ladypeartree Posted February 13, 2023 Group: Royal Member Followers: 37 Topic Count: 539 Topics Per Day: 0.08 Content Count: 32,765 Content Per Day: 5.03 Reputation: 23,429 Days Won: 222 Joined: 06/21/2006 Status: Online Birthday: 02/23/1953 Share Posted February 13, 2023 We are also not to mourn as the heathens do as we have a promise of life after 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marathoner Posted February 20, 2023 Group: Royal Member Followers: 16 Topic Count: 71 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,125 Content Per Day: 7.06 Reputation: 13,076 Days Won: 97 Joined: 05/24/2020 Status: Offline Share Posted February 20, 2023 You're a dear sister, @Keturah 123. You encourage me to share as you have. The dark place that lasted for many years came to an end when I was close to death. There was much I didn't know, things which remained hidden until the appointed time when the Lord was pleased to reveal His counsel to many. What I believed to be a case of Lyme disease began subtly, manifesting as fatigue... nausea... skin rashes... headaches... and insomnia, all of which are indeed symptoms of Lyme. It made sense because mule deer and Elk wandered the wilderness surrounding my adopted mother's land, and Lyme is transmitted by infected deer ticks. I labored on her land while I also watched over her life, so I was out in the bush on a daily basis. I would emerge outdoors in the morning to find a family of mule deer passing through the northern reach of her property. They ignored my presence because they knew I posed no threat to their welfare. I enjoyed watching them go about their business. Over time, this illness became more severe and pervasive, impacting my ability to remain outdoors under the New Mexico sun for long. I had to fight tenaciously against passing out in the midst of my work, with each new day becoming a grueling battle against this flesh and blood. My mouth was a garden of agony, making eating difficult to endure; I would inexplicably develop a fever; and there were days when I shivered in 90 degree temperatures. It became increasingly difficult to remain focused upon anything for long and so I was prone to forgetfulness. I would forget to eat and drink some days, so I started losing weight; during the first year I lost 70 pounds, making it necessary for my mother to acquire new clothes for me to wear (I was destitute). I started experiencing trouble with speaking, so I limited my words and remained silent when it was expedient. The headaches were constant and when it occurred to me that I should look upon my reflection in a mirror, I was undone by what I saw. I didn't recognize myself... and this was when my teeth started falling out. I opened my mouth to look inside, and two molars fell into the palm of my hand. The nausea became a constant affair and whenever I managed to pass out and claim a few hours of sleep, I would rise to a bout of the dry heaves. I did my best to hide these things from my adopted mother, but she was well aware of what was happening. I looked like a dead man, and people in the nearby village of 117 who knew me before this illness couldn't believe what was happening. Before the end came, I was confined to bed or sitting in a nearby chair. I was confused, slipping in and out of lucidity and awareness, and it was so hard to speak a single word. I longed to die so this nightmare would be over at last! The Lord raised me up from ruin which was the end of those dark times I lived with for so long. Some time ago, with the steadfast encouragement of a dear brother in Christ, I broke my custom of asking the Lord for nothing. I asked the Lord to reveal the truth of what He delivered me from for even severe Lyme disease isn't sufficient to destroy this flesh and blood in such a way, reducing me to that state of ruin. I had suffered damage to the brain, and that's unheard of in medical literature. The Lord was pleased to grant my petition, and so He sent me to the VA hospital. It would be there, He said to me, that the truth of what once afflicted me would be revealed. Last December, I was given an initial diagnosis of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) after a CT scan but the radiology report seemed vague, so I followed up with a VA doctor. While I waited for their response, I researched what this was... and was speechless over what I found. During the 1950s, this was known as a fatal genetic disease of boys on account of the short life expectancy ( early teens at the latest). Genetic, in that a group of related genes on the X chromosome (given to males by our mothers) cause the immune cells of the body to lack specific enzymes they ordinarily use to destroy bacteria and funguses which invade the body. Boys, because CGD afflicts mostly males (85%). Lacking these enzymes, all those immune cells can do is form a protective shell around these invaders --- called a granuloma --- and so the presence of granulomas in body tissue and organs (specifically the lungs) are the classic manifestation of CGD. The calcification of lymph nodes are also a unique feature of CGD. With antibiotic treatment becoming part of standard medical practice, the lifespan of those born with CGD increased until today, where 40 is the current life expectancy. 40... I was in my early 40s when this illness almost killed me, and it would have if the Lord did not purpose to display His power in me. Later that day, a doctor from the VA called. She seemed to struggle with telling me the simple truth. The radiologist found evidence of prior CGD, and she repeated his findings in detail. When I asked the doctor what needed to happen next --- bone marrow transplants are one treatment option for CGD --- she replied, "Nothing. Nothing needs to happen next." What? What do you mean, nothing? She explained that the evidence captured by that CT scan is old, meaning there's nothing wrong with me now. I'm fine. I'm still astonished by what the Lord did on that day when He raised me up from ruin. Now I know the full extent, for the Lord was pleased to reveal this to me when I asked Him to. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marathoner Posted February 20, 2023 Group: Royal Member Followers: 16 Topic Count: 71 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,125 Content Per Day: 7.06 Reputation: 13,076 Days Won: 97 Joined: 05/24/2020 Status: Offline Share Posted February 20, 2023 Simply put, it all started with a bacterial infection. The pathogen responsible for Lyme disease was the first and then, because this body couldn't cope with unwelcome bacteria, bacteria in the mouth spread out of control. Bacterial infections spread throughout this body (became systemic) affecting my heart, lungs, teeth, skin, and brain. That's a snapshot of why people with CGD have a life expectancy of 40. The lymph nodes closest to my heart are calcified, a testament of how close I was to death. Nothing is impossible to our Lord Jesus Christ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keturah 123 Posted February 21, 2023 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 11 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 252 Content Per Day: 0.56 Reputation: 255 Days Won: 2 Joined: 01/29/2023 Status: Offline Birthday: 06/11/1957 Author Share Posted February 21, 2023 Thank you @Marathoner. How absolutely awesome is the God we serve. HE is in the valley of dry bones & the shadow of death we walk. We never walk alone even in the darkest of places, he is the light in the tunnel, the rock our feet search for upon which to rest. Praises be to the God who loves beyond measure! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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