Doctor Paul, MD

A small-town doctor working to preserve the art of old-fashioned primary care.

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A good week

April 7, 2019 by Paul Williams 13 Comments

Thank you Father for a good week. Thank you for answered prayer, for being with us, and being our ever present help. Thank you all for your continued prayers, for upholding Theresa and our family.

Compared to the previous 6 weeks, this week was fairly uneventful. Theresa didn’t have Chemo this week, so her energy level was better, and the fatigue was better. She is coughing less, her coughing fits lasting shorter and less violent, and I think we are gaining on her acid reflux. Her chest pain persists though. She slept in one morning and didn’t get her morning pills, so by the afternoon she had severe crushing chest pain that took a half hour or so to get under control. She realized the medications are masking the pain, but also making it so she isn’t miserable. We will avoid doing this in the future.

Theresa’s endurance is pretty low. She finds if she is up helping in the kitchen, or doing a few things, she is spent for the rest of the day. The only times she leaves the house is for her Chemo and doctor’s appointments. Hopefully in time this will get better. I think it is the pericarditis that is giving her most of her symptoms currently.

Monday morning she gets her port placed. We covet your prayers for peace and an uneventful procedure. Three years ago she had a port placed and she had the rare complication of her lung collapsing, so she spent a week in the hospital with a chest tube. As you can guess, Theresa is anxious about this, based on her experience 3 years ago. She then will start her second round of chemo on Wednesday. I think she will do 6 rounds of three weeks of chemo, 2 weeks on and one week off, before she goes through re-staging.

Theresa’s spirits are good. She appreciates the encouraging words, cards, calls and visits. She hasn’t had many visits as it takes a bit out of her. She finds on the weeks she has chemo she doesn’t have the energy for much.

Despite it all, we are amazed by God on a regular basis, and also by his children. We know we are being held up by all of your prayers and we have seen how God has graciously answered them.

A friend sent me these Psalms:
Psalm 36:5-6 Message paraphrase “God’s love is meteoric, his loyalty astronomic, His purpose titanic, his verdicts oceanic. Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost; Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks.”
Psalms 37:23-24 NLT “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”

Oh the comfort and peace in knowing the tenderness of the LORD toward those who passionately seek Him, desire Him, and hold on to him for dear life.

Thank you for walking with us and lifting us up in your prayers.

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Filed Under: Breast Cancer - our new normal

Comments

  1. Leo, Mara and D says

    April 7, 2019 at 11:04 am

    Sending you all our love and prayers. We are here for you. Just let us know what you need.

    Reply
  2. Aunt Betty says

    April 7, 2019 at 6:03 pm

    So glad this week was better, Theresa.

    Reply
  3. Candace Horch (Wilber) says

    April 7, 2019 at 8:00 pm

    It is such a blessing to hear this positive report! God is good, all of the time! His mercy endurath forever! My husband and I pray daily for Theresa and the family.

    Reply
  4. Toni Belveal says

    April 8, 2019 at 7:11 am

    Thank you, Lord for blessing Theresa with a good week, and pray that the procedure she is facing today will be without complications.

    Reply
  5. Donna Rao says

    April 9, 2019 at 10:41 am

    So glad that to hear that this has been a good week❤️ Sending prayers for strength and an uneventful placement of the porta-cath
    Thinking of Love Auntie Donna

    Reply
  6. Doris and Bill says

    April 9, 2019 at 10:55 am

    Wishes of Hope and Healing in abundance being sent with Hugs of gratitude for a less stressful week.

    Reply
  7. Priscilla says

    April 9, 2019 at 11:09 am

    So glad you had a better week and the port placement went well Theresa. We Praise the Lord for small and large victories and trusting Him to carry you through out your journey! You’re in my prayers daily. ❤️

    Reply
  8. Sherri says

    April 9, 2019 at 12:11 pm

    I am glad to hear this was a good week. Praying for many more to come.

    Reply
  9. Christina Frias says

    April 9, 2019 at 2:26 pm

    Sending love and prayers to you all ❤️

    Reply
  10. Sylvia ,Bob and family says

    April 9, 2019 at 6:22 pm

    I’m very happy things are good ,you,Teresa and your family are in our thoughts and prayers daily

    Reply
  11. Sylvia,Bob Olson and family says

    April 9, 2019 at 6:26 pm

    So happy your having a good week ,We keep you all in our prayers daily

    Reply
  12. Joanne Helene Schwartz says

    April 9, 2019 at 10:50 pm

    Sending love and prayers…

    Reply
  13. Marcie Duffy says

    April 10, 2019 at 11:29 am

    Thanks for the encouraging news. I am praying for your whole family but especially for strength and healing for Theresa.

    Reply

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About Doctor Paul

Dr. Paul Williams, MD is a small-town family practice doctor working in Centralia, Washington. He works from the same office where his primary care practice was established by his father over 38 years ago. He believes strongly that the art of the old-fashioned primary care doctor is an important feature of our medical system that should be preserved and protected from excess interference from insurance companies and government regulation alike.

Due to changes in the health care industry and regulations affecting it, and in an effort to preserve the art of old-fashioned primary care, Dr. Paul has shifted his practice to a Direct Care model, meaning that patients pay an affordable monthly fee to purchase primary care health care services directly, rather than having their services billed through an insurance company.

This blog is intended to help Dr. Paul's patients (and anyone else!) understand the changes the medical industry is going through, and to provide information about the Direct Care model of primary care.

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