Day Nine - February 16, 2025
I am so grateful for everyone’s prayers, messages of support, and love. I’ve reflected tonight on where love is coming from around the world, the Netherlands, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Alberta and Ontario and it is a source of strength for me. Saturday I spent a fair bit of time sleeping as my body is just so incredibly tired. Sunday brought strong tears as symptoms have continued as well as old symptoms have returned…. I started reacting to the 3 foods I can eat I was in such desperation for prayer, as it only takes one. Doubt starts to creep in again. We had hoped for more progress in week one, but also understood that the diagnosis of complex chronic illness does not allow a lot of time for treatment and improvement from day one. I did start some treatments last week, and there is concern of reactions to them but we will carry on. I also tend to do worse on rainy days as mold increases in the air, and the weekend was very rainy. Jeff prayed for me after the grief had worn its way through me, and I sat on the cottage couch and looked quietly out the window. I had a thought… discarded it… thought about it again… should I ask God for another sign? To give me a sense I am where he wants me to be? I have never been so bold. It has been an incredibly difficult week for me with hesitations and reactions at every turn. How presumptuous of me to ask, and what if there was no sign (my doubt says) then what? We haven’t seen any cardinals since day one, so internally I simply asked God to send another cardinal. I didn’t tell Jeff.
This morning I am getting ready for the day and Jeff “waltzes” back into the cottage (he loves it when I use that word :) ) after being outside for a wee bit. He said, “Guess what! The cardinals are back. I started crying.” I tell him what I had quietly asked God for. And he said, “well he sent three, nothing in small measures.” I am noticing that God truly does the unexpected. I have never had a strong affinity for cardinals, they are pretty but I would not have indicated them as a favourite. So God chose, not me. Although in my still existent humor, I did comment that swans in February in Tennessee would have been something to see too! (Ha ha)
Today we went with research in hand to my doctor. Could we please target the Mast Cell Activation. What were his thoughts of the procedure I have booked for Wednesday as I will be exposed to a blood anti-coagulant which some people are allergic too. And if some people are allergic to something what are the odds I won’t be? We discussed at length and he was patient and took an extended amount of time with me today. He was going to spend extra time today on hopefully developing a method to minimize reaction. We are getting to know Dr Ehrnman and are feeling more relaxed with him. He’s been in the navy, the military police, and now a doctor. He loves cowboy hats and boots and actually misses seeing them in Tennessee as he saw far more in California and Texas.
My days interact with some other patients and the characters at play in my day are… Lisa, who is a 70+ perfectly made up Southern Belle who is fighting cancer, lives locally, and prays for everyone. The first time I saw her she was wearing a sweatshirt that said “I hope heaven is crowded”. There was Caleb from Texas who runs a Lawn Care business, is also fighting cancer and travelled to the clinic with his daughter for Lyme. And Ari, a strong Jew, a married man with kids from Arizona who feels naked without his firearm at his back. He is also fighting chronic Lyme. Jeff and Ari are having fantastic conversations on faith and they are chomping at the bit to have more. It’s a motley crew of prayerful warriors from different parts but all encouraging eachother.
I thirst for the Lord and I thirst for your prayers for me.
Approach our Almighty God with Confidence
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
“And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up”. - James 5:15
Make Prayer the Strategy - “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you” John 15:7
“This may be the day the walls come down. Is today your Jericho? Keep Steadfast. Keep Marching. Believe! “- Max Lucado
