Marriage Retreat

Thank you all for your prayers...the shingles are gone and for the most part the headaches too! The headaches came with the shingles I believe, as it's kind of like fighting off any virus...run down, achy, headaches, fever, etc. I feel much better since they've cleared. I was very blessed to have noticed them on day 1 or 2 so I could get on an antiviral and steroids right away. The meds kept them from really spreading and from getting too yucky or painful. I am now left with just a little patch of dry skin and discoloration on my face. No biggie.

Chad and I were able to go away for the weekend up to Silver Lake for a marriage retreat. It was nice to spend some time away together. This was the first since the surgery and long overdue. We had time to focus on God and each other, away from the stressors of everydayness. Our friends Pastor Bill and Sandy Bennett have a marriage retreat, a men's retreat, and a ladies' retreat every year at their camp AO-WA-KIYA. You can visit them online to learn more about it. They are wonderful and if I were a kid, I'd be there for sure...and when we have kids, you better believe they'll be there.

Feeling much better since the shingles have resolved. Getting a little more energy back, but still pretty tired. Please pray for continued healing...I'm not back to my 100% pre-surgery self yet, but everyone says I look better and better all the time. Thank you for the prayers and support.

Love,
Laura

Shingles

When we posted that I was doing much better and had turned a corner, I really had. I've been feeling crummy lately, especially the last several days and we now know why. I've had more headaches, burning sinus/facial pain, and been more tired. I have shingles on my face! And on the right side...the same side that the tumor was on. Argh. I have a very painful and itchy rash in my right nasolabial fold (where my upper lip meets my cheek). I caught it early and went to see someone so I got put on an antiviral med quickly, so hopefully that will keep it from spreading or getting much worse. I let the neurosurgeon know in case it was of concern because of the proximity of my brain (since the shingles is infecting a nerve that directly exits my brain). He put me on steroids in addition to the antiviral. Yuck...I don't like steroids, but whatever will get me well the fastest. Please pray that this resolves quickly. If it doesn't I will not be able to see babies or my pregnant women at clinic. I need this to heal! And I need these yucky headaches to go away.

I know God doesn't give me more than I can handle...I think we all know I can handle a lot by now. Enough already. Heal me Lord Jesus and make me whole and healthy. Please pray for my speedy recovery. Thank you,

Laura

Please pray

I have a prayer request...I've started getting more headaches lately...I think from the shifting and repositioning of my brain. The membranes that surround the brain are stretching and they have pain fibers, while the brain does not. I've had to take meds for my headaches the last several days which had been rare. Please pray for the headaches to go away and for me not to need any pain medicine...I don't want to have to live on Tylenol to function. Doing well otherwise. Good days and bad days like anyone, but definitely better overall...except for the return of the headaches. Thank you for your prayers. I continue to have faith that I am still in a healing process and am not back to my "new normal" yet...I was told to give that at least a year post surgery. I hope this finds you all well.

Laura