After pushing my appointment back a month due to our crazy schedules, I finally made it to Iowa City earlier this week, for my angioplasty. On the drive down Tim said it seemed like forever since we had been there, “yet not long enough,” I replied. It had been ten months since my last procedure, which is longer than usual, but not as long as I’d like. I was starting to feel symptoms, especially when exercising, and since I had already pushed it back a month, I figured I would not put it off any longer.

I was happy to be greeted by the majority of my “usual” team and the new doctors and nurses I had were great too! The doctor introduced himself by saying Luke had mentioned to him that I wrote a book and I couldn’t help but smile! Luke was one of the medical students way back from when I first started coming to Iowa City so it’s always comforting for some reason when I hear familiar names are still around!

I was taken back to the operating room where I was prepped and then they opened my stents. Once back in recovery, I ran in to a few hiccups I have not experienced before. I always wear oxygen during my procedure but this was the first time my oxygen continued to drop in recovery. I was still pretty sleepy and remember the machine beeping a few different times which then resorted to my nurse putting me back on oxygen. The oxygen eventually came off and I was finally told it was time for me to go home, yeyyy!

As I stood up, Tim had a look of concern on his face and told me to sit back down. I wasn’t really comprehending what he was telling me until I looked down and saw a lot of blood all over my pants and the floor. My insertion site had burst open so he sat me back down on the bed and got a nurse. Fresh bandages were applied along with about 20 minutes of pressure by the nurse and then she placed a “sand bag” on the incision, for more pressure, resulting in a longer recovery time.

As we discussed my discharge instructions, it was decided that we would try to schedule my next appointment for a full year out this time! Of course I was instructed to call sooner if symptoms persist but regardless, I was excited to set my goal again of reaching that one year mark with no angioplasty!

The whole incident kind of freaked us out so this time I did not refuse the wheelchair once I was released and Tim happily wheeled me down to the car. On the way back home we joked how we truly never have the same experience when we go to Iowa City, except the fact that I can always get my Culver’s down haha!

Once home, I made my way up to bed and crashed! I remember Tim coming in and out of the room periodically throughout the days but I continued to sleep and after 36 hours (yikes haha), I am finally moving around again!

I am still pretty sore and extremely tired but have been listening to this song for the past few weeks, and even more so after my angioplasty. Overall, the procedure went well and I am so thankful for the medical team the Lord has brought in to my life. I do believe He has given them a great amount of wisdom and skill on how to treat me the best way possible and I do believe He can provide them the wisdom needed to cure this disease but no matter what, the Lord will heal me one day whether it be through my doctors on this side of heaven or when He brings me home!

We are beyond grateful for the support we continue to receive from so many of you whether it be meals, helping with kids and especially praying for us! I am hopeful that I will be able to make that one year mark of no angioplasty this time but regardless…”I’ll praise Him in the waiting and my faith will stay strong!”

Always find something to smile about💕

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BbS3B5Lr1fc&pp=ygUec3RheSBzdHJvbmcgZGFubnkgZ29rZXkgbHlyaWNz

I was diagnosed with Fibrosing Mediastinitis 23 years ago but it was actually 17 years ago today that I finally had an option to try putting stents in to my superior vena cava that was 100% occluded. I went in for a procedure not knowing what the outcome would be or if I would even come out of that surgery…

17 years later and I just wrapped up my annual follow up appointments with my cardiologist and pulmonologist! While some of my most recent results and symptoms have been discouraging and we have been in a challenging season for quite some time, I am extremely grateful for the life the Lord has blessed me with!

Always find something to smile about no matter how hard you might have to look some days, because when you look…you actually see just how much there is to smile about!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gIOIvxFp7YM&pp=ygUcY291bnRpbmcgbXkgYmxlc3NpbmdzIGx5cmljcw%3D%3D

I’ve had a lot of questions in regard to my trip to Ohio awhile back so here is a quick update!

The high number of angioplasties I’ve had might be the reason for more damage within my chest and seems to be doing more harm than good so it is becoming a bigger challenge to go in and open the stents back up. My doctor is still willing to do the procedures but we are back to holding off as long as possible which is understandable…but also a very fine line of making sure I don’t wait too long. I had heard about this new clinic in Cleveland Ohio, specifically for Fibrosing Mediastinitis so for the first time since my diagnosis 22 years ago…I finally got to request a copy of my medical records for a second opinion.

While I absolutely love my medical team in Iowa City, I was kind of excited to go to a clinic that is studying my specific disease! I was asked to bring copies of my past scans so I called Iowa City and the tech confirmed that he could burn all of my tests on a “couple of cds”…he obviously didn’t know what he was getting himself in to and I couldn’t help but giggle when I received ALL of my past scans and procedures in the mail…over 30 cds!!!

Tim and I were excited to visit a new city, even if it would be a quick trip filled with doctor appointments and tests. We were able to knock Indiana Dunes National Park off my list…

and stayed in a short term rental right on Lake Erie our first night to make it more of an adventure!

The morning of my appointment, Leah sent me an encouraging message and we exchanged selfies showing that we were wearing our matching shirts to think of each other throughout my long day…

Initially there was some confusion with my appointment but everyone was amazing and worked schedules around so that I could see the doctors I needed to see and do the tests I needed to do all within the same day! I was also ordered to do a pet scan back in Iowa City because insurance would have to pre approve it.

It was a long and productive day and we enjoyed the views while we waited!

We walked out of that hospital 110% confident that Iowa City has been spot on with how they have been managing my illnesses all these years. They need to open their own clinic for Fibrosing Mediastinitis because several things Ohio mentioned, I had already discussed with Iowa City. Tim and I were able to enjoy the rest of our evening walking around the city before heading back home in the morning.

Once back home, the pet scan revealed that my disease was active, so according to Cleveland I instantly became a candidate for the rituximab infusions…a treatment known to help those newly diagnosed with my same disease! Tim and I did a lot of praying, researching and visiting with my Iowa City doctors. We also had a consultation with Ohio again and asked more questions! Tim and I were finally on board and kind of excited to try the infusions in hopes that it would slow down, if not shrink some of the active masses in my chest. At the same time, I felt overwhelmed knowing this could also cause more issues for my diabetes and congestive heart failure…was I possibly giving up old problems for new problems? So…I prayed more!

I began taking steroids which was the first step to start before the infusions and it’s been a rough go trying to manage by blood sugars…but we are managing them!

A few days later, Ohio called and explained that I had some really good questions at our last consultation so after further consideration we will continue with steroids but we are putting the infusions on hold for now. Due to the fact that I have had this disease for so long, they do not know if the active inflammation is because of my disease or if it is just my body’s response to all of the angioplasties I have had….but isn’t that what my disease is??

They plan to bring in more doctors to review my pet scan/past tests in hopes that I will be able to try the infusions in the near future.

Due to the holidays coming up, I am not going to push anything and will follow up next year! I am scheduled for another angioplasty in May but again, that might be up in the air until we figure out if I end up doing the infusions. Or perhaps we’ll do another pet scan when I am off the steroids in two months to see if they were able to calm down the active inflammation in my chest!

Sometimes I try really hard to figure out what the Lord is doing and I get frustrated telling family and friends once again that my options for treatment are still limited. So many highs and lows. But the love Jesus has for me always remains unchanged and just because my health is a never ending battle, doesn’t mean He loves me less. Whatever He is doing in our lives is for our good and His glory! And while I will continue to pray that He guides me to make the right decisions if it becomes an option again for me to try the infusions, I know that He will meet me on whatever path I choose! And what better time to be reminded of this during advent season! Thanks again for all of your love, support, encouragement and prayers!

Have a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uQVDjz214EE&pp=ygUVb2ggaG9seSBuaWdodCBseXJpY3Mg

I normally post on the last day of February which is Rare Disease Day but wanted to share a little early this year.

I have been struggling a bit over the news I shared in my last blog regarding my most recent appointment. While I have had random bursts of tears behind closed doors on occasion, I also think it’s more tears of overwhelmed gratitude for the life the Lord has blessed me with.

I started going through the last year of pictures for my video and noticed I didn’t have as many pictures from my procedures (I had angioplasty in January, March and September) because doctors had to start going through my groin again to intervene…too many angioplasties have damaged veins in my arms making them hard to access. Now we are trying to limit the amount of angioplasties altogether so I’ll have even fewer pictures.

As I was scrolling, a song came on and seemed to correlate perfectly so I couldn’t help but add a couple of old favorite pictures from earlier years in the video as well. While there is a lot of pain behind my smile, I think the song speaks for itself as to how my last year…and every year has been like living with fibrosing mediastinitis, SVC syndrome, congestive heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension…how can I not feel loved?💕

I am so grateful for all of you who not only reach out to see how I am doing, but to those who also share your story in hopes of finding better treatment options and a cure for the next person who is diagnosed with the same rare disease we continue to fight.

Make sure to wear your zebra print or black and white stripes on February 28th to show love and support for those battling a rare disease…alone we are rare, together we are strong💕

We had been preparing and praying for a really long time in regard to the day my husband would possibly make a career change…

Then, back in October, Tim got a wild idea (a God thing) to use our building downtown that has been vacant for a year…as a “market” for a variety of vendors and small businesses. Within a week, vendors had reached out and we apparently had a new business for Tim to manage!

We have been overwhelmed by such a positive response from the community! We finished out the year with the market then headed back down to Alabama to update the condo that we own as a short term rental! Our intentions were to just paint the rest of the rooms we hadn’t been able to finish the last time we were in town and update some furniture but we also decided to put in some backsplash, rip out a couple of kitchen cabinets and paint them…

It was a productive trip and we did what we could in the short time we had! We made sure to finish our time with a day at the beach before heading back home for my follow up appointment in Iowa City.

If my husband hadn’t switched back to being self employed, he would have been back at work saving his time off to use when I had angioplasty. And since it was just scans, I told Tim he should just stay home and focus on the market but he insisted he go with me (another God thing)…and I am so glad he did!

Once I was done with my scans, we met with the doctor to discuss the results. As he pulled my file up on the computer, I couldn’t help but cringe as I saw the picture of myself! It was from several years ago before my stents had been opened and my face was extremely puffy!! I kind of giggled and pointed it out to Tim but before he could say anything, the nurse standing behind us blurted out “it doesn’t even look like you!”

The doctor gave me one of his sincere smiles then looked back at the computer and began with “a couple of concerns…”

Apparently what they had been concerned about for so long, has happened. My stents are narrowing, which I expected, but scar tissue from the trauma of so many angioplasties is starting to cause problems as well. He was able to compare all of my scans over the past year and show us the new problematic spots. We discussed my symptoms and decided that we are going to try and hold off as long as possible before doing another intervention and again the doctor stressed the fine line I’m walking. We really need to limit the amount of intervention to avoid continued damage from the angioplasties…yet not wait too long where my stents close completely.

The second concern was adding another stent. We had discussed this in the past but it sounds like the new stent would be in a tricky spot that would possibly cause different blockage and more damage. The doctor thinks we should at least try this as a last result but praying it won’t come to that!

For the first time, I walked out of Iowa City without a follow up appointment and will just call to schedule the procedure when I think it’s time.

I was thrown off by the news and my voice trembled a bit when I called my mom so she knew I was fighting back tears. She was full of encouragement but I could tell she was trying to stay positive for both of us and the conversation was short. The next morning she called and was like “God knows, and that’s all that matters!” I agreed then the kids and I got back on track with school…

Tim and I also continued to stay busy preparing for a new year at the market and one day as I sat there painting…

I started playing out the last few months since Tim had switched jobs and was able to see how the Lord had provided for us each step of the way! From better insurance to starting up the market and now this was the first non procedure appointment my hubby had been able to attend with me in a very long time! God knew I would need this man by my side to make me laugh in the midst of a hard day! The results of my appointment had been a surprise to me…but not to my Heavenly Father. God truly is good and whatever the future holds…He already holds me in it!

Thanks again for all of you who continue to message me on the day of my appointments…and especially for the prayers💕💕 I don’t go back to Iowa City until July/August for my pulmonary and cardiology follow up so until then…stay strong and battle on…https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EPIO-1n6T08

My last angioplasty from March seemed to hold up pretty well but regardless of how much or what type of intervention is done, the fatigue never seems to go away. As the months went on, more intense symptoms returned just in time for all of my follow up appointments…starting with my pulmonologist .

Can you guess how I did with my pulmonary functioning tests?? Yep! Results were lower than last time but as we continued to discuss my symptoms, my doctor’s focus turned to my heart. We reviewed my history of exams and angioplasties and I informed him that I was supposed to see my cardiologist in a couple of days but might need to reschedule due to my kids starting their golf program. He smiled and said he understood kids take priority, especially golf and agreed he would like to visit with my cardiologist first so we pushed my heart appointment back a few weeks.

In the meantime he ordered an oximetry test for me to have done at home…

which did not interfere with me getting my kids to their golf lessons…

As long as my levels did not drop below 87 for 5 minutes I would not need supplemental oxygen and my oximetry results showed that my oxygen dropped for 4 minutes and 20 seconds!! Barely passed by on that one!!🤪

When I followed up with my cardiologist, a physical exam concluded that my jugular veins were distended so more tests were scheduled to be done later in the month to determine whether my pulmonary arterial hypertension and congestive heart failure was progressing.

In between seeing my cardiologist and the upcoming tests…I had angioplasty!

Unfortunately Tim could not be back with me before my procedure so I kept him updated through messages. I’m not sure who was more excited when I texted him that two of my favorite nurses who have been with me since this all began were caring for me! What a sweet comfort the Lord provided for my 30th angioplasty!!

Once back on the operating table, the nurses and techs made small talk as they began to prep me. As usual, they mentioned how I could probably tell them more about this procedure than they could but I pointed out every time I come to Iowa City, there always seems to be something a little different. And as if on cue, the tech then told the nurse they were doing the “starfish” prep. I had never heard that expression so I asked what that meant and she explained they were prepping four areas…both sides of my groin and both arms as there was a chance the doctor might need to use four different access points for this procedure. He hadn’t accessed my arms in a couple of years so why now? Why prep both arms AND both sides of the groin? The nurse began to administer meds to me and while I could not feel any pain, I was pretty jittery and talkative as they continued through the procedure. She joked how I must do this way too often to be used to all of the medicine so she gave me some Benadryl and that is all I remember. I later informed her that I can’t take Benadryl at home because it makes me too sleepy!

My SVC stents ended up being 80-90% narrowed so my interventional radiologist was able to open them back up to around 80%. And the whole point of doing a “starfish” prep was due to him knowing my jugular veins were narrowing so he would possibly be intervening. He did end up doing balloon angioplasty to open the jugular veins back up to about 70% and thankfully he was able to access all of the areas through only one side of my groin!

We were so grateful that all went smoothly and Tim and I were on our way home in no time!

Another big praise is that I am scheduled for a cta scan in four months to see how my stents and jugular veins are holding up…opposed to just scheduling another angioplasty!!

My recovery has gone well and each day brings a little more relief…minus that dang fatigue but I think that is just one symptom I will have to always deal with.

With my husband’s birthday also being the weekend of my angioplasty, we decided to take a quick little road trip up to Michigan in our old 1999 dodge van we converted in to a campervan haha! I must say though, as much grief as I got about leaving town within a couple of days after my procedure, I think it was the best recovery I’ve had since doing these procedures! I got to lay in the back with my feet kicked up…

and the kids knew meals were whatever they could make in the microwave or whatever dad was cooking on the grill…

And as far as this being my 30th angioplasty and Tim saying he would take me wherever I want to go…I am just happy to be doing what we are doing while I still can!! Someday we will get to Alaska or do our big road trip out west but for now we are able to take little weekend trips here and there or have simple campfires in our backyard. We have been to Charleston, Alabama, the Smoky Mountains, local parks, bike trails and all of the kids events in the last few months!! God has definitely provided beyond what we could have ever imagined for ourselves!!

Life is hard whether it’s medical, financial, relationships or all of the above! But I always said from the beginning when I was diagnosed with fibrosing mediastinitis in 2002, from when I got my first set of SVC stents in 2007, from when I was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension and congestive heart failure in 2015 and got stents in my pulmonary arteries…before 30 angioplasties…I am going through all of it so that I can continue to live this life the Lord has called me to live! Am I usually in pain? Yes! Am I overwhelmed and tired from the health junk? Absolutely!!! Do I stop enjoying life and sit on the sidelines?? No way, at least not until my body won’t allow it!

I still have frustration over what this disease has taken and continues to take from me physically but that’s just one aspect of my life. The Lord has been so kind to me not just with all of the good stuff, but with the hard stuff as well and I am extremely grateful that He continues to give me opportunities where I can lean in to Him and be an example of His loving mercy and Grace.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JNZte3IdpZo

Thanks to all of you for your support! The Lord has provided so much comfort through your prayers and messages of encouragement to me over the years! I truly appreciate all of you!!

I had my appointment in Iowa City almost two weeks ago and first of all I just want to say to all of you nurses out there….you matter!! There is a story behind this picture…

…but all I am going to say about it is that I am so extremely thankful to still have one nurse on my team that has been with me from the very beginning of my health journey and it is nurses like her that make these really hard circumstances…a little more bearable! A cute husband helps too😉

As usual, I was prepped for surgery…

…and as suspected, my stents were closed so the doctor did do angioplasty to open them back up. It sounds like he used a couple of different sizes of balloons and was able to open all of my stents back up anywhere from 60-90% so we were thrilled with the results and will try to push my next procedure back to six months instead of two or three months!!

Recovery seems to be going well and I have had several people point out what a difference they have noticed in me this time around compared to my angioplasty two months ago that didn’t seem to help my symptoms at all. And after a few months of not being able to wear my wedding ring, I was finally able to slide it back on my finger again!

The last few months have been extremely stressful emotionally and physically with all of my fm symptoms which also makes it harder to manage my blood sugars…so on top of another angioplasty, I also got a new insulin pump along with a continued glucose monitor…

I have been very hesitant to try something new but I figured now that my stents are open again, why not get a fresh start on my blood sugars as well?! I have been a type 1 diabetic since I was 17 and for those of you who do not know much about diabetes or all of the technology, that means my body does not produce insulin but now I insert a monitor in to my stomach that constantly reads my blood sugars and communicates with my insulin pump…

If my sugars start to go higher than my set blood sugar levels then the pump will kick in and deliver more insulin. If my blood sugar starts to drop too low, the insulin pump will stop delivering insulin. I was ecstatic to see an instant improvement from switching. I mean this thing is amazing and works like a real pancreas! I went from sugars in the 200-300’s the last few months which is really bad…

…to being in my target range 89% of the time within a 24 hour period…

With it being just under two weeks since my angioplasty and getting on this new insulin pump, I am feeling pretty good! I have been able to keep up with my kids as far as our school schedule goes and I even started back up on my morning exercise routine. I still get tired and need to rest throughout the day or still battle some puffiness and chest pressure on occasion but overall I am so thankful to have minimized some of the fm symptoms along with healthier blood sugar levels again! Yes I have more devices and tubing all over my body but dang!! I forgot how good it feels…to feel healthy!!

While I consider this all to be great news, I still have so many family and friends shake their heads and look at me asking how do I keep doing this especially with a smile on my face? How do I consider this good news when I know it’s not a cure and I will have to have this procedure all over again? Well, first off, I am not always smiling but I do always keep pushing forward because that’s the only option I choose to have…

The Lord has used my health as an opportunity not only for me to know Him better but for my kids to know Him too. I wasn’t making Him a priority in my life so I definitely wasn’t making Him a priority in their lives…but when you finally realize God’s got a hold of you and your kids then you can always find something good in every day!

With no obligations to be anywhere this past weekend, my husband and I were finally able to get caught up on a few things around the house. He was doing yard work and cleaning up his shop while I was inside working on some much needed organizing! I saw Tim over by the barn as I glanced out the window so I went out to see how he was doing and immediately recognized just how beautiful it was outside. I approached Tim and again pointed out the warmer weather and no wind made for a perfect winter day. He agreed and as I continued basking in the beauty of the sunshine…I somehow managed to slip on a piece of ice hidden under the snow…and I fell hard!!

And just like that, my admiration of God’s beauty around me changed in the instant my circumstances did and as I struggled to sit back up I mumbled under my breath “Yep…isn’t this how life is?! Just when you think it’s finally getting better, it knocks you back down again.” My knee was throbbing, my wrist was stinging and while I had not hit my head, the sudden pounding just from the jolt of my fall was excruciating. I was more upset though over the frustration of my clumsiness! Why don’t I pay more attention to what I am doing?? How did I not see that huge spot of ice peaking out from the snow I was standing on?

I looked up at Tim and the poor man was frozen with a look of confusion on his face. First off, I think he was trying to figure out what just happened because I hadn’t even been walking anymore and was just standing there…and I fell!!! Second, I don’t think he knew if he should laugh or come rushing over to help me back up but he did come over to extend a hand. That cute smirk started to creep across his face and he says to me “let’s stay positive babe.” I started laughing and replied “yep, today is a beautiful day.” Leah had walked out just in time to snap a couple of pictures haha!

Tim helped brushed me off and then we carried on with the rest of our day but I couldn’t help but think of this verse…not only spiritually but physically haha.

While I was still dealing with a headache, our Sunday was busy and I hadn’t even thought about that fall until I realized it was the day before Rare Disease Day and I hadn’t even considered writing a blog or sharing my story for awareness.

As I was struggling to write something, I justified that my health has not been the best since last July so I would plan to just skip sharing my story today and I would be more committed to my fm family in the upcoming year. I had to have angioplasty back in July, October and January to open my SVC stents back up and now I go again at the end of March. Needless to say, all of these angioplasties have been exhausting and emotional due to the fact that my stents are no longer staying open for more than a few months at a time anymore!

And just like my fall, it made me realize how a sudden jolt of suffering can so easily hinder my vision of all else that is good if I am not grounded in the one who Holds on to me.

I never imagined that a day in February would become so near and dear to me. Not Valentine’s Day but the last day in February, Rare Disease Day. A day where my husband randomly buys me a pair of zebra print shoes because he too knows how important this day is….love really is in the little things💕

A day where I come together with other people all around the world who are struggling to find the right diagnosis or any type of treatment…sharing our stories to anyone who will listen with the hope of shedding some sort of light on our diseases.

I have been involved with Rare Disease Day at our Capitol a few different times in the past but I stumbled across this speech from seven years ago when Sandy Salmon, our Iowa House of Representative, shared my story while they were in session in hopes of bringing more awareness to Rare Disease Day. I am extremely grateful for the love and support I get from our local community. There are people willing to listen…if we are willing to share.

I am also thankful for so many of you who continue to reach out to me with questions or to simply introduce yourselves and share your story with me as well! You are the reason I will continue to pray for our fm family and share my story alongside with the rest of you in hopes of bringing awareness and a cure to Fibrosing Mediastinitis. Alone we are rare, together we are strong💕💕

I decided to push my procedure back from December 27th until January 14th, the next available date, so that I could enjoy the holiday with my family. I assured Tim and my doctors that I had minimal symptoms and overall felt okay! My husband doesn’t get much vacation time for work but they do shut down over Christmas so we decided to head down to Gulf Shores to bring in the new year and we were blessed with beautiful weather…

Once home, we took care of some odds and ends and the kids and I did a little bit of school…

Finally it was time for my procedure. Grandpa and grandma picked the kids up Thursday night then Tim and I took off early the next morning. Some things never change…

I was so relieved to have some of my regular nurses and doctor this time! I was prepped for surgery and before I knew it they were wheeling me back to the operating room! Just as I’ve always described before…I was moved over to a long thin table and covered with warm blankets. Meds were given and even though this was my 28th angioplasty, it never gets easier! My stents ended up being completely closed so this time took a little longer to get them back open. While I have to stay awake during the procedure, I only remember bits and pieces but the nurse did have to wipe away my tears as my doctor informed me that I needed to come back in two months for another venogram and angio.

Two months…only eight weeks! Definitely not the news I wanted to hear but in that moment, I was just glad to see Tim in the recovery room! And knowing he was next to me….put me at ease and I was able to get some rest!

I was able to leave within a couple of hours and couldn’t wait to get in to my own bed.

I don’t know! Everything is just crazy right now! While our main objective has always been to do the least amount of intervention as possible…now our main objective is to do more intervention to keep my stents from closing all the way. The doctor who did my procedure back in October suggested maybe needing new stents but my doctor said we have already done stents inside of stents and I have six in one area so he did not feel this would be a good option. It’s like layers and if you keep adding layers, eventually the area gets more narrow so it would basically defeat our purpose. I am hopeful that in two months the stents will still be open and we can start pushing my appointments back again!

Either way, it is what it is and I have been slowly recovering and enjoying life with my family…even if it needs to be from the sidelines for a few days..

I am thankful that the Lord is still providing wisdom to my doctors in order for them to figure out the most beneficial ways to intervene!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S1NSU2Lqo-g

Hope you all are having a great start to the new year and I will plan to update you after March 22nd!

Well…I didn’t quite make a year! I had angioplasty to open my stents up back in June but by the end of September I started to notice symptoms again. At first I put it off as a cold or allergies but as the days went on, symptoms began to intensify. First the fullness in my head, followed by swelling in the face and legs. After a short hike with the kids…

Asher pointed out that it looked like my feet had baseballs in them because I don’t always swell this bad!!

Just get me around the corner and then I can walk!

I absolutely love this man and couldn’t help but giggle at some of the scenarios I get him in to!

I had been extremely overwhelmed by the way the whole day had played out and Tim could tell so there was a lot of silence on our drive home. In the midst of tears, however, the Lord blessed us with an amazing sunset…

and I was able to thank Him for providing me with a doctor who was able to open my stents back up.

Once home, the recovery seemed to be a little harder on me this time and by the third day I found myself withdrawing from everyone! I wasn’t answering my mom’s calls and I was keeping messages to friends short…if I even responded at all. My chest was pounding and it hurt to breathe. My back had obviously been agitated and I was no longer able to walk without being in pain. My oxygen wasn’t going above 90 and my sugars were completely out of whack…

I sent my favorite meme to Tim, a meme I send as a joke when I am not doing well physically…

While I laughed it off to Tim, I was crying on the inside and he sensed that. My pain was so intense that it took me back to when I was first diagnosed. I bounced from bed to couch tossing and turning, trying to position myself just right so that I could breathe with a little less pain. As I played the events over in my head I again realized that I seemed to be putting more trust in my regular doctor than I was putting in God. Because if I truly was giving God the glory then it should not matter which doctor I see…God is going to provide who I need and what I need…when I need it.

It’s now been over a week since my procedure and I am finally starting to feel life back in this old body of mine! I am so thankful that I continue to have these opportunities…as hard as they might be…to re-examine exactly where my heart is. I am grateful for God’s mercy as He hears my cries and wraps his love around me through people like you who send me messages of encouragement and through my church family who provides meals and prayers and love for my kiddos. I am also thankful for those of you who truly understand the reason why I share my story with you! I have said this from day one, I do not share looking for pity but I share because I want you to know you are not alone! I want God to use my story to encourage you just like some of your stories have encouraged me…

After talking with my doctor, my disease does not seem to be progressing which I am extremely thankful for but there is a chance the stents just aren’t holding up like they used to so I may need to get new ones. I am scheduled for another venogram with possible angioplasty in December…two days after my birthday.

Until then, I am just taking it one day at a time and we will see what December brings…or maybe January after we get back home from our holiday vacay.😉

Hope you all are staying healthy and can enjoy the holiday season with family and friends!