Scary Day. Faithful God.

Since I have fallen majorly behind again on blog updates, I am posting the most relevant Facebook updates from the past few weeks below. The first one is from today. 

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Hi friends,

I don't have the ability to write too much at the moment, but I just wanted to thank you so much for your prayers today. I went ahead with the CT scan and didn't hear back yet on the results which most likely means that the scan didn't show anything remarkable. That's encouraging but also discouraging because I don't know what is going on, and the symptoms are scary. Last night, I had an episode very similar to one I had about six weeks ago...an intense, sudden throbbing/pulsing in my head, radiating throughout the entire head and leading to sudden weakness, dizziness, and a host of symptoms. This morning my vision was blurring, and my dizziness and "spacey" head feeling has worsened. The last time this happened it took about 4-5 weeks before the dizziness abated. I'm not sure what is going on, and I'm finding it incredibly difficult to even do the very basic things.

At the same time, my organ and GI pain/symptoms is at one of the highest levels, and I'm having difficulty getting in enough fluids. I'll have to leave off here for now, but I knew some of you were concerned, so I didn't want to leave you hanging. Thank you for carrying me through your prayers!

God has a way. It's just never the way I expect. So grateful today that He holds on when I cannot hold onto Him another second. He doesn't let go.

Did anyone see that green world out there after the rain this evening? It was so ALIVE-looking. Everything looked brand new and awake and growing. It was beautiful. I can't imagine how beautiful the New Heavens and New Earth will be one Day! 

Earlier Today

Hi friends, trying to make a wise decision right this moment regarding whether or not to have a CT scan of the head this afternoon. Just need extra prayer because I'm really torn both ways...thanks!

April 24, 2014

Dear friends, thank you for your prayers regarding my hands and the "locking up" spasms I was having this past Monday. My PT was able to treat them on Tuesday, and the difference afterward was remarkable. They were tingling and not working well, and immediately after treatment the tingling disappeared, and I regained better use.

Last Sunday, I played trackball with my little nephew which requires a repetitive strong flick of the wrist. My PT said I pretty much went from 0-100 in one thirty-minute session, so that is one reason why I was having so much trouble. A healthy person could use their entire body to launch the ball into the air, but I could only use my arm, so I put my whole arm into it and nothing else. It was fun, but I guess I went a little too fast. 

He suggested that I limit my typing and phone use for the next week and see if things improve. I'm still having some difficulty and tingling, but it tends to worsen with use and also with breathing and digestion issues. So, thank you for praying. I know God is answering. I am going to try to limit the use of my typing as he suggested, but I hope I can share more next week.

Grateful!

April 21, 2014

Hi friends, my hands have been "locking up" a lot today to the point where I have barely been able to use them. Using my phone or typing on the computer have been the hardest, so this update comes at a rare moment when I can get away with it for a second. I'm not sure all the reasons why, but it's very unpleasant and makes me realize that the use of my hands is yet another thing I've taken for granted!

I am hoping my PT may be able to help tomorrow, but I honestly feel a little silly posting this and almost didn't do it. What pushed me forward was realizing that letting you all know about this just provides us with another chance to give God glory when we see how He answers our prayers. Also, if you text me and don't hear back that may be why. Grateful for each of you!

April 20, 2014

So, Thursday was a tough one, but it was just amazing to watch how God met me in the midst of it. After a scary episode with a severely swollen tongue and mouth I ended up at my doctor who was concerned I had an abscess and wanted me to see a dentist immediately. Sitting in his office, I called my dentist who was heading out the door until Tuesday. He suggested I call an oral surgeon to see if he could help. I called and got the same story: "He's heading out but can see you Tuesday." After hearing my situation, the surgeon there recommended I go straight to the ER and have the oral surgeon help me. My doctor agreed, and was ready to give me an injection of Cipro right then and there because he was concerned that the infection was already going systemic.

I decided to call my childhood dentist (who my family still sees) as a last resort, and he said he would wait for me if I could come straight there. So I told my doctor I would wait on the injection and try to make it to the dentist. Once I got there, he got me in the chair and started poking around inside my mouth. Then he told me that it wasn't an abscess and taking antibiotics would have likely made things much worse because it was a fungal infection.

I was just so grateful and happy that I didn't have to go to the ER, have surgery yet, or take antibiotic injections. He put me on an anti-fungal medicine, and I'm no longer able to chew gum and have to be much stricter in keeping out sugar (which I was already supposed to do).

A lot more happened, but I just wanted to give you the basics so you could see how God used your prayers to make a way through the confusion and protect me from going down the wrong path. Thank you!

April 18, 2014

Thank you all so much for your prayers! God answered! It was a long day, but the short answer is that I have serious fungal infection but no abscess which was how it initially presented. So I didn't have to go to the hospital, just the doctor and the dentist, and now I'm home with medication. I am very grateful. Feeling sick and in pain but so happy to not be worse off. I will share more tomorrow because the story is worth sharing. Thanks again!

April 17, 2014

Hi friends, this is going to be quick, but I'm headed to the doctor with some type of severe swelling in my mouth that seemed to be an allergic reaction, but there is also an abscess-like area that is very concerning. My tongue was over three times its normal size this morning, and I could barely talk but some of that has gone down. I'm having to hold back on things I normally take in and am hoping that the doctor will have some answers when I see him today. This wasn't how I planned this day to go, but God is in control. I have been struggling with some anxiety and my normal symptoms are elevated today, too. Just wanted to let you know because I am asking God to increase my faith for what He can do, and I know that your prayers make a huge difference!

Thank you so much.

A Bunch of Updates

Hi friends,

Well, I just typed an update and lost it when the computer overheated. (My poor brother’s laptop has some issues, but he is so generous to lend it to me when I have a need.)

I know it’s been a while, so I thought I would just try to give summaries of the main health areas I’m currently focusing on:

Blood Clots – Praise report! I had another ultrasound of my left arm recently, and it appears that the clots have resolved. This was a surprise and huge answer to prayer! My hematologist doesn't want to take me off the blood thinner until he has determined that I’m not still at risk of further clots. I’m hopeful that this will be soon, as this is not a medication you want to be on any longer than necessary, and I’m nearing the 10 month mark.

Anemia – After three iron infusions, I began experiencing a level of dizziness and unsteadiness that was very difficult to live with, so I put the infusions on hold for a while. I will recheck my iron levels tomorrow and then we will decide how many more infusions I will need. I am hopeful it may be less than originally thought and that the symptoms will not return, but it is hard to predict at the moment.

Hydration – I have been ranging between 18-25 ounces of fluid each day, averaging about 20oz. This has been a difficult area to see progress, but I am so grateful to be line-free and to have avoided the ER since February.

Food – I will be meeting with my nutritionist next week to deal with a long list of things. Since I began seeing her last August, I have been able to implement about half of what she asked of me. A few of the things I have not yet had success with are tolerating meat and removing all sugar. I tried a small piece of white fish last week, and it didn't go so well. On the bright side, I have been daily taking in a flaxmilk/rice protein powder/walnut butter shake, boiled or steamed kale, hard-boiled farm eggs, and rice tortillas. I recently added gluten-free oatmeal. Sometimes I add in some nuts, and I've tried a few other things from time to time. After two years of no food or drink by mouth and five previous years of a very restricted diet, this is simply wonderful and amazing. I don’t ever want to take food for granted again. I’m so grateful I can swallow and taste food again. It still hurts and doesn't do what it’s supposed to do, but it’s still food. And I no longer have to worry about gaining weight as I've got it all back and more. (Strengthening is the main need now rather than weight.)

GI & Pain – I continue to deal with daily core pain and a host of symptoms of which I will spare you the details. It worsens with food but there really isn't any part of the day when I am not dealing with it - just better moments and worse moments. This is the main reason why I still use the crutch. I am still weak and unsteady, but the pain is the main reason I use it. I’m not sure how or when this issue will resolve. If you would like to pray for this area specifically, that would mean a lot. I feel like I could make a lot of progress if this area were to improve as it affects so many other things.

Another praise report – I made it through three days in a row without using my crutch before I had to revert back to it. I would love to increase this as I can, but it’s a hard one. I know it’s not an obstacle for God.

Last night, I was so determined to save the flowers in the backyard from the impending hard freeze that I managed to cover a third of them with buckets and boxes and staked-down-tarps by myself in the sleet, rain, and dark, all without my crutch. It was hard, but I just “had to do it.” Just over a year ago, I wasn't even able to sit up in bed or move across the room without help. I’m so grateful. This morning, the flowers were still alive (though somewhat flattened).

I cannot thank you all enough for all your prayers and the way you continue to cheer me on in this race. I would never have made it this far without it.

This week, as I think of all that Christ suffered for us on the cross, I am so grateful that He didn't stay there but was raised to life again for you and for me. I am alive today because of Him. And my hope for each day of the future is His resurrection power bringing life to what is broken.

May our faith increase as we think on what He is able to do in the days ahead.