It has been awhile since I have posted an update. The main reason is that I have been working on moving my blog over to WordPress. As much as I love Apple, iWeb was just lacking in some of the features I wanted. One cool feature available is to subscribe people to your blog posts. Most of you reading this I subscribed because you were receiving my email updates. This makes things a little more easy for me. You will now automatically be emailed every time I upload a new post. You can very easily unsubscribe yourself directly on the blog on the right hand side. If you do unsubscribe yourself you will have to remember to check back periodically to see any new updates to Lucy. I hope you will take a look around and let me know what you think.
Since I last posted we had been waiting on an appointment with another doctor for a third opinion. That appoint was scheduled for September 17. I say ‘was’ because the morning of the appointment, about an hour before it, the doctors office called to cancel. Apparently, the doctor had looked at the schedule the morning of and noticed that we were self pay, in addition to Lucy’s condition, which is one he doesn’t treat. He was actually being very kind, trying to save us a couple hundred dollars for him to tell us he didn’t treat the condition and give us a referral. Instead, he gave the referral over the phone, saving us time and money!! This referral was to a Dr. Sinn. “Who?”, I asked the nurse a few times before I proceeded to ask her to spell it, hoping that I was just misunderstanding her. Nope, no misunderstanding with the exception of the extra “n”.
I got off the phone discouraged for several reasons. First of all, when I first contacted their office I explained in detail Lucy’s condition to a couple of different people who assured me he treated the condition. This was three months ago! We have, essentially, been waiting on this appointment and opinion to make our final decision, not doing anything else as we saw this as the last step. Secondly, we were being referred to Dr. Sinn…I got off the phone thinking “She just referred me to Dr. Evil”. I was joking that if he was anglo, which he is, his name came from the old country just like “Mason”, “Shoemaker”, “Blacksmith”…”Sin”. When they moved to the new world the family added the extra “n” to change it up a bit. This was all on the day I was very disheartened about the canceled appointment. I’m better now and my mother brought to my attention a verse that God showed her in prayer. “Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more” Romans 5:20
So here we are again, waiting. After a few hiccups, no surprise there, we finally have an appointment for next Monday October 11th. Until then, I’m not sure what to do. Do I try researching to find another doctor just incase this one does not pan out? Several people have mentioned looking elsewhere in other cities, Houston, Mayo Clinic, etc. I have attempted a few quick searches on the internet and of some clinic websites without much luck. I did, however, find on one search numerous doctors in middle eastern countries that have treated the condition. Most of them have case studies with similar protocols as the first and second opinion we received. I did find it very interesting the high rate of ankylosis of the TMJ in those areas.
Regular life keeps me pretty busy, for now, I think I will just wait until next Monday and then try to decide where to go from there. Prayers for continued endurance of this sometimes exhausting race and for discernment once we see the third doctor are always appreciated and greatly needed.
I think the saying “God never gives us more than we can handle” is put in better perspective when we take into consideration all of the spiritual support we receive from the Communion of Saints. Imagine trying to hold up all of our troubles by ourselves. It seems impossible. Now imagine that every person who is praying for you is holding a little piece of it. Usually, each person that is praying for you has asked at least one other person, if not many more, to lift your situation up in prayer. Feel how much lighter the load is. Today, I thank all of you for taking off some of the weight. Weight which can sometimes drag us down. I recently heard a saying. This saying was a tremendous visual for me. “…what we call death is only a horizon which is the limit of our sight. Lift us up, strong Son of God, that we may see further.” That weight being lifted off of me by your prayers allows me to be lifted up, willingly, by the “strong Son of God” to see further, beyond the horizon.