I’ve been putting
off this blog post. I’ve debated about whether to share the information in this
space for several reasons. It isn’t as full of the joie de vivre of our travels
and cultural experiences, and I feel
like my only way to truly capture what is happening is to lay my soul a little
bare. Sometimes that can be scary because often, when something is wrong it is
easier for me to bottle it in. At the same time, I know that this experience is
as every bit of a part of our lives here as all of the fun and exciting things
that we are getting to do.
My joints are
hurting. Not in the way that Matt and I laugh about that we are getting old or
ruminating over an old injury that gets a little achy when it rains. Really,
really hurting. Screaming. Almost all of them. I had hoped the climate of
Sicily would give me some relief from the intermittent flare ups of joint pain
and stiffness I have been experiencing for the past two years. For a few
months, it was sweet relief and then a little over a month ago, I woke up with
the familiar stiffness and soreness that I had felt stateside and it began
getting progressively worse. So bad that the pain burning in my knees and
ankles made it hard to use our steps and even lifting a half gallon of milk
made me cry out because of the pain in my fingers and wrists.
At my last
rheumatologist appointment before we left Virginia, the doctor suggested that
we monitor the situation, chart my flare ups and that I continue to use
prescription NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to help quell my
discomfort. He advised me that if there
was any change that I should see someone here to reevaluate my lab work and
other tests. Once the results were in, I was disheartened to learn that several
of the tests that had once been negative are now positive and pointing toward a
definite rheumatological disease. In my heart, I knew this was inevitable, but
it still hurt to hear. However, as my very pragmatic husband pointed out, it
just means that now we are closer to a diagnosis and treatment instead of just
trying to alleviate symptoms. Though it may seem harsh to some, I found a lot
of comfort in his assertion (and I think it’s one of the reasons we are good for each
other).
Even though I try
to concentrate on that, I wouldn’t be truthful if I didn’t say that I have felt
a lot of worry and frustration. Worry about being diagnosed with a degenerative
illness that can be tricky to treat and will last a lifetime. Worry that I
won’t be able to be the wife and mother that I want to be to Matt and Christopher.
Worry that my life is beginning to change in a way that I won’t be able to do
some of the things I love to do, even things that seem small like handwriting
notes. Worry that new people I meet and the wonderful friends that I am just
getting to know will know me as someone ill and unable rather than my active
and energetic self that I know is there under the hurt and fatigue. And then there are some worries that I can’t
even bring myself to verbalize but occasionally loom in the recesses of my
mind.
For the most
part, I am able to push the worry aside and focus on all of the positives. Matt
and Christopher have both been wonderful at accommodating me these past few
weeks and making sure I am comfortable and not pushing myself too hard. My new friends here have been a blessing by checking
in on me, offering assistance and prayers. My new primary physician seems to be
doing all that she can to figure out what is going on and get me proper
treatment. There have been major advances
in the treatment of autoimmune and rheumatological diseases since I worked at
the Arthritis Foundation several years ago and the prognoses are much better
than they have ever been.
Another way that
I have been comforted is by seeking God’s words and wisdom. One night last week,
when my almost every part of me was hurting too much to sleep, I went through
my Bible and started marking some of the verses that I found particularly
meaningful and comforting. A couple of days later, when my fingers were feeling
more nimble, I copied them down so that they were easy accessible any time that
I am feeling discouraged. I’ve been praying longer in the mornings and
evenings, asking God to help me cope and not to worry and thanking him for the
days that I do feel better and am able to resume my normal pace of life. My
communes of prayer are one of the reasons I decided to write this post. God
gave me this body, and as my friend Virginia once pointed out, he gave me the
exact body that He wanted me to have. Right now, I might not understand why my
joints have to hurt, but I know that He has a plan for me.
The other night,
as I tearfully searched through scripture, several of the verses spoke very
directly to me. I felt a charge through the words of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Or do you not know that your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your
own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” I’ve
read this passage plenty of times in my life, but now it has never seemed more
pertinent. So glorify God in your body.
I need to glorify God, even with my hurting and inflamed body. Though I am
still working through the how in my mind and praying that I am led to an
answer, I know that this is what I need to do. I’ve found a lot of strength in
that.
Thank you friends and family for reading this, it has taken a lot off of my mind. xoxo
