Isaiah 58:11

And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. - Isaiah 58:11

This verse has been very poignant to me the past few days.  It is a wonderful reminder to me that no matter what I'm going through right now, God knows what is going on and he is with me.

I had my doctor's appointments this last Tuesday.  And they didn't go as planned.  And while I want to be able to say that I'm "okay" with the outcomes, I'm struggling with it right now, but praying for peace and contentment in our situation.

First was my hematology appointment.  It was with a new doctor, new practice, etc., so I knew that I would be having to start on a blank slate of sorts with explaining my case history.  Before I even got in to see the doctor, though, I was informed that my hemoglobin had dropped 1.2 (down to a 7.9) in just a weeks time.  Basically, I was informed that because of my drastic decrease and because my body does not typically absorb iron like others, I would have to begin monthly iron infusions indefinitely.  Not the worst thing in the world (I once had to go through 6 weeks of infusions a few years back), but being told that I would have to undergo this procedure every month from here on out with no identified end in sight is somewhat daunting.

Then I had my appointment with another specialist.  I had a follow up ultrasound, following up on the ultrasound I had a week ago.  And that's when we were informed that there was something detected on the ultrasound that was more than likely contributing to my health issues.  It's unrelated to my endo and adeno, which is of some slight concern to my doctor.  And until this, coupled with my severe anemia are addressed, we can't address other health concerns.  So, my doctor has scheduled me for surgery next Thursday.  Nothing super serious (again, I've had a similar procedure before), but every procedure always carries it's own set of risks.  

I will say, we were relieved to find out that my doctor is not advising a radiological procedure that had previously been discussed briefly right now at this moment.  He does not see the benefit of doing it, nor the necessity.  So at least that's been tabled for now.

So - please continue to keep me (and Andrew!) in your prayers over the next few weeks and months.  The procedure next week is outpatient in nature and shouldn't take long at all, really - and if I'm not in a lot of pain, I can even return to work Friday.  But that's not to say that this isn't still stressful for us.  Prayers for peace, patience, and guidance are greatly appreciated.  

As always, thank you to our family and friends who have been here for me (and us!) since the beginning and even now, still...it is greatly appreciated!