Two years ago today, I had a laparoscopic appendectomy done in hopes of removing the extreme abdominal pain that had hospitalized me the day before. At the time of surgery, a yellowish substance was cleaned off my pelvic floor, although bleeding was minimal. The surgery appeared successful and I went home a day later. Little did I know that my family's life was about to change forever. Two weeks later, I would re-enter the hospital, and after days of unanswered questions, the Lord would lead my mom to the diagnosis. Additional blood work and tests confirmed her suspicions. Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome, a rare, genetic platelet dysfunction. The prognosis? Progressive and terminal. A disease with no cure.
A year ago today, I was at Roanoke Memorial Hospital on a BiPap machine due to respitory alkalosis. The doctors and my family were just beginning to understand the symptoms and long term effects of extreme pain on the adrenal system. The abdominal pain I was experiencing at the time had taxed my adrenal system long enough and it began to shut down. Last July, I had a completely different medical team than I do now; some of those doctors paid attention to me, while others ignored the warning signs and chose not to believe the Lord's directions. In addition, I was on Imuran to keep my cells from attacking each other. However, the drug was not working and, instead, caused chronic pacreatitis. The information about bacteria overgrowth, stimate, methotrexate, xifaxan, and ursodiol had yet to be discovered and tried. At home Dad was job hunting while Mom spent her days caring for me and preparing for Qavah's arrival. Colin and Jennifer only had eight-month-old Annelise with no knowledge that she would be a big sister just a year later.
Luke 1:37 states, "For nothing is impossible with God". In these two years, only the Lord has been able to keep my family going. Just when we thought it was "over," the Lord surprised us again with His "impossible" answers to countless prayers. He is the God who used a website to unite hundreds of people together in supporting one family during their deepest trials. He is the Great Physician who led me to an excellent medical team and treatments that work. He is the Lord who used one adopted daughter's disease to give her parents enough experience and self-confidence to provide another medically--fragile foster care child a permanent home. Who is He that has given emotional, mental, and physical directions when medical intervention did not suffice? Who is He that has given my family joy out of sorrow? It is the Lord, strong and mighty! Even though He has not always "chosen to work in the way I prayed," these past two years have given me the confidence that He is able to keep me in the palm of His hand until he leads me home to Heaven.
A year ago today, I was at Roanoke Memorial Hospital on a BiPap machine due to respitory alkalosis. The doctors and my family were just beginning to understand the symptoms and long term effects of extreme pain on the adrenal system. The abdominal pain I was experiencing at the time had taxed my adrenal system long enough and it began to shut down. Last July, I had a completely different medical team than I do now; some of those doctors paid attention to me, while others ignored the warning signs and chose not to believe the Lord's directions. In addition, I was on Imuran to keep my cells from attacking each other. However, the drug was not working and, instead, caused chronic pacreatitis. The information about bacteria overgrowth, stimate, methotrexate, xifaxan, and ursodiol had yet to be discovered and tried. At home Dad was job hunting while Mom spent her days caring for me and preparing for Qavah's arrival. Colin and Jennifer only had eight-month-old Annelise with no knowledge that she would be a big sister just a year later.
Luke 1:37 states, "For nothing is impossible with God". In these two years, only the Lord has been able to keep my family going. Just when we thought it was "over," the Lord surprised us again with His "impossible" answers to countless prayers. He is the God who used a website to unite hundreds of people together in supporting one family during their deepest trials. He is the Great Physician who led me to an excellent medical team and treatments that work. He is the Lord who used one adopted daughter's disease to give her parents enough experience and self-confidence to provide another medically--fragile foster care child a permanent home. Who is He that has given emotional, mental, and physical directions when medical intervention did not suffice? Who is He that has given my family joy out of sorrow? It is the Lord, strong and mighty! Even though He has not always "chosen to work in the way I prayed," these past two years have given me the confidence that He is able to keep me in the palm of His hand until he leads me home to Heaven.
He is Able
Deborah Klassen
Like peering through a window blurred with rain.
Emotions run together in a flood of doubt and pain.
We've prayed as best as we can.
Now we must leave it in His hands.
Yet I know when my eyes fail to see, He is able
And even though it seems impossible to me, He is able.
If He chooses not to move in the way we prayed He would,
confident He's working all together for my good,
I will stand behind His word.
For He is able.
Questions seem to haunt us night and day.
How could God allow my heart be torn this way?
Does He listen when I call?
Is He even there at all?
Yet I know when my eyes fail to see, He is able
And even though it seems impossible to me, He is able.
If He chooses not to move in the way we prayed He would,
confident He's working all together for my good,
I will stand behind His word.
For He is able
I will stand behind His word.
For He is able
He is able.
As the night turns into dawning and evaporates away,
I stand to face another day,
I will stand behind His word.
For He is able.
