Earlier this year I wrote an article about my health struggles throughout my life. If you'd like to read it, it's called "The Prayer of the Hurting Wife" and you can find it by looking in my old blog posts. In it I shared that I had really struggles towards the beginning of the year with infections, but I was starting to find peace. I wrote that piece in April, but what I didn't realize is there was still quite a journey to go. #longerstill
This year has been amazing, and I put all I had into what we did. But for at least three of the concerts, I struggled with infections that made me extremely weak and dizzy. I could barely make myself get on stage, but I went on anyway and did my best to push through. Let's just say that for the first half of the year, I was operating at only 70% or less. But God still used me!
I visited five different doctors, at least, for the same infections that I was fighting. I'd take the medicine for one and have it cured, only to have it cause another. It was an endless cycle that slowly drained my energy. #imdone
It came to a head when we were in Colorado visiting James' family and church. I had finally been able to visit a doctor I had seen before in Utah and she gave me some more recommendations on how to fight against my infections. She prescribed me more medication to take, but after I started it I found myself nearly debilitated.
I laid in bed for almost five days straight, only able to watch TV and get up occasionally to eat some food even though I was extremely nauseous and couldn't stomach much. During this time I counted and figured out that I had taken about 15 courses of medication since the beginning of the year, most of which were antibiotics. My husband looked me in the eye and said, "You're done. No more antibiotics." #nomore
So I stopped. I may have still struggled with the infections, but my body couldn't handle another course of meds. It made me really nervous as were getting ready to go to Europe, and it was extra hard because Garrett and I hadn't had much time to be together. But I pushed through, praying that God would keep me healthy and that I wouldn't have another bladder infection and have to find a way to get meds overseas.
All of Europe, I was good. I got sick a couple times, but not due to my typical infections. I was clear, up until the end of Cyprus. I started getting suspicious as I was beginning to have some symptoms again. But I kept praying and trusting God, and we ultimately arrived home. #ididit
I was good for a few days, just adjusting to the time zone again and enjoying spending time with my husband as we all rested. I felt great! Until it became obvious that one of my infections was back. But I had already planned and had natural supplements sent to my house that I could take when we arrived since they had worked previously.
But this time they weren't working. I tried what doctors had recommended, took my supplements and waiting to see if they might work. After a week of no progress, I started to lose hope. I read up on articles about my infection again and ended up stumbling across a natural course of medication I had read about before. I was thinking about calling my doctor in Utah, but I felt like God was saying, "Don't seek people." So I tried the course of meds I had found online and waited. #nervous
At first I saw improvement, but then the typical signs came back. I was starting to worry and almost called the doctor a few times, but God's urging staying in the back of my mind: "Don't seek people." I kept praying and ultimately went off the meds, just waiting to see if the infection was truly gone or not. It was two weeks until my doctor's appointment anyway, so I would ask them to run the tests and see what they recommended later.
Finally we arrived in Utah. I tried not to worry about it, though I thought about rescheduling my appointment to being a week earlier. Ultimately I continued to pray and listen to God. "Don't seek people." I trusted and waited, knowing that this course of meds they gave me would end up working.
The day of my appointment arrived. I was nervous, but I told them all that I was experiencing and had them take some tests. She said she would call me back in two days with the results, and I left. Wednesday passed by slowly as I stayed home and wondered what she would say. Thursday arrived and I turned my ringtone on so I would hear when the doctor would call. #waiting
It took well into the afternoon before the call arrived. I readily picked it up and listened, nervous about what she would say, thinking I'd have to go back onto three courses of antibiotics. She completely surprised me when she said I had no signs of infection. I was clear.
I almost didn't believe her. I had been so focused on what could be wrong with me that the idea I was all right was not even a possibility. Immediately a smile grew on my face that I couldn't shake for the rest of the day. Garrett was just as happy to hear the news, and I contacted the people who I had told about my year-long struggle so they could share in our joy. #iwasclear
I never thought I'd find a cure, that I'd be stuck in an endless cycle. It may have been partially the natural supplements I had taken, or just the power of prayer and perseverance. But either way, it was God who led me there. I'm healed, and sometimes I still need to remind myself that I have nothing to worry about and just live in the joy that I am healthy for the first time in a year.
Sometimes healing comes when you've given up, and all you have left are your prayers and hope of someone else fixing it. I had to trust that God would be there and would strengthen my body through the fight. If you're going through your own struggle, whether it's with health or finances or anything else, "Don't seek people." Seek God. He will bring the answers you need, either through miraculous healing or leading you to the solution.