Day Twenty Two - March 2, 2026
Room at the Inn?
Our Saturday did not turned out as expected. In fact, it couldn’t have gone any worse. We got up early to finish packing our things, cleaning up behind ourselves as we went, and then out the door for 10 am. Jeff had let the next VRBO owners know of my reactions to mold and that we were hoping to get in as soon as possible due to a number of factors, including my ability to eat. They said they had never had any issues with mold, and we trusted their feedback. The check in time was officially 4pm, but we expected to hear from them as soon as their cleaning team was done, as that was what happened with the first VRBO. Unfortunately, there was no communication so we waited in our truck, waited in parks along the Natchez Trace Trail, waited at an 1812 Memorial, waited in the parking lot of an old general store, and drove around a bit. Most interesting visual of the day for us were the four zebras grazing at a cattle farm (we double checked that they were not donkeys with racing stripes, ha ha). Most interesting visual for others was probably Jeff and I laying in the back of our pick up truck with our feet sticking out the tail gate at the 1812 Memorial because we were so tired. After processing that the image we were projecting was somewhat hilarious, we moved ourselves to a grassy area. Without any word for the VRBO owners, we arrived at 4:00 pm. As soon as Jeff opened his driver’s side door, I could smell the mold. I let him check out the property while I waited. The back of the cottage had rotten rafter tails under the roof, the porch had mold growing on it, and when I went inside, you could definitely smell the mustiness. In the past I would have worked hard to make do, but with where my body is at, and how it would likely be a massive set back, we chose to walk away. Jeff called and messaged the VRBO owners, but they did not reply for 24 hours.
We went back to the Old General Store parking lot and started looking for other places to stay with our cell phones. In the entire region, all VRBO and Air B&B s said there were zero places available. We assumed this was because it was after 4:00 which is a standard check in time. So we looked up places that did have options available the night before. We contacted all we could and only one had an option available, everyone else had booked up. The one available was almost 45 minutes from the clinic, so not ideal, and they accepted pets which could be an issue for me.
I messaged our last VRBO host who is a Christian woman and knew of the struggles I was having. She was about to board a plane, but took the time to message a friend of hers who owns 40 VRBOs and Air B&Bs in the area. Her friend Gretchen called me after some back and forth and said she had one house available but it was old and could be an issue for me. We decided to start driving back to Franklin and just take a look. Gretchen was extremely generous and said we could look and she wouldn’t charge us, whatever we decided was fine with her. Her house was definitely better than the previous house, but I did smell the must when we went in, and I did react. It was so disheartening. I hadn’t eaten all day and given the arrhythmias I had the day before, it was not good for my body to keep going. But, we knew again, that more exposure was also not good, so we left and kept searching. We called hotels, knowing that the EMFs may be too high for me. We found one Marriot with a kitchenette (so I could prepare meals). The 1-800 number just wanted to take our money, but with calling the hotel directly we gained some honest feedback. The help desk said the emf levels would be quite strong due to the high occupancy at the moment and that a lot of sports teams were currently booked. So, sitting on the side of the road in Franklin, with it fully dark outside, we did not know if we would have to sleep in our truck. The biggest issue was food. I wouldn’t be able to cook anything as I can’t eat pre-prepared meals due to my MCAS.
We have had challenges on this trip, but in retrospect we could always see God’s hand. Pulled over on the side of the road with no end in site felt bewildering. We were very concerned I would have a relapse like the day before, but there was nothing we could do except keep ourselves hopeful and trusting in God.
Jeff messaged the rental at the far away location and the owner was patient and still willing to help. The concern was driving 45 minutes out of town, in the wrong direction, and finding another home we couldn’t stay in, then what? This owner did warn that the location had been an old shed but was fully renovated. The location was an old Inn where music artists used to come and write songs (including Johnny Cash). We arrived around 8pm. It was clean and bright, and although the owner couldn’t vouch for what mold may be in the walls, it was a place to lay our heads and I could eat. We quickly cooked some food for me, rested for a bit, and then we crashed.
Come morning, we could see the view outside our window was like having a cottage in the valley at Balls Falls. It felt like home and the sound of the running water was so peaceful. Jeff and I spent some time by the water on Sunday, listening to birdsong and letting the calm wash over us. Definitely a place that would encourage healing. I did start having reactions on Sunday and into today. We do not know why, but we ask for prayer that my body will be able to cope with whatever I am reacting to, will gain strength and be able to overcome.
Sunday night into Saturday wasn’t great. Jeff noticed my waking and we prayed together as we were in need of God’s presence.
So, finally we come to my first day of my fourth week here. The clinic is definitely now familiar. Staff has gotten to know Jeff and I, and we have gotten to know them. We are prayerful that God is guiding our doctor in these last three days so that all that will need to be achieved will be completed.
The doctor dug deeper into my Pineal Gland (cancer) today and discovered it also traced back to the Accutane I was on as a teenager as it is known to cause Permanent Cell Apoptosis (cell death, leading to cancer). Accutane was designed to affect the HPA access in the body which affects the endocrine system, and the pineal gland is also a part of the endocrine system. He adjusted my treatment protocol and length to accommodate this finding. My adrenals which have been in full exhaustion mode since I started testing them (2014?) have also been directly damaged from the Accutane. Surprisingly, just taking the Accutane antidote shows promise to correcting my adrenals without further treatment. Tomorrow we will hopefully dig into the adrenals and hormones further as this would give my body more energy to heal.
These last two days have me thinking of Elisha and God’s angel army.
Elisha’s servant despaired when he got up one morning to see himself and Elisha surrounded by an enemy army. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” he exclaimed (2 Kings 6:15). The prophet’s response was calm: “Don’t be afraid . . . . Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (v. 16). Elisha then prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see” (v. 17). So, “the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (v. 17). Although things at first seemed bleak to the servant’s eye, God’s power ultimately proved greater than the enemy horde.
Our difficult circumstances may lead us to believe all is lost, but God desires to open our eyes and reveal that He is greater.
We go through situations or circumstances where it seems like all is lost. Time passes and nothing changes, or it gets even worse. In times like these we need an Elisha around to remind us as he reminded his servant to look to the hills (and God), and not at our circumstances. Those chariots of fire that Elisha saw were full of angels ready to defend them from the enemy horde. (Sarah’s Musings - Word Press)
God is Jehovah Sabaoth—the Lord of Hosts or the God of the Angel Armies
God is Jehovah Rapha - The Lord who Heals
From Chris Tomlin’s “Whom Shall I Fear”
I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
My strength is in Your name
For You alone can save
You will deliver me
Yours is the victory
And nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I'm holding on to Your promises
You are faithful, You are faithful
Our new view and therapy.…..
