Greetings.....It has been awhile since I have sent updates, so here it goes. Not interested please delete. I also know I am sending this to several people who have been updated. Again please feel free to delete.
I have a centerpiece on my kitchen table that I put together celebrating Thanksgiving. The thanksgiving message on it is "GIVE THANKS" - Unto the Lord, we offer now our praise, for bounties never ceasing and goodness all our days. Underneath that - Faith, Family, Friends, for these we give thans. This Thanksgiving represented so much more tome I belive than ony other year this holiday has been celebrated. As I look back over the year and what God has allowed to take place in my life, I can only say Thank You for all I have been through as it has definitely defined my relationship with my Savior and brought me to a better understanding of who He is. I believe anything that draws me closer to the Lord and ends up glorifying His name is worth all the struggle. It has probably been the toughest year in my 49 years of life.
One new health issue after another and the challenges continue. On Sept. 22nd Gary took me to emergency once again this year. I had been experiencing extreme pain on the left side of my chest and in my left arm. The most severe out of those six days I had the overwhelming sense of passing out, pain that would be all the way around my chest and back, like a band was being tightened causing me shortness of breath. My hand even went numb, but I still continued day after day kind of thinking one day it would just pass. Anyway it was getting more uncomfortable to lie down and even with my back against the furniture taking anywhere from 3-5 hours to pass. Okay so finally I thought maybe it was time to go to emergency and have this checked out. When you go to emergency presenting with chest pain they immediately take you into a room and treat you as if you were possibly having a heart attack. They talked me into staying in for the night in emerg., and not really willingly I stayed after some encouragement from my amazing husband. The doctor also said we don't want to send you home if it is possible you are experiencing some heart complications and he would feel better if I talked to the Cardiologist in the morning.
So the pain seemed to pass over night and didn't start back up until dinner time. I told the nurse about it, but told her I didn't want any medication for it. She immediately called the doctor that had been attending to me the night before and together with the Cardiologist they were down in my room in 5 minutes. Dr. Orvold explained in easy to understand words that he suspected I was experiencing Gastro Esophogial Reflux Disease. This is basicly an very extreme case of Acid Reflux. I have dealt with acid reflux for most of my adult life and have treated it with things you can buy off the shelf. The symotoms had changed and I had no idea this was coming from that. He explained that he had looked over all the test results of tests that had been taken over the past year and felt very confident in concluding that I did not have coronary artery disease and that my heart was very good. That was a big load off my mind and Gary and I were both very relieved. He wrote me a prescription for GERD and said that I may have to tolerate the pain for at least 4-6 weeks. I was definitely okay with that, knowing that the pain was not coming from my heart. He also said that the symptoms I was feeling are very symptomatic of heart disease that many people experience and are diagnosed with GERD. Both Gary and I thanked him greatly and were very impressed with the way he handled my situation. One of the most amazing doctors we have encountered along this journey of mine.
Anyway it has been 4 weeks since I started the medication and the pain still comes and goes, but has not become as severe as before the pills. In the meantime I also went to see Darrell Wright my blood analyst and he has started me on a natural product to help control the acid levels in my stomach. Last week for the 1st time since this all started back on Jan. 14th, I swept and washed my floors upstairs in 2 shifts. As I was cleaning my floors I was thanking the Lord that I could do that again and feel a little more like the person I once knew. I was able to start walking outside yesterday, just around the block, but it felt amazing. I go around the block several times which turns into a 20 minute walk. I just can't stop praising the Lord for what He has taken me through. The year isn't quite up, so the challenges could continue. But I know the Lord is with me through each one and is my strength, especially when I am at my weakest.
There are so many verses and passages from the Bible that come to my mind as I am so grateful and thankful for all my experiences. The verses I am going to share maybe don't express direct thanks, but they represent why those tough times come. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." James 1:2,3,4, & 12
May all the thanksgiving celebrations represent something truly amazing to each of you. God's richest blessing and He can get us through anything.
God Bless - Love Barbara
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