Gleaning Facebook: Lily

 Please continue to pray for Lily.

From Lily's Leukemia Knockout 2.0 on Facebook...

Lily is feeling better. She is still in a lot of pain however we don't see any new mouth sores. So while her mouth is very raw and sore it appears to be healing some. The videos actually came in handy this morning comparing.

She is going to try and drink a smoothie again today. We obviously can't see the sores down her throat and GI tract and how they are doing. Yesterday she got down some sips but then was sick to her stomach. So hoping that goes well today.

She hasn't ate since Friday at lunch and is losing some weight. It seems fine except when I give her the Lovenox shots each day. They get injected into the fat layer of her stomach and I'm having a hard time pinching up really much skin. She says it makes it burn a lot more. Also it is causing her to bruise a lot more. So hope she can get some food in soon.

She also hasn't spiked a fever since last night. Her cough sounds bad but they said her chest sounds better. She also isn't as dependent on oxygen which is good.

She slept last night pretty much straight through. I think she needed the good sleep.

She enjoyed seeing her little cousins yesterday Evey and Mary Bradley. They only stayed a few mins and the visit exhausted her but she was so happy to see them. The way she looked at them was precious. They all cuddled and watched some TV. She loves little kids and especially her two little cousins.

We are trying to figure out what to do about her chemo at this point. She really wants to be home by thanksgiving. I don't know though if she can heal enough for them to start chemo and get the 5 days before Thanksgiving or if they could wait till after. They said once they start they have to finish the 5 days straight. However her mouth sores and pneumonia won't heal if they give the chemo. I personally would love for them to just wait till the Friday after Thanksgiving to start the chemo since that would give her plenty of time to completely heal but they aren't sure they could wait that long since she should have started this Monday. I told Lily to just trust in Deb. That we know she will do everything she can to make sure Lily is home. And we will make it work whatever happens.

One step at a time though just hoping she continues to improve today.

Oh I also got to talk to a fellow cancer mom who took her son to Seattle. We still haven't decided and have lots of questions Deb is working to get answers to but it really helped to talk with her. I'm blessed for the friendship of the fellow cancer moms some of whom I have never actually met. It is an amazing bond between moms. Certain aspects of this journey I don't know if anyone can understand except another mother who has walked in the same shoes. Jennifer was wonderful to talk to last night. Beth came up and visited with me a couple days ago just at the moment I needed a hug the most. Anyway--just wanted to send some love to all of you all--you know who you all are. Thank you.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

 

by Sarah Ruth Baird Shaw, August 11, 1985

This is a transcription of two handwritten pages. The original wording and punctuation were retained where legible.

Page 1

Yesterday, in Aug 1985, my 74 yr old sister & I went in early to see our sister for the first time after her disfiguring facial surgery. The doctor & her nurse had tried to prepare us for what we would see — the swelling. We were not prepared — My sister took one look — turned pale and started for the door but turned back — came to the bed and told Mary how much she loved her and would stay with her. I held Mary’s hand (strapped down beside her) and stroked her brow and still auburn hair and told her that I loved her.

I remembered what she had said before going into surgery. “I asked God to go with me — and He said He would.”

Later I was just overwhelmed with the fragileness of life and I ached and cried with my sister and two

[Continued on page 2]

Page 2

of my brothers (age 80 & 71) and a sister-in-law, and several nephews & nieces.

Then in prayer this morning, I remembered Victor Frankl’s experience in a prison camp — his experience of the presence of God in incredible beauty in the midst of the most gruesome of circumstances — frozen feet — protruding bones — frostbite — hunger — lice —

Our minds are too little to comprehend it — but if the eternal God is with us — we can not just endure — but can actually experience incredible peace and joy in the midst of suffering — and are better off than the most beautiful & healthy young person in the world if that person is lost — spiritually diseased & spiritually dead.

Family identification notes

The patient was our aunt, Mary Elizabeth Baird Shepherd. The accompanying 74-year-old sister was very likely our Aunt Vek (Vera Mae Baird Loyd).  Mary and Vek lived very near each other in Rockmart during the last years of Mary’s life. The brothers (ages 80 and 71) were probably Uncle Bill (William Bogan Baird) and Uncle Charlie (Charles Morrison Baird), both living in the Atlanta area. The sister-in-law may have been Aunr Ruth, Uncle Charlie's wife. These names were not written on these pages.

Editorial note: 

This was a very rough first draft with words crossed out, words written above the live, and so forth. Since the word "type" is written above the page it is likely Mother rewrote this later, but I have not found it.