Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[ariel]

Arwen - sending good thoughts/vibes your way.

[louannems]

I hope it's a new job!

[Arwen Evenstar]

14 minutes ago, louannems said:

I hope it's a new job!

That would be good news. Thanks in advance for your prayers.

[emma675]

Keep us posted, Arwen. We're here for you.

I'm having a rotten day. My boss from hell is still my boss from hell, I was supposed to get one of my fake teeth replaced today (it got knocked out a long time ago) and they numbed me all up, took off the old one and then realized the new one wasn't the right size. So now I get to do this all over again next week. Then I got a call from my gyno that my routine pap smear came back abnormal and I have to go in for further testing. I've had one abnormal pap before but they just had me do another smear a few months later, no coming in for another test right away, which makes me freak out. All of this after I got a clean result on my first mammogram last week. I guess I can't get two clean tests at once!

[SMama]

@emma675 hope it's just a misunderstanding with your Pap smear and all is well.  Sorry about your tooth.

@Arwen Evenstar lots of good vibes/ positive thoughts going your way, and virtual cases of hard liquor. 

[Readalot]

@Arwen Evenstar I hope the time goes fast with the results you need. Prayers for you. 

[Jeeves]

@Arwen Evenstar - sending good thoughts, and virtual cheesecakes.

[Sew Sumi]

@Arwen Evenstar Positive vibes and virtual booze of your choice headed your way. 

[awaken]

Thinking of all of you going through worrisome times and needing support. 

[lookeyloo]

Sending positive vibes your way @Arwen Evenstar

[Love2dance]

2 hours ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

Dear Forum Friends,

Right now I need your prayers, good vibes, or whatever you like to call it. The next few weeks of my life promise to be very difficult and challenging.  I will update you as I know more.  In the meantime, I'll be here for the snark.

AE

Sending good thoughts and love to you ARWEN EVENSTAR. Hope everything will be better soon. 

[Love2dance]

@emma675, wishing you a better new tooth and good results on your next pap. I've been called back in right away and also in a few months with questionable paps. About the boss from hell....I'm sending him virtual daggers. And sending you love and less stressful times.

[emma675]

Thank you, Love2dance, that makes me feel better!

[Arwen Evenstar]

2 minutes ago, Love2dance said:

@emma675, wishing you a better new tooth and good results on your next pap. I've been called back in right away and also in a few months with questionable paps. About the boss from hell....I'm sending him virtual daggers. And sending you love and less stressful times.

Aw, Emma, so sorry to hear that someone has been making you miserable at your job.  We all spend too doggone much time at work to be miserable.

Thanks to everyone for the virtual love. It means so much.

[Barb23]

5 hours ago, Love2dance said:

@emma675, wishing you a better new tooth and good results on your next pap. I've been called back in right away and also in a few months with questionable paps. About the boss from hell....I'm sending him virtual daggers. And sending you love and less stressful times.

I read the one line as "sending him virtual DUGGARS"  (not daggers).  I'm thinking Duggars may be worse than daggers.

Arwen and Emma - sending good wishes & prayers your way.  Hope things turn out well for both of you.

[GeeGolly]

9 hours ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

Dear Forum Friends,

Right now I need your prayers, good vibes, or whatever you like to call it. The next few weeks of my life promise to be very difficult and challenging.  I will update you as I know more.  In the meantime, I'll be here for the snark.

AE

Whatever is going on I hope the challenges turn out to be easier than expected.

I know you love humor. Maybe one of these can help in keeping it together ...

Edited March 8, 2017 by GeeGolly

[Westiepeach]

We are here for you, Arwen. Full frontal hugs out to you!

[Jellybeans]

Hope everything goes well for you Arwen.

[Micks Picks]

The very best to you Arwen.  You are responsible for so many good things in my life.  Your comments are the best, and you should have the best.

[Natalie68]

17 hours ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

Dear Forum Friends,

Right now I need your prayers, good vibes, or whatever you like to call it. The next few weeks of my life promise to be very difficult and challenging.  I will update you as I know more.  In the meantime, I'll be here for the snark.

AE

Giant good vibes coming your way!  Take care!

[Arwen Evenstar]

1 hour ago, Micks Picks said:

The very best to you Arwen.  You are responsible for so many good things in my life.  Your comments are the best, and you should have the best.

Your post made me bawl my eyes out. Thank you MP!

I have been so very deeply touched by the love and caring extended to me from all of you. It means so much. You have no idea!

[Marigold]

Arwen, Just saw this. I noticed you were missing from some of the threads and came here to search for you!

Hope you are OK and things get better for you.  

[Jynnan tonnix]

Best vibes and wishes, Arwen and Emma! Hope everything works out! 

[Marigny]

Wasn't sure what thread to post this in so I'll do it here. 

Have y'all seen this? 

MY CULT STORY (A DOCUMENTARY FILM)

“We were supposed to change the world. And that meant being this weird kind of extraordinary that was defined by Gothard’s lists. When that’s your normal, your everyday status quo, the message that’s hammered into you is just ‘You’re not good enough, you’re not good enough, you’re not good enough, you’re not good enough.'”

I met Jake Youngman a few months ago, when he was producing a documentary as a high school senior project. He had grown up near the IBLP Headquarters outside Chicago, and had always been curious about “the cult next door”.

http://micahjmurray.com/my-cult-story-a-documentary-film/

[Arwen Evenstar]

Awwwww you guys! Missed you too.  It has been an exhausting week on so many levels.

I finally caught up with the boards...took seemingly forever to catch up. 

Another bloody courtship? To date out of 19, 4 weddings, 1 engagement, 1 new courtship out of 11 adult kids.

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. Stay tuned; there are no commercials. The next two weeks will be especially rough.

To add insult to injury, one of my favorite engineers whose expertise I respected, passed away 2 weeks after being diagnosed with a very aggressive form of lung cancer, and a cherished family friend is having surgery this coming Tuesday to remove a grapefruit sized tumor from her stomach...I'm praying it's benign. I lost my dad to stomach cancer.

[Love2dance]

@Arwen Evenstar, been thinking about you all week. Thanks for checking in. So sorry you are continuing to have such a stressful time, including the health crisis and passing of good friends. Many hugs and hopeful wishes.

[Micks Picks]

Good news for me so far, Arwen.  Hired a guy locally to help me with daily life, which has not included anything that needs to be done in the home yet )clean, paperwork, etc) because every day almost has been driving me to medical apps, to visit my sister who had complications and still does from surgery in Dec, and to take dog to the park and for walks.  Then realized I needed to get dog Mikey's wellness visit and shots before the dog pound came for licenses and fined me.  So took him to local vet who found tumor very near anus and referred me to vet in Culver City which is agony to get to and get around.  He drove.  Gave estimate of over $5k surgery.  Wet back the next week for surgery, the day after pick him up, and man now loves Mikey and helps scare for him.   Mikey so far is doing ok but can't sit still and be quiet (not his breed) and won't take pills and so we do all special stuff for it.  Think we beat the cancer tho, so far tests are in the clear.  I went to get appt for my aneurism surgery, told doc, listen I know a lot of people lately who have had complcations, even died after surgery so let's be very mindful of that and really check things.  He called the same day, told me to come back the next week.  He did the measurement again and said better stents may be available for me with the head of dept at UCLA and tranfererred  me  there.  Will go  in  neext week.  So  glad I told the first vascular guy to be mindful.  Happy that after a miserable couple of weeks of recovery my stressed out Mikey will be back to full health.  He has so many dog an people friends who love him and are concerned.  And he got his license on time.   So the place my be a dump, my paperwork is not done, but I've got a good man who is happy to drive us all over.  I pay, but couldn't have found a better guy.

[Love2dance]

@Micks Picks, glad your pup is doing better, you have a great helper, and hopefully on your way to a successful surgery. Sending sympathy for your drives to Culver City and UCLA...no matter who is driving. Ugh.

Remember to set your clocks forward an hour. ?

[Arwen Evenstar]

@Micks Picks, much love and prayers for your upcoming surgery. Aneurysms are nothing to mess about with, but it seems you are in very competent medical hands.

Glad your sweet puppy is on the mend and you've got competent help that acts in your best interests.

[magpye29]

Well, you all know I pop in and out depending on what I'm watching on TV.  This forum is hard to keep up with because if you don't read every day, the posts pile up and then it's weeks of catching up.  I've mostly been following The Walking Dead forum and now Dancing with the Stars since the new season starts next week.  I don't actually watch this show, just read the forums and check out magazine articles when my aunt gives me her back issues of People.  

This has been the worst year and a quarter of my whole life, starting with my husband dumping me right before Christmas 2015, my 16-year-old dog dying in August, and my father dying a week ago.  We were all very coy about my father's death because my mother forbade us to put it on facebook, so we were all trying to get around that, but she finally lifted the ban.  I'm killing time waiting for it to be time to go to the funeral home for the wake.  It was supposed to be tomorrow, but they moved it to today because of the nor'easter that's supposed to blow through here tomorrow night into Wednesday.  (When I asked how that would affect the funeral on Wednesday, since we're expecting 18 inches of snow, I got my head snapped off--my family took the fun OUT OF dysfunctional!)  I also haven't heard back from the church music director about when we're going to get together to practice the hymns for the funeral, so I'm very anxious about that.  I've called and left him several messages and texts, so I hope it won't be too long till I hear from him.  

I've been very lonely the last year and a half, so this forum has been a lifesaver.  I am very interested to hear that TWoP is supposedly coming back, although I don't know if I could go back there--I often got warnings for my posts, and I prefer the more laissez-faire approach we have here.  Also, I like boards on boards: makes me feel like I'm on the inside even though I tend to be peripheral.

All the stuff with WW makes me anxious because I have this weird, eventful life and worry that people might think I'm making stuff up, but I promise you, I'm easy to find on facebook and my thread will confirm my claims (if you can wade through all the posts I think are funny and announcement of my bingo bonuses!).  

Arwen and Emma, all my best to you in your struggles.  I hope the coming weeks bring you good news.  I feel somehow close to so many of you here, and that really has been a comfort.  I smile and laugh and cry with you all even if I don't post about it.

[emma675]

Aw, magpye, I'm so glad you checked back in! I was wondering how you were doing. Condolences on your father, you've had a tough go of it lately.

I had a colposcopy on Thursday, which was not the most fun I've ever had but not terrible. I'm always grateful for my high pain tolerance during times like this. The gyno said he didn't see anything serious but we'll wait on the pathology to be 100% sure.

I'm traveling to Chicago for work tonight, at the job I still hate so much. I was so drained this weekend, this stupid job is taking up my time and every thought lately and I still can't keep up.

[Love2dance]

So sorry, @magpye29, I hope the year will get better for you after you get through the funeral. I'm glad you were able to reschedule before the storm. Hang in there....sending hugs!

@emma675, So sorry your job is causing you such stress. Hoping it improves, somehow. And good luck on your results (from a fellow colposcopy test lady).

[ChiCricket]

I agree, the stuff with WW makes me much more leary of posting anything personal.     I know I believed that WW stuff 100%..until she posted a pic that was too perfect.

I said all that to say this:

  Today is my husband and my 48th wedding anniversary.

        I got married at age 16 (take a guess why...LOL)  

       They said it wouldn't last, but it did. (I'm stubborn like that)

     Just felt like sharing something happy :)

[GeeGolly]

Sorry to all you ladies having a tough time. Congrats to @ChiCricket. And I also live in the Nor'easter blizzard area. My hope is that at least the power stays on.

[ChiCricket]

Thanks @GeeGolly. I echo hoping everyone going through a hard time gets better luck, very, very SOON.

    I hit the  heart when someone posts something unhappy, just to show I've read it, and sympathize, but I'm usually too lazy to post a reply. (Just being honest) 

Illinois is *supposed* to get hit  with a bunch of snow around 10 pm, but I'll believe it when I see it. It's been a very very snow less winter here.

 I actually like snow (well, I like to watch it, not to actually shovel it or drive in it) ;-)

[Westiepeach]

14 minutes ago, ChiCricket said:

Thanks @GeeGolly. I echo hoping everyone going through a hard time gets better luck, very, very SOON.

    I hit the  heart when someone posts something unhappy, just to show I've read it, and sympathize, but I'm usually too lazy to post a reply. (Just being honest) 

Illinois is *supposed* to get hit  with a bunch of snow around 10 pm, but I'll believe it when I see it. It's been a very very snow less winter here.

 I actually like snow (well, I like to watch it, not to actually shovel it or drive in it) ;-)

NE Ohio is also supposed to get hit hard. We are under a storm watch until Wednesday night. And since we live smack dab in the snow belt, we are gonna get hit. Starting to come down now. Luckily I own my own graphic design business and brought a bunch of files home with me. Plus I live 4 minutes from my office, so if the roads are not too bad, I can get to work.

Just drive safely, everybody!

[Absolom]

Everyone in the storm path, stay safe and warm!

[magpye29]

School has already been cancelled for tomorrow.  I have milk, bread, and cat food aplenty, so I'm good.  I hope everyone is prepared for this storm, because it's supposed to be a doozy!

[Love2dance]

5 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

 Today is my husband and my 48th wedding anniversary.

        I got married at age 16 (take a guess why...LOL)  

       They said it wouldn't last, but it did. (I'm stubborn like that)

     Just felt like sharing something happy :)

Congratulations, @ChiCricket, what a great accomplishment. And it was lovely to read something happy!

Stay safe, everyone in the storm's path. 

[ChiCricket]

4 hours ago, Absolom said:

 

Edited March 14, 2017 by ChiCricket
too blabby tonight

[frenchtoast]

Congrats, @ChiCricket! So lovely hearing about happy endings :)

11 hours ago, magpye29 said:

School has already been cancelled for tomorrow.  I have milk, bread, and cat food aplenty, so I'm good.  I hope everyone is prepared for this storm, because it's supposed to be a doozy!

Yes, school is closed here. Yesterday morning they were saying 12-18 inches. This morning it's down to 3-5. Even so, the winds are a concern, especially since with the expected rain the snow will be heavy which will bring tree limbs. I hope we don't lose power.

[GeeGolly]

Snowing fast and hard here. Could see up to two feet.

[AUgirl]

I'm in Alabama--no snow but it's freezing (literally) after being close to the 80's last week. 

[Jynnan tonnix]

Visiting my husband in Virginia...had some rain overnight, but nothing but some drizzle here now. My mother, and my daughter & son-in-law both live fairly close to our home in Connecticut, and they are getting walloped with snow and wind right now. Hope their power stays on. If not, I guess they can all move over to our place for a bit, as we have a nice wood stove, plus a couple of gas fireplaces and a gas stove/oven.  Plus we are well stocked up on wine! LOL

[emma675]

I'm in Chicago for work today and it's been snowing since yesterday but nothing too terrible. Coming from Texas, I love snow because it's so rare. I just hope my flight gets out on time tonight.  Be safe in the storms, everyone!

Got the results of my colposcopy back--abnormal cells but nothing to worry about, my body should take care of it on its own. I have to go back for another pap in 6 months just to check again. All that worry for nothing! Six years ago when I had an abnormal pap, they didn't make me go through all of this, just another pap in 3 months. Apparently, my gyno's office has upped their testing when anything abnormal comes back, no matter how serious or not. I can't decide if I like this or not.

[SMama]

While you decide please allow me to congratulate you on the good news. I'm glad to know you are OK.

[crazycatlady58]

I will second  the congratulations . 

[Sew Sumi]

Great news, @emma675! I only get a pap every 3 years now, which baffles me, but it's apparently an age thing. Thank goodness the last one I had (about a year ago) was normal. 

[Love2dance]

@emma675, glad to hear your good news. I think I vote on the extra worry that goes along with more testing. I would rather know, and be able to take care of anything that needs attention. Unfortunately, I am a worrier, so it isn't fun while waiting for procedures and results.

Safe travels tonight!

[Arwen Evenstar]

5 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

Great news, @emma675! I only get a pap every 3 years now, which baffles me, but it's apparently an age thing. Thank goodness the last one I had (about a year ago) was normal. 

Great news, @emma675. As someone who's had a lot of cancer in her family, I cheer for anyone who hears those blessed words, "normal" or "benign". 

Cervical abnormalities are very treatable. Though annoying to have to keep testing, the peace of mind is priceless. I had laser surgery on mine in 1991. Kept getting abnormal paps. Regular gyno wasn't on my insurance, when this was going on, but the one who was used silver nitrate made it go away finally. Every one since then has been normal, thank God.

@magpye29 so sorry to hear of your terrible year of rainy days. 

Thank you for your kind words and I really hope you get to have some good news and happiness soon.