June

And here we are at the end of June, celebrating the close of another school year.  

Of course I never came back and finished up May's blog post so I'll try to give a small update.  In May, my body continued to experience a worsening arthritic flare-up as I waited to get in to see a doctor. I went to the ER once and while it helped in some ways, I learned that they cannot give cortisone.  

Near the end of May I was using a toilet riser, a grab bar in the bathtub and was barely walking even with the use of a walker.  I was so thankful for all of that equipment.  

God provided abundantly and I was able to see a new doctor on May 29.  He drained my two knees and injected cortisone into my knees.  This was perfect timing as it enabled me to prepare for and celebrate Lily-Anna and Graham's birthdays.  

Now, onto June.  I had thought that this procedure would leave me feeling great.  It took about a week for my knees to get back to 100% and then I think I had about four days of feeling really good and then I was experiencing pains again.  I had these pains before my appointment but I had thought they were just due to how my body needed to compensate with my knees so swollen.  The pain was in my thighs, groin, lower back, and clavicle/neck/shoulder area.  After googling these symptoms and remembering things my mother has told me about her pain in the past, I realized that these feelings were due to arthritis in the left hip and in the sternoclavicular joint (a joint I did not know existed).  

I need to start new medicine but after my doctor's appointment, Lily-Anna and I tested positive for strep which meant I needed to take antibiotics for ten days.  Then it was recommended that I have a Covid booster shot as my new medicine will suppress my immune system to some extent.  After doing that, I read that it may be best to wait 14 days before starting the new medicine in order to get maximum immunity to Covid.  So, that's where I am now.  I will start the new medicine in a little over a week and it apparently takes 6-8 weeks until it shows its full effects.  I took this medicine a few years ago and it seemed to work for me then.

Graham and I enjoyed a delicious anniversary dinner at the Keg

Thankfully my hip is feeling a lot better.  My left hand remains a little swollen at all times and my clavicle area usually has some issues.  Pain in my foot, hands, back, and hip comes and goes.  So, that's the story at the moment.  I'm headed in the right direction and so thankful for how God and my family, friends, and church have helped me and prayed for me.  Graham has certainly picked up my slack and done a great job.  He wisely asked Isaac to make his own lunches from now on and he hasn't complained.

Sadly, I can't play with my kids the way they would like to play such as throwing the football or baseball or playing soccer.  The youngest two and I will miss out on strawberry picking, though my in-laws blessed us with some delicious fresh strawberries.  I'm also unable to volunteer for VBS.  I'm not complaining.  I am SO thankful that I can walk.  When Lily-Anna had strep throat I was just so thankful that I was able to take her to see the doctor and care for her because a few days earlier I would not have been able to do so.  

I went for a physio assessment last week and have some exercises to help.  I last went to see him when Isaac was a baby so I was glad to find him.  

I'm praying that the transition to this medicine goes well.  I'm not a big fan of injecting strong chemicals into my body.  However, I am going to try to focus on thanking God for the drug and for the ability to walk and play with my children as I inject it.  

As always, we finished the school year with both Graham and me picking up the kids from school and heading to the store that makes slushies.  Actually, this year both Isaac and I went to the bakery for a cake pop instead.  This time just Graham and Lily-Anna walked home in the heat and the rest of us drove.

The kids are happy to be on summer vacation.  Isaac received an ORMTA Award of Recognition from his music teacher, Kohen completed his Music for Young Children program, and Lily-Anna auditioned and played the piano in a primary talent show at school.  Isaac also enjoyed playing the trumpet in an Honour Band in May and Kohen received his next belt in Karate.  

Today, at the end of our second day of summer vacation, Lily-Anna has now thrown up four times.  She's in good spirits and feeling quite a lot better.  Hopefully she's finished.  She and Kohen were spinning a lot at a playground this afternoon and were in the hot sun so I'm not sure if that contributed to this or not.  The rest of us are feeling good so far thankfully.

It was a joy to see my Auntie Celia this month visiting from England.  I miss her living here but I am thankful she can be near my cousin, her daughter (Happy birthday Natasha!).  

Lily-Anna followed the directions from a Youtube video

It's time to say goodnight.  

Blessings,

Elizabeth

Psalm 62:7

On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.