As a kid I always tried to keep my personal life hidden, if I felt something wasn’t important, or that you didn’t really need to know — then I’d never tell you. Ever.
Even now as an adult, I still struggle with withholding information because I don’t view it as “important” enough to be shared. I don’t want to burden you with additional worries, added stress, or complicate your day with pointless information. Sometimes this causes problems. I’m still learning to balance this out. Which is why very few of you have heard this story.
Last January, I finally sought out a Doctor whom I could trust (AKA someone who I hadn’t lied to yet) to share all of my health concerns. For years I had suffered from an underlying medical condition, with increasing symptoms as time passed. In the following weeks I went through several physical tests, countless blood tests, a MRI, ultrasound, and a few X-rays. Shortly after I was given a brace for carpal tunnel in one arm, encouraged to acquire braces for my ankles and knees, prescribed medications, and labeled with diagnosis after diagnosis. All this despite the fact that all they could tell me was “the tests all came back normal — but your story says you’re PCOS….ish.” Emphasis on the “ish”
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome — despite the fact that I had zero cysts. That sure gives me confidence in this diagnosis.
For the next 2 months I tried out the prescribed medicine, and to be honest, there weren’t any significant health changes at all. Nothing got worse, but nothing improved.
July rolled around and I was beginning to feel miserable. Migraines made me want to cry. Ankles continually gave out. Wrist brace worn daily for months on end. Knee brace rotated from leg to leg for nearly 2 months. One day I bent down to help a kid at work, and felt as if the bones in my leg were about to snap. More doctor visits ensued, more diagnoses : Weak Bones & Joints. Rheumatoid Arthritis. Carpal Tunnel in both wrists now. The pain came and went for a while, and the braces were an everyday accessory until I learned to cope with the pain. Things were fine, I could continue my life fairly normally, that is until Thanksgiving 2015 rolled around.
Shortly after accepting a spot on the World Race – my health took a nose dive (shocker!). Suddenly I was experiencing rapid shooting pains throughout my body all at once. And while the pain varied in intensity, the number of locations screaming in pain multiplied at a rapid pace. I was often forced to stop in the middle of my tasks to ride out the pain as it wreaked havoc upon my body.
It hurt. Every where. Every day. All the time.
On top of this I was exhausted. My muscles ached. Standing for more than a few minutes required sitting for 2-3x as long to recoup. Lifting a child up, used up my entire store of energy. And due to my inability to gain quality sleep : there was even less energy to draw from to begin with. I couldn’t think straight, couldn’t focus, and often couldn’t even see clearly as the migraines began to mess with my vision.
The exhaustion, the fatigue I felt all throughout my body was destroying me. I convinced myself I could still function. I was an idiot.
Christmas came around and I was getting scared. Despite the countless doctor visits & calls, the increased blood work and tests — my Doctor was clueless. Nothing could account for my symptoms. Every condition & disease he tested came back negative. And I began to suspect that perhaps every symptom I had experienced was related. That a greater, harsher, underlying condition had yet to be discovered.
Scary things I didn’t understand like nerve damage. Polyneuropathy. Parkinsons. And (possibly) cancer were suddenly legitimate concerns for me. Essentially: I was a wreck (just ask my co-teacher).
While all of this was going on I knew I had to stand in faith, I knew I had to believe for my healing. But the longer it went, the easier it became to just accept that this was my life now. However, every so often someone would ask me if I was still going on the World Race, and how could I when my health was so obviously deteriorating.
Realizing that my current health conditions would require me quitting the World Race, I freaked. And after running around like a mad woman for a minute or two (okay fine, a few days) I stopped, and I determined that my health would NOT hold me back from the Race. I refused to let health hinder me from achieving God’s plan for my life.
But how could I pray for healing — and believe for it — when I had no idea what to believe for? No one knew what was wrong with me, no one knew why my body was going haywire. The specialists couldn’t figure it out, the lab work showed nothing, and if something didn’t change soon — then I’d never get back out on the mission field.
With a 6 wait for the next Specialist (it wasn’t life threatening, but life hindering) – I made plans to attend my college’s annual Holy Spirit Seminar, and in February I traveled to Tulsa, OK. Prior to leaving on the trip, I told God that I wasn’t leaving that church without my healing. I had made up my mind and nothing was going to stop me.
The final service came around, the service I had been waiting for all week. I arrived at church an hour early and snagged a seat up front, I wanted to be as close to the presence of God as I could get. When the call for healing came, I jumped to my feet and rushed forward.
It didn’t take long for Pastor to reach me and as he laid his hands on me the power of God flowed through my body and I was out. Instantly I knew I was healed, and this uncontainable joy overflowed throughout me. After finding my feet I quickly rose up and ducked out of service. The joy that was bubbling up inside began to spill out as I danced in the halls. Running up and down the corridors with an excitement I couldn’t contain.
And for the first time in months, there was no pain. Nothing hurt. I could run. I could dance. I could spin. I could jump. The pain was gone. The shakiness that had begun to rise up (possible early signs of Parkinsons) had disappeared. The fatigue disappeared. The migraines disappeared. The hormone imbalance disappeared. Carpal Tunnel disappeared. Arthritis disappeared. Every symptom I had ever experienced was gone, I was healed!
And as long as we’re being open and honest, one of my first thoughts (after “Thank you God! I’m healed! Praise the Lord!”) was I CAN GO ON THE WORLD RACE!)
Two months have passed since the healing power of God flowed through my body, and I can truthfully say that every symptom has disappeared. There isn’t a single doctor’s appointment on my calendar. All my medication has been flushed down the toilet. The joint braces have been burned. Every hormone has been in balance WITHOUT medication assistance. I have increased energy and increased clarity.
And as I go about my days living in my healing, I look forward to the day that God uses me to bring healing to his people around the world. Because healing & miracles aren’t just stories in the bible, they’re the incredible blessings we have as Children of God and it’s up to us to choose to live in that healing each and every day.
**$3,400 still needed by May 13th! Will you help me share the healing power of God around the world?**
