April it is...
So the date is finally set for the big one––April 11th. BIG one as in the rib tumors surgery. If you haven’t been following, I have two large benign tumors on each of two ribs, one on the front right side and one on the back right side. They have been there for years undetected until last summer when discovered in my chiropractor’s office and from there the search was on for a diagnosis. The tumors are growing into the chest cavity so not noticeable from the outside. Now they have to come out because of their present size and the future danger to my spine or organs. A CT has shown the tumors have not grown since last fall so the surgery can proceed with out any problems.

The ordeal of waiting for a date for this surgery and to get it all over with has been a long one. Kenn and I have had our lives put on hold since last June from the initial diagnosis and the subsequent discovery of breast cancer. Having closed our cleaning business and moved from Tucker to my parents’ home in Marietta has changed our life from one that was once productive to one of complete dependence on others and our heavenly Father. This time has been both humbling and at times embarrassing to a period of drawing closer to God and worthwhile faith building. We are both in a place of daily seeking God for our next steps.

My days are filled with never ending paperwork for medical claims, hospital financial aide and income taxes. Yea!! I finished that blasted tax return! The time I’m not at my desk we are shuttling my Mom or Dad to doctor appointments and more-than-can-be-counted errands for their busy lives ( although they are in assisted living ). My doctor appointments have been numerous as well with January having been another health crisis. And now I approach the April surgery. In March alone we, Mom and Dad will have had eight doctor appts and/or procedures, I will have had seven appts and/or procedures and Kenn one doctor’s appt. I’m stunned at how much of a full time job this has been! I am so disappointed that I have not been able to paint. I need uninterrupted time to get back into the patterns of creative thinking in order to practice my craft again. It seems impossible to get to that place. I’m trying....

Overall my life is full of love, hope and joy. Moving to Marietta has been a blessing in that I’m nearer to my family and closer relationships are developing as a result. Kenn and I are finally able to share more in the care of our parents and we are trying to make up for the absence when we lived farther away. We have no doubts about God’s moving us back to Marietta during this season of our lives.

We have not left all behind in Tucker though. We still have "family" there as well and go to our church on LaVista Road twice a week. All our newer friends ( from the last 20 years or more ) live in Northeast Atlanta and we miss being close to them. Most of our business clients have become close friends and they have supported us continually through these last seven months. We are so blessed to have so many extraordinary people in our lives. I thank God every day.

praising God....
I'm past my surgery on my carotid artery and recovering slowly. All is well just not back to full strength after the flu and hospital stay and surgery. I was in bed most of January and it really zapped my energy and strength. All my nice muscles from cleaning houses have disappeared and I'm feeling like an old lady. : 0  BUT I'm not complaining too much because God has so protected me from so much more serious health conditions. My right artery was blocked 90%! but thankfully my left had no blockage. I was so blessed to have the warning signs of a approaching major stroke. I'm so thankful that all my arms, legs and hands are working with no permanent damage!!!!

After a post-op visit to the vascular surgeon I have approval to have my upcoming ribs surgery in March. I'm still awaiting a date but am sure that it will happen next month. I'm still confident that the surgery was delayed in November ( from insurance denials ) until next month because God was protecting me from complications of the blocked artery. A stroke could have easily happened during a surgery in November. My trust and faith in God grows with each day as I see his protective, loving, providing, and sovereign hand at work in mine and Kenn's lives.

Kenn and I are still being blessed by so many of you with financial support and gifts to help with ongoing medical bills and living expenses. Some have been asking about how to give or for our address.  In the column on the right you will see my email address where you can inquire about our current address. Also in the same column you will see a link to my fund raiser - Marilyn King Survivor Fund. Just click and you will be there. Thanks to you all for continued support and prayers for Kenn and I. We are forever changed by God's love through you all!

more drama....
After my last post in December I just coasted the rest of the year through Christmas and New Year and planned on hitting the ground running in January to file taxes, catch up on correspondence and get my studio set up to paint.  Those plans were dashed when Kenn and I got the "flu bug" that was an epidemic. Mine developed into a bad Sinus infection and I was sick over two weeks. During the illness I developed symptoms of dizziness, short periods of numbness and paralysis and weakness in the left hand and arm and a couple of times I could not lift my left eyebrow. All this began upon taking an antibiotic for the sinus infection and the side effects on the Rx indicated numbness, muscle weakness and dizziness. I quit the antibiotics thinking that they were the cause but the symptoms persisted a few times a day for another week and I went to my primary doctor on Monday this week to have it checked out.

He sent me right away to the emergency room. After many tests that day I was admitted to Northside Hospital and remained there until Thursday afternoon (yesterday). I had CT's, Xrays, blood work,  sonograms, you name it. The conclusion was that I had been experiencing mini stokes, or TIA's. These can be warnings that a stoke could happen soon. The sonogram of my right carotid artery in my right neck showed blockage of some kind which had been decreasing the blood flow to the brain. After blood thinners, anti clotting injections, aspirin, and cholesterol medicine, the symptoms ceased and I stayed in the hospital for observation. I'll have surgery next Friday the 1st to have my artery slit open and scraped out.

You would think that I'd be upset about yet another condition added to my long list but I'm just so thankful and am blessed that I had this warning and avoided a stroke! Looking back at the disappointment of my rib surgery being delayed and cancelled in November, I'm convinced of God's intervention in timing and of his protection. With the developing blockage, I could have had a major stroke during the major surgery on my rib tumors if it had been performed in November. These are my thoughts and not from doctors but I'm confident that I'm being protected and cared for by my heavenly father. I thank him constantly that my left side is now symptom free, I'm feeling good and will have surgery to fix the blockage. There will be no permanent damage from these mini strokes!

Thank all you facebook friends that have left words of encouragement and held up prayers for me and Kenn. We continue to ask you to pray for provision during this time as well. God has been faithful to provide all our needs and will be going forward. We have not gone without yet and all is due to you many wonderful folks who have supported us financially and allowed God to provide through your generosity, sacrifice and loving care. Kenn and I are so appreciative and humbled by your gifts. We will be forever changed by the abundant love.

time to reflect....

I've known the result of the independent review of my Humana Health Insurance denial for over a week now which was sooner than expected. I don't know if I was surprised that the denial was upheld. In fact, after reading the letter of the decision and sharing it with Kenn I just had no emotion at all and put the entire issue out of mind. I didn't want to write a post about it until I had time to process what I do think about it. To date I still have no emotion about it, just the assurance that this is God's timing and I don't have to think about it anymore. That is a great thing! All those appeals, letters and paperwork were just not fun. I will never regret doing my part in trying to right a wrong with the preexisting issue but am excepting defeat gracefully.

I have two months to get healthy again and prepare for the surgery in March. March 1 is when my policy has been in force for 12 months and Humana will cover any preexisting conditions. The delay will probably not effect the surgery in a significant way, but the denial of coverage for procedures done to date for the diagnosis of the rib tumors will remain. I continue to receive bills for various tests, images, and biopsies for the benign rib tumors but am having success receiving some financial help from some of the providers. The balances have all reached 90 days and the bill collectors are getting pushy. I've been pleased that most will work with us.

I'm always asked how I'm feeling. Until recently I have been feeling great but since my last little surgery on November 6 I've had some continuing physical discomforts as a result of antibiotics. In my last post I mentioned how several rounds of antibiotics over the last few months have caused me to have a candida yeast "overgrowth". This systemic condition continues and will for a while. Getting one's body back in balance with this is not a quick fix and the treatments always make you feel worse before feeling better. This is a result of “die off”of the yeast and the resulting toxins released into you system faster than you can eliminate them. So one has to pace oneself for a long and sometimes slow healing. The common symptoms that I'm experiencing are headaches, nausea, “fuzzy” head, trouble concentrating, fatigue, lack of motivation, depression, dizziness and drunk feeling. These symptoms are all debilitating and I'm having a difficult time doing anything more than what is absolutely necessary. My “to do” lists haunts me. The Christmas cards sit on the table, boxes are still not unpacked, thank you notes never written, no paintings on the easel and on and on. I have difficulty getting up at an early hour and have finally in just the last two days risen at a un-embarrassing hour. I only share this, so that those of you that have experienced a similar result from too many antibiotics can know that you are not alone or crazy. It is not in your head! Some docs don't have a clue. I know that I'll have to take more antibiotics with the next few surgeries but my current treatments for the yeast are to just try to keep it all in check as much as possible. Like I said I'll just have to eat a good diet and try to kill off as much yeast as possible. The symptoms should begin to taper off soon. I've dealt with this before a couple of times so have been down this road before, but just not to this degree. I'll leave it at that, I don't want to get on my candida yeast soap box! 

Thanks to you all for your continued support, prayers, an care for Kenn and I. If I don't post in the next 10 days, then I'll now wish you all a very blessed and wonderful Christmas!!!!!  

yeastie beasties....
All is going well except for some pesky fungi overgrowing in my whole system. Anyone that has had multiple doses of antibiotics can experience an overgrowth of the natural candida yeast normally found in our bodies. The antibiotics kill off the healthy bacteria in your gut that keeps the yeast in control. The overgrown yeast can get into your blood stream and cause all sorts of mischief. In my case I had begun feeling "sickish" since my minor out patient surgery on November 6. I was feeling irritable first ( to be expected ) and then I began having whooshing sounds in my head, rapid heart beat, drunk-like dizziness, headaches, and a complete brain fog along with some hives. I just felt pretty awful for a week and just hibernated in the house with absolutely no motivation to do anything except the necessary.

 I thought at first I was just recovering from the anesthesia and the fatigue of the long drawn out move. But then it dawned on me! I've had 4 rounds of antibiotics since May beginning with a root canal that I had that month. Then three more after my three surgeries ( lumpectomy, mastectomy, and nipple removal) with antibiotics after each. No wonder I had a yeast overgrowth!

I was glad that I could recognize this nasty condition due to having had to treat and eliminate the same problem in the early 80's. With helpful info online and getting some supplements and following the no-yeast diet, I have eliminated most of the uncomfortable symptoms in the last 4 days. I have to continue to avoid sugar and starches ( which feed the yeast ) as much as possible for a while and take some probiotics to replenish the healthy bacteria destroyed by the antibiotics. I have felt worse from this condition than any to date in my current health ordeal. Wouldn't you know that it was caused by the treatment of drugs making me sick!  But a necessary assault on my body, I suppose.

I've not heard from the Independent Review Organization reviewing my newest insurance appeal. I would hope to hear early but their time limit is up on Dec 14th. I'll just keep on waiting, but it is tiresome. At least I've had a chance to treat the yeast toxins and be in better health when the time comes. Also I'm so thankful for the time to recover and unpack from the move. This is also tiresome...... but we are settling into our new digs in Marietta and enjoying being close to family.

In the last appeal to the IRO I include images of my rib Hemangiomas. I took some camera shots of my CT scans from the Doctor's computer screen, uploaded them to my computer, and printed out hard copies to send along with other documents and letters. I'll share these images  below for you to see what I've been describing in previous posts. These CT images are viewed from below looking up toward my head so the right side of my body will appear on the left. They are "slices" of my mid section at different points along my chest.  The CT was taken in May of 2012.

 Posterior 7th right rib
 tumor
( lower left of chest wall
near spine )

Front right 5th rib tumor ( behind right breast )


I'll take a break on Thursday from my self-induced restriction on all things good to eat. Yum, pies and cake and the cornbread stuffing! My yeasties will love it but so will I. Happy Thanksgiving to you all and may you be blessed this season. 

if you haven't heard....
I'm not having the huge rib surgery tomorrow. I was not able to obtain an expedited independent review to appeal my continued denial of coverage for the rib tumors. The surgery was canceled and now we are waiting for up to 45 days ( standard review ) to get a decision from the IRO ( independent review organization ).

 I'm hoping and praying that a decision will come sooner and that if the ruling is overturned that my surgery could be scheduled before the end of the year. It would save us lots of money to get it in before January 1 because we have already met our max out of pocket for this year. You may think we are disappointed but after the move has worn us out we are relieved that we will have time to recover from the physical toll of this last month. I am having a minor procedure related to the breast cancer tomorrow in an outpatient surgery but will recover in a day or two and be back to normal. It will give us some time to unpack here in Marietta and get our life back in order.

The move took us longer than expected and it was just today ( Monday ) that we were finally able to hand over the keys to our landlord. We celebrated the day had FINALLY arrived! We really thought this day would never get here such was the difficulty of the move. We both walk with a limp, are stooped over a bit, have a few more gray hairs and constantly forget what day it is. Moving ages us old folks at least 3 years in a month.  Again, I state that we are glad that tomorrow is NOT my big surgery! God is watching out for us! His timing is always best.

I will keep you posted on the independent review. We appreciate all of you who have been so interested in how we are doing, praying for us, supporting us and loving us. We are humbled. 

letting go feels good....
Yes, letting go as in GARAGE SALE! Kenn and I just completed a two day garage/estate sale and God brought the people. We were amazed at how many people were believers. I gave away many Bibles, spiritual study books and Christian themed illustrations ( wouldn't think of selling but giving ). I loved giving away small illustrations that had been published in Mission's magazines for children for the Baptist Home Mission Board. I've been keeping all these for who knows what, and made many little children happy with some original art. I loved the little guy who wanted the picture of a family gathered around their dining room table reading the Bible. I asked him if he knew what they were doing. He said yes they are reading the Bible, "I love reading the Bible". It blessed my heart.

Wow, what a successful sale it was! We made enough to support us for a month during our time without income.We have been so blessed and learned so much during this month of moving and time of need. We will be much more ready to help and serve people in the future. So many folks have given of themselves physically, financially, prayerfully and just moral support and encouragement. We have Tom as our daily angel. He would be embarrassed to know that I am even sharing about him but I just have to. He is 80 and has been by our side for more than two weeks almost daily. His van has taken loads of stuff to Marietta and our Tucker storage unit more times than I can count. He and Kenn have loaded the things and Tom wears Kenn out! I think he runs on High Test Holy Spirit. I know he has the gift of service, there is no doubt about that.

So now we have until the end of the day on Wednesday, October 31 to have all things out of the rental house and much work is left to be done. A combination of moving some things to storage still to be sold or kept, and moving things to the end of the drive for trash pick up will keep us busy tomorrow. Then we will have the rest taken or picked up by non-profit org. and the rest to the dump. We may have to hire some junk removal service to do the final haul. We will be sooooo glad to be done. We are so physically tired and need a rest.

Due to some set back, I didn't get my review request for Humana sent out until Thursday evening. If I'm granted an expedited review I may hear something about my appeal on Monday or Tuesday. If not it will take 45 days to know if Humana will cover the upcoming rib surgery. I'll let you know as soon as I hear something, Thank you all for your prayers in this matter.

Going now to just lay back and take a breather. Later......