Calendar Poodle SAL

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

o_0

Hi friends! My ophthalmologist appointment went well. I have healthy eyes. I have nothing wrong with my eyes that would cause headaches. The doctor did say that if I was having headaches from eye problems, the headaches would be across the forehead, not squeezing at the temples. I am getting new lenses for my glasses. My distance vision is slightly worse, but I now also need bifocals. I am getting the progressive lenses. Wow are those ever expensive!!

I will call the neurologist this morning to move up my recheck appointment. I have one scheduled for the beginning of August. Why wait around in pain right?! HOWEVER, I have been experiencing very low pain for three days now. I have been praying fervently for these three days. A LOT more than I ever have about this entire situation. I am so very thankful to God for this relief from the intense pain. Most especially since two of the days were very, very hot. I am still hopeful, believe it or not, that these headaches can just be gone. I am literally at exactly 4 months post steroid injection now.
Yes, I squatted down to get this picture. I am 5'11"tall. That would be one huge hollyhock!
Henry and I went to visit our friend Joyce at the nursing home last Friday. She died 5 days after we last visited her. :( I was so sad, I used my own comfort dog, Henry, right there in the lobby and cried. I pulled myself together and had a bad headache day. It is so hard when I lose a friend like that. We told each other "I love you." We were friends for two years. I miss her already. She would have been 90 in a few weeks. She loved Henry so very, very much. He was wearing his bow tie to show her, as I promised I would for the next visit. Well.... this is not the first time. It will not be the last either. I have been attached to quite a few elderly friends over decades. Can't stop now. ♥

I finished reading Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives by Elder Thaddeus of Vitnovica. What an excellent book.
Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica was one of the most renowned spiritual guides of Serbia in the twentieth century. As a novice he lived in obedience to Elder Ambrose of Miljkovo Monastery, a disciple of the Optina Elders. From him Fr. Thaddeus learned the Prayer of the Heart and the selfless love that came to characterize his whole ministry to the suffering Serbian people.

Born in 1914, Elder Thaddeus lived through all the suffering endured by Serbia in the twentieth century. Over the course of two World Wars, during the Communist takeover, and through the nato bombings of 1999, he co-suffered with his people. He taught, counseled, and prayed for all who came to him in pain and sorrow. His words of love and hope provided spiritual balm for people from all classes of society.

In 2002 Elder Thaddeus reposed, leaving behind a large collection of his teachings, preserved by his faithful spiritual children. His life, teachings, and spiritual conversations are here presented for the first time in English.

I am over halfway done with the July SAL by Snowflower Diaries. I have made small changes. I will share that with you next time.

I hope you are having an excellent week my friends! Thanks for stopping in.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie
"As is our relationship to our neighbor, so is our relationship to God."   Elder Thaddeus

27 comments:

Carolien said...

Hi Vickie,

I am so glad the pain is less for you!!! I hope and pray it will stay like this or better ...
I'm so sorry for your loss, a sweet friend gone. Take care!

Hugs, Carolien

P.S. Your hollyhocks are beautiful! Mine are white and very pale pink but not very big this year. Must be all this rain here. Well, they're all right for me ;)

Annie said...

Hoping maybe you've turned a corner on the headaches. In any case, a little reprieve is welcome.

Manuela said...

Ich freue mich sehr für dich, dass die Kopfschmerzen in den letzten Tagen etwas nachgelassen haben. Ich hoffe es bleibt so.
I wish you a wonderful week.
Manuela

butterfly said...

So sorry for the loss of your friend.
Beautiful flowers, sending hugs.

Unknown said...

Dear Vickie,
I'm so glad to hear that your headaches are somewhat better. You are suffering so long now. I pray for you!! The loss of your friend I'm very sorry, despite their handsome age it is always a farewell.
Feel hugged
Your Sandra

Linda said...

So glad to hear that the headaches have eased up Vickie. Sorry for the loss of your friend.

Linda

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

It is so very heart wrenching when you love and lose a friend like yours. I have many of them, being a Eucharistic minister to the sick, I too (like you) meet many people that are in their last stages of life. I have formed very tight relationships with many of them. Yesterday we buried one that I had visited and carried the Eucharist to for the past year. Sad. But, also a wonderful thing too because I know that they will be held in the arms of their savior.
Pray for you still about your pain issues and was just swinging in from working all day today to see how you are. Stay strong, hope this headache issue is relieved for good soon!

Robin in Virginia said...

Vickie, what good news that you have healthy eyes. I was relieved to hear that you have had lessened pain for a few days now. I am deeply sorry on the loss of your friend. Bless you for caring. Your Hollyhocks are gorgeous. Thinking of you!

rebelrosecreations@gmail.com said...

I do hope that you can find relief from those terrible headaches. Hopefully the pain will stay at a minimum for you in the coming days.
Beautiful post! Always looking forward to reading your post. Happy Stitching! xxxx ~ Christie ~ http://christiescrossstitchcreations.blogspot.com/

gracie said...

Sorry for the loss of your friend. Glad the eyes are okay. Sending hugs to you...

Christina said...

Glad you got a good report on your eyes. Continued prayers that pain subsides. Sorry for your loss.

Barb said...

What pretty hollyhocks! My DH loves them. They remind him of his boyhood. I grow lots of things but just can't seem to get them to grow. I am glad to hear the headaches are a bit better.

Bea said...

It hurts SO much to lose someone you care about whether the relationship has been short or long. Hugs.

I'm glad to hear the pain has been less - there's no one better than the Great Physician - but I still hope you can get some answers.

Margaret said...

It's never easy to lose a friend. You are wonderful to visit these elderly people and give them love and Henry too. I hope you can move up your neurologist appointment and can get some relief. I pray that those low pain days keep up. You deserve an end to all this pain!

The Knitting Cross Stitcher said...

Very good news about your eye check up Vickie.
I understand your sadness,you and Henry helped to make your friend's life here happier ,that is a kind and loving act.

KimM said...

So happy to hear your eye checkup went well and your headaches have given you a little reprieve. So sorry to hear about your sweet friend. My husband and I took our Giant Schnauzer, Bella, to nursing homes, hospices, etc., for two years to visit patients. We, too, became attached to several special people. When they passed, we shed tears for their loss. I know it's difficult, but I know you and Henry brightened her days.
Hugs

Angela Tucker said...

Vickie, I am so sorry on the loss of your friend. There are some people in the world that we know only for a short time, but mean so much to our heart.

I'm glad your headaches are a little less painful, but still praying for you!

Your hollyhocks are so beautiful. I never thought of you as being tall! LOL In my mind, you are a very petite, tiny woman. Maybe because you stitch such tiny things. LOL Silly me!

Stitchy Mc Floss said...

OH sweet friend, I am so sorry to hear of the passing of your friend. I am glad that Henry was there for you in your time of need. I know it must be of some comfort to know that you and Henry brought a lot of happiness to her life.

I have you in my prayers that these low pain days will continue. I also agree with you that they painful headaches can just stop. I will keep you in my prayers sweet friend.

Oh I love the flowers, so pretty.

Wishing you a lovely day filled with many blessings sweet friend. :)

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

So sorry for your loss, I am sure that you and Henry brought a lot of comfort and joy into her life though.

While I am glad your eyes are healthy, it's a shame they were not causing the headaches because new glasses would have sorted them! Just out of interest - how much are varifocals/progressives? I have minus 10 eyesight and paid £300 for one pair of varifocals with thinner lenses and one pair of sunglasses with single vision non-thinner lenses this year. The frames for the second pair were free (or that would have been another £85). I considered that a reasonable price as they will last at least two years and I'm a danger to myself without them!

Honeybee said...

I love hollyhocks! The ones I grew in Texas were taller than the first floor of our house! I tried growing them here but have had problems with rust, and I don't really have a good bed for them. Looking forward to growing them again when we move back home.

Penny said...

I'm glad you have had some relief from your pain, Vickie. I too am still hopeful that you will be completely rid of these headaches. Sorry to hear about your friend. I think it is wonderful the work you and Henry do. I'm sure it brightens their day to receive a visit from the two of you. I would love to be able to grow gorgeous hollyhocks like yours - unfortunately I just don't have any luck with them. Looking forward to seeing your July SAL. : )

Brigitte said...

Oh Vickie, so sorry for you to have lost your elderly friend at the nursing home. But it must be good to know that your and Henry's visits brightened her days until the end.
It's always so great to read that your pain has lessened, and I always hope that it stays this way. And even when worse days come you know that it gets better again. Always hoping the best for you, Vickie.

Julie said...

Sad news you lost a friend, {{hugs}}.
Love the hollyhock, what a magnificent colour that is.
xx

Weronika said...

I am very glad you feel better. So sorry for your friend. Take care.

Thoeria said...

So sorry to read about the passing of your friend x
Hoping that the pain will remain at bay!

Carol said...

I'm so sorry to read about your friend, Vickie, but just think of all the happiness you and Henry brought Joyce over the past couple of years. She was blessed to have you two in her life :)

I have faith that your headaches will be gone one day, too!

moreofhim said...

Oh, Vickie...I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. So glad you had Henry there to comfort you and hug you.

Believe it or not, we used to have tons of Hollyhocks that grew in the alley behind my home when I grew up. I thought they were gorgeous but my mother called them a horrible weed. lol I grow those horrible weeds now and LOVE them. I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder. That one you took the picture of is gorgeous and I love the color.

Blessings - Julie