45 years ago today, Leland was released from the army with an honorable discharge and we came home from Fort Irwin California uncertain of our future, but knowing somehow it would all work out. And it has. God has blessed us through the years with a loving family, a home, 2 wonderful church families and all of you.
Leland continues to feel pretty well, in spite of all the trauma his body has endured. It has been good to be home all week and it was really good to be able to go to both Sabbath School and Church for the first time in 8 months! Also, for the first time in 8 months we went to prayer meeting Wednesday night, which was a blessing. We are slowly getting caught up on projects which had to slide over the months-those things which no one else can do be they ever so willing; things like cleaning out your desk, and clearing the top. He put up some of our outdoor lights, not the icicle lights which require going up on the roof, but the strings he twists around the pillars on the front deck. He also put up the small lighted tree which goes out there, so it looks festive.
He does not have the strength which he had before, so has to pace himself; which is totally against his nature! But he builds the fire most mornings, folds laundry (which I hate doing) pays the bills and did our Christmas letter-another thing I don't really enjoy doing. I do love to get yours though-so I help him a little in between my other projects.
He is having some delayed side effects from the chemo treatments, I think I already mentioned his fingernails had turned brown, now some of them are turning black and they sometimes ooze a little liquid out, and his fingertips feel numb. He has to be careful with his hands, and sometimes I need to do small things for him since he doesn't have enough feeling to button a small button (why do men's shirts have such tiny buttons??) or pick up a small object.
His feet began swelling last Sabbath evening, something which he has never had before. We need to go to town and get some compression stockings which he needs to put on before getting up. We went to the Dalles on Monday and he had an Ultra Sound on his legs to rule out a blood clot. The test was negative, so it is the chemo. It is not painful, and his shoes still fit, so that is good since it will probably last for some time. The side effect of chemo can continue to appear for months after it has stopped, so there may be some other surprises in store, but hopefully this will be the worst of it.
He is eating and sleeping well, and his taste is returning to normal so he is enjoying his food again. I have joined a website with a forum for wives with prostate cancer and found a lot of woment who are going through the same medical and emotional issues as we are, so that is helpful for me, and maybe I can be helpful to some of them in turn.
Thank you Del and Chuck for the stocking caps you made for Leland to cover his head from the cold. He will enjoy having such a nice new one for our walks outside and when we go to town and the weather is really cold. One good thing about his extremely short haircut-he does not have hat head when he takes a stocking cap off!
From Jesus Calling page 352: "I love you with an everlasting Love, which flows out from the depths of eternity. Before you were born, I knew you. Ponder the awesome mystery of Love that encompasses you from before birth to beyond the grave."
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