Well I would say
it’s about time for another update! Advent and Christmas have come and gone for
most of the world, and we have plenty of news to update you all with (so bear
with me if this is long! I promise I am leaving the lesser details out!!)
The week before
Christmas, we had a phone appointment with our American doctor to go over
anything new and discuss the results of the tests we sent away as the outcome
of our last appointment. For those of
you who don’t remember, this past summer I was feeling quite discouraged about
feeling so sick all the time that we decided to re-test for the major offenders,
to see just how much progress I had made since last September, when this new
treatment began. Since I had come from a doctor whom, after months of treatment
(in 2011), finally figured out I was only getting worse under his care; we
figured spending a “little” more money sending my blood off to Germany again
was worth the cost for the peace of mind and understanding of how to best move
forward.
In the weeks
leading up to my appointment I had ample time to reflect on what had changed,
and what had improved over this past year. People ask me all the time how I am
doing, or how “it” is going. And day to day, week to week, even month to month,
it is sometimes difficult to see lasting change. But over this past year...over
this past year I was quite convinced of many changes, however slow and steady
they may be taking. And as I prepared my
list of improvements, (no more seizures or hallucinations; my hormones balancing
out; and most recently: stretches of feeling well between my herxes) I prayed
that God would give me positive news during this appointment. It didn’t have to
be positive to anyone but me; but my heart really
needed something it believed was good news.
And there it was, once
again-- all too soon after waiting for far too long: the results. Well, Jack,
as we have known for awhile, is in the clear. Matt, who was far more ill than
anyone realised, is now 80-90% better! He is to remain on course for the next 3
months, at which point we will retest if there is any question that it remains.
As for me? I got my positive news. My tests came back showing that I now have a
functioning immune system! And as such, my Lyme scores came back higher, since
my immune system is better at detecting it (which means my scores would have shown higher last fall, had my
immune system been strong enough to notice how bad it was at the time.) The
tests showed I have lower levels of bioflim (which shelters the spirochetes and
keeps them in hiding); so now the Lyme is more easily accessed by the meds I am
taking and killed. More great news: my body is finally absorbing and using
nutrients from food again! Both doctors (US and Canadian) were pleased to see
that I have gained weight as a result. And after being warned that this is
still a “long road to China, Kate—a long road to China...” I was given my
greatest news yet. After only one year
of treatment, two surgeries, and 10 months of IV therapy; and, well, we won’t
count all those other years that weren’t helping anything; I am, overall (that
is to say, parasite, co-infections, and all) -- 40% better! THAT IS
ALMOST HALF!! I’m almost halfway there!! And I can
feel it. Praise the Lord!
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| Quite the difference, isn't there? |
The following days
were a testament to just how far I have come (and how good God is to me!) Last
Friday I decided on a whim that I wanted to get Jack’s picture taken with
Santa. I had plans with my sister-in-law to do some last minute gift shopping,
etc, and thought that maybe—just maybe—I could bring Jack along on our first
stop. He is always asking if I am coming along with him and Daddy places: heart-wrenchingly
disappointed when I’m not; and equally as excited when I can. I figured we
would get his photo taken, have a special lunch out together with Auntie and
his baby cousin; pick up the one or two items we needed; and have him home in
time for his nap (and us on our way to our next destination!)
Well, our guesstimated one hour turned into three and a half. Jack has decided that
he doesn’t like riding in a stroller anymore, so silly me, I didn’t even bring
it along to help carry our bags! I’m clearly not used to taking a toddler out.
Even a shopping cart would have done. But no—we entered the mall at the
opposite end, loaded with my diaper bag, purse, and his winter coat; all the while
overheating in my own; and trying to hold his hand as he pulled this direction
and that, in the crowded mall of shoppers, wanting to touch and climb on everything
he shouldn’t. Even eating out, Jack
played the usual game of “I only want to eat my carbs,” requiring all my best tricks
to get him to eat (which worked in the end! One point for Mama!!)
Santa was fantastic, and really knew what he
was doing. He somehow got Jack peeled off my legs and onto his lap without any
manual labour required! When asking Jack what presents he wanted Santa to bring
him, Jack replied, “I don’t need your
presents—I have LOTS [of] presents under my tree!” And when Santa wouldn’t stop
making suggestions, Jack finally settled on, “Erm... [a] BIG present!!” Despite his initial reluctance, and
disinterest in Santa’s generosity, we not only managed to get a good picture,
but Jack excitedly rushed back to yell, “HI SANTA!!” every time we passed by
thereafter!
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| Jolly old St. Nicholas and my handsome boy <3 |
It was, needless
to say, exhausting. At the end of it all, I could barely walk. I was overwhelmed
by the amount of care a 2.5 year old requires, especially in a busy mall with
the fear of losing track of him, let alone caring for his needs and getting the
errands done! My respect for mothers (and Matt!!) who do(es) this all the time
climbed even higher on the charts, let me tell you! My sister-in-law was kind
enough to remind me that in the case of most mothers, there are baby steps, and
time to ease into the chaos each new stage of development brings. The last time
I took care of Jack on my own was over a year ago, for a day ; before that, it had been another 10 months prior when I
had to go from taking care of my baby daily to giving in and asking for regular
help. So as hard as our little excursion was: it was good. It was so good! To be a mother, out and about, caring
for her son, getting things accomplished—sigh.
It was Christmas gift #2.
Gift number three
came the very next day. Many of you know that due to insomnia (one of my most
prevalent and annoying symptoms—and apparently, one of the last to go) I sleep
in until noon everyday, at which time I take half an hour to gain coherence so
I can begin reading with Jack to get him ready for his nap. Well, this day
(when I should have been plastered to the bed, recovering) Matt woke me up by
saying, “this [potty training] thing isn’t working. Jack has gone through 5
pairs of underwear just this morning. I give up.”
“Did you read the
book?” I responded. The book that, for months, has been sitting on my bedside
table; the first half being read, and re-read, with so little retention that it
was finally set down to collect dust. But the night before when Matt decided,
as he was getting ready for bed, that he would begin potty training Jack the
next morning, he asked for the synopsis. So, I cracked it open again, and (in
between elbowing him awake) I read it aloud. When I realised he was asleep for
the night, I turned to my highlighter and sticky tabs, and with a mind and a
drive I haven’t had since my college days, I got to work gleaning all the most pertinent
information that I could (Christmas gift
#4—my mind back... if just for a time).
“No. I didn’t have
time to read the book” (was his response). “I can’t do this anymore today. It
is his naptime, and I am exhausted from too little sleep and cleaning up pee. I’m
putting a diaper back on him.”
At this, I shot out of bed. (Did you catch
that? I shot out of bed. Without coffee. After being awake for less than 5
minutes. Okay—just making sure you got that!) “No!” I said, “he can’t go to bed
without having been successful! I’ll show you what to do, just please, don’t
give up.” But Matt wasn’t exaggerating when he said he was tired and done, and
so (get ready for this...) I sent him to nap while I, Kate, proceeded to
carry out potty boot camp for the next hour and a half. (Christmas gift #5: being
the one to potty train my own son!!) After both boys got up from their naps we
all carried on with the training. The next day went fairly similar to the
first, wherein I fully expected to be of no help out of my need to recuperate
from the past two days...but somehow I did just fine.
Christmas came,
and I was able to attend both Matt’s family’s celebration and my own. A month
ago I would have told you I wasn’t sure if I would make it out for Christmas Eve
with the in-laws out of anxiety over the crowd and fear of my own physical
restrictions. Not only did I get to celebrate (with only a brief respite in
bed); but I was up at 8:45am the next morning to open presents with Jack! Christmas
presents number 6 and 7! The miracles just don’t stop. But my energy did. It
finally ran out for good (meaning, I have been experiencing that hit-by-a-truck,
sleeping 21 hours a day)starting two days ago.
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| Mama and Jack on Christmas Morning |
One last Christmas
miracle that I have to tell of: when we returned home on Christmas Eve from
Matt’s parents’ home, as I was getting ready for bed there was a knock at our
door. At first we almost didn’t hear it. But they knocked again, and Matt
answered it. It was two friends that we had yet to meet (is anyone really a
stranger?); they had come to deliver the “gift of time” in the form of homemade
meals. Now, for the remainder of the time that Matt is home on Christmas break,
he won’t be spending it thinking up or preparing dinner, because our nameless
angels did that for him. I don’t know if they read this blog, or if this
thank-you will ever get to them. But I hope they feel the blessings from the
prayers we say for them each night.
We hope you all
had a very Merry Christmas, and look forward to a New Year full of new life in its
many forms; happiness; and health for you and your loved ones! We plan on starting off the New Year right: by celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary (on January 3rd)! I could write another entire blog about how blessed I am to have my Matt; but I will save that for another time :) Please pray for us as we journey ahead into a new year of marriage and life! We are praying for you as well.
Blessings and love,
Kate
“For unto us a
child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his
shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6
"No eye has seen, no ear has
heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"
1 Corinthians 2:9
