We Don't Think We are Neurotic!

First for super happy news! Jon and Katie are engaged and we are thrilled! The date has been set for August 15 in the Twin Cities.

Now on to neurosis….On Tuesday Tim sat in a chair in the EFC board room and somehow the back was totally loosened and he fell backward hitting his head and neck hard. By Thursday afternoon he was feeling more pressure in his head and had some focus and short term memory issues so we went to United ER. They did a CT scan of his head and neck and it was “normal”. The doc said that he “rang his bell pretty good.” He is pretty achy and tired and still somewhat foggy. His brain is more susceptible to trauma after the long illness of last year.

Friday morning I went to the Hematologist to get the results of all the blood work and other tests. While everything was negative for cancer, I found out that I have something called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis which showed up on the abdominal CT scan. The hematologist said that I was not a normal candidate for this. I will be seeing a liver specialist on May 20. What I found on the net is that it may be reversible if there is no liver scarring. I have only read a couple of articles and it looks like a very low fat diet, weight loss, low alcohol intake, and avoiding unnecessary medications are the initial treatments. (http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/nash/ ). I need to be svelte by August 22nd anyway. I may have to have a liver biopsy that will be interesting since I am on Coumadin for the clots in my lungs and am allergic to heparin, which would normally be used to take a break from Coumadin. If the steatohepatitis is not reversed, it can lead to cirrhosis over several years. I also see the hematologist again, see a pulmonologist to follow up on the PE’s, have a CT scan of my chest next week, go to our regular doc once a week for INR (Coumadin levels), and PT for my knees once or twice a week. I don’t look like a gimp!

The repeated illness are getting old but we still think it is a “job hazard” and are committed to trusting God and staying positive, even if occasionally cranky.

I think the biggest prayer request is for people to “press into” all this. How are we to respond? Pray for complete healing? See it as preparation in trusting God in ways we never have had to before? Definitely to allow the refining that only comes through difficulty.

This is a song that I have listened to often in the last couple weeks and I think it coveys how we feel.

Momentary Light Afflictions

I set my eyes on what I cannot see
I set my eyes on the eternal…

You are my great reward
Forever I will be with You…

I know that this momentary light affliction is working in me
An eternal weight of glory, an eternal weight of glory…

For You are God and You know what You want…
And You give and take away, the only Initiator of seasons of change…

Consider it pure joy when You face trials of many kinds
The testing of your faith develops perseverance
Perseverance is needed to run the race…

This is my confidence, this is my confidence
I’m living for another age…

My only confidence, my only confidence
It’s an eternal weight of glory being worked in me
I’ll consider it pure joy
I will consider it pure joy…

Christ in my heart

(by Justin Rizzo)