Four Years Later

Four years ago today, my body gave out. Years of untreated Lyme and toxic levels of heavy metals and mold accumulating due to a compromised immune system finally took me down. But I have written of that before.

Today I want to remember some progress I've been noticing:

On very low-strength days recently, I am reminded how hard it used to be to climb from one story to another in our 1970's farm-house. This makes it clear how much stronger I am most days the past year - not to have to avoid stairs in general.

I have even made it down the road to our first and second "hill" a few times in the past four years. Of course this is nothing compared to the 2-3 miles we walked every day when training to descend the rugged trails of the Grand Canyon years ago. But it certainly is something compared to being nearly unable to walk a few yards into a store a few years ago, especially if there was even a slight incline to the sidewalk.

Our white-domed shed tucked in the trees shows how far
I have made it from home.

                       

On another note, driving was neurologically impossible for quite some time after my health crash. First I became able to make the three mile drive to the nearest little town to teach or go to church on my better days. But even that short drive on empty, flat roads left me overstimulated and with aching brain.

After a year or two (and after recovering somewhat from thyroid cancer treatments), it was a gift when that little drive became predictably possible. I was even able to start looking around again and enjoying the prairie views in all seasons.

Next I was blessed to be able to resume the half-hour drives to a couple of our main towns for appointments and errands and to teach a few piano lessons. On the day last May when Dad was being rushed around by ambulance to get a stent due to his heart attack, I was even given the strength needed to drive Mom an hour to the bigger hospital. And recently I made my first round-trip drive to that city for Elsa and me to get blood draws for labs.

I look forward to being able to help more with the 6 hour drives to our doctors someday - and even to take my shifts to drive across the country on family trips once again. But today I am grateful for this much healing.

Praise God, from Whom each blessing flows...