For Mary---Highlighting your recent personal news...

[Theodora]

I hope this is OK. If not, you can ask Jerry to delete it.

This was FAR too important to risk getting buried in a thread on another subject, and I just wanted you to know that I've seen this update on your health concerns, CARE about what you're enduring (and admire you for your courage and on-going witness to faith in the midst of adversity)...and will certainly be keeping you in prayer...now/always. You're one brave lady!

Here's the excerpt, as found here:

http://www.christianrecovery.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5695

You said--

(Speaking of awfully good runs: in case anyone recalls... My hematologist told me today that I do not have leukemia... That's the good news. The bad news is that the biopsy from last week showed that I have a "1% functional bone marrow," and what I probably have is "hypoplastic myelodysplasia," which I gather from what he said is a rather indolent, rare, pre- to frankly malignant bone marrow syndrome. I've had much, much longer than anyone expected me to when I was first diagnosed at age 22. I'm scheduled for another bone marrow and a platelet antibody test on Dec. 1 because he wants to "establish the diagnosis." I am absolutely cool with this. For some reason, I just didn't want to hear "acute lymphocytic leukemia" today and the Lord spared me that. Thanks so very much to anyone who prayed for me. I do feel that prayers were answered and I am blessed! Would feel somewhat more like celebrating if I weren't so blasted tired all the time... ) -- End of excerpt.

Makes my little struggle with on-going ill health seem like child's play. I'm thankful that you DIDN'T have the bad news you were fearing today, though of course the rest of what you say here sounds like it must be really dreadful to handle. I'm sure my chronic fatigue doesn't compare with yours either, but I DO empathize with how fatigue affects what we're able to do/FEEL!

May you continue to find reasons to rejoice in this day, in spite of all your difficulties.

Love and prayers--

Theodora

[Willow]

Thanks Theo for highlighting this... I *never* would have found it buried in a sports trivia post!

((((((((((((((Mary))))))))))))))))))
Feeling with you in your health struggles. Hope you'll let us know about future developments... positive or negative.

[Jo Jo]

Mary wrote:
The bad news is that the biopsy from last week showed that I have a "1% functional bone marrow

I saw that over there... How does that work? Only haveing 1% functional bone marrow? :confused: I should say you might be tired. Ouch... praying for you Mary.

[mary]

Thank you, ((((Theodora)))))... I felt a bit **shy** about creating a separate thread about this situation for myself ("pastor" used to explicitly refuse to pray for me about this specific medical problem when I asked him to, just to browbeat me about the other thing going on between him and me, and I guess that's why I buried it; maybe I shouldn't have...) - but I thank you so very much -- words are inadequate to express how deeply I appreciate and covet your prayers - and I'm glad you did make it known generally.

The Lord has already given me about 238 miracles since my diagnosis - but a 239th would be quite welcome! :)

((((Amy!))))) - oh, dear, thank you!!!!

Jo Jo, that's a very astute question you asked and in fact, I asked it of my hematologist this morning as soon as he told me and then showed me the bone marrow pathology report. I asked him, "So, if my bone marrow is only 1% functional, then how could I have half of a normal white cell count, a third of a platelet count, and a bit of a low red cell count? Is that part of the pathology of another process that's going on? Is that 'health' or 'disease?'" That's when he told me that the only way he could correlate the two is to suspect disease, that the "somewhat abnormal" counts might well be a product of myelodysplasia, not a properly functioning bone marrow. Truth be told, on smears, I don't have a normal-looking red cell in my body, I've been told - and I've seen the smears on a microscope myself. My RBCs all look like paint smears or footballs or whatever. So, take away the myelodysplasia, and I'd be back again with the severe aplastic anemia that I used to have - and a very short life expectancy. I'm glad I'm having another bone marrow in a couple of weeks and that antibody test as well.

Well, I am not going to get bent out of shape over this. I got bent out of shape over the breast cancer years ago and what did that accomplish? I was cured of that... The Lord has given me a peace about this, that I am in His care, that He's my real Physician, and that I need only to trust in Him.

No one who struggles with health problems of any kind should be minimized or go unprayed-for. We've all suffered at the hands of clergy who don't shepherd us, who don't care when we're depressed or downhearted or ill -- and I think that's what this forum is for. Praying for each other and not considering one person's illness less needful than another's, for we each suffer to the Lord's judgment of our capacity to suffer at one time or another. This could get worse for me - or it could get better! I'm prepared for either and I wouldn't want something that wasn't His perfect will for me. I think His will for me, as long as He sustains my life, includes praying for other people, especially all of the beautiful ones on this forum - and I will continue to do so. (It's also nice to get prayed for, especially when you don't have extended family, as I don't.)

With much love to all, and "praying without ceasing,"

mary

[Jo Jo]

Praying without ceasing - right back at you Mary. This sounds like one of those things that God can handle.

[Anna Marta]

Mary -
Hats off to you! YOU are a real testimony to the fact that God does not need to read lab reports.

Anna Marta

[mary]

Thanks, Jo Jo, Anna Marta...

Praying for everyone here myself...

The Lord is going to get me through this, just as He always has. Technically, things don't sound good, but - so what? The Lord is bigger than these doctors... He even tells us He is, doesn't He? :cool: (Mark 5:25-29.) Do I hear an "Amen" from so many here?

Heh, heh!

(Theodora, thank you again, so much! :) )

Love,

mary

[Reg]

Thanks Theo for posting this. I would have missed it also.

((((((((Mary)))))))))

GOD KNOWS! and.............

now so do we!;)

[mary]

(((((Reg)))))) and all,

First of all, Reg:

For he's a jolly good fellow,
For he's a jolly good fellow,
For he's a jolly good fellow,
That nobody can deny!!!
(And a mensch, too! ;) :D )

Happy birthday, dear brother in Christ!!!!! I wish you many more happy years spent doing what the Lord has so obviously gifted you to do! :) (And that's a lot -- some great gifts, you do have!)

__________________________________________________ __________

As for the subject of this thread, I'd been keeping this under wraps (kind of like the Calvinism thing... ;) ) - because mostly my family is and has always been uncomfortable and almost belligerent about it, and so was "pastor" who booted me out of the church last year. This morning, my husband finally told the pastor of that Baptist church we've been attending what my diagnosis is and what's going on now. This pastor couldn't have been nicer. I know that people that I meet generally know that I'm tired a lot of the time and I'm not really of an age to be that, so I don't know what they were thinking. I was feeling in these churches (and the Messianic synagogue) that "people can't really know me" because I didn't want them to know that I have this bone marrow disease that will - unless the Lord keeps those miracles rolling in! - shorten my life considerably. I didn't want people to know because I always just want to be "one of the girls" in these places. Yesterday morning, at the shul, I talked to Rabbi a little; he wasn't believing me about the "1% functional marrow" part and so I showed him my pathology report. Then he kind of backed away; he was spooked or something. He didn't offer to pray for me, although he has prayed with me twice for my husband. Whatever. The Baptist pastor offered "whatever you need; prayer, whatever... Please just let us know." I feel "out from under wraps" now, at least at that church, and it's probably better this way.

Part of the sermon this morning was about how "our eternal life has already begun," and that's how I've been thinking for a few years now. If you're "in Christ" and He doesn't come back here before it's your time, then you eventually "fall asleep" - but you wake up in His presence! How wonderful! There's nothing to worry about - absolutely nothing!!!

Every day is a wonderful day, no matter how we "feel." We're here, we're alive, and we are Christ's! Can't get any better than that! :D

Love to all,

mary

[Janice]

The Lord is going to get me through this, just as He always has. Technically, things don't sound good, but - so what? The Lord is bigger than these doctors... He even tells us He is, doesn't He? :cool: (Mark 5:25-29.) Do I hear an "Amen" from so many here?

Heh, heh!

(Theodora, thank you again, so much! :) )

Love,

mary[/QUOTE]


AMEN & AMEN!!!!

[Carmen]

Am praying for one more miracle for your health, (((((Mary)))))! :)

[mary]

Thanks so much, ((((((Carmen)))))) and ((((((Janice))))))!

I do have the feeling that the Lord is fixin' to do something here... He's the one tinkering, not the docs. It's actually His bone marrow to "mess with," not anyone else's, not even mine! :D :D :D I praise Him for everything He does -- I praise Him for your good news, Janice, and Carmen, you are still in my prayers as well, for I know there's great need for you in your situation...

It's so wonderful to know that we - and our problems - belong to the Lord first, for Him to fix, and then, we just sit back and see how His grace, mercy and lovingkindness work for our good! I couldn't be more pleased or at peace, knowing that... :)

Love to all,

mary

[clementine]

Mary,
You have a beautiful testimony...I was so encouraged by the glimpses of your story in this thread. It made me think of the verse in Jeremiah 'I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?' You already know this about God, many of us don't yet live with this assurance...it's a beautiful thing.
Clementine

[mary]

Oh, Clementine - you are a dear!

You know, it isn't just I - my troubles right now are unique to me and they're, uh, a little formidable-looking right now - but all of us have "stuff" to deal with. Who among us doesn't?

You're right: there's nothing too hard for God... Does He not own each one of us? And every cell in our bodies, and every hair on our heads?

His mercy is from everlasting - and He has loved us with an everlasting love!

I pray for you, Clementine, and for everyone here! :)

mary