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).