“The Lord is my Shepherd I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green meadows, He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength, He guides me along right paths bringing honor to His Name.”
Psalm 23:1-3
My morning prayer – “Lord God in heaven You are my God You are my Rock, my Strong Tower, my Refuge, my ever present help in time of need. Give me courage, fill me with Your peace, heal my body, give the doctors and technicians wisdom…I will trust in You and I will not be afraid…”
“I created you and have cared for you since before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime…until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you, I will carry you along and save.”
Isaiah 46:3-4
The day before Christmas Eve and much needs to be done….Since my exam at the hospital wasn’t until later that afternoon I could get more stuff done….right…I tried keeping busy yet I couldn’t concentrate much on anything other than reading and praying. So I did some housework which is mindless in itself yet nothing seemed to get done. The hours passed and soon it was near the time for my appointment. My daughter didn’t want to go with me, I don’t blame her, I have always hated hospitals and doctors…especially now.
So, I left early around 4:00 and checked in. My appointment wasn’t until 4:45 so I had a good half hour of waiting which eventually turned into a full hour before they were ready for me. The tech was very nice and told me he would take as much time as was needed to make sure he got the readings right. He did say that I was incredibly lucky to have this ‘thing’ (blood clot) land in my finger not my lungs or brain. And yes, he had seen this kind of thing before…though not all the time.
The exam took nearly an hour in itself…so when he was finished he allowed me to overhear him talking to the ‘on call’ doctor about his findings. I was able to speak with the doctor and he asked if I understood what the tech had described to him. I understood ‘thrombosis’ ‘blood pressure slightly under normal’ ‘migraines’ and that was about it. So the doctor told me I indeed had a blood clot and I was to stop taking PremPro – which I already had done since Monday when this whole thing started. He also stated how lucky I was that it landed in my finger, not my lungs or my brain. He also said I would definitely need to see a vascular surgeon/specialist and would need more tests. And. if I had any other symptoms; light headed-ness, dizziness, pain in chest, etc. I was to go straight to the hospital.
Well ok…
After I got dressed the tech led me down the hallway and explained this could have been caused from patent foramen ovale (PFO) a hole in my heart…recently it has been linked to migraines. Well, all this news and right before Christmas. I wouldn’t be able to make an appointment until the following Monday the 27th.
As I was drove home alone I felt as if the weight of the world had just been dropped off in my lap. Unless you have been given a grim prognosis about your health you can’t possible understand what it’s like. I thought I had compassion for people when they get bad news, I pray for them, I think of them often and when I see them I make an effort to let them know I’m there for them. I hurt with them…but now I understand what it’s like to go through the entire lengthy process and play the waiting game. It is not at all what I expected…yet I am at peace…supernatural peace that can only come from God. I praise Him for his kindness towards me during this time…my hour of need.
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