A Month of Thanksgiving – The Difference a Year Makes

August 2008 started us on a roller coaster ride with all of us having ongoing health issues that required multiple doctor visits, but the worst situation was with my oldest daughter. The rest of the health problems finally healed, but my oldest daughter was in a life-changing situation. She was first diagnosed with Raynaud’s phenomenon, which often accompanies other major diseases, so she had to go through some testing. A year ago this month, we received a devastating diagnosis of scleroderma. I was terrified and held on to the Word of God and the prayers of other Christians to get us through. Then, as I often do, I tried to imagine that this will be past us a year from now. But with this diagnosis, there would be no getting past it in a few weeks, months, or a year. It would be something she’d have to deal with for the rest of her life.

Six weeks later a specialist found that my daughter did not have scleroderma. After more and more doctor visits, my daughter was referred to another specialist to find out what was really going on. During those times of waiting for that appointment, my daughter was having multiple problems that were not going away. I researched, had a consultation with a professional herbalist, and more. I tried all sorts of natural remedies. In desperation, I went to the health food store for more products, and found that there were natural doctors in; they never had been in there before, and I go quite often! After telling them the situation, the doctors there immediately said that it was my daughter’s thyroid, especially since she looked far younger than she was. I called my daughter’s physician to see if they had checked it. With all the blood work and tests that she had had, her thyroid had not been checked! I took her right in and found that it was indeed her thyroid! Praise God that He answered my prayer and let us find out what was wrong! It really chilled me to the bone, because no one had even thought to check it, and if we had not found out, my daughter could have lost her hearing, sight, had multiple physical problems, and even have died.

The second specialist agreed that my daughter didn’t have scleroderma. She also said that with autoimmune diseases, it may be years before they present themselves, so my daughter would have to always be monitored. Her diagnosis did not comfort me; I was terrified of what the years may hold. It was terrifying waiting for the other shoe to drop at any time. Eventually, I was able to accept the diagnosis and also came to realize that perhaps the only autoimmune disease accompanying the Raynaud’s was the thyroid issue. What a comforting thought to me!

Praise God for the difference that a year makes. Praise God that He has the future in His hands.

“Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.”
—Psalm 91:14-15 KJV

(I have held on dearly to these verses during this past year.)