Daryl was sleeping 20 hours a day back then, in the fall of 2008. I think I may have slept the other 4. I was moving, but not doing, seeing or hearing. I was like the energizer bunny - I couldn't rest.
But ever so slowly, he started improving. With mega dosing of vitamins & minerals, heavy detoxification, diet modification, his energy started coming back. With the many tests that he underwent and more that our Dr. Sandy requested, we found out Daryl's thyroid had crashed, he was intolerant to dairy and sugar, had a rampant candida infection, and had developed allergies - he's allergic to penicillin! Remember he was on 5,000 mg per day in August 2008? Group this with something growing in our house, tremendous stress at work and his mysterious health decline - it was a perfect storm developing right in front of our eyes.
We began working with Dr. Sandy, adjusting Daryl's diet & supplementation, monitoring his thyroid, blood sugar levels, heavy metals, etc. He's not the normal case (I've always known that!), so it's taken lots of trial and error to see what works for him - and we're still making adjustments. I'll be sharing what we've been doing so far that has made positive impacts: diet, supplements, therapies, environmental and lifestyle changes and stress management. Remember I said we are complex beings - mind, body AND spirit. It's been a process, but we continue the climb to restored health. God created a miracle when he created the human body. It's capable of healing itself with lots of tender loving care - and God's will.
Just know Daryl's doing what he loves: working almost full time for over a year and a half - and he golfs almost full time, too! Anytime he can get out on the course, he's there. His game is good, too - never good enough of course, but he's hitting the ball great.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The new "New Normal"
This one was hard to write - actually, I wrote it two days ago and put it away to think about it. So, I guess it's time to send it on. . .
Until you've been blasted with a catastrophic situation, you won't know how you'd handle one, how you'll behave or what direction you'd go. Only God does - and that's because He wired you! (Psalm 139:13 - read it!) I pray that you can get through life without one happening to you. But, if you live long enough - you'll experience one.
October 1, 2008 was the day our lives changed forever - the "new normal" as I've come to know it. We sat in the doctor's office as he delivered Daryl a death sentence after a 15 minute consultation. Absolutely no hope given - go home and die. We left his office stunned, crushed, horrified. I will not bring myself to even utter the diagnosis. One thing about "specialists": they look at a situation only from their professional view. If you fit into that view, great. But if you don't have a black and white condition, then they give you a professional opinion as to what they believe you have. I am reminded that we are extremely complex beings. We are not just physical beings - there is a mind, body & spirit conncection in place. There has been no consideration about symptoms that don't fit; that have been living and growing with us for the past years.
He said it so as-a-matter-of-fact-ly, almost flippantly. Like telling us Daryl had a cold or a sore throat. It was as if he'd left us on the highway as road-kill. If I were to change one thing, it would be to have medical professionals extensively trained on compassion and delivery of devasting news. And if they don't pass - they're out. They are dealing with people's lives and emotions. Just one word can make a huge difference. After a year of going to over 30 doctors and specialists, believe me: there are all kinds of doctors. All kinds of personalities, belief systems, egos, education levels, and after a while you learn you have to be your own advocate - and go with what your gut, what you believe. God gave us the verse Psalm 118:18: "It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in man.".
We were faced with two choices: to give up and hide in the corner or to stand up and live. Ultimately, God is in control of our situation, and I am forever thankful. As I seek His will and while I am still on this earth, I am going to do all that I can, with the resources God gives us, to heal and live a healthy, productive life. We do what we can do and then I continually give our situation to the Lord.
So that's what we are doing. We found a great doctor (PhD of cellular and molecular biology, not an MD) and threw the old diagnosis out the window and started moving forward again. You know, a diagnosis can kill you faster than the actual sickness will. We are are doing everything we can to figure out what's happened to Daryl and why - and start the restoration process - to the new New Normal!
I pray that we can be an encouragement and inspiration to others along the way. That's all for now - God bless you all!
Remember 2 Corinthians 1:11 and to pray for us - God does answer prayers and He is a miracle worker (the only one).
Until you've been blasted with a catastrophic situation, you won't know how you'd handle one, how you'll behave or what direction you'd go. Only God does - and that's because He wired you! (Psalm 139:13 - read it!) I pray that you can get through life without one happening to you. But, if you live long enough - you'll experience one.
October 1, 2008 was the day our lives changed forever - the "new normal" as I've come to know it. We sat in the doctor's office as he delivered Daryl a death sentence after a 15 minute consultation. Absolutely no hope given - go home and die. We left his office stunned, crushed, horrified. I will not bring myself to even utter the diagnosis. One thing about "specialists": they look at a situation only from their professional view. If you fit into that view, great. But if you don't have a black and white condition, then they give you a professional opinion as to what they believe you have. I am reminded that we are extremely complex beings. We are not just physical beings - there is a mind, body & spirit conncection in place. There has been no consideration about symptoms that don't fit; that have been living and growing with us for the past years.
He said it so as-a-matter-of-fact-ly, almost flippantly. Like telling us Daryl had a cold or a sore throat. It was as if he'd left us on the highway as road-kill. If I were to change one thing, it would be to have medical professionals extensively trained on compassion and delivery of devasting news. And if they don't pass - they're out. They are dealing with people's lives and emotions. Just one word can make a huge difference. After a year of going to over 30 doctors and specialists, believe me: there are all kinds of doctors. All kinds of personalities, belief systems, egos, education levels, and after a while you learn you have to be your own advocate - and go with what your gut, what you believe. God gave us the verse Psalm 118:18: "It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in man.".
We were faced with two choices: to give up and hide in the corner or to stand up and live. Ultimately, God is in control of our situation, and I am forever thankful. As I seek His will and while I am still on this earth, I am going to do all that I can, with the resources God gives us, to heal and live a healthy, productive life. We do what we can do and then I continually give our situation to the Lord.
So that's what we are doing. We found a great doctor (PhD of cellular and molecular biology, not an MD) and threw the old diagnosis out the window and started moving forward again. You know, a diagnosis can kill you faster than the actual sickness will. We are are doing everything we can to figure out what's happened to Daryl and why - and start the restoration process - to the new New Normal!
I pray that we can be an encouragement and inspiration to others along the way. That's all for now - God bless you all!
Remember 2 Corinthians 1:11 and to pray for us - God does answer prayers and He is a miracle worker (the only one).
Thursday, August 19, 2010
A Steep Hill to Climb
I love biblegateway.com - It's an online complete bible resource: yearly reading plans, passage lookups, audio versions of verses and chapters, all in different versions. In short, it's got just about everything you need to read God's word. It also has a verse of the day - today's was 1 John 5:12. So I read and listened to the whole chapter. In fact - I listened to it 3 times - there's a lot to digest in this chapter. But what I heard the loudest were verses 14 & 15: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him."
Daryl and I have had almost three torturous years of dealing with his health challenges. From horrific mis-diagnoses to the challenges that have come along with his mysterious, unexplained condition, our lives have been literally turned upside down. It has affected every area of our lives: our family, our home, work, sleep, energy, focus, confidence, faith , friends, trust, on and on and on. All these aspects may have changed, but praise God, because He doesn't change! His promises are the same no matter what happens in our little part of the world. And the promise I'm holding onto today is in this verse. I have confidence that God hears my cries and pleas as long as I seek His will. I will forever ask for complete healing of not only Daryl's body, but also of our spirits. I am so thankful God listens to me!
Daryl is doing well, but it's a very steep hill to climb. He's lost about 65 pounds, so if I don't watch out, I'll be weighing more than he does! I simply won't let that happen, even if I have to cook two meals: one full of calories for Jack Sprat and one with no calories for his wife!
How on earth did we get to this place? I'll be sharing bit by bit as the days go by. In the meantime, pray for us - for complete healing, confidence and encouragement. Please read 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 and you'll see why I cherish your prayers.
God bless you all - R
Daryl and I have had almost three torturous years of dealing with his health challenges. From horrific mis-diagnoses to the challenges that have come along with his mysterious, unexplained condition, our lives have been literally turned upside down. It has affected every area of our lives: our family, our home, work, sleep, energy, focus, confidence, faith , friends, trust, on and on and on. All these aspects may have changed, but praise God, because He doesn't change! His promises are the same no matter what happens in our little part of the world. And the promise I'm holding onto today is in this verse. I have confidence that God hears my cries and pleas as long as I seek His will. I will forever ask for complete healing of not only Daryl's body, but also of our spirits. I am so thankful God listens to me!
Daryl is doing well, but it's a very steep hill to climb. He's lost about 65 pounds, so if I don't watch out, I'll be weighing more than he does! I simply won't let that happen, even if I have to cook two meals: one full of calories for Jack Sprat and one with no calories for his wife!
How on earth did we get to this place? I'll be sharing bit by bit as the days go by. In the meantime, pray for us - for complete healing, confidence and encouragement. Please read 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 and you'll see why I cherish your prayers.
God bless you all - R
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
A visit with God
I've been needing to hear God's voice more and more these days. So today, I visited Him in His word - and it was awesome. If I can shut out all the "things" I think I need to do and give Him my attention, amazing things happen. I am calmed, comforted, rested and inspired.
This morning I asked Him for encouragement - and after I read for a while, I realized - He gave it to me! I fight so much for control of my and in this life. And it makes me tired. I'm hearing God tell me to rest in Him, to trust Him and that He has everything under control. And you know what? I'd rather have Him be in control of my life than for me to be in charge. He's much more capable-I'm in a lot better hands with Him!
Anyway - the bible verse God gave me today that has encouraged me so much is:
2 Corinthians 1:3) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4) who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5)For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6)If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7)And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
Many, many blessings to you today!
This morning I asked Him for encouragement - and after I read for a while, I realized - He gave it to me! I fight so much for control of my and in this life. And it makes me tired. I'm hearing God tell me to rest in Him, to trust Him and that He has everything under control. And you know what? I'd rather have Him be in control of my life than for me to be in charge. He's much more capable-I'm in a lot better hands with Him!
Anyway - the bible verse God gave me today that has encouraged me so much is:
2 Corinthians 1:3) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4) who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5)For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6)If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7)And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
Many, many blessings to you today!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)