At long last, Nelson and his crew have begun scraping and painting at the new house in preparation for their move-in. Despite the misery of the cancer, Nelson is upbeat and happy.

                                                          >>>>>>>>>>

November 5, 2022

Saturday morning. Been working at our house to get it ready to move into. Ralph and Astrid are a big help. They are painters and scrapers. It’s really fun to actually be doing it.

Lord, you have made the dream a reality. I am so grateful and give all the glory to you. We even have Judy coming down to help today. Things are going great with the house painting, which is mostly all we’re going to do before moving in.

November 6, 2022

Another morning at the computer in the dark kitchen before starting the day here in Rochester. It’s the first day back on the chemo meds after a 5 day break. I am so thankful for that break. It was getting so gnarly there for a while. I was up all night, fevers, vomiting, and general body aches.

I am super thankful the drugs actually work and shrink the cancer, though, so I’m glad to get started with that again.

We’re painting at our new place. Ralph and Astrid are working there almost every day, and we are trying to do the same.

I have been having lots of trouble breathing, and it made last night really long and rough. We are hoping for the best. It’s a mind-game with the chemo side effects.

I’m also going to St.Mary’s [one of Mayo’s hospitals] to get a catheter put back in my right lung. Seems it’s filling up again after a few short days.

Lord, I pray for minimal side effects and steady healing of the cancer. Please be merciful to me with the fevers. Please be merciful to me with nausea as well. Thank you that we have drugs that work. I am so thankful for that. Amen.

                           >>>>>>>>>>

“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits…” (Psalm 103:2)

Now that Nelson and Ann Sophie have access to their house, they can begin the renovating they’ve been excited about for many weeks. But as they get started, Nelson’s diminished energy becomes a major frustration for him… and for Ann Sophie, too, for a different reason.

                                                     >>>>>>>>>>

November 3, 2022

Slept great last night, probably because I stopped taking the chemo drugs. I am taking a short break until Tuesday, after begging for a little time off. The fevers have been constant, even last night, but just not as bad. They were getting so bad, it was constant sweating and shaking, even while taking Tylenol.

Ralph and Astrid (and Annso, left) started at the house yesterday, cleaning and scraping, and they will paint in the kitchen today. Annso and I had a little blowout because of me going and working too much.

I do press myself too much, and for that I’m sorry. I have such a hard time, having always been able to do so much, and now I’m at the sidelines all the time.

I threw up at Home Depot yesterday and thankfully made it to the toilet. The sickness goes on and on, seemingly without end—102 fevers all day and night, unless I take Tylenol. Then the edge is gone, but they’re still there.

Lord, it’s been more stressful than ever on our marriage, this sickness and trying to do anything else, like buy a house and move into it, given it needs a little work first.

I always knew I wouldn’t be able to do all that much, but I didn’t think it would be nothing at all. Just going there for 20 minutes is all Annso can handle, and maybe it’s all I can handle. That’s the trouble we’re having, Lord.

We seem to have it worked out for the moment. Please show us the balance. You know our hearts, the lessons you want to teach us, and our limits. You know how far to take this. I pray you can show me how far to go.

You are our rock and shield. Please let us cling to nothing but you, even in our own and different ways. Certainly you are teaching us each something different. We are learning life separate but together. She is the best think you have ever done for me.

                                                >>>>>>>>>>

“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser.” (Proverbs 9:9)

Nelson reports on another difficult night but finds joy in it, too.

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November 2, 22022

6:30 am

Grateful to be alive. One of the longest nights in a while, but it was fun. Annso and I sat up and talked for a couple hours at midnight, talking about our house and how we are going to set it up. That was the fun part.

The rest of it was spent tossing and turning and changing from one sweated-through shirt to another. Now the night is over and I’m glad, to be honest.

We went over to our house to make sure the one departing tenant was out yesterday. He was still there with some buddies last night, but they had made some progress. It’s a lot of work, to be honest.

He has stuff everywhere. Seems like he’s a pack rat. Has 3 of everything, but he’s super nice. I’m happy he’ll be out today. We can get in there and try to replace the living room floor and sand the one in the bedroom. If we could do that, I would be super happy.

Upon further examination of the house, though, I can see I’ll have to reign in my goals a little and settle for something along the lines of painting and maybe cutting out 1 door from the sunroom into the kitchen. The renter did get his stuff mostly out tonight and told me he’d come back tomorrow one last time for the rest of it.

He’s got a ton of stuff, and I’m impressed that he was able to get it all cleaned up and out as fast as he did. He’s a good man, and I hope God blesses him for trying to make good on his commitment to be out when he said.

We went over to Home Depot for about an hour to stock up on supplies for painting, to the tune of $700. It’s enough for us to get started at least, and now Ralph and Astrid can get going, which they are more than willing to do.

I pray about their serving attitudes and hope we can get the place in good enough shape by the time we move in.

                                                          >>>>>>>>>>

“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us.” (Psalm 90:17)