I can actually fix my hair with both hands, it will be a day to...
Exposed
I spend a lot of time in a comfy blue recliner looking at this tree. It’s called an American Sycamore, and you can’t tell from the picture, but it’s about 200 feet tall (This is just the top portion). I never really noticed it behind my home until this year. Now, I...
Hope Floats
I’ve never been a great swimmer, and after the bone surgeon filled the tumor in my arm with cement, I decided I’ll probably have to use a floatie when I go swimming from now on. Given the path I’ll be on and the great unknown ahead, I’ve thought a lot about how to...
While I’m Waiting
I went to see my bone surgeon today to ask him some questions. It was really helpful, as it will be nearly two weeks before I get to meet with the oncologist to plan treatments and get them started. My arm is slowly and gradually healing. I am impatient to be able to...
Deep Water Days
"Hope is an incredibly powerful and often overlooked psychological force. During the 1950s, Curt Richter, a Denver native, Harvard Graduate and scientist with John Hopkins University, conducted a profound (and by today’s standards incredibly cruel) experiment on rats....
Update – Groundhog Day
Update: So much has happened since the last update, but I know no more than I did before, except that the roads between here and the south side of Kansas City are riddled with potholes, and warmer weather is a beautiful relief.I’m so blessed with great doctors, modern...
This, Too, Shall Pass
I was so excited to have a month of healing and normalcy. Unfortunately, just a week after the surgery to remove my tumor, I started to have a great deal of pain in my back. Posture? The new recliner Bill bought me? Lack of movement? What? After several days of trying...
When Bad Things Happen
In my studying of the scriptures this year, my study book (Come, Follow Me), said this, "If you ever wonder why bad things happen to good people, you may find insights in these chapters. But perhaps more important, you will see what good people do when bad things...
We Know Nothing. You Are Now Up To Speed
We had the appointment with the oncologist today He ordered a bunch more tests. That was it. Not quite as informative as I had hoped. Our next appointment is Feb 22, where we should get the staging and risk factors that will determine the...