Deep Water Days
A Blog by Tina Litster
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...
Blessed…
I slept in my own bed last night for the first time in two months! It was glorious to be able to lay flat, to fall asleep next to Bill, to get up and make the bed, instead of just fold the blankets, then spend most of the day in the recliner anyway. It feels so good...
What is Multiple Myeloma, Anyway
In November I started having pain in my arm, just above the shoulder joint and extending down my arm. Through a quick string of miracles, the doctor shortly discovered a tumor filling in that whole area that had eaten away the bone and grown in...
Faith to be Healed
We had a family and friend fast today. I've been thinking a lot about the faith to be healed and the faith to not be healed. I have pondered these things for many years. I have had instant healing a few times after a priesthood blessing. It is fantastic! And I believe...