On Friday, I received the news that we had started the final vial of allergy shots before moving to the maintenance doses! After reacting to a certain dosage that my body would not let us get past three times, starting back mid-August, we finally got past it a couple of weeks ago and the end is in sight for the frequent Dr's office visits for allergy shots. However, one positive out of this has been the great connections built with the nurses and staff. They are awesome and are some of the heroes of this pandemic craziness.

My surgery recovery continues. There is still some swelling in my face and pain in the cheek bone, especially with weather changes, but all of this is to be expected. I was able to go to the dentist's for my cleaning and survived it with minimal pain triggers. The numbness, scar tissue, and minor swelling may take as long as six months to resolve, but today is the two month anniversary of my surgery and I am grateful for how far we have come.

Tomorrow (Mon, Dec 21st), I have follow-up appts. with the endocrinologist and the neurologist. On Tuesday I will meet virtually with the rheumatologist. And then next Monday, 28th, the gynecologist. Fun times!

Overall, things have been getting better.
* My stamina is rebuilding.
* I am healing from my surgery.
* I have parts of my brain back.
* Most of my migraines are under control or are managed with home remedies (except for those barometric pressure ones, which many people suffer from with no resolution).

Things we still hope to address:
* My gut has been affected by all that has happened this year. This includes bloating, changes in bowel function, loss of appetite, and a few other things. These are different than my typical gut issues, which have raised their ugly heads often enough this year.
* I am still plagued by headaches or mild migraines a couple of times per week.

One of the things that I am praying over the most and am striving to learn is how to properly pace. I can think I am doing a good job on a day-to-day basis, but then I hit a day or two in which my body and my mind are DONE. This is typical for the overall issues I am facing, so stamina and fatigue issues may be something that I deal with for many years to come. 

The best summary we can deduce at this point is that back in March, when the world was being turned upside down by COVID-19, my body settled into its own perfect storm. Epstein Barr Virus was reactivated in my body, wreaking havoc all over and triggering Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (aka Chronic Fatigue) and Fibromyalgia. While many of the symptoms have been managed through medications, rest, and other treatments, peri-menopause has complicated what was already a perfect storm.

One final update: I have been in what we have called Stage 3 of the Sabbatical. We extended it beyond the originally planned forty days in order to ease me back into things through the end of the year instead of feeling the urge to hit the ground running to catch up on it all in January.

God has done so much to strengthen, affirm, and guide the growth of Iron Rose Sister Ministries through my absence. I am grateful to God, to the Board, and to the Team for being who they are and doing what they do.

And I thank you for your continued prayers and for your consistency in that.

Merry Christmas and many blessings in the New Year!