It has been 6 months since we received my diagnosis. In some ways that seems like such a long time, but really 6 months isn't all that long. Sometimes it's hard to see my progress day-to-day, but when I look back over the past few weeks and months I see tremendous progress. I also see how God has carried me through each and every step of the journey. My energy level is coming back slowly and I have more stamina. I'm able to run some errands without needing to go home and take a nap. My hair and eyebrows are starting to grow back. My appetite is improving but sweets still don't taste good. I made a cake for Neal's birthday and had to trust the boys that it actually tasted good. I still have some pain in my nose and sinuses from the internal scabbing. I've been going to my ENT surgeon every 3 weeks to have them clear out my sinuses (debridement). Right now the plan is to go on Friday for a debridement and then wait another 4 or 5 weeks for my next appointment. At that point, the hope is that the internal scabbing will be healed and they will be able to do a baseline MRI. It is so encouraging to see the light at the end of the tunnel! The pace of healing has been slow, but I'm thankful for the way God has used this time to draw me closer to Himself. He has been so faithful and I have felt how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. I told a friend today that after going through this experience, I can never doubt my worth in God's sight and the depth of His love for me. We often think of feeling God's love and blessing when things are going well, but from my experience, His love and blessing have been even more real and evident during this time of struggle.
Speaking of the faithfulness of God, I would love to share a story with you of how I saw God move in a situation with my 13-year-old son, Carter. He woke up 2 weeks ago in pain and started vomiting. Neal looked up his symptoms and told me I needed to take him to the ER. We arrived at the ER at 7:45, and after checking in, we walked right back without even sitting down in the waiting room. The nurses began attending to him immediately and the doctor came in shortly after we arrived. They did an ultrasound and found that he had testicular torsion which requires emergency surgery to repair. If the repair is not done within the first 4-6 hours, there can be permanent damage. Because of the time-sensitivity, we had to be transported to the hospital in an ambulance (this particular ER is a stand-alone facility). Within a just few minutes, the EMTs came to our room to get Carter on the stretcher. The EMT told me they had just arrived at the ER a few minutes before they got the call that we needed them to take us to the hospital. God's perfect timing! He told me it could take longer than normal because it was now about 8:45 and we'd be going through rush hour traffic. The hospital is about 16 miles from the ER and about 9 miles of the trip is on Glenwood Avenue, a very busy road with lots of stoplights. The rest of the trip is on a highway. We made it down Glenwood without having to stop for a single stoplight, and it was smooth sailing on the highway. The EMT said we made record time and he was truly amazed. We arrived at the hospital and the EMTs took us straight to the doors of the OR where we met the surgeon and anesthesia team. They didn't even take time to do a written consent and off he went. He was in surgery for about an hour, and Neal arrived just as the surgeon came out to tell us that everything went well. We met Carter in the recovery room and waited for him to wake up. He woke up confused, but he didn't have any complications from the anesthesia. The nurse wheeled him all the way to our car and we were home by 1:15. It was quite a morning, but I see how God smoothed the way for Carter to get the prompt, excellent care he needed. Carter's recovery was a little slower than expected, but he is doing great now. He's all ready to play flag football this weekend! Carter has had a great attitude through all of this and my prayer is that he will be able to look back with gratitude for all God has done.
Thank you for your continued prayers for me and my family. Our church is going through a series entitled, "We is Greater Than Me" and we have felt that abundantly over the past 6 months. We are so thankful for you, our community both near and far.
"I pray that Christ may live in your hearts by faith. I pray that you will be filled with love. I pray that you will be able to understand how wide and how long and how high and how deep His love is." ~Ephesians 3:17-18
