Hi, I haven't posted for a long while. I had have many thoughts. Recently we just celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving. At the most recent Women's Bible study, we were challenged to ponder our lives and the things we have received and how that has changed the way we are thankful.
      When asked at the Bible study what we were thankful for, I honestly could not think of anything, yet I have much to be thankful for.
      I have had an interesting late Spring and Summer and worry into the Fall. In January we (my husband and I) decided to buy a flight to Toronto to surprise his mom and brother. In May, my husband's brother passed away. My husband, seemingly a strong man emotionally, went back to help his mom with the funeral, the papers, and to help his mom get through this. He ended up being away for two weeks. During this whole time, my husband did not break down or get "emotional". He stayed strong for his mom. When he came back home, he was not the same. He had trouble being able to go back to work and ended up taking more time off work.  He still did not show signs of grieving for his brother. Instead, he showed signs of anger. He did eventually go back to work but for a short time until his vacation. We still had those tickets to go to Toronto to see his mom. That was at the end of July. We visited with my brother and his family and had a lovely time. When we went to see my husband's mom, we coped with her having had a fall and attempting to have some sort of a nice time with her. It was very difficult. She had fallen the Sunday before we came and had bruises under both eyes. I watched her carefully and noticed that she had forgotten her medication and would double up on it, causing her to become disorientated and fall. She couldn't go out for long periods of time nor eat much. While we were there, we managed to get a friend look in on her while we were here in BC. This friend has become very dear to our hearts and is a good friend of my mother-in-law. I am thankful for her. She and her husband spend time with my mother-in-law, go and get her groceries, and phone her to check in on her.
     When we got back from our "vacation", I had a couple of health appointments. One was a mammogram on my birthday! What a birthday present! Anyways, after the procedure, I was phoned the following week to come in for further tests. I went for further tests, which was another mammogram. They really need to come up with something as painful for men! Seriously! The second mammogram confirmed what they had found on the first one-I had calcifications on one of my breasts. The nurse explained everything to me. She explained that I would have to come for a biopsy. I walked away a little numb. I am a believer in Jesus Christ and I immediately prayed. I am also a worrier. I explained to God that I was a worrier and to take that away any worry this biopsy would cause. I have to say while I waited for the appointment, I was at peace and I did not worry. I went to the biopsy appointment. Everything was thoroughly explained to me before the procedure. I will not go into detail as to what the technicians exactly do and what the doctor does during this procedure. It is very invasive. I was able to go to a Women's conference that night and during the weekend post the biopsy. I was indeed surprised as to how much resilience I had! I was indeed thankful for the experience I had at the Women's conference. The singing lifted my soul, the speaker was excellent and her words (words from God) touched my heart. The women who came fellowshipped and it was great to connect with women I have met over the years. It was like a grand re-union! I was indeed blessed and very thankful! Well, this week I went to the doctor's office to find out the results only to find that they haven't come in. I was dismayed. While in the doctor's office, I became very nervous which was put to rest when there were no results to have. Today, I had pain under the area where I had the biopsy and so I went back to the doctor's. The doctor thinks the pain is in  the muscle tissue and will go away. I also did not feel well, I think it was from the anxiousness I have over this whole situation. Then the doctor told me he had phoned the pathologist. The doctor told me that the biopsy was benign! I at first said some glib remark as to going through this procedure for nothing but the doctor assured me I did not go through it for nothing but for prevention. The result was good, I should be happy! I did say that that was good news. The doctor agreed. It is good news. I am very thankful!
     We have so much to be thankful for. One thing I am thankful for is life! I am glad to be alive, well and able to continue on with life hopefully in God's will.
     I think we need to be thankful to God. He sustains us, gives us life. Yes, death is a part of life and there will be a day that we all go through that, but I think we should embrace life and all that it holds.
     "Be full of joy always because you belong to the Lord. Again, I say, be full of joy!" Phillipians 4:4 NLT

Miracles can happen!

I recently wrote about what has been happening to my body (face and right side of body) in the last post. I am so happy to say that the neurologist has ruled out that I didn't have a stroke and today it was confirmed by the eye specialist. I explained to him what has happened since January 2013 and what I described to him sounded so much like a stroke. He looked into my eyes to check the nerves at the back of the eye and he said that there was no sign of a stroke. He explained that the numbness in my face around the eye is coming from the back of the brain mid section. I also do have more sight in my "bad" eye that has an ocular motor issue (stabimus-a lazy eye). The eye specialist said that amblyopia (dimness of sight) can change as we age. Although I cannot read words with it, I can see better out of it and have more field of vision! And, my pressures (glaucoma) are down! Miracles can happen! A few more tests to be done (I had a holter monitor and the readings will go back to my doctor and I have to go for an eco-cardiogram. I am sure these tests will turn out fine as well). So excited that I can see with both eyes, but I do have to get use to this! It is a little freaky.

      So many thoughts, where to start. I keep saying I will post more often. It has been two years since the last post!
      January of this year has been interesting and thought provoking to say the least.
      In December, my husband and I attended two funerals and it got me thinking that I should start getting healthier. I had already in the previous year, attended Healthy Transformations, a session of bible studies with a special guest who has changed my life considerably! Healthy Transformations also had an exercise conponent to it as well. I attended the bible study every week, I think I missed a couple of studies-they were on transforming our thinking to be a more healthy person both in body, mind and soul through pastor Rick Warren, through the Daniel Plan. I attended the exercise as much as I could. I saw a change in our leader (previous Corps officer in our church). She had lost a considerable amount of weight! I thought wow, if she can do it so can I. I started in December 2012 and to date I have lost 13 pounds. Now, I want to go back and tell you what happened to me in January 2013.
      At the end of the first week of January I became ill with a flu. by January 16th, the right side of my face went numb right down to my lip. My ear felt numb also. I went to the doctor to have him check my ear to see if I had an ear infection. I did not. Then I got severe pain into my teeth on the right side of my mouth and into my jaw. I went to the dentist and he could not determine at the time if there was anything wrong with my teeth. The pain went down my neck and into my shoulder and down the right arm into the fingers. My right eye blacked out for minutes. I went back to the doctor at the request of the staff at work as they thought I was having a stroke! I went to my doctor and he at first said I could have had a stroke but then he said he didn't think I was having one! That weekend, January 26th, I went to see the special guest from our bible study, a naturopath Dr. Alana Polo. I had seen her three times previously for a diet to help control my IBS and my diabetes and to lose some weight. When I told her the symptoms I was having, she suggested I go straight to the hospital and get the stroke ruled out. So instead of going for a massage (that is how I was relieving the pain in my neck), I went to the hospital. I spent four hours there getting checked out to see if I had had a stroke. I tell you, when you go into the hospital with possible symptoms of a stroke, the nurses and doctors move and fast! The student doctor did some tests and the ER doctor did tests and I had a CT scan that day. Good news, the CT scan came back normal, so I am "normal". The following Monday, January 28th, I had an ultrasound on the arteries in my neck. That came back clear, meaning there was no sign of a stroke. The neurologist confirmed that he didn't think I had had a stroke. Good news! However, the numbness in my face continued. The pain in my jaw and neck were still there. I had another appointment with the dentist for a cleaning in late February and the dentist thought I needed a root canal done when in January he couldn't find anything wrong with my teeth. I have been to the massage therapist and a new chiropractor (for a couple of visits as the neurologist scared me when he asked if I had had my neck maniplulated, which I have done all the time from my previous chiropractor). The new chiropractor used a different technique and he said that neck maniplulation does not cause a stroke. I have had the root canal done and am waiting a week to have it filled. I continue with the massage and have gone to my previous chiropractor. He did a maniplulation on my neck with a tool he uses and I can now turn my head quite considerably. the two chiropractors and the massage therapist say they think it is the muscles in my neck, they are very tight. I have been to the diabetic doctor and my sugars are down and my blood pressure also. During all this, I also thought I was having an allergic reaction to almonds. I have been to an allergist and it turns out that my blood pressure medication was the culprit at making my tongue swell and difficulty swallowing. My naturopath has taken me off my blood pressure medication (I needed to renew it anyway) and now I am taking COQ10 and magnesium with fish oils to keep my blood pressure even. I still have numbness around the eye but another wierd thing is that since I have lost some weight, I have more vision in that eye (I have stabimus-a lazy eye in the right eye).

      I consider the new vision in my eye and the lower blood sugars and lower blood pressure miracles from God, I know some of you will say it is because I am following a healthy diet and yes, that is partly true but I do believe without the Lord's help (I have no will power when it comes to sweets and even some salty foods), I couldm't get to where I am right now. It is still a struggle, as I still crave sweet things and the numbness has not gone away. I am praying that the Lord will help me through these struggles.

     I am reminded of two scriptures that have helped me to keep my focus; "Be still and know that I am God", "They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up with wings as eagles." And 1 Chronicles 16:29-36. Give thanks to the Lord, his love endures forever! Psalms 40:2 says that the Lord lifted me out of the miry clay, out of the pit of despair. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along."

       May the Lord lift you out of the despair you may face and may He heal you from all your infirmities.

Blessings