For several years now, I have been afflicted with something called polymyalgia rheumatica, which affects the muscles and joints, particularly in the upper arms shoulders, neck, and hip joints. Untreated, it can incapacitating with severe pain. It causes mobility issues and sleeplessness. Anemia and exhaustion are also common. The only even partially effective treatment is Prednisone, a steroid which presents problems and side effects that bring additional complications; I've been taking Prednisone for more than four years.
Under a new rheumatologist, a new drug was added to my medication regimen. For the first month or so, it seemed to helping. Then, toward the end of August my blood sugars started climbing. When they reached 200, my primary doctor became alarmed and ordered me to cut back on the Prednisone. When I did so, the side effects were severe, but the blood sugars kept climbing. Wednesday, 9/4 - it was 359, Thursday, 9/5 - it was 379, and Friday, September 6th, the blood sugar was too high to measure on my home meter. I was instructed to go directly to the Emergency Room. When I arrived, their laboratory measured my blood sugar as 593. They admitted me for observation and began a battery of tests and bloodwork. They found my lipase enzymes to be above 1000. Their diagnosis was pancreatitis, (a life threatening illness involving pain that doubles one over and causes severe nausea and vomiting,) and the extreme blood sugar.
Discontinuing my oral diabetes medications and the new rheumatology drug, they began teaching me to administer insulin.Over the next two days. the nurses came into my room frequently to inquire about my pain level. But the reactions one is supposed to have with pancreatitis at the level of my enzyme involvement simply was not there! The doctors and nurses were amazed. They were expecting me to be incapacitated with pain and I was not. By Saturday evening, I began to realize something special was going on.
Because the pancreatitis did not develop as they expected, they released me Sunday morning, saying I could do whatever I felt like doing. I took them at their word and got myself ready to go to church Sunday evening. It was such a joy to be in the house of the Lord! Pondering over the events of the previous few days, I perceived the Lord had stepped into my situation and the problems the new drug had caused had not harmed me in the way it could have. The lack of pain and other symptoms could only have been the Lord's doing. I believe He has begun a healing work in my body.
Since then, I am noticing steady improvement on several fronts. I'm thankful for returning strength, for an easing of the clutches of Prednisone, and for the improvement in my blood sugar readings. My "life psalm" (Psalm 27,) closes with the following verse. I've been claiming it as an exceeding precious promise in this present situation... "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." (Psalm 27:14)
Some time ago, I wrote a little chorus, which has strengthened and encouraged me while on this present "journey." It goes like this...
"In every situation You are good,
In every situation You are wonderful,
In every situation You bring peace to my soul;
In every situation You are Lord...
In every situation You are Lord."
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