~Warning: Medical symptoms and body processes are discussed.~
(If these things bother you, please skip this post I promise it won't offend me ;). I aim to be as open as possible for anyone else struggling with similar medical issues. If this is you, I pray you find the same hope and encouragement in my honesty as I found in others' when I needed to know I wasn't alone.)Here is a short intro and overview from my other blog. Below is a more detailed description of my struggles over the past year.
Around May of 2013, my headaches were getting out of control, I was tired of not being able to enjoy food or even digest it, and almost over night two of my toe nails started separating from the nail bed in the middle of the nail. Sadly, as a vain human being, the latter discovery encouraged me above all the others to find a natural minded doctor who could help me out. I drove an hour and a half each visit but I truly appreciated Dr. F. Not only was he helping me seek answers but as a nutrition and anatomy professor at his local college, he went above and beyond to help me in my studies as well. Through our discussions about my health, anatomy and physiology in general, and my attempted supplementation we concluded that my digestive system was struggling. Since this wasn't a new struggle, my body's immune system in turn was getting progressively weaker. He suggested a two week liver/gallbladder cleanse consisting of drinking a pea protein powder & amino acid shake and taking some cleansing herbs for breakfast and lunch then a very small, restricted meal for dinner. I began the cleanse the week after the Fourth of July....neither of us expected my body to respond as it did.
One week in, my skin turned slightly yellow, all my lymph nodes became swollen and my sinus cavities inflamed. Out of concern, I contacted Dr. F and he said to keep an eye on it but add lemon water to my routine to increase the flush of toxins. We both believed these were merely signs of a very toxic liver so we pressed on. My abdomen became swollen on the left side and during an office visit, he thought it might be an impaction due to the nature of the cleanse.
During the last bit of the cleanse, I got strep throat which lasted a total of 3 weeks so I caved and went to see a conventional doctor. Since I had his attention, I asked Dr. L about testing my thyroid due to my low energy levels, he agreed it'd be a good idea since my immediate family members have thyroid problems. While we were discussing, my abdominal enlargement was mentioned so he went ahead and tested my blood count as well. We found out that my white blood cell and platelet levels were on the low end but decided to wait a little bit and retest. Three weeks later, they had dropped a slights more and I was then referred to an Oncologist for a consult. He ordered another CBC (complete blood count) and with the results being the same as before, we concluded it'd be best for me to find another Oncologist after my move home in November.
By the end of August I was starting to feel somewhat human again. Swelling slowly went down and problems that arose during the cleanse seemed to disappear with time. (I don't believe the cleanse to have been harmful. My immune system just couldn't handle both the cleanse and outside viruses.)
A week into the cleanse, my eyes and cheeks look deformed due to lymph and sinus swelling
End of August, still not looking "normal" but I was pleased with this photo at the time
As my boss at the bakery could testify, I didn't really recover until mid October. My energy at work was horrible and my heart's desire to do the things I loved were bound by my body's need to rest.
Moving home in November, I was finally able to see a highly recommended local doctor who takes a natural approach to health and wellness. After consideration, I decided to give Dr. O a try in another attempt to find the source of my health problems. In January, I toted my large bag of supplements into his office hoping he could translate what my body was trying to tell me. Surprisingly, Dr. O said I was on the right track but that it was time to dig deeper and again ordered another CBC along with further chemistry levels, two sets of allergy tests, a bacteria gut test and a leaky gut test. We had no change in blood count but new insight into my levels of nutrition, some identified allergies, and a positive for leaky gut syndrome (gut permeability). He put me on a strong probiotic along with a herb mix meant to heal my gut, and discussed eating habits tailored to my needs.
While on a trip near the end of March, I began having sharp pains in my left side. Lasting 30 second to two minutes, these pains made it hard to walk. I just wanted to double over or crawl into the fetal position. It was during one of these "attacks" that I felt my left side and rediscovered that "mass" from my liver cleanse. Not only was it still there, but it felt larger. Once we got home, I brought it up to Dr. O's attention and he too felt it. We were two months into the gut healing process so he went ahead and ordered another CBC to see if we had found the source of my low blood counts and also ordered a CT scan to identify this lump in my abdomen.
So here we are, on May 7th....my CT scan was yesterday morning and I got the results this afternoon. After my scan, I was told to expect 2-3 days before Dr. O got the results but not 6 hours after my scan, his office called to say I needed to come in as soon as possible. I had worried so much about getting a CT scan, the possible radiation, and what the results could possibly be. I worked myself up so much that I lost sight of the reality that God is in control, He always has been and He isn't going to leave me!
As of today, I know that my blood counts haven't changed but my spleen is enlarged and the "mass" I was feeling is actually my stomach and intestines being pushed out of the way. My diaphragm is subsequently higher on the left side due to the size of my spleen. There is a legion on my spleen and two spots on my liver, we don't know anything yet but it is possible they are cysts or growths, we are hoping a MRI will provide more insight. Dr. O has passed me on to my local conventional doctor, Dr. W, for further testing and care so things should move fairly quickly now.
On a positive note and of great encouragement, I learned that my gut healing is progressing very well. Based on my blood chemistry, many of my levels went from low to normal and some even reaching into the optimal ranges. This brings me peace to know that my body's immune system and ability to absorb nutrients from diet alone continue to strengthen and will be able aid in whatever treatment is ahead. Based on current knowledge, best case is an infected spleen and small cysts on my liver, worst case being cancer.
To think all of this came to light thanks to a case of strep throat still amazes me. I've learned to be grateful for the small things and seemingly annoying parts of life. God brought me to Dr. F to identify gut issues, then allowed me to get strep so I could get in to see Dr. L who was able to order a CBC. God then blessed my family to be able to send me to Dr. O and through all of this I have grown just as much as a student.
Last week, I struggled like never before to come to terms with my need for God's strength as I walk in darkness. My family and close friends have shown such love and faith as they bring me before God in prayer and offer words of encouragement and hugs when I need them most. Finally, I truly realize this life isn't mine, I am not promised any more than the moment I am living in, the breath I am taking. All of my life I knew these things in my head and had a superficial application in my heart but it wasn't until I completely surrendered my life, my health, my future to God's will that His peace and strength took the place of fear and worry.
"Don't tell God how big your problem is.
Tell your problem how big God is."
Come what may, my God is bigger.
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