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Background

See this post Part 1

12/30 Saturday
I’m still here, settling in and adjusting to life in a hospital. Because it’s a holiday weekend, some of the services I need to move things along are delayed. I’m rolling with it.

Last night’s MRI showed that my brain is just fine. (What a relief!) So the team is trying to zero in on what could be causing the inflammation in my spinal cord. The area affected is in the thoracic region, which is why the symptoms are in the lower extremities and did not continue to travel upward. That upward progression is part of the mystery and has been helping rule out more serious problems.

Right now the assumption is that my body is reacting to some virus or an auto-immune response of some kind. My thyroid disorder falls into that auto-immune category, but these are not related.

Timing

Because of the holiday weekend, the procedure under consideration is delayed until Monday or Tuesday, which means I’ll be here a while longer. Again, this is not what I had planned for starting out 2024, but my days are in the hands of my Lord and Savior. The Lord has already been teaching me to be more flexible, and my love of schedules is just one area He and I have been making changes. There’s nothing like a health crisis and hospital stay to provide a crash course!

Next Steps 

The team is considering having me undergo Plasmapheresis (aka “plex”). This link will give you medically minded folks an explanation, but please note: No, multiple sclerosis is NOT my diagnosis! They’re thinking this procedure could help clear out anything in the spinal fluid that could be causing the inflammation.

Praises and Prayers 

Thank you for praying and upholding us before the Lord. This is the most important ACTION anyone can take. Our Father loves when His children seek Him in prayer on behalf of others.

Praises

• I’m in excellent hands. The staff at Eden Medical Center is amazing!
• I got the much-needed head MRI last night rather than waiting until today. My neurology team has the info they need today.
• In God’s perfect providence, all my new Medicare was in place by December 1, so this completely unexpected hospitalization is covered. All our “perfect planning” (as though that were really a thing) cannot surpass the foreknowledge of the Father (Matthew 6:8b).
• Even with the excellent care in this facility, I still need to be vigilant with my physical needs. The work I’ve done over the past 7 years to improve my health has trained me to be aware of my hydration, sleep, food sensitivities (what works for my body), movement, and more. These are strong habits which I’m adjusting to the current situation but continuing to monitor so I can improve more quickly.
• Although I am experiencing impaired sensation in my feet and legs, I still have full mobility. One of the nurses just stopped by to tease me that I’m walking faster during my laps around my floor than the nurses. Was I? That felt slow to me.
• I’m getting some good rest and down time. I’m well equipped with my Bible and current Bible study, a book I’ve been reading, a new book I got for Christmas (thank you, Joshua), and my electronics.
• David has been doing a fantastic job filling my orders of “bring from home” items.
• I don’t feel terrible, other than being a medical puzzle, being lightheaded now and then, and having weird sensations in my feet and legs. A cold seems to be starting, but it’s not too bad. That’s another reason the nurse was teasing me, “We’ve decided you’re too healthy to be here.” Let’s pray they get their wish! LOL

Prayer Requests

• Pray for the medical team to find their answers before any complicated or difficult procedures are necessary. Maybe spontaneous healing? I feel confident in asking but defer to the Lord for how He chooses to answer (Matthew 7:7-8; Luke 22:42).
• Pray for David to be able to juggle his work, his wife being in the hospital, and everything else on his plate right now.
• Pray that I will use this time to spend quality time with the Lord and to be an encouragement and light to the staff here. God places His children in unexpected situations not only for them, but He also has plans for those they encounter along the way. I want to have my eyes open for divine appointments and opportunities.
• Pray I can get adequate and healing sleep. Hospitals can make that difficult, but I slept very well last night after that MRI. (Could it have been the Ativan they gave me to ease my claustrophobic anxiety?) I need good sleep.

I’m trying out this blog method for updates, but your feedback is helpful. We’ll let you know if the location changes. Please feel free to share with whomever you think would want to know what’s going on.

See Part 3