So Far So Good

It has been awhile since I have updated. The past month and a half have been absolutely crazy. In June, I started my Rituxin infusions for GPA (Granulomatosis polyangitis), also known as Wegener's Disease. I had 4 infusions, 1 a week for 4 weeks. I ended up having some side effects. I had digestive issues, including nausea, and really bad fatigue. At one point I slept for 3 days straight. I'm still struggling with nausea off and on, and the fatigue is sometimes unbearable. After I started feeling somewhat normal, I ended up with an abcess the size of a half dollar, on my stomach. With my immune system being off from the Rituxin, it was surprising, but it did need to be handled carefully. That was also the week that my girls were gone on a mission trip to North Carolina. That was a very stressful week for many reasons. And my girls brought home a souvenir, an upper respiratory tract infection. This one is pretty rough, even on them. I have seen my primary care doctor twice since my infusions. I am now on 3 different diabetes medicines,  including insulin. All the stress my body is going through, and the steroids I'm having to take has my blood sugar up in the 300 and 400 range. It's recently come down to the 200s. I did get some good news from my ENT. He said that the inflammation in my trachea is better. It has opened up from less than 4mm to almost 6 mm.

In my last post I promised to share some things I have learned these past few months. Well here they are.

1. Some things are just not that important.

What I mean by this is that I have a limited supply of energy. Do I want to spend it on putting clothes away, or spending time with my family? Do I spend it on a desperately needed shower, or making sure that everything gets done? Different people have their own preferences on this. For example, my husband hates the dirty dishes being piled up in the sink, so I try to make that a priority.

2. Ask for help and take help when needed.

Again, I have a limited supply of energy. I cannot do everything by myself. I need help. I was so blessed to have so many people bring meals when I came home from the hospital. They even offered to come clean the house. I am so thankful for the help my family, husband and girls, have given.

3. I must take care of myself.

I recently realized that I don't love myself. I have self-confidence and self-esteem issues, I don't believe what the Bible says about me, and I just don't love myself. And it shows. In learning to love myself, I need to make sure that taking care of myself is a priority. I need to focus on personal hygiene, (taking a shower has become seriously complicates and requires a lot more energy than it used to) cleaning and taking care of my trach, Bible study and prayer time, eating right, taking my medicines, getting enough sleep/rest, and getting exercise. If I don't take care of myself, I will not be able to fully tale care of anybody else, or do what God has called me to do.

So these are just a few things I have learned these past few months. I will try to share more in future posts.

Recently my girls and I have started The Armor of God Bible study by Priscilla Shirer, and I have also been invited to preview Heidi St. John's upcoming book Prayers for the Battlefield. I will be sharing my thoughts and little tidbits from these books in my blog also. I hope you all have a great day.