Counting the Blessings....

Counting the Blessings 

Journal entry by Susan Shisler — 10 minutes ago

I wanted to share a smile with you all today.  

A quick background...we spent most of our childhood growing up at 6512 Navaho Trail in Edina.  What an amazing neighborhood to be a kid in...Mike had a best friend on the street whose name was Charlie.  Charlie's parents were divorced when he was young and my Mom and Dad stepped in and became a BIG part of his life to help his Mom.  Not easy being a single Mom.  So Charlie, became sort of like a brother...like another child in the house.Many days he walked in the back door, like it was his back door...he ate breakfast with us somedays, ate cookies mom baked, if there was a father/son fishing trip you can bet he was on it with Mike and Dad.  If there was a birthday party for any one of us, you can bet he was at it.  If there was a salamander in the window well, he would take it home with him.  Charlie was one of us, Mom and Dad loved him to pieces and in Mom's mind he never ever could do anything wrong.  He went on to be Homecoming King of Edina, marry a wonderful woman, became an eye Doctor and now resides near LA working and raising his family.  He has a heart made of gold and a faith that is rock solid.  But the thing is...he has always remained close to Mom and Dad.  He always calls Mom on the phone and has forever.  Mom and Dad didn't miss his wedding...and Mom and Dad were there when God called his own Mom to heaven.  It matters how you treat a child, they remember.  

Saturday I got a text from Charlie shortly after I posted the most recent Caring Bridge...he was booking a flight to Mpls for Sunday from LAX to spend the day with Mom.  And he did just that.  He came out yesterday, spent a few hours with them and headed back to LA last night.  When I called Mom on Saturday to tell her she had a special visitor coming the next day she said to me "Surely he has better things to do than visit me all the way from California" , my response..."Nope Mom, he doesn't.  YOU are a BIG deal to Charlie.  You have poured so much love and prayers into him and THIS is your reward.  Soak it in."   

She soaked him in yesterday...and our hearts are so grateful for this blessing.  They didn't take any pictures, I wasn't there to remind anyone.  But I am attaching one of he and Mike when they were little and one from a year ago at the cabin.  

We continue to count the blessings....

I Am Back

Wow...so much to catch up on.  So much life CHANGING stuff going on and I am determined to capture it on this blog for the sake of having a journal of our days.

We are in a HARD season at the Shisler house.  A refining season, a season where God has us trudging through what feels like a bog of mud many days.  Yet I DO see His sunshine and His love for us in these moments.

I will start by going back and reposting some of the Caring Bridge posts I have been doing for Mom. That will help fill in some gaps.

Also I need to post about Scott's Dad, Grandpa Shisler entering the gates of heaven on October 5th.

Tommy is now half way through his freshman year at Ohio University as well.

The Indians are in the World Series and are going to be playing the Cubs AND Dad got them tickets to the games!

Here is my post from yesterdays caring bridge...

The Hardest Peace 

Journal entry by Susan Shisler — 10/22/2016

This is a post I have never wanted to write for many reasons. But God has us here...in this place and He never makes mistakes.   


Mom has had a hard week. She is weak and exhausted. Monday we got her an IV in the hopes it would help her gain strength. Tuesday seemed better. Wednesday, not so much. We went out. We rented a wheelchair. We had a girls lunch out. Walked around a lake to look at leaves and feel the fresh air until mom got chilled. Thursday Mom was worn again.  And yesterday was Mayo...


The Mayo appt was just okay. The Dr was concerned the cancer was growing. Mom's symptoms point to that. But we didn't have all of the blood work back at the time of appointment and the Dr couldn't rule out that the Immunotherapy drugs weren't working so we did another round of that treatment.  We also added in an IV infusion hoping it would add energy to Mom's day.  It took 4 pokes until they could gain access to her veins, tears were streaming from my eyes, but not Moms.  We were holding hands, and she was rubbing my hand, like a Mom does...trying to make ME feel better.  We left Mayo with mom not feeling any stronger than when we arrived in the morning.

Later in the afternoon we received the blood labs back that we didn't want to see....it shows that the cancer is spreading.  We weren't shocked, but it isn't something we wanted to see. The number was so high.   Sigh...we take a deep breath here and shed tears.

The truth is this is NOT our home, this is earth.  Our home is in heaven where there are no needle pokes, pain or treatments needed.  Where our bodies are healed and whole.  Drew, our 17 year old, shared with me today something he had recently heard through one of his teachers at school.  How time in heaven and time on earth are SO different.  And how we can't imagine or understand God's time...but how this earth is just the smallest fraction of time and how in heaven it is likely that as we walk through the gates we will turn around and see our children...that it won't feel like SO long there.  I loved hearing him share that this morning.

Sadly, time on earth feels slower....and selfishly we don't want to NOT have Mom here with us.  But...we don't want her to be in pain or suffer in any way either.

So it has come to a time where we need the support of hospice care to assure us Mom will be pain free in these days.  To help support us as we do our very best to care for Mom.  There is beauty in dying, I am sure of it, and we will find it.  We are counting every blessing, every day!  And we won't stop doing that. We will walk with Mom every step of the way to heaven and will hand her off to Jesus KNOWING that we WILL see her again, KNOWING that she is going to the MOST amazing place...she is going ahead to make sure the chocolate chip cookies are baked, the beds are made and the lights are all on when we get there.  I told her last night I really hope that she can watch us from heaven, and watch the grandchildren...her response "I will find a way...".  I love that.

Jesus says this in the bible John 14:2-4  "My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You KNOW the way to the place where I am going." and later in the same chapter he says this John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."

This is truth.  The truth brings peace, the hardest peace yes...but peace.

We so appreciate your prayers during this time and through this journey.  We ALL feel them, and we all feel your love.  We know that you all want to help and the best thing you can do for us is pray.  We will meet with hospice this week to make sure we have everything Mom would need.  Dad is an amazing care giver and those wedding vows are shining through him right now.  If you want to mail Mom and Dad a note, that would be wonderful 9608 Falcons Way EP, MN 55347.  If you want to contact me you can, smshisler@aol.com.  I promise to keep you posted.  Thanks for loving us all so well.  There are blessings in this cancer journey and we count EACH of you as one.

PS I am attaching one of my favorite pictures from our photography session a few weeks ago.  This is Mom, this is her joy.  Oh how I love her.  How did I get so blessed for God to give me to her?

PSAT

The school posted this on their social media accounts last week...it made me chuckle when I saw Drew's face.  When I asked him about it, his response was the following to me...I was done with the test and I was really bored.

Hmm couldn't tell that from the photo could you?  :)

Late Night Thoughts

Late Night Thoughts 

Journal entry by Susan Shisler — 10/13/2016

I am laying in bed, trying to sleep but I can't...Mom has been on my mind and heart all day. Today is one of those days where Waukee, Iowa feels a million miles away from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Maybe it's because I haven't seen Mom in 10 days, which is a long time for me right now.


Scott's Dad went to heaven last Wednesday and so we have been on the road for a whirlwind trip to Ohio and back, with a lovely service for him. He was 89 and lived a full life on the family farm. The last time I talked to him, 2 weeks ago he asked how my Mom was...he understood how important she is to me. 


I will admit I am a bit weary and missing my MN time. 


When I was little I went to the nurse at school...a lot. I always came up with a reason I needed to go home. Truth is I missed my Mom. I loved being home with her. I loved being with her. Still do...so 10 days is long for me still. 


Late night drama and emotion aside here is an update on Mom. She and Dad spent last weekend at the cabin. Enjoying the fall leaves, books and the fire. Mom continues to feel about the same. Her balance is affected some more than it had been, so she has agreed to using a walker around the house. But she is in no pain. No headaches. Her energy level is still fairly low but she is up in her chair every day, we cannot talk her into laying down ever to rest before 9:30 pm. We talked her into the life alert plan...not easily I might add, but Alice's impression of the commercial sealed the deal I think "help help I've fallen and I can't get up" with her dramatically laying on the family room floor.  


Ariana will be there again this weekend with her boyfriend Sean. Mom is hoping for pretty leaves at the arboretum for a Sunday drive. 


We go to Mayo again next Friday. Prayers for encouraging words from the Dr and another round of immunotherapy is our hope. We ask for prayers for wisdom and clarity of the Doctors. We pray for this treatment plan to show a positive result in blood labs. Thank you for lifting Mom and Dad up in prayers. The prayers matter and we can feel them. We are so grateful for every day.  


Because I love pics I am attaching a pic of Scott's parents and mine with the boys this May at Tommy's graduation. What a priceless treasure it is for our family

Grandpa Shisler

Grandpa Shisler has been in declining health since spring.  We were grateful he was able to come out for Tommy's graduation in May.  Things went on a steady decline from July on....Scott visited often, nearly every week to help his Mom and see his Dad.  Often times driving through the night just to get there "in case" there wasn't much time...

Here are some pictures from the past few months of his trips, our trips to visit Grandpa.

  July....ICU for Sepsis, Septic Shock in the blood stream.  8 days of ICU. This photo is the day he was released from ICU to a regular room

July 21...celebrating his 89th birthday in the nursing home, there to recuperate from his ICU and hospital stay.

Back visiting in early August after taking Tommy to OU

August:  Grandpa Shisler was very weak and confused this day and so very tired.  But Max sang to him, Jesus loves me and recited Psalm 23 by heart to him as well.  This would be the last time Jack or I would see him. 

He reached out to hold Scott's hand in this moment, and they sat for a long time like this. 

Later in August....siblings visit, Aunt Mabel, Aunt Esther and Uncle Gene.

Don had fallen and had 2 brain bleeds here.

 End of August: Grandpa fell out of bed, found out he was severely dehydrated and that was NOT helping him.  So Scott found a new nursing home, with better care to move him to.  Smithville-Western.  Scott drove ALL night and arrived at 5:30 in the morning and his Dad was doing SO much better after having the fluids he needed.  

Friday, September 30 Scott and Max were back to visit.  Grandpa was now on hospice care, and was weak and tired.  He did know their names and was able to give Max a hug.  This would be his last Friday on this earth and the last time Max would see him alive.

Saturday and Sunday, he stopped eating and started sleeping a lot.  He was tired and in pain.  Monday morning he said aloud "Jesus Take me Home" those were the last words he would speak.  Scott left Iowa Tuesday morning and got to Ohio at 10 pm.  He spent the night talking with his Dad, or talking to him, praying and laughing.  His Dad was not responding but Scott knows he heard him.  He would pass away that afternoon around 3:00 pm.  Wednesday, October 5, 2016 at 89 years old.